Today in history

[Алексей Конобеев]

If we we had been living 600 years ago, in the 15th century, we'd have been celebrating New Year's day today. Well, almost, because then it wouldn't have been new style calendar. But let me explain what I mean.

 

We all know that in Euorope New Year's Day is January 1st. We also know that some people in Russia celebrate "old style new year" on January 14 alongside with the Russian Orthodox Church. But has it always been like this? Like with so many things in life, the answer is "No".

 

Many ancient cultures used to celebrate New Year in March. This is what Babilonians did, this is what some countries still do these days, like the Iranian new year Nowruz, the Sikh New Year and many others, whose New Year is connected with the spring equinox ( March 21st, the day when the Sun is at the zenith over the equator). Some scientists believe that in Pre-Christian Russia New year was celebrated on March 22nd.

When Russia adopted Christianity and its Julian calendar, a new date was appointed for the New Year's day. This date was March 1st. However, this date was not a very convenient one. It was not connected to an astronomical event, like the equinox. It was not connected to the change of seasons, as with Russia's colder climate, spring did not really begin in early March. So in 1492, following the example of the Russian Orthodox church which shifted the New Year's Day onto September 1st according to the ancient Greek tradition, Prince Ivan III issued an order. He said that from then on New Year would be celebrated on September 1st.

The new date made much more sense to the people. By that time the bulk of work in the fields was already done and taxes were to be paid. On this day in Moscow thousands of people would come to the palace square. The Patriarch and many priests wearing special clothes would come out to the people. From the other side of the square the Prince with his court would come to meet the priests. When they met, the Patriarch would give the Prince a kiss, and the prince would kiss the Patriarch's cross. After a short prayer the start of another year was proclaimed.

It was not until 1700 and peter the Great's rule that people began to celebrate New Year on January 1st. So for more than 200 years September 1st was the official New Year's Day. This date is based on the old style, Julian calendar, and the new style New Year would have been celebrated today.

[Алексей Конобеев]

390 years ago a ship set sail from Plymouth. The voyage that the ship was going to undertake is still remembered as an important event in the history of both Britain and North America. The ship's name was the mayflower and it was transporting 102 passengers and a crew of 25–30. The passengers are now known as the Pilgrims, or the Pilgrim Fathers. They were going to America in search of religious freedom which, they felt, they did not have in England.

 

The voyage, which started on September 16 (new style) lasted 66 days. Because of the autumn winds the ship did not reach its intended destination, Jamestown near at the mouth of the Hudson River (near persent-day New York). Instead, on November 21 it dropped anchor at Cape Cod in Provincetown Harbour. The passengers spent that winter onboard the ship, and in April next year they moved to Plymouth ashore. The Mayflower then returned to England, and the Pilgrims stayed on American shore. It is believed that their values and customs lie at the heart of the traditions of the modern American society.

[Алексей Конобеев]

If you take a look at a British coin, you will see that the Queen's title is styled as follows: D.G.REG. F.D.

The letters D.G. REG. stand for Dei Gratia Regina, the latin for "Queen by the Grace of God". But what do the two letters, F.D., stand for? Their history is in fact very interesting.

489 years ago, on October 11, 1521 the Roman Pope Leo X conferred a new title on the English king Henry VIII. The title was "Defender of the Faith" and in Latin it reads as follows: "FIDEI DEFENSOR". The title was conferred in recognition of Henry's book Assertio Septem Sacramentorum (Defence of the Seven Sacraments), which defended seven principles of Roman Catholic Church and was directed against some new ideas introduced by Martin Luther. This was when the abbreviation foe the title, F. D., appeared on English coins.

However, it is interesting to note that in 1530 King Henry VII declared himself the head of a new church, the Church of England, and the then-Pope Paul III took the title away and Henry was excommunicated. Still, since the king liked the title, and the title was restored to the king by Parliament. The title is used on coins as F.D. or Fed. Def. This reference was first added to British coins in 1714, during the reign of King George I. The decision of the Royal Mint to omit reference to the phrase (and other parts of the monarch's style) from the pre-decimal British so called "Godless Florin" in 1849, caused such a scandal that the coin was replaced.

