2019:: The Year Ahead - Calendar of Anniversaries and Events

ANNIVERSARIES IN 2019

100th Anniversary of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference after World War I

  

Depicted in the painting above, The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors by Sir William Orpen, is German jurist and politician Johannes Bell signing the peace treaties on June 28, 1919.

Pictured below are the "Big Four" at the Paris Peace Conference.  From left to right: David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France and Woodrow Wilson of the United States.

The Paris Peace Conference was a meeting of Allied victors of World War I.  It's purpose was to set the set the terms for peace with the defeated Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria).  Its major decisions were the creation of the League of Nations and five peace treaties with defeated states.  Its main result was the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which placed the guilt for the war on "the aggression of Germany and and her allies."  This led to Germany having to pay expensive reparations. The treaty was signed in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles on June 28, 1919.




90 years since the stock market crash of 1929
                                                       

Above is a photo of the crowd gathering on Wall Street after the 1929 stock market crash.  The devastating crash began on October 24, 1929 ("Black Thursday") and continued until October 29, 1929 ("Black Tuesday"), when shares on the New York Stock Exchange collapsed.  The Wall Street Crash was preceded by the crash of the London Stock Exchange in September.  Its ushered in the Great Depression.

80th Anniversary of the beginning of World War II in Europe

The forces of Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.  This marked the beginning of World War II in Europe and it occurred one week after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union.  The Soviets invaded Poland on September 17th  and by October 16th, Germany and the Soviet Union had annexed and divided all of Poland.



70 years since the proclamation of the People's Republic of China

On October 1 1949, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed after a revolution led by Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong.  This signified the end of a civil war between the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party. It also signified the beginning of a single-party state controlled by the CCP.  Mao ruled China as Chairman of the Communist Party until his death on September 9, 1976.




50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Apollo 11 crew: (LtoR) Armstrpmg/Collins and Aldrin

Armstrong and Aldrin on the Moon

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon.

Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two humans, both American, on the Moon.  Commander Neil A. Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on July 20, 1969.  Armstrong became the first person to step on the lunar surface on July 21, 1969.  As he stepped down on to the Moon, he uttered the memorable words, "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind."  The event was broadcast on live television .

50 years since the Manson murders

Charles Manson in 1969

In August of 1969, members of a California commune and cult group,, led by Charles Manson, committed several horrendous murders.  On the night of August 8th, Tex Watson and three other members of the Manson Family entered the Los Angeles home of Sharon Tate and her husband, film director Roman Polanski.  Under orders from Charles Manson,to kill everyone in the house, they murdered Tate,(who was eight and a half months pregnant), three friends who were visiting at the time, as well as an 18-year-old visitor, who was slain as he was leaving the home  Polanski was not present as he was making a film in Europe  In the early morning hours of August 10th, Charles Manson and some of his followers went to the home of supermarket executive Leno Labianca and his wife, Rosemary, a dress shop co-owner.  Manson and Tex Watson tied up the couple and Manson left.  After his departure, three members of his group murdered Leno and Rosemary Lebianca.

In 1971, Charles Manson was convicted of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of seven people.  He died at the age of 83 on November 19, 2017.



50 years since the Woodstock music festival

Crowd at Woodstock Festival  PHOTO ATTRIBUTION: Derek Redmond and Paul Campbell

Woodstock was a music festival held on a Max Yasgur's dairy farm in the Catskill Mountains, northwest of New York City, from August 15 to August 18, 1969.  The festival drew about a half a million people and it became an icon of the hippie culture of the 1960s.  Some of the artists who performed at Woodstock included Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and Joan Baez.



40th Anniversary of the establishment of an Islamic republic in Iran 

Ayatollah Khomeini

The Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979, was a popular uprising in Iran that led to the overthrow of the monarchy under Shah Mohammad Pahl.  On April 1, 1979, Iran voted by national referendum to become an Islamic Republic under the leadership of  Grand  Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.  Khomeini had returned from exile in Paris on February 1, 1979.



40th Anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis and the rescue of six Americans by Canadians and the CIA

Iranian students at U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran in 1979

On November 4, 1979, Iranian students demonstrated outside the American embassy in Tehran, Iran, demanding the extradition of the Shah of Iran from the United States.  They took over the embassy and held many people hostage.  The hostages were held for 444 days, until January 20, 1981, the day that Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president.

