![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
1945 - Today it’s Liberation Day. At least it is in the Netherlands. May 5th marks the end of the occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II. The Netherlands had been occupied by the Germans for five years from 1940 till 1945. Nowadays Dutch people still celebrate the day of the German capitulation.
A bridge too far
The Netherlands was largely liberated by the First Canadian Army. The nation would have been liberated sooner, if it weren’t for the bridge by Arnhem, the so called ‘Bridge too far’. The military ‘Operation Market Garden’, meant to free the Netherlands, Belgium and France went severely wrong. Nevertheless, on May 5th 1945, the Canadian General Charles Foulkes and the German commander-in-Chief Johannes Blaskowitz reached an agreement on the capitulation of German forces in Hotel de Wereld in the Dutch town of Wageningen. One day later all documents were signed.
National holiday
The years following the war, freedom was celebrated every five years. In 1990 May 5th was declared a national holiday. Nowadays people in the Netherlands celebrate liberation every year. There are lots of music festivals throughout the country and parades of veterans at some cities. The celebrations follow a day of remembrance. May 4th is the day the Dutch remember all victims of war.
360 trivial fact
Actress Audrey Hepburn lived in the Netherlands during the war. She had a Dutch mother. Audrey played a part during the war. She danced in a bar, to raise money for the resistance.
![]() | Today we remember Albert EinsteinWho doesn’t know Albert Einstein? Most famous for his Theory of Relativity. Sadly he died on this day in 1955. But there is much more to the genius than papers and theories. Read More >> |
![]() | A day to remember founding father Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin is best known for being one of the founding father of the United States of America. But he was much more than that. He was a fireman, helped Mozart and Beethoven and even redesigned the alphabet. In this article you’ll find out all about the founding father. Read More >> |
![]() | Today, 76 years ago, Frank Williams was bornSir Francis Owen Garbett Williams (born April 16th, 1942) is founder of the Williams Formula One Racing team. As a young boy a friend gave him a ride in a Jaguar XK150 and Frank knew instantly he wanted to stay in business with fast cars. Nowadays his racing team belongs to the best in the world. In 1966 Williams founded Frank Williams Racing Cars and drove several years in Formula 2 and 3. In 1968 Williams purchases a Formula One chassis. Driver Piers Courage finishes in second place twice in 1969. But in 1970 Courage dies in an accident at the Dutch Grand Prix. Frank Williams Racing Cars was in dire straits and the team is taken over by Walter Wolf Racing. Read More >> |
![]() | Today, 107 years ago, Titanic sankTitanic only sailed the seas for four days before she made her distress call, April 15th, 1912, just after midnight. At 2.20 a.m. Titanic broke and foundered. The ship carried 2224 passengers at the moment it hit an iceberg. More than 1500 people died in the freezing water of the North Atlantic Ocean. Titanic departed Southampton April 10th, heading for New York, making her maiden voyage. Read More >> |
![]() | Abraham Lincoln was shot on this dayOn this day in 1865 actor, John Wilkes Booth shot the sixteenth president of the United States during a play in Ford’s Theatre in Washington. Abraham Lincoln was president during the American Civil War and is mostly known for his actions against slavery. Read More >> |
1860: 'You've got mail, partner'
1947: Happy birthday, talk show legend David Letterman
1960: We wish Jeremy Clarkson a Happy Birthday
1986: This is why everyone pointlessly looked up in 1986
2005: Is Prince Charles Prince Charming?
2013: The Iron Lady, in her prime
1947: Rest in peace, Henry Ford
1896: The Olympic flame that travelled to space
1950: One of the A’s of Abba celebrates today
1973: Love and hate for the most famous towers in the world
1924: Brando, sleep with the fishes
1914: 'Use the Force, Alec'
2018: ''You little bastard''
1685: Bach, the composer who went to prison
1945: Happy birthday to Eric Clapton!