The current royal title is styled as follows: "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith"

[Алексей Конобеев]

On October 12, 1897, the first official footbal match in Russia took place in St. Petersburg. The names of the two teams were "Club of Sports Lovers" and "Vasileostrovsky Football Society". This is what a newspaper report said about the event: "Kicks, strikes at legs and faces, hits that sent the players rolling on the ground - all these seemed to be usual events. Fortunately, not a single face sustained serious injuries...". In case you wonder what the score was, the Vasileostrovsky Football Society beat the CSL, the final score was 6:0.

[Алексей Конобеев]

944 years ago, on an autumn day of October 14, 1066 an event occurred which changed the lives of people in England and greatly influenced the course of European history. On that day in the battle near the town of Hastings the army of William, the Duke of Normandy, beat the forces of the English king Harold, and became the ruler of England. But why was it possible? Did William have any legal claims to the English throne?

Earlier that year, on the 5th of January, king Edward the Confessor died, leaving no children. Since there was no heir to the throne, three pretenders appeared. The strongest of the three was Harold Godwinson. He used to be King Edward's advisor and he was also the second most powerful man in England. And, most importantly, he was alreadfy in England.

The second pretender was William, Duke of Normandy. He was a distant relative of King Edward, so he thought that the throne should pass to him. He also said that in a message the late king Edward himself promised to him that William would become the king of England after Edward's death, and that Harold promised and swore that he would support William as the next king of England.

The Roman Pope was also supporting William's claim and took this chance to excommunicate Harold and his supporters.

The third rival was Harald Hardrada, King of Norway. Since previously there was a Danish ruler of England, Harald said that he was that ruler's heir and should have English crown. So in September the Viking army approached the English coast and marched to York. On September 25 the English king Harold's forces attacked the Vikings and after a long battle the invaders were crushed and the King of Norway himself was killed. It was right after the battle that Harold heard the news of William's army landing near Hastings. After a long march from York the tired English army met the invaders. Aftehr the day-long battle king Harold was killed, as well as the majority of Saxon aristocracy. This happened on October 14, 1066, and now there was no one left but William of Normandy to take the throne.

On Christmas day 1066, William was crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey.

 

The story of the Battle of Hastings is told on the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry, which you can see here: http://www.bayeuxtapestry.org.uk/

You can also get your students play an online game to re-enact the Battle of Hastings: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/norma..._hastings.shtml

[Алексей Конобеев]

Today, october 18, is Alaska day. Alaska day celebrates the formal transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States, which took place on October 18, 1867. The date is given according to the Grigorian calendar, in Russia it was still October 7 according to the Julian calendar.

Why did Russia sell Alaska to the USA? Was the price good? Were the USA happy to buy this land? It is interesting to consider these questions from the viewpoint of people who lived in 1867.

At the time Russia was in a difficult position. The country lost the Crimean War in 1856 to the joint forces of the British, the French and the Ottoman empires, it was not at all strong in military terms and whatever navy and resources it had was needed to protect and support the newly-acquired regions along the Amur and the Ussuri rivers. So the country did not have too many resources to spare and spend on Alaska. Besides, the neighbouring region of British Columbia began to develop rapidly after gold was discovered there, and Britain spared neither finance nor military power to support it. During the Crimean War Britain evinced a great interest in adding Alaska to the territory of British North America (now known as Canada). The British empire was a rival and a likely enemy, and the Russian navy in the Pacific ocean was not enough to protect Alaska from the perspective enemy. Also, the USA were growing rapidly: it was just a few years earlier, in 1848, that the country won the territory of the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Wyoming in a war with Mexico, as well as the territory of Texas which was annexed in 1846. Seeing the expansionist politics of both Britain and the USA and the problems that the defence of Alaska would face, the Russian government decided to sell the territory and focus on developing the lands around Khabarovsk and Vladivostok.

At first the offer to buy Alaska was made both to Great Britain and to the USA in 1859. But Britain showed no interest in paying money for Alaska, and the USA were too busy digesting the new southern states and then the country got stuck in its own Civil War. So the negotiations were resumed by the Tsar's ambassador only in March 1867. And at 4 o'clock in the morning of March 30, 1867, a treaty to sell Alaska was signed with the purchase price set at $7,200,000.00 about 2.3¢ per acre ($4.74/km).