On the day the hostages were seized, six American diplomats evaded capture by hiding in the home of a Canadian diplomat under the protection of Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador to Iran.  The government of then-Canadian prime minister Joe Clark allowed Canadian passports to be issued to some American citizens so that they could escape.  The CIA, using the the cover of a film project, helped the American diplomats board a fight to Switzerland.  The incident is known as the "Canadian Caper."

                                                                                                                 

HOLIDAYS, FESTIVALS AND OBSERVANCES, RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR 2019 (Canada and the United States)

JANUARY


NEW YEAR'S DAY (Gregorian Calendar):  Tuesday, January 1, 2019

FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY:  Sunday, January 6, 2019

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY (United States):  Monday, January 21, 2019

FEBRUARY

VALENTINE'S DAY:  Thursday, February 14, 2019

CHINESE NEW YEAR

2019 is The Year of the Pig.  The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, in determined according to the Chinese lunar calendar.  This year the festival begins on Friday, February 5, 2019, the first day of the lunar calendar.  It lasts for seven days.

PRESIDENTS' DAY (United States):  Monday, February 18, 2019

MARCH


MARDI GRAS (SHROVE TUESDAY):  Tuesday, March 5, 2019

ASH WEDNESDAY:  Lent begins Wednesday, March 6, 2019

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY:  Friday, March 8, 2019

ST. PATRICK'S DAY:  Sunday, March 17, 2019

APRIL


GOOD FRIDAY:  Friday, April 19, 2019

EASTER SUNDAY:  Sunday, April 21, 2019

PASSOVER:  Begins the evening of Friday, April 19, 2019 and ends the evening of Saturday, April 27, 2019

EARTH DAY:  Monday, April 22, 2019

MAY


MOTHER'S DAY:  Sunday, May 12, 2019

RAMADAM (Islamic holy month) :  Begins at sunset on Tuesday, May 5, 2019 and ends on Thursday, June 4, 2019 (Dates may vary)

VICTORIA DAY (Canada):  Monday, May 20, 2019

MEMORIAL DAY (United States): Monday, May 27, 2019

JUNE

EID-AL-FITR (End of Ramadan): Begins in the evening of Thursday, June 4, 2019 and ends in the evening of Friday, June 5, 2019.

FATHER'S DAY:  Sunday, June 16, 2019 (the third Sunday in June)

JULY


CANADA DAY (Canada):  Monday, July 1, 2019

INDEPENDENCE DAY (United States):  Thursday, July 4, 2019

AUGUST



SEPTEMBER


LABOUR DAY (Canada), LABOR DAY (United States):  Monday, September 2, 2019

ROSH HASHANA (Jewish New Year):  Begins at sunset on Sunday, September 29, 2019 and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, October 1, 2019

OCTOBER


YOM KIPPUR (Jewish Day of Atonement):  Begins the evening of Tuesday, October 8, 2019 and ends the evening of Wednesday, October 9, 2019

THANKSGIVING DAY (Canada):  Monday, October 14, 2019 (the second Monday in October)

DIWALI (Hindu Festival of Lights, beginning of Hindu New Year): Begins on Tuesday, October 27, 2019 and ends Saturday, October 31, 2019 (dates may vary)

HALLOWEEN:  Thursday, October 31, 2019

NOVEMBER


ALL SAINTS DAY:  Friday, November 1, 2019

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REMEMBRANCE DAY (Canada), VETERAN'S DAY (United States):  Monday, November 11, 2019

THANKSGIVING DAY (United States):  Thursday, November 28, 2019 (the last Thursday in November)

DECEMBER


HANUKKAH (Jewish Festival of Lights):  Begins the evening of Sunday, December 22, 2019 and ends the evening of Monday, December 30, 2019

CHRISTMAS DAY:  Wednesday, December 25, 2019

BOXING DAY (Canada):  Thursday, December 26, 2019

AROUND THE WORLD IN 2019

CANADA

A federal election is scheduled is scheduled to take place in Canada on or before Monday, October 21, 2019.  It will be the 43rd Canadian general election.  The vote is determined 
by the fixed-date procedures in the Canada Election Act.  However, the act does not prevent the Governor General of Canada from issuing the writs of election at an earlier date.  338 members will be elected to the House of Commons.

The Quebec Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec) will be held in held in Quebec City, Quebec from February 8, 2019 to February 17, 2019.  Below is a drawing of Bonhomme Carnaval, the festival's mascot.  This year marks the 65th anniversary of the carnival.