1974: Secrets below our feet; the Terracotta Army
1986: The Princess of pop
1845: Mister X-ray
1827: Beethoven, a historic “rap” battle artist
1942: Respect for Aretha Franklin!
1905: Jules Verne, future seeing novelist
2011: Who's afraid of Elizabeth Taylor?
1948: Hymns of rock
1617: Pocahontas; uniting new worlds
1602: Harbouring our harbour
1813: Dr Livingstone I presume?
1956: A skiing legend was born today
1919: Do you remember Nat King Cole?
1940: The writer who gave away her Nobel Prize
-44: Julius Caesar, miracle or menace?
1932: The inventor of selfies
1979: The first steps to the Euro
1945: A young girl and her diary
1931: CEO of our knowledge
1988: The Bee Gee brother
1934: Aerospace pioneer
1983: The right dose of DOS
1872: How painting lines can put you on the Nazi blacklist
1899: Don’t do drugs, but this one is quite okay
1827: You use them everyday without thinking about it
1936: The first air ship travels the skies
1983: The Adventures of Tintin
1977: Viva la Vida
1810: ''Music has no fatherland''
1940: A racing legend raised in a refugee camp
1892: The designer of the Louis Vuitton bags died on this day
1932: Today we commemorate Johnny Cash
1841: Pierre Renoir, a struggling artist who found his place
1990: The Secret Gay Life of Malcolm Forbes
1965: Do you remember Stan Laurel?
1987: Who was Andy Warhol?
1965: Malcolm X’s life in a nutshell
1967: Kurt Cobain’s birthday
1473: Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born on this day
1954: Let’s boogie on the birthday of John Travolta
1963: Happy birthday Michael Jordan!
1923: Archaeologist Howard Carter opens the tomb of King Tutankhamen
1564: Famous astronomer and scientist Galilei Galilei was born on this day
1962: A tour through the White House for everybody in the world
1920: Today we can celebrate the neutrality of Switzerland
1809: The inventor of the theory of evolution was born on this day
1929: How the Vatican City became the smallest country in the world
1996: World chess champion Garry Kasparov loses game to computer
2002: The sad story of Princess Margaret
1969: A large ball of fire hits Chihuahua
1940: The day Pinocchio came to life
1935: The day buying streets and houses became a game
1952: The first ‘don’t walk’ traffic lights were installed in New York
2019: The whole world is fighting cancer
1959: ''The day the music died''
1990: ''The day I ended apartheid''
2003: They reached for the stars
1797: The little mushroom's songs
1972: Sunday Bloody Sunday
1886: Taste the feeling ...
1958: Lego, the tool for your imagination
1973: Vietnam War in a nutshell
1925: “To be an actor you have to be a child.”
1981: Today we sing happy birthday to Alicia Keys
1965: The day Winston Churchill died
1989: Salvador Dali, designer of the Chupa Chups logo
1946: The States' biggest mystery
1924: 'Sometimes – history needs a push'
1993: Audrey's legacy to the world
1736: This man invented the copy machine (and some other interesting stuff)
1955: Today it is Kevin Costner’s birthday!
1773: Captain James Cook: from farmer to legend
1853: Never getting tired of tyres
2001: Wiki, we keep on learning
1957: ''The stuff that dreams are made of''
2000: William Henry Gates III steps down from the most powerful company in the world
2010: A massive earthquake strikes Haiti
1922: The discovery of the life-saving insulin treatment
2016: There’s a music legend waiting in the sky, David Bowie
2007: How Apple changed our phones and our lives
1942: A brief history of Hawking
1999: ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman’
1907: Maria Montessori; A role model with perseverance
1933: The start of building the Golden Gate Bridge
1936: The first hit parade was launched in Billboard Magazine
1969: The greatest Formula One driver in the world
1953: An iconic fashion designer died
2018: Happy New Year! And congrats to all South Koreans!