The United States Senate ratified the treaty on April 9, 1867 but the House of Representatives was against this purchase and did not agree to give the money for it until July 1868. To achieve this, the Russian ambassador even had to bribe a few politicians.

The transfer ceremony took place in Sitka on October 18, 1867. Russian and American soldiers paraded in front of the governor's house; the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag raised amid peals of artillery.

[Алексей Конобеев]

On October 28 in 1636 the oldest Unibversity of the USa was founded in Cambridge, Massachussetts. The university is called Harvard university and it is considered to be one of the best universities in the world. Now it has about 21 000 students and 2100 faculty members, as well as 10 000 academic appointments in affiliated institutions. 44 Nobel laureats were or still are its faculty members. The University's library has about 16.2 million volumes. The university's motto is Verital (the Latin for "truth"). How much does it cost to study at Harvard university? The tuition fees for the 2010/2011 academic year are $38,416 for tuition alone and $50,724 including room, board and student service fees.

[Алексей Конобеев]

November the 2nd is the birthday of organised cheerleading. You have all seen girls in short skirts dancing and cheering on the field during intervals at sports games. In fact, the first cheerleader was male. Of course he was not wearing a skirt when he was cheerleading, but do you know what he did and when? Or where he was from, for that matter?

The first cheerleader's name was Johnny Campbel and he was a student at the University of Minnessota. On November 2, 1898 during a football match he directed a crowd in cheering "Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!”. And all the first cheerleaders were male. very soon the University of Minnessota organised a team of "yell leader" which consisted of 6 males. The first female cheerleading teams were organised in 1923. Nowadays it is estimated that in the USA 97% of cheerleading participants overall are female, but males still make up 50% of cheering squads at the collegiate level.

[Алексей Конобеев]

On November 15, 1815 the first Russian steamship Elisaveta was launched in St Petersburg. It ran from St petersburg to Kronstadt and back. The steamship was constructed by a Scottish engineer Charles Baird who came to work in Russia in 1792 and built his plant called Baird Works.

The ship was, in fact, a paddleboat, which moved withthe help of paddle wheels. It was made from wood and had a steam engine which made 40 revolutions per minute. During the first run of the Elisaveta, the commander of the Kronstadt port ordered a rowing boat to follow the ship. There were times when the rowing boat could go faster than the Elisaveta. It took the first Russian steamship 5.5 hours to reach Kronstadt with the average speed of 9.3 km per hour, but this was the beginning of the Russian steam fleet.

[Алексей Конобеев]

On January 20 a man became King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India. However, he never got crowned and he reigned for only less than 10 months. And he lived for many years afterwards. This is not very typical of monarhcs, isn't it? And all of it was caused by love.

The King I am writing about was born Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David Windsor. But he is much better well-known as Edward VIII, the king who gave up his crown for love.

Edward became king after King George V, his father, died. At the time Edward was 42 years old, and in his youth he was famous as a very elegant and fashionable young man. During World War I Edward did his military service and experienced some trench life. His popularity bordered on notoriety and equaled the popularity some film stars enjoy today. However, there was one problem: there was a succession of older, married girlfriends in his life, which deeply disappointed his father, King George V. At one point, speaking about his second son Albert (Bertie) and granddaughter Elizabeth (Lilibet), George V said: "I pray to God that my eldest son Edward will never marry and have children, and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne." This was said shortly after Edward started an affair with a married American lady, Wallis Simpson. Mrs. Simpson was even received in Buckingham Palace in 1935, but she was refused access to it afterwards.

Anyway, King George V died on January 20, 1936 and Edward became king. He also became the first British monarch to fly an aeroplane, as he flew from Sandringham to London. On 16 July 1936 an attempt was made on Edward's life as he rode on horseback at Constitution Hill, near Buckingham Palace. Fortunately,the police noticed the would-be assassin taking out a loaded revolver and managed to stop him before he shot at the King.

Mrs. Wallis Simpson began divorce procedure and it was now clear that the King wanted to marry her. Although legally he could do it, his Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin told him that the Church of England opposed this marriage and that the people of the Kingdom would never agree to accept Mrs Simpson as their Queen. The Prime Ministers of Australia, Canada and South Africa also made clear their opposition to the King marrying a divorcée. Edward's idea to have a morganatic marriage, when his wife would not be called Queen and their children would never inherit the throne, was also disapproved of.

