Of course the Fourth of July is an important event, and  we should celebrate it, with boundless joy, but also, with reflection on what it took to gain the freedom we hold dear.

However, other days of the year have their entitlements too, and July 5 is one of them.

• Independence Day in Venezuela (1811) (oh, well. we missed on this one – Hugo Chavez makes this a moot point)

• Independence Day in Algeria (1962) and Cape Verde (1975) (better)

• Saints Cyril and Methodius Day in the Czech Republic and