The Calgary Stampede with take place in Calgary, Alberta from July 5 2019 to July 15, 2019.

The 139th Canadian National Exhibition (also known as the CNE or The Ex) will be held from August 16, 2019 to September 2, 2019 at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the leading public film festival in the world, will take
place in Toronto, Ontario from Thursday, September 5, 2019 to Sunday, September 15, 2019.

FRANCE

The 72nd Cannes Film Festival {Festival de Cannes) will be held in Cannes, France from Tuesday, May 14, 2019 until Saturday, May 25, 2019.

INDIA

General elections are scheduled to be held in India in April or May of 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha (House of the People), the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament.

INDONESIA

The Republic of Indonesia will hold its 12th general election on April 17th, 2019.  For the first time, voters in the world's largest island nation will choose their representatives in all level, governors, and presidents simultaneously.

JAPAN

Emperor Akihito of Japan will abdicate on April 30, 2019, the first abdication of a Japanese monarch in about two centuries.  Crown Prince Naruhito will take on the role on May 1, 2019, becoming the 126th Emperor to ascend to Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne.

Akihito

NIGERIA

On February 16, 2019, Nigeria, a federal republic in West Africa, will hold general elections.  Nigerians will elect the President and the National Assembly.

UNITED KINGDOM

On March 29, 2919, the United Kingdom's membership in the European Union is scheduled to cease.  Gibraltar is also scheduled to leave the European Union.

UNITED STATES

January 3, 2019 will mark the 60th anniversary of Alaska's admission as the 49th state of the union on January 3, 1959.

On June 4, 1919 (100 years ago), the United States Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting all American women the right to vote.  The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920.  Below is a photo of Frederick H. Gillett, the Speaker of the House of Representatives signing the constitutional amendment bill.

August 21, 2019 will mark the 60th anniversary of Hawaii's admission as the 50th state of the union on August 21, 1959.

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, voters will choose three state governors and various state and local officials.


SPORTING EVENTS IN 2019

AUSTRALIA


TENNIS: The Australian Open will take place from Monday, January 14, 2019 to Sunday January 27, 2019 at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia.

CANADA

GOLF:  The Canadian Open will be played at the Hamilton,Golf  and Country Club in Ancaster, Ontario.  The tournament will take place from Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 9, 2019.

HORSE RACING:  The 158th running of the Queen's Plate, the first jewel of Canada's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing, will take place at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario (date not announced yet) 2019.  The Queen's Plate, founded in 1860, is the longest, continuously run stakes race in North America.  

CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE (CFL):  The 107th Grey Cup will be held on Sunday, 
November 24, 2019 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, home of the Calgary Stampeders.

FRANCE

TENNIS:  The French Open (also known as the Roland Garros) will take place at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France from Sunday, May 26 to Sunday, June 9, 2019.



PERU

The 18th Pan American Games, a major international multi-sport event, will be held in Lima, Peru from July 26, 2019 to August 11, 2019.

UNITED KINGDOM

TENNIS:  The prestigious Wimbledon tournament will run from Monday, July 1, 2019 until Sunday, July 14, 2019.  It will take place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbleton, London, England.

GOLF:  The 148th British Open Championship will be held at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland from Monday, July 15, 2019 to Sunday, July 21, 2019.

UNITED STATES

NFL FOOTBALL:  Super Bowl LIII (the 53nd edition of the Super Bowl) will take place on Sunday, February 3, 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.  Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the home of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).

GOLF:  The 82nd edition of the Masters Tournament will be held from Thursday, April 11, 2019 to Sunday, April 14, 2019 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

HORSE RACING:  The 145th running of the Kentucky Derby, known as "The Run for the Roses," will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2019 (the first Saturday in May) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

AUTO RACING:  The 103rd Indianapolis 500 will take place on Sunday, May, 26, 2019 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.

GOLF:  The 119th United States Open Championship (U.S. Open) will be contested from Thursday, June 13, 2019 to Sunday, June 16 , 2019 at Pebble Beach Golf Links at Pebble Beach, California.

BASEBALL:  The 90th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be hosted by the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio..  The game between the stars of the American League and the National League will take place on Tuesday, July 9, 2019.

BASKETBALL:  The 68th National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, February 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets.

TENNIS:  The U.S. Open will be held from Monday, August 26, 2019 through Sunday, September 8, 2019.at the USTA Billie Jean King Center in New York, New York.

ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS IN 2019

The 76th Golden Globe Awards ceremonies, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, will be held on Sunday, January 6, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. These awards recognize excellence in film and television, both American and foreign.

The 61st annual Grammy Awards, honouring the best of the music industry, will be held on Sunday, February 10, 2019 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The 91st Academy Awards ceremonies will take place on Sunday, February 24, 2019 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

London, Ontario will host the 48th annual Juno Awards, honouring the best in Canadian music. The ceremony will be broadcast from Budweiser Gardens on Sunday, March 17, 2019.

The Canadian Screen Awards, hnouring the best in Canadian cinema and television, will take place on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

The 73rd Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, better known as the Tony Awards, will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Sunday, June 9, 2019

WHO TURNS 50 IN 2019?

Jennifer Aniston:  American actress, born February 11, 1969 in Sherman Oaks, California, United States

Jason Bateman:  American actor, director and producer, born January 14, 1969 in Rye, New York, United States

Jack Black:  Amrican actor, comedian, musician and songwriter, born August 28, 1969 in Santa Monica, California

Chaz Bono (formerly Chastity Bono), American musician and actor, born March 4, 1969 in Los Angeles, California, United States

Bobby Brown:  American singer-songwriter, born February 5, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Cate Blanchett:  Australian actress, born May 14, 1969 in Ivanhoe, Victoria, Australia, a suburb of Melbourne

Gerard Butler:  Scottish actor and producer, born November 13, 1969 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Sean Combs (also known as P. Diddy, Puff Daddy): American rap singer-songwriter, born November 4, 1969 in Manhattan (Harlem), New York City, New York, United States

Brett Favre:  former American football quarterback, born October 10, 1969 in Gulfport, Misssissippi, United States

Stefi Graf:  German former professional tennis player, born June 14, 1969 in Mannheim. Baden-Württemberg,West Germany

Anne Heche:  American actress, director and screenwriter, born May 25, 1969 in Aurora, United States

Josh Holloway:  American actor model and producer, born July 20, 1969 in San Jose, California, United States

Rachel Hunter:  New Zealand model, actress and television host, born September 8, 1969 in
Glenfield, New Zealand, a suburb on Auckland's North Shore

Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Sr.):  American rap singer-songwriter and actor, born June 15, 1969 in Baldwin Hills, South Central Los Angeles, California, United States

Jay-Z (Shawn Corey Carter):  American rap singer, entrepreneur, songwriter and record producer, was born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York, United States

Nancy Kerrigan:  American actress and former figure skater, born October 13, 1969 in Stoneham, Massachusetts, United States

Jennifer Lopez:  American singer, actress and dancer, born July 24, 1969 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States

Matthew McConaughey:  American actor and producer, born November 4, 1969 in Uvalde, Tesas, United States

Marilyn Manson (Brian Hugh Warner):  American singer-songwriter, record producer and visual artist, born January 5, 1969 in Canton, Ohio, Unites States

Edward Norton:  American actor and filmmaker, born August 18, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Matthew Perry:  Canadian-American actor, comedian and playwright, born August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Ellen Pompeo:  American actress, director and producer, born November 10, 1969 in Everett, Massachusetts, United States

Jason Priestly:  Canadian-American actor and director, born August 28, 1969 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Paul Rudd:  American actor, comedian, writer and film producer, born April 6, 1969 in Passaic, New Jersey, United States

Michael Schumacher:  Retired German racing driver, born January 3, 1969 in Hürth, West Germany

Sheryl Sandberg:  American technology executive and author, born August 28, 1969 in Washington, D.C., United States

Michael Sheen  Welsh actor, born on February 5, 1969 in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom

Emmitt Smith:  Former professional American football player, born May 15, 1969 in Pensacola, Florida, United States

Lara Spencer:  American television host and journalist, born June 19, 1969 in Garden City, Long Island, New York, United States

Ali Velshi:  Canadian television journalist, born October 29, 1969 in Nairobi, Kenya and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Donnie Wahlberg:  American singer-songwriter, actor, record and television producer, born August 17, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Catherine Zeta-Jones:  Welsh actress, born September 25, 1969 in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom



- Joanne

Movie Cars Quiz

Are you are a film and TV buff  or a car expert, or both.  If so, here is quiz for you.  Leasing Options https://www.leasingoptions.co.uk/movie-cars has created a test in which 24 famous cars from movie have been hidden in the cityscape below.  In addition to the cars, some cool movie-themed Easter eggs have been included.  You really have to know your films and cars to identify them all.  Enjoy the challenge!