Eventually, Edward VIII decided that he would rather abdicate than give up marrying the woman he loved. So on 10 December 1936 Edward signed his abdication papers, and on the next day, he made a broadcast to the nation and the Empire, explaining his decision to abdicate. He said, "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love."

His brother became King George VI, and edward was given the title of the Duke of Windsor. The Duke of Windsor married Mrs. Simpson, who had changed her name to Wallis Warfield, in a private ceremony on 3 June 1937. The Royal Family never fully accepted the Duchess; Queen Mary refused to receive her formally. However, the Duke sometimes met with his mother and brother, King George, and attended George's funeral. The Duke and Duchess spent most of their lives in France. Edward died in 1972 and was buried at Frogmor. The Duchess died 14 years later, and was buried alongside her husband simply as "Wallis, Duchess of Windsor".

 

This is King Edward VIII's Abdication Speech:

 

And here you can watch the

, the brother of Edward VIII's and the father of the present Queen Elizabeth II.

 

It is interesting to note how just 60 years later the marriage of the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, to a divorced woman, did not cause a constitutional crisis.

[Алексей Конобеев]

On January 21 (January 11 O.S.) 1698 a very famoues person arrived in London to stay in England for 4 months. He arrived on a special invitation from King William III. This visitor called himself peter Mikhailov, but in fact he was none other but the Tsar of Russia, Peter I, who is now known all over the world as Peter the Great. His assumed personality allowed him to avoid the pomp and ceremony which would have otherwise accompanied his arrival to the Kingdom, and leave all the official representation of Russia to the members of the Great Embassy (I already wrote about the Great Embassy some time ago in this thread). Here are some of the things that Peter did in England:

* worked at the dock in Derptford

* called at workshops & factories, obtaining drawings and specifications;

* visited the watchmaker, John Carte, where he learned to dismantle, repair and re-assemble a watch;

* learned further mathematics and navigation from John Colson, manufacturer;

* spent time with Moses Stringer, the chemist, learning about metals;

* transported models of ships to Russia as examples of English workmanship;.

* visited the Arsenal at Woolwich because he was fascinated with guns and artillery;.

* spent time at the Greenwich Observatory;

* visited Westminster Hall and saw many men in wigs. On enquiring who they were, and being told they were lawyers, he cried, “Lawyers! Why I have only two in my whole dominion and I believe I shall hang one when I get home!”.

 

Among the less serious things he di dthe following:

* bought a stuffed crocodile and swordfish;

* discovered his favourite drink – a cup of brandy laced with pepper;

* visited a tavern in Great Tower Street so often it was renamed The Czar of Muscovy;

* found a soul-mate, the hard-drinking Marquis of Carmarthen

* hired a mistress for the duration of his stay – Laetitia Cross, actress;

* had his portrait painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller;

* stayed at the Kings Arms, Godalming eating all the supplies and causing extensive damage.

 

Here are several articles that tell about Peter's stay in London:

http://sarahjyoung.com/site/2010/11/23/russians-in-london-peter-the-great/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/londonandsoutheast/720952/London-A-hooligans-progress.html

http://www.vokrugsveta.ru/vs/article/981/

[Алексей Конобеев]

On january 27th in 1944 the Siege of leningrad was finally lifted. A lot has been said about this terrible period both on our forum and in textbook (for example, see "St. Petersburg" by I. larionova, M. Ilyina and E. Korotkova, unit 3 lessons 7-8 WE MUST NEVER FORGET.

I will quote here an online encyclopaedia to recall once again the effects of the Siege.

 

"The two-and-a-half year siege caused the greatest destruction and the largest loss of life ever known in a modern city.[14] On Hitler's express orders, most of the palaces of the Tsars, such as the Catherine Palace, Peterhof Palace, Ropsha, Strelna, Gatchina, and other historic landmarks located outside the city's defensive perimeter were looted and then destroyed, with many art collections transported to Nazi Germany.[44] A number of factories, schools, hospitals and other civil infrastructure were destroyed by air raids and long range artillery bombardment.

