All - Leep Calendar

International Civil Aviation Day marks the anniversary of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) creation in Chicago in 1944. The United Nations acknowledges the day.

Africa

Dec

Commemoration Day, (CI)(1993): December 7

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Commemoration Day in Côte d'Ivoire marks the anniversary of December 7, 1993, the day the nation's first president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, (Papa Houphouët to his people), passed away. Commemoration Day is a national holiday.

Africa

Dec

Cotton Candy Day, Ntl.: December 7

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Sweetness and joy, what more could you want on National Cotton Candy Day? Cotton candy, candy floss, tooth floss, or fairy floss is a form of spun sugar, and it's almost 99.999 percent sugar, with only dashes of flavoring and food coloring. Nashville candy makers William Morrison and John C. Wharton Cotton invented cotton candy in 1897 by creating the machine that heated sugar in a perforated spinning bowl. Their 'fairy floss' premiered at the World's Fair in St. Louis in 1904.

Africa

Dec

Letter Writing Day: December 7

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Letter Writing Day takes place each year in December. This unofficial event is a reminder to get those Christmas card letters written and letters out to Santa because there are only 18 days until Christmas!

Africa

Dec

Pearl Harbor (1941): December 7

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December 7 is the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese empire in 1941. The following day the United States declared war on Germany, Italy, and Japan, thus entering WWII. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Americans honor the more than 2,400 Americans killed that day. Header Photo: A navy photographer snapped this photograph of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, just as the USS Shaw exploded. (80-G-16871) |Source= [http://www.archives.gov/research/ww2/photos/#japan US archiv]

Africa

Dec

Skywarn Recognition Day, Ntl.: December 7

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The first Saturday of December is National Skywarn Recognition Day. Developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League, the day honors and celebrates the essential contribution of volunteer SKYWARN radio operators to the National Weather Service.

Africa

Dec

Student's Day, (IR)(1953): December 7

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Student's Day in Iran honors three student protesters martyred on December 7, 1953, for freedom of speech and the right to assemble.

December 7, 1953, Tehran University students gathered to protest the upcoming December 9 arrival of American Vice President Richard Nixon. The peaceful protests were met with a 'Shoot to Kill' order from the Shah's security forces. Three student protesters, Mostafa Bozorgnia, Ahmad Ghandchi, and Mehdi Shariat-Razavi, were killed. Though the public remembers the martyrs each year after that, the Shah's security services would ruthlessly pursue and dissuade anyone from recognizing their sacrifice during his rule.

Immediately following the 1979 revolution and the overthrow of the Shah, Student's Day became a symbol of the nation's displeasure with American foreign policy. Over the next few decades, under the strict rule of the Ayatollahs, Student's Day was used by the people to voice opinions about their current rulers, in addition to foreign nations, which did not sit well with the religious and political leaders. As in the Shah's day, the Islamic leaders actively repressed dissent and free speech, bringing the Iranians back full circle to 1953 without the bullets.

By 2009, rules were relaxed, and celebrations of Student's Day could be observed, provided celebrants were not critical of the Iranian government or its religious leaders.

WHY IS THERE ANIMOSITY BETWEEN IRAN AND THE WEST?

Most animosities between the West and Iran began in August 1953, four months before the students were killed.

In January 1953, Iran was a nascent yet thriving democracy and the region's most progressive and wealthy nation. Its natural resources, highly educated society, and forward-thinking prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddeq, projected a bright future for the West Asian country.

Mosaddeq was a man of the people. He believed his nation's natural resources and the generated wealth should belong to and benefit all Iranians rather than foreign governments or wealthy individuals, thereby creating a problem for two other countries, the United States and Great Britain. Both nations had invested heavily in oil exploration within the region since the 1920s. Nationalized oil would prevent British and, to a lesser extent, American companies from fully profiting and impacting their nations' influence in the region. But oil isn't Iran's only natural resource. Iran has a variety of ecosystems, minerals, water, and sources of wealth, giving it a well-rounded economic footing in multiple markets not shared by its Gulf neighbors.

Prime minister Mosaddeq's ideas would make the Persian nation less amenable to foreign stewardship and coaxing while protecting it from the internal corruption of its monarchal past. Mosaddeq wanted to return the country to its geopolitical and cultural importance while elevating the quality of life of his people. Not everyone was happy, particularly nations hoping to control the resources and the new government, as well as former loyalists of the monarchy within Iran.

On August 19, 1953, agents of the CIA, MI-6, and various dissenting factions within the Iranian population orchestrated a coup, overthrew the prime minister, and reinstalled the exiled Shah (king) in power. Mohammad Mosaddeq went into hiding, and martial law was declared. The secret police began arresting, imprisoning, and tracking dissenters.

The Shah, a brutal, ostentatious dictator, ruled without mercy and deferred to Western powers who helped him stay in control—until his people overthrew him in 1979. The Hostage Crisis, culminating with the storming and occupation of the US embassy in Tehran for 444 days, is one of the most well-known events of that year. The United States is the primary reason the Iranians lost their democracy and suffered for 25 years under the Shah. It's why the students protested in 1953, and it's why students occupied the US embassy.

Concurrently, in 1979, animosity between Persian Iran and its Arab neighbors escalated. It is also the year much of the Islamic world pivoted toward austere conservativism. However, the why on that pivot is a story for another day.