- Joanne

ANSWERS

1.   ECTO- 1  Ghostbusters

2.  Delorean Time Machine   Back to the Future

5.  The Tumbler The Dark Knight Trilogy

6.  The Batmobile (Original TV Series)

7.  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

8.  Spinner  Blade Runner

9  1970 Dodge Charger  The Fast and the Furious

10  1996 Ford Convertible  Thelma and Louise

11.  Lightning McQueen  Cars and sequels

12.  1977 Pontiac Trans Am   Smokey and the Bandit

13.  The Bluesmobile  The Blues Brothers

14.  Minis  The Italian Job

15.  Mutt Cuttis  Dumb and Dumber

16.   1973 Ford Gran Torino  The Big Lebowski

17.  1968 Ford Mustang GT   Bullitt

18.  The North Mobile  Wayne’s World

19.  Herbie   The Love Bug

20.  The General Lee  Dukes of Hazard

21.  1992 Ford Explorer XLT   Jurassic Park

22.  1961 Ferrari  250GT  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

23.  The Pursuit Special   Mad Max

24.  Volkswagon Bus 12  Little Miss Sunshine

Reflections on Christmas Day 2018

 

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
Shining afar through the shadows dim
Giving the light to those who have long gone
Guiding the Wise Men on their way
Unto the place where Jesus lay
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, shine on

(Arthur Leroy "A.L." Phipps wrote the song "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" in the Southern Gospel tradition. A.L. was the leader of an American country music group called the Phipps Family.  Tragically, he was brutally murdered during a robbery in his own home on August 30, 1995.)

This Christmas, I look to the Star of Bethlehem for hope and inspiration.  2018 has been a difficult year for our world.  I am truly frightened by the force of political and social upheaval around the globe.  I am also profoundly disturbed by the death of leadership among our most prominent politicians.  It seems that not only young people need to be educated on the history of fascism and the horrors of the Holocaust and the Second World War.

The lack of civil discourse, especially in the United States, is disconcerting to me.  The anger, the extreme political partisanship and the defamation of immigrants are ugly and deplorable.  I am deeply dismayed by the rise of the far right and authoritarian governments as well as by the devastation caused by climate change.  According to scientists, 2019 may be the warmest year on record due to global warming and impacts of El Niño.  The effects of El Niño have been more harsh in recent years and will worsen as temperatures continue to rise, a recent study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

My country, Canada, is definitely not immune from these problems, and it is far from perfect.  Despite its blemishes, however,  Canada is a virtual paradise compared to some places in the world.  I have never experienced war and I hope I never will.  It is difficult not to be distraught during this difficult days.  However, despair and apathy are not the answer.  We all need something to focus on, something to steady us during these turbulent times.  That's why I have chosen to focus on the Star of Bethlehem this Christmas and to seek solace as we enter a New Year.

The Star of Bethlehem is only mentioned in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew.  Matthew describes it as mysterious star appearing above the place where Jesus was born, which led the wise men from east (the Maji) to the birthplace of the Messiah.  Was the Star of Bethlehem really a star?  That has been the subject of much debate.  Mark L. Kidger, of the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid, Spain, says that it was actually a star, an exceptionally bright one called a "nova."  Some believe it was a miracle, while others consider it a fable, a literary device that the apostle Matthew used to express the light of hope brought by the arrival of the Messiah.  For me, it is the light of hope that the Star of Bethlehem represents that matters most.  This Christmas, I will follow that star and it will lead me out of the shadows.


- Joanne

Christmas photos from Centennial Park Conservatory

Here are some photos I took of some Christmas decor on Sunday, December 16th.  The photos were taken in the conservatory/greenhouse at Centennial Park in Etobicoke, Ontario, in the west end of Toronto.

- Joanne

Virginia O'Hanlon and explaining Santa Claus to children

Virginia O'Hanlan

Explaining Santa Claus to children has always posed a problem, even for parents in a more innocent era, who lived at a time when there was no television, no Internet and no shopping malls.  Unfortunately, the issue has not disappeared.  It is still with us and it poses an even greater challenge for 21st century parents.  How can modern parents prevent their children from feeling that they have been deceived by their elders, that they've been fed a great big lie?