 

The 872 days of the siege caused unparalleled famine in the Leningrad region through disruption of utilities, water, energy and food supplies. This resulted in the deaths of up to 1,500,000[45] soldiers and civilians and the evacuation of 1,400,000 more, mainly women and children, many of whom died during evacuation due to starvation and bombardment.[1][2][5] Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery alone in Leningrad holds half a million civilian victims of the siege. Economic destruction and human losses in Leningrad on both sides exceeded those of the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Moscow, or the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The siege of Leningrad is the most lethal siege in world history, and some historians speak of the siege operations in terms of genocide, as a "racially motivated starvation policy" that became an integral part of the unprecedented German war of extermination against populations of the Soviet Union generally.[46][47]

 

Civilians in the city suffered from extreme starvation, especially in winter of 1941–1942. For example, from November 1941 to February 1942 the only food available to the citizen was 125 grams of bread, which by 50–60 per cent consisted of sawdust and other inedible admixtures, and distributed with ration cards. For about 2 weeks at the beginning of January 1942 even this food was available only for workers and military personnel. In conditions of extreme temperatures (down to −30 °С) and city transport being out of service a few kilometers to the food distributing kiosks were insurmountable obstacles for many citizens. In January–February 1942 about 700–10,000 citizens died every day, most of them from hunger. People often died on the streets, and citizens shortly became accustomed to the look of death.

 

Reports of cannibalism appeared in the winter of 1941-1942, after all birds, rats and pets were eaten by survivors.[48] Hungry gangs attacked and ate defenseless people.[49] Leningrad police even formed a special unit to combat cannibalism.[50]

 

On August 9, 1942 the Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad" of Dmitri Shostakovich was played by the Radio orchestra of Leningrad.[51] The score had passed the German lines by air one night in March, 1942. The concert was broadcast on loudspeakers placed in all the city and also aimed towards the enemy lines. This date, initially chosen by Hitler to celebrate the taking of Leningrad, and few days before the Sinyavin Offensive, can symbolize the reversal of the dynamics in favour of the Soviet army."

 

I remember a friend of mine, an English lady, telling me about her memories of the Siege of leningrad. She said that when British newspapers reported that the Siege had been lifted, there were celebrations in the UK. She herself was so happy that she embroidered a towel in memory of that day. Vera kept that towel to the day of her death in early 2000s.

Every time I think of how much that event meant for an English woman who was then working hard to raise her own children and to save them from the dangers of war, it makes me sad that we tend to forget about the heroic deeds of our own ancestors. My own grandfather served in the Navy in Leningrad throughout the Siege and till his last day he would not allow a single breadcrumb to be left on the table.

I wonder what memories you all can share about the Siege of Leningrad, what stories you've heard and if your students can even tell now what the Siege was all about...

[Алексей Конобеев]

Almost 4000 years ago, on February 14, 1613 was the first night of Shakespeare's play "The Tempest". You probably remember these famous lines from the play:

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,

As I foretold you, were all spirits and

Are melted into air, into thin air:

And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve

And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,

Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff

As dreams are made of, and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep.

 

А вот и великолепный перевод Мих. Донского:

Окончен праздник. В этом представленье

Актерами, сказал я, были духи.

И в воздухе, и в воздухе прозрачном,

Свершив свой труд, растаяли они. -

Вот так, подобно призракам без плоти,

Когда-нибудь растают, словно дым,

И тучами увенчанные горы,

И горделивые дворцы и храмы,

И даже весь - о да, весь шар земной.

И как от этих бестелесных масок,

От них не сохранится и следа.

Мы созданы из вещества того же,

Что наши сны. И сном окружена

Вся наша маленькая жизнь.

[Алексей Конобеев]

On March 29, 1730, the first regular street lightning appeared in Moscow. Empress Anna signed an order according to which hempoil lamps were to be lit in the Kremlin, in Kitay-gorod and in large streets of three other districts of Moscow on nights decreed by an order from the Imperial court.

In comparison, the first regular street lighting in St Petersburg began 12 years before by the order of Peter the Great.

The first European city to be lit at night was the city of Antioch in the 4th century, and the first attempts at lighting in London were made in 1417 on winter nights, but regular street lighting in London began in 1807 when gas lamps were used.