2018: Have yourself a blasting New Year’s Eve
1975: A golf-legend was born today
1800: Goodyear made rubber last
1908: Earthquake kills 80.000 people
1571: Head in the clouds
1982: Computer of the year
2016: Last Christmas
1818: Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’ is first sung
1888: Vincent van Gogh cuts a part of his left ear
2010: The end of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy in the US army
1988: Final destination
1946: The magic of Uri Geller
1932: BBC, see for yourself!
1963: Happy birthday, Brad Pitt!
1989: D’oh! Today is the day the Simpsons were launched
1770: World’s most famous composer was born
1840: Napoleon finally gets his grand finale
1989: Out of control
2003: Operation Red Dawn
1915: The Golden Voice
1913: The janitor who stole The Mona Lisa from the Louvre
1799: Meters, liters and kilograms are introduced
1916: The day famous actor Kirk Douglas was born
1934: The boy next Door
1912: Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt
1768: The author of knowledge
2013: The troublemaker
1999: The slightly awkward prince
1948: The prince of darkness
1993: The end of a notorious drug lord
1953: The first copy of an iconic magazine
2013: Forever Fast and Furious
1972: World’s first successful video game!
1962: The death of princess Wilhelmina van Oranje-Nassau
1942: The day a guitar hero was born
1983: Thanks for the gold and merry Christmas
1990: The rebel of Poland
1997: The show must go on
1977: Launch of the first weather satellite
2005: Angela Merkel becomes the first female Chancellor of Germany
1981: Dutch people united against NATO’s cruise missiles
1985: Looking through the Windows
1911: Mission: transmission
1987: Smoke Underground
1913: Wonder of the world, the Panama Canal
1974: Mamma Mia!
1990: Girl You Know It’s (not) True!
2008: Recession in Europe!
1997: Hakuna Matata! An iconic musical is born
1990: A modern emperor in a traditional house
2000: 155 people killed in a cable car
1989: Word processing gets a huge impulse
1989: Tear down this wall!
1966: Cake for Gordon Ramsay!
2000: Ingrid of Sweden; the beloved Queen of Denmark
1965: How to become president, born poor: Nixon is elected president
2014: Painting of Van Gogh sold for a record price
2008: Change has come to America
1906: The history of ‘SOS – help me’!
1982: Shooting a horror movie. As a music video ...
1512: Michelangelo’s masterpiece is exhibited for the first time
1632: Today, 486 years ago, Johannes Vermeer was baptized
2012: The day Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker became Disney heroes
2012: Today, 6 years ago, Hurricane Sandy hit New York City
1886: The history of ticker tape parades
1988: E.T. on home video
1992: A tour through history
2007: The giant multinational airliner
2003: Concorde makes its last commercial flight
2001: Music from your pocket
1906: Highway to success
1980: The media queen
1965: Beatles receive a gold record for ‘Yesterday’
1987: Black Monday; stock markets crash around the world
1968: Circus Circus opens in Las Vegas
1931: Al Capone finally convicted
1923: Hello Mickey!
1987: The Great Storm hits France and England
1940: Happy birthday Sir Cliff!
2010: Mining accident Chile comes to an end
1935: And stars were shimmering. Today was Pavarotti’s birthday.
1986: Why the Reykjavik Summit was a success after all
1963: Life in rosy hues. Today the sparrow died
1940: Tell me it’s not true!
1896: Giant surviving depressions, two World wars and Black Monday: Dow Jones
1919: KLM. The oldest airline in the world
2002: From outcast to popular prince
1962: 007’s first movie mission
2006: WikiLeaks launched by Julian Assange
1985: Space Shuttle Atlantis makes her maiden flight
1951: Every little thing he sings is magic. Happy birthday Sting!
1982: Inspirational technology: Epcot opens in Disneyworld Florida
1968: Boeing's 747 is celebrating
1988: The most flamboyant athletic of all time: Flo-Jo
2016: Fighter for peace: Shimon Peres died
1998: A phenomenon is launched: The first of search engine Google
1951: Professor Jongbloed demonstrates artificial heart in Paris
1944: Happy birthday Gordon Gekko!