Let me take you back to the late 19th century and the famous story of  an eight-year-old girl who wanted to know the truth about Santa Claus.  Laura Virginia O'Hanlon was born in Manhattan, New York City on July 20, 1889.  Her father, Dr. Philip O'Hanlan, was a coroner's assistant on Manhattan's Upper West Side, a distinguished physician in the New York City Police Department.  In 1897, Dr. O'Hanlon was asked by his daughter whether Santa really existed.  He handled the situation by suggesting that Virginia write to The Sun, a prominent New York City newspaper in those days.  He told his daughter, "if you seen it in The Sun, it's so."

Virginia circa 1895

Virginia took her father's advice and sent the following letter to The Sun's Questions and Answers column.

Dear Editor,

I am eight years old.  Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.  Papa says if you see it in the Sun, it's so.  Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O'Hanlon
115 W. 95th St.

Virginia's letter was assigned to one of the editors at the paper, a veteran newsman named Francis Pharcellus Church (1839-1906).  Francis Church, the son of a Baptist minister, was a former Civil War correspondent for the New York Times  After the war, he and his older brother, William Conant Church (1836-1917), founded The Army and Navy Review Journal, which covered the U.S. military and its history.  The Church brothers also edited and published Galaxy, a monthly literary magazine, from 1866 to 1868.  In 1878, after Galaxy was absorbed by Atlantic Monthly. Francis joined joined The Sun fulltime.

When he was assigned the task of writing a response to Virginia's letter, Francis Church had worked at The Sun for some 20 years and specialized in dealing with religious and controversial matters.  Church, then 58 years old, was a lead editorial writer for the paper and it was in that capacity that he replied to the eight-year-old's correspondence.  He  has been characterized as a sardonic man whose personal motto was "Endeavour to clear your mind of cant." 

According to The Sun's editorial page editor, Edward P. Mitchell (1952-1927), Francis Church was not pleased about his assignment.  Mitchell wrote in his memoir: "At first he bristled and pooh-poohed the subject, when I suggested he write a reply to Virginia O'Hanlon; but took the letter and turned with an air of resignation to his desk."

On September 21, 1897, Francis Church's response to Virginia's query was printed in an unsigned editorial on page 6  of The Sun.  Since the paper had a policy of keeping its editorials anonymous, Church was not publicly revealed as its author until shortly after his death in 1906.  It was the first time in its history that the The Sun had broken its policy of anonymity.  In a n editorial note tribute, the newspaper said: At this time, with the sense of personal loss strong upon us, we know of no better or briefer way to make the friends of the Sun feel that they too have lost a friend than to violate custom by indicating him as the author of the beautiful and often republished article affirming the existence of Santa Claus, in reply to the question of a little girl"

In his 2006 book, The Year That Defined American Journalism: 1897 and the Clash of Paradigms, author E. Joseph Canmpbell described Francis Church as a reticent, retiring man, who avoided the spotlight.  Campbell wrote that Church would not have appreciated being identified as the one who wrote "Is there a Santa Claus?"

Francis Church

Here is Francis Church's reply to Virginia O'Hanlon:

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong.  They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age.  They do not believe (except) what they see.  They think that nothing can be can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds.  All minds, VIRGINIA, whether they be men's or children's. are little.  In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect. as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. 

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus,  He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life the highest beauty and joy.  Alas!  How dreary would be the world if there were no VIRGINIAS.  There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.  We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight.  The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus!  You might as well not believe in fairies!  You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove?  Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus.  Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn?  Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there.  Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world, which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart.  Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond,  Is it all real?  Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this word there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus!  Thank God he lives, and he lives forever.  A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Below is an image of a clipping of the editorial.

In his editorial, Francis Church wrote that Santa exists "as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist."  Yet, according to radio commentator Paul Harvey (1918-2009), Church's words were uncharacteristic of the crusty newsman .  In one of his popular The Rest of the Story segments, Harvey described Church as hard-nosed skeptic.  How ironic that such a man would be the one to write one of the most revered and well-known editorials on the importance of  "faith, fancy. poetry, love, romance" and that it would become his only claim to fame.

Virgina O'Hanlon grew up to be a teacher, educator and activist for children's rights.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hunter College in 1910 and a master's degree in education from Columbia University in 1912,  In 1930, she received a doctorate from Fordham University in New York City.  Her dissertation was entitled "The Importance of Play."