Interestingly enough, the first street lighting in European cities was made possible due to a Russian inbention. As Wikipedia says, "The first electric street lighting employed arc lamps, initially the 'Electric candle', 'Jablotchkoff candle' or 'Yablochkov candle' developed by the Russian Pavel Yablochkov in 1875. This was a carbon arc lamp employing alternating current, which ensured that both electrodes were consumed at equal rates. Yablochkov candles were first used to light the Grands Magasins du Louvre, Paris where 80 were deployed—improvement which was one of the reasons why Paris earned its "City of Lights" nickname. Soon after, experimental arrays of arc lamps were used to light Holborn Viaduct and the Thames Embankment in London - the first electric street lighting in Britain. More than 4,000 were in use by 1881, though by then an improved differential arc lamp had been developed by Friederich von Hefner‑Alteneck of Siemens & Halske. The United States was swift in adopting arc lighting, and by 1890 over 130,000 were in operation in the US, commonly installed in exceptionally tall moonlight towers."

[Алексей Конобеев]

On july 6, 1919 the airship К34 (often known as a zeppelin)crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in history. It was also in that year, even a bit earlier, that the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight was made in a plane from Newfoundland to Ireland, also in a British plane. The flight in the airship was the first in a whole line of such flights and it took four and a half days. Major George Herbert Scott of the Royal Air Force with his crew and passengers flew from East Fortune, Scotland to Mineola, Long Island, covering a distance of about 3,000 statute miles (4,800 km); he then made a return trip to England, thus also completing the first double crossing of the Atlantic (east–west–east). The R34 had never been intended as a passenger carrier and extra accommodation was arranged by slinging hammocks in the keel walkway. Hot food was provided by cooking on a plate welded to the engine exhaust pipe. As the landing party had no experience of handling large rigid airships, Major EM Pritchard jumped by parachute and so became the first person to reach American soil by air from Europe.

[Алексей Конобеев]

In November 1973 a school in the town of Drake, North Dakota, USA, burned several books. They burned the books on decision of the School board members, just because they found the books objectionable for use in the classroom. These beeks were 2 copies of Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughter-House Five", as well as about 60 copies of "Deliverance," by James Dickey and an anthology entitled "Short Story Masterpieces," with works by Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck, among other famous writers. "We didn't approve of its obscene language," explained Charles McCarthy, who was board president at the time, in the Nov. 9, 1973, story. "It might pass in a college, but not in this school.". The books appeared in the school because a 26-year old teacher assigned them for reading in his class and the results were great: "C and D students were suddenly writing A papers". However, one of the students, a 15-year-old girl, complained to her mother about the bad language in the book. The student'smom and the mother of another student in the class complained to the school board, which ordered the books confiscated and torched.

 

This story was quite scandalous at the time and gave rise to what is now known as "Banned books week". This week is held in September and as part of the activities, students read extracts from books which used to be banned.

Unfortunately, neither this week, nor any scandals have stopped books from being banned at some American schools. here are a few books that were banned at differemnt times, some quite recently:

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. "Expurgated almost from its first appearance in America, and was still being subjected to revisions as late as 1928. Even editions available today and considered otherwise acceptable avoid some four-letter words." Removed from a senior college preparatory literature course at the Eureka, Ill. High School (1995) because some parents thought the sexual content of some of the tales was not appropriate for the students.

 

The Diary of Anne Frank. Challenged in Wise County, Va. (1982) due to protests of several parents who complained that the book contains sexually offensive passages. Four members of the Alabama State Texbook Committee (1983) called for the rejection of this title because it is a "real downer."

 

On the Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin. Banned from Trinity College in Cambridge, UK (1859); Yugoslavia (1935); Greece (1937). The teaching of evolution was prohibited in Tennessee from 1925-1967.

 

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. "Glorifies teenage sex, drugs, and teen suicide." "Romeo & Juliet has been a target of censorship efforts in public schools not only because of its double suicide but because it allegedly encourages other violence, teen sex, and disobedience of parental authority."

 

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. Banned in Graves County School District in Mayfield, Ky. (1986) because it contained "offensive and obscene passages referring to abortion and used God's name in vain." The decision was reversed a week later after intense pressure from the ACLU and considerable negative publicity. Challenged as a required reading assignment in an advanced English class of Pulaski County High School in Somerset, Ky. (1987) because the book contains "profanity and a segment about masturbation." Challenged, but retained, in the Carroll County, Md. schools (1991). Two school board members were concerned about the book's coarse language and dialect. Banned at Central High School in Louisville, Ky. (1994) on a temporary basis because the book uses profanity and questions the existence of God.

