Today before… – a selection of today’s anniversaries

Today is the day of St. Herma, it’s Ctibor’s holiday.

Today is European Union Day, commemorating the Schuman Declaration.

638 years ago today, England and Portugal confirm their alliance with the Treaty of Windsor, the oldest alliance still in existence; not a single party violated it during the entire period.

151 years ago today, in the so-called crash of the founders, the Vienna Stock Exchange collapses, followed by a series of bank bankruptcies and then a depression lasting roughly 6 years.

And Antonín Čermák is born in Kladno, whose family moves to Chigaco due to the crisis that has just broken out, where Anton becomes an extremely popular mayor.

132 years ago today, Zita de Bourbon-Parma, wife of Charles I, last Empress of Austria and Queen of Bohemia, was born in Villa Pianore.

130 years ago today, the Mrštík brothers’ Maryša premiered at the National Theatre.

126 years ago today, Emperor Francis Joseph ceremonially opened the operation of the Vienna city railway.

Bulat Okudžava was born 100 years ago today.

83 years ago today, the British Navy manned the German submarine U-110, which was equipped with the latest model of the Enigma encryption machine. Thanks to this, the British decipherers under the leadership of A. Turing manage to break the German codes, which will fundamentally contribute to the victory of the Allies.

79 years ago today, Terezín was liberated.

And in Prague, the day after the signing of the surrender of the Wehrmacht, units of the 1st Ukrainian Front of Marshal Konev arrive.

78 years ago today, Italian King Victor Emmanuel III abdicated, and his son Umberto II ascended the throne.

76 years ago today, the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia approves a new, Bolshevik constitution, which E. Beneš refuses to sign and resigns.

74 years ago today, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman publishes his declaration, in which he proposes, among other things, to subject French and German coal and steel production to joint supervision. It offers participation in this cooperation to other states and explicitly considers it a path to a European federation. Following the Schuman Declaration, the European Coal and Steel Community, the foundation of today’s EU, will be established within a year.

Today, 64 years ago, an amnesty was announced for the victims of Stalin’s repressions.

51 years ago today, Czechoslovak television starts color broadcasting on the 2nd program.

50 years ago today, the first metro line opened in Prague.

14 years ago today, Otakar Motel died.