Virginia taught in the New York City Independent School District and began her career as an educator in 1912.  In 1935, she became an assistant principal at a school located on the lower side of Manhattan, amid tenement slums.  That same year, dismayed by the poverty around her, O'Hanlon made the following comment to a reporter: "I still keep my faith in the ultimate kindness of human nature, but how can I, or anyone, believe in the Santa I knew as a child when today there is so much misery and suffering in the world."

St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 23, 1935

Virginia O'Hanlon retired in 1959.  Her childhood residence at 115 West 95th Street, Manhattan has been transformed into the home of the Studio School, a private elementary school, which was founded in 1971.  With the help of a fund-raising drive, the school was able to purchase the Upper West Side building where Virginia was raised and where she wrote her famous letter.  It has has been located there since the fall of 2006.

As it looks today as the Studio School

In early December of 2008, the Studio School paid tribute to Virginia's legacy by holding its inaugural "Dear Virginia" celebration, an annual event to celebrate her passionate belief in the importance of education for all children and her lifetime devotion to this ideal.  Three generations of Virginia's family attended the event.

In 2009, Janet C. Rotter, the Studio School's head, announced the establishment of the Virginia O'Hanlon Scholarship Fund.  According to its website, the school established t "so that we may educate children take their place in the world with integrity, compassion, and a lifelong love for learning."  It states that the Fund provides need-based scholarships for students of merit,

Virginia's letter to The Sun and Francis Church's editorial have become a part of Christmas folklore.  The editorial, commonly known a "Yes Virginia, there is Santa Claus," has been reprinted many times and translated into many different languages.  However, Virginia always downplayed her role in the matter and often said that Francis Church deserved the credit.  In a 1959 interview, she was reported to have remarked, "It (the letter) gave me a special place in life I didn't deserve. It also made me try to live up to the philosophy of the editorial, and to try to make glad the heart of childhood."

Parents still grapple about explaining Santa Claus to their children.  In this digital age, not many eight-year-old children would send a handwritten letter to a newspaper, especially in cursive style.
I don't have all the answers but it might be helpful to tell your children the story of Virginia O'Hanlon and to read Francis Church's famous editorial and to explain it to them.  It might also be helpful to inform your children that Santa is based on Saint Nicholas (traditionally March 15, 270 - December  6, 343), a real person who really existed.  He was an early Christian bishop of the ancient Greek city of Myra in Asia Minor (modern day Demre, Turkey) and became known for his acts of generosity to the poor, his love for children and his concern for ships and sailors.

END NOTES

*  Francis Church died on April 11, 1906 in New York City at the age of 67.  He and his wife did not have any children.

* In June of 1913, Virgina O'Hanlon married a jeweller named Edwin Malcolm Douglas (That is the name on his gravestone, although some sources refer to him as "Edward Douglas."  Douglas left Virginia and their daughter, Laura, and the couple eventually divorced. (Virginia was listed as divorced in the 1930 United States Census, but retained her ex-husband's surname).  Edwin Malcolm Douglas died on June 8, 1939 at the age of 52. 

Below is a photo of Virginia and daughter Laura from The Sun, December 25, 1914.

* The Sun, was fist published in 1833.  On January 4, 1950, it ceased publication and merged with the New York World-Telegram to form a new newspaper called the New York World-Telegram and Sun.

* Virginia appeared as a guest on Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall on December 21, 1960.  The show was broadcast in black and white and Como asked Virginia if she would like to hear the editorial read again.  Her response was that the never tired of hearing it.  News anchor Chet Huntley then came on stage and read it.

* Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas died on May 13, 1971 in a nursing home in Valatie, New York.  She spent the last years of her life in a poor health and was 81 years old at the time of her passing.

* Virginia's daughter, Laura Virginia Douglas Temple (born March 20, 1914), passed away on February 12, 1998 at the age of 83. 

* On February 21, 2001, the History Channel reported that Virginia gave her original letter to a granddaughter who placed it in a scrapbook.  There were fears that it had been destroyed in a fire.  However, it was discovered intact.

Virginia in later years

SOURCES: Studio School website; Biography website; Media Myth Alert, "Recalling Francis P. Church: No Self-promoting athor, he", by E. Joseph Campbell, December 24, 2009; Media Myth Alert, "Christmas Eve 100 years ago: NY Sun catches up with Virginia O'Hanlon of 'Yes, Virginia,' fame", by E. Joseph Campbell, December 23, 2014; Wikipedia


- Joanne