1952: War between chicken and hamburger
1939: Unconsciously, Freud will always be in our minds
1964: Congratulations Fiddler on the Roof!
1958: The man who saved millions of lives
1934: Buon compleanno Sophia Loren!
1857: Scrunching or folding?
1977: First picture of moon and earth
1787: We the people ...
2008: Once upon a time ... Lehman Brothers
1978: Outside the box
1955: Tutti Frutti, aw Rooty!
2004: And you get a car! And you get a car! And you ...
1953: Jacqueline Bouvier becomes Jackie Kennedy
2001: Where were you?
1981: A masterpiece coming home
1960: A romcom legend was born
1664: The city that never sleeps wakes up
1923: The international force of justice
1997: Goodbye England's rose
1980: The Gotthard tunnel opens
1882: Thomas Edison: parasite of technology
1965: The man with tiger blood
1952: Left-handed legend
1934: MGM's first animated cartoon
1997: Death of a princess
1930: Getting rich by reading a lot
1932: Beloved Hollywood star Ingrid Bergman was born on this day
1837: The famous fermented Worcestershire Sauce
1955: You might have never heard of these crazy world records
1916: Remembering Mother Teresa
1930: Happy birthday Scottish Knight Sean Connery
1954: The end of his presidency was the end of his life
1927: World’s most famous rabbit
1978: The burning spear of Kenya
1859: Great timing
1988: The great firestorm of Yellowstone
1883: Most influential woman; Coco Chanel
1940: Walter Chrysler the car doctor
1786: Davy Crockett, the true pioneer
1977: Elvis has left the building
1057: Was Macbeth really such a bad guy?
1951: Hearst Castle, a grown up’s Disney land
1926: Fidel Castro, liberator of Cuba
-30: Cleopatra, was she really who we think she was?
1858: Without this man we might all be dead
1787: Mozart’s obsession with poop
1963: Happy birthday Whitney Houston!
1974: The White House Watergate Scandal
1876: Mata Hari, the exotic woman spy
1890: The first man killed by an electric chair
910: Vikings; peaceful farmers or cruel conquerors?
1875: Once upon a time there was a man called Hans Christian Andersen
1811: Don’t be afraid of riding an elevator
1922: Does this name ring a bell?
1981: I want my MTV
1965: We celebrate the birthday of Harry Potter and his creator
1947: Happy birthday Herr Schwarzenegger
1958: NASA, exploring space
1741: Antonio Vivaldi, one last bow
1980: The last Shah
1943: Congratulations to sir Michael Philip Jagger
1999: The most infamous rider: Lance Armstrong
1911: Finding the ‘Sacred City’ Machu Picchu
2011: Rest in peace, Amy Winehouse
2011: Norway’s darkest hour
1969: Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon
1976: Life on Mars, Viking 1
1814: Colt’s Revolver, the great equalizer?
1950: Happy birthday Richard Branson
1954: Congratulations to Angela Merkel
1661: At all costs, Europe’s first banknotes
1997: Gianni Versace, dressed to kill
1881: ($5,000.00) Billy the Kid, dead or alive
1942: Han Solo to Indiana Jones, congratulations Mr. Harrison Ford
1536: Erasmus, the one and only
1934: Happy birthday to Giorgio Armani
1830: Remembering French art master Camille Pissarro
1947: O.J. Simpson celebrates his birthday today
1997: 3 million men and women protect the world
1947: Did UFO’s crash near Roswell?
1971: Louis Armstrong painted a wonderful world
1996: Dolly’s special 'birthday'
1930: 'The Boss' of the world-famous Yankees
1863: The battle that made America what it is today
1566: The famous France physician Nostradamus died on this day
1997: United Kingdom gave Hong Kong back to China
1894: The opening of the London Tower Bridge
1976: The Seychelles became independent on this day
1971: We wish Elon Musk a happy birthday
1954: World’s first nuclear power station opened on this day
1909: The wonder of V&A
1950: Will Korea ever be one again?
![]() ![]() |