 

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Expurged at the Venada Middle School in Irvine, Calif. (1992). Students received copies of the book with scores of words-mostly "hells" and "damns"-blacked out. The novel is about book-burning and censorship. After receiving complaints from parents and being contacted by reporters, school officials said the censored copies would no longer be used.

 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Challenged in Eden Valley, Minn. (1977) and temporarily banned due to words "damn" and "whore lady" used in the novel. Challenged in the Vernon-Verona-Sherill, N.Y. School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy novel." Challenged at the Warren, Ind. Township schools (1981) because the book does "psychological damage to the positive integration process" and "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of 'good literature.'" After unsuccessfully banning Lee's novel, three black parents resigned from the township human realtions advisory council. Challenged in the Waukegan, Ill. School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger." Challenged in the Kansas City, Mo. junior high schools (1985). Challenged at the Park Hill, Mo. Junior High School (1985) because the novel "contains profanity and racial slurs." Retained on a supplemental eighth grade reading list in the Casa Grande, Ariz. Elementary School District (1985), despite the protests by black parents and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who charged the book was unfit for junior high use. Challenged at the Santa Cruz, Calif. Schools (1995) because of its racial themes. Removed from the Southwood High School library in Caddo Parish, La. (1995) because the book's language and content were objectionable.

 

The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Restricted to sixth through eighth grade classrooms at the Kyrene, Ariz. elementary schools (1994) due to its excessive violence, negative portrayals of female characters, and anti-Semitic references.

 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Banned in Concord, Mass. (1885) as "trash and suitable only for the slums"; excluded from the children's room of the Brooklyn, N.Y. Public Library (1905) on the grounds that "Huck not only itched but scratched, and that he said sweat when he should have said perspiration"; confiscated at the USSR border (1930); dropped from the New York City (1957) list of approved books for senior and junior hig schools, partly because of objections to frequent use of the term "nigger." Removed from the Miami Dade, Fla. Junior College required reading list (1969) because the book "creates an emotional block for black students that inhibits learning." Challenged as a "racist" novel in Winnetka, Ill. (1976); Warrington, Pa. (1981); Davenport, Iowa (1981); Fairfax County, Va. (1982); Houston, Tex. (1982); State College, Pa. Area School District (1983); Springfield, Ill. public schools (1988) because the book contained the word "nigger." Challenged at the Berrien Springs, Mich. High School (1988). Removed from a required reading list and school libraries in Caddo Paris, La. (1988) because of racially offensive passages. Challenged at the Sevier County High School in Sevierville, Tenn. (1989) because of racial slurs and dialect. Challenged on an Erie, Pa. High School supplemental English reading list (1990) because of its derogatory references to African Americans. Challenged in Plano, Tex. Independent School District (1990) because the novel is "racist." Challenged in the Mesa, Ariz. Unified School District (1991) because the book repeatedly uses the word "nigger" and damages the self-esteem of black youths. Removed from the required reading list of the Terrebone Parish public schools in Houma, La. (1991) because of the repeated use of the word "nigger." Temporarily pulled from the Portage, Mich. classroom (1991) after some black parents complained that their children were uncomfortable with the book's portrayal of blacks. Challenged in the Kinston, N.C. Middle School (1992) when the superintendent said the novel could not be assigned because the students were too young to read the book because of its use of the word "nigger." Challenged at the Modesto, Calif. High School as required reading (1992) because of "offensive and racist language." The word "nigger appears in the book. Challenged at the Carlisle, Pa. area schools (1993) because the book's racial slurs are offensive to both black and white students. Challenged, but retained, on high school reading lists by the Lewisville, Tex. school board (1994). Challenged in English classes at Taylor County High School in Butler, Ga (1994) because it contains racial slurs and bad grammar and does not reject slavery. The book will be taught in the tenth rather than the ninth grade. Challenged at Santa Cruz, Calif. Schools (1995) because of its racial themes. Removed from the curriculum of the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. (1995) because of the novel's content and language. Removed from the eighth grade curriculum at a New Haven, Conn. middle school (1995) because parents complained that it undermined the self-esteem of black youth. Removed from the required reading lists in East San Jose, Calif. high schools (1995) in response to objections raised by African-American parents. They said the book's use of racial epithets, including frequent use of the word "nigger," erodes their children's self-esteem and affects their performance in school. Challenged in the Kenosha, Wis. Unified School District (1995). The complaint was filed by the local NAACP which cited the book as offensive to African-American students.