Over the next decade, animosity developed between Iran and the Gulf states. Iraq invaded Iran, and that war continued for nearly a decade. Americans deeply embarrassed by the hostage crisis remained steadfastly parochial, and the third spoke in the wheel, Israel, decried Iran as a threat.

Contrary to perceived wisdom, the threat Israel sees is not due to Iran's nuclear capabilities, which Israel has had since 1963 and Iran has never had. It's not due to religion (Iran has a robust Jewish population). The reason is far simpler. Strategically positioned between Asia and Europe, Iran is a nation of 84 million people (versus Israel's nine million, Saudi Arabia's 36 million, and the United Arab Emirates' ten million) with vast natural resources (including ample fresh water) and well-educated citizens. Absent sanctions and permitted self-determination, Iran has the potential to outperform Israel and the Gulf states militarily, economically, and, therefore, influentially. When you peel away the excuses, the core reasons for fear are power, influence, and money—like always. Nothing more.

So decades later, the dance of Iran's containment continues with sanctions, vilification, and accusations. However, the events of fall 2022 in Iran, with the protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, surpassed the outcry of Iranian students in 1953 and gained world admiration. The people of Iran appear ready for change, making the question, will the world allow them that chance?

We shall see.

Review the events of the 1953 coup via the US National Security Archives:
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB435

Africa

Dec

Consumer Week, National (UK): December 2-8

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National Consumer Week seeks to raise awareness amongst UK consumers of their rights and protections under the law. Throughout the year, the various entities involved in promoting this week work to educate consumers about their rights, dangerous products, counterfeiting, and scams. National Consumer Week is a joint promotion supported by industry, NGOs, and government throughout the UK.

Africa

Dec

Beer, Holiday Ale Fest, Portland (US-OR): December 4-8

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Annually at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Downtown Portland, Oregon, the Portland Holiday Ale Fest is five days of fun and beer tasting for adults (21 and over. No children allowed) between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Designated Drivers receive free non-alcoholic drinks for the duration. This event first ran in 1995.

Africa

Dec

Galveston Dickens on the Strand (US-TX): December 6-8 (est)

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With a nod to the ghost of Dickens' past and an eye toward the future, the world-famous Victorian holiday festival returns to Galveston Island. The annual holiday street festival, based on 19th-century Victorian London, features parades, non-stop entertainment on six stages, strolling carolers, roving musicians, bagpipers, jugglers, and a host of other entertainers. Costumed vendors peddle their wares from street stalls and rolling carts laden with holiday food and drink, Victorian-inspired crafts, clothing, jewelry, holiday decorations, and gift items.

Africa

Dec

Ben-Gurion Day (IL): December 7/8

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Ben Gurion Day is a national holiday in Israel that is observed annually on the Hebrew date of 11th Heshvan, which usually falls in late October or early November. The holiday is named after David Ben Gurion, who was the first Prime Minister of Israel and one of the country's founding fathers. David Ben Gurion played a key role in the establishment of the State of Israel. He was the head of the Jewish Agency, which was responsible for promoting Jewish immigration to Palestine, and he later became the first prime minister of Israel when the state was founded in 1948. During his tenure as prime minister, Ben Gurion oversaw the establishment of key national institutions, including the Israel Defense Forces and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also played a key role in shaping Israel's foreign policy and in negotiating peace agreements with neighboring Arab states. Ben Gurion retired from politics in 1970 and lived out his final years in the Negev desert, where he was an advocate for the development of the region. After his death in 1973, the Israeli government established Ben Gurion Day as a national holiday in his honor. On Ben Gurion Day, various events and activities are held throughout Israel to commemorate Ben Gurion's legacy and to celebrate the founding of the state. Many schools and educational institutions hold programs and events that focus on the history of the state and the contributions of its founders, including David Ben Gurion. The holiday also provides an opportunity for Israelis to reflect on the achievements of the past and to look toward the future with hope and determination.

Africa

Dec

Dickensian Christmas Festival, Kent (UK): December 7-8 (est)

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Step into Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and live the experience as in Victorian England. Each year the city of Rochester in Kent, the United Kingdom, rolls out the red carpet, plumb pudding, and Christmas Carols in a unique, fun-filled family festival. Annually the first weekend of December. This event began in 1988. PLEASE NOTE: Treat all televised and venue-specific events (sporting, concerts, trade shows, etc.) as estimated. Several factors can cause an event to move dates at the last minute, including weather, strikes, natural disasters, political upheaval, conflicting programming, pandemics, and current events. Because of this, always verify the event with the promotor before committing resources. LEEP often estimates dates based on the previous year's schedules, as the final dates are only a few months, weeks, or days before the event. If the date is known to be estimated, you will see an (est) following the date in the title.

Africa

Dec

Bodhi Day (B)(JP)(532 BC): December 8

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Bodhi Day celebrates the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, on the anniversary of his becoming the Buddha. Japan celebrates this event annually on December 8th. However, the Chinese religious calendar celebrates it on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month in the Chinese Calendar, which is why there is more than one Bodhi Day. Siddhartha Gautama was born in Nepal, a source of great pride for the Himalayan country.

Africa

Dec

Candle Lighting Day, Worldwide: December 8

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Worldwide Candle Lighting Day honors and remembers the people no longer with us. On this day, everyone in the world is invited to light a candle and keep it lit throughout the day in honor of their deceased loved ones.

Africa

Dec

Children's Memorial Day, Ntl.: December 8

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National Children's Memorial Day each year is a time to grieve and remember all the children who died too young, whether through disease, accident, or war, during one of the most challenging times of the year.

Africa