August 20th, Tuesday | Estonia Breaks Free After a Human Chain

Estonia’s path to renewed independence was peaceful, and they achieved it with their Baltic neighbors! Also: Happy World Mosquito Day! A dog-and-cat poem.

The date is August 20th, Tuesday, and today I’m coming to you from Portland, OR. 

On this day in 1897, Sir Ronald Ross discovered that female mosquitoes transmit malaria to humans. As such today is also known as World Mosquito Day.

Sir Ronald Ross had studied all stages of development of the malaria parasite. He therefore was able to recognize the parasite in the gut bacteria of mosquitoes and in their saliva glands. There were already theories that malaria was caused by swamp-like conditions – conditions that are also conducive to high populations of mosquitoes. Ross and colleagues concluded that malaria was spread among humans by infected mosquitoes.

World Mosquito Day is commemorated by spreading awareness of how fend off mosquitoes. In addition to using screens, bed nets, and hat nets, using fans are a good deterrent as mosquitoes can’t fly well in even the slightest breeze. The average mosquito weighs about 2.5 milligrams – compare that to a single Cheerio, which weighs about 83 milligrams or an 8.5”x11” piece of paper which weighs 4500 milligrams.

And on this day in 1991 Estonia declared its independence from Soviet control.

It had been a long battle for freedom, but miraculously there was no bloodshed in the process. The Estonian people were able to rally together around a desire for democracy and protection of their homeland.

Four years prior, in 1987, the Soviet Union was about to undertake a massive mining project in Estonia to harvest Phosphorus. Word got out that the project would have detrimental effects on the environment and surrounding communities, launching the start of the Phosphorite War, a public environmental campaign.

A few years later Estonian citizens participated in the Baltic Chain, a peaceful demonstration of protest against Soviet rule and a show of solidarity with Latvia and Lithuania. The Baltic Chain was nearly 420 miles long and about two million people strong. Participants joined hands across the three Baltic nations, connecting three capitals.

The Soviet government finally acknowledged Estonia’s independence about a month later. Estonia was welcomed into the United Nations and joined the European Union and NATO in 2004. Estonia’s location on the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland means citizens and tourists can enjoy sweeping coastline vistas, deep fjords, and over 150 nature reserves.

 

The Duel
Eugene Field

The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
‘T was half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t’ other had slept a wink!
      The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
      Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.
            (I wasn’t there; I simply state
            What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)
The gingham dog went “Bow-wow-wow!”
And the calico cat replied “Mee-ow!”
The air was littered, an hour or so,
With bits of gingham and calico,
      While the old Dutch clock in the chimney-place
      Up with its hands before its face,
For it always dreaded a family row!
            (Now mind: I’m only telling you
            What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)
The Chinese plate looked very blue,
And wailed, “Oh, dear! what shall we do!”
But the gingham dog and the calico cat
Wallowed this way and tumbled that,
      Employing every tooth and claw
      In the awfullest way you ever saw—
And, oh! how the gingham and calico flew!
            (Don’t fancy I exaggerate—
            I got my news from the Chinese plate!)
Next morning, where the two had sat
They found no trace of dog or cat;
And some folks think unto this day
That burglars stole that pair away!
      But the truth about the cat and pup
      Is this: they ate each other up!
Now what do you really think of that!
            (The old Dutch clock it told me so,
            And that is how I came to know.)

Wishing you a good morning, a better day, and a lovely evening!