http://www.highlands.edu/academics/library/banned/books.htm

 

And below is a list of Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009 (from http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedbydecade/2000_2009/index.cfm). I've highlighted some that are considered classics in other countries:

 

1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling

2. Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

3. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

4. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell

5. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou

7. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz

8. His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman

9. ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series), by Myracle, Lauren

10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

11. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers

12. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

13. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey

14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

15. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

16. Forever, by Judy Blume

17. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

18. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous

19. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

20. King and King, by Linda de Haan

21. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

22. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar

23. The Giver, by Lois Lowry

24. In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak

25. Killing Mr. Griffen, by Lois Duncan

26. Beloved, by Toni Morrison

27. My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier

28. Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson

29. The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney

30. We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier

31. What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones

32. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya

33. Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson

34. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler

35. Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison

36. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

37. It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris

38. Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles

39. Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane

40. Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank

41. Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher

42. The Fighting Ground, by Avi

43. Blubber, by Judy Blume

44. Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher

45. Crazy Lady, by Jane Leslie Conly

46. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

47. The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, by George Beard

48. Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez

49. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey

50. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

51. Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan

52. The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson

53. You Hear Me?, by Betsy Franco

54. The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole

55. Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green

56. When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester

57. Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause

58. Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going

59. Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes

60. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson

61. Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle

62. The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard

63. The Terrorist, by Caroline B. Cooney

64. Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park

65. The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien

66. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor

67. A Time to Kill, by John Grisham

68. Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez

69. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

70. Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen

71. Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park

72. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

73. What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras

74. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

75. Anastasia (series), by Lois Lowry

76. A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving

77. Crazy: A Novel, by Benjamin Lebert

78. The Joy of Gay Sex, by Dr. Charles Silverstein

79. The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss

80. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck

81. Black Boy, by Richard Wright

82. Deal With It!, by Esther Drill

83. Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds

84. So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins

85. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher

86. Cut, by Patricia McCormick

87. Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume

88. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood

89. Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissenger

90. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle

91. Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George

92. The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar

93. Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard

94. Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine

95. Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix

96. Grendel, by John Gardner

97. The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende

98. I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte

99. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume

100. America: A Novel, by E.R. Frank

[Laddy]

And below is a list of Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009 (from http://www.ala.org/a..._2009/index.cfm). I've highlighted some that are considered classics in other countries:

 

1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling

.

100. America: A Novel, by E.R. Frank

Гримасы демократии.

P.S. Мое сообщение не проходит, говорят "слишком короткое". В первый раз такое вижу.

[Алексей Конобеев]

Гримасы демократии.

P.S. Мое сообщение не проходит, говорят "слишком короткое". В первый раз такое вижу.

А вот, кстати, видеоканал, где люди читают отрывки из запрещаемых книг: http://www.youtube.com/bannedbooksweek

 

Например, вот это:

http://www.youtube.com/bannedbooksweek#p/c/08E5206D2B6B61E7/12/Va8j9VAiDG4

[Алексей Конобеев]

75 years ago a book was published in Britain by George Allen and Unwin, that laid the foundation of a series of books which changed modern literature and made a certain genre extremely polular. The book's title is "The Hobbit" and the author's name is John Ronald reuel Tolkien. "The Hobbit" helped shape fantasy as a genre and what at first seemed to be a book written for children, very soon became popular with adults as well.

Tolkien himself liked to tell how he began writing this book. Once he was reading his students' papers and suddenly wrote on one of them" In the gorund there was a hole. And in the hole there lived a hobbit". But the book did not appear out of nowhere, just like that. Tolkien liked to tell bedtime stories to his sons, and some of those stories "grew in the telling" and tuned into a book. When the book was submitted to the publishers, one of them gave the manuscript to his son to read. The son said that the book would be ok for "younger children", so it was accepted for publication. The book was so successful that the publishers requested a sequel, which was to become the famous "The Lord of the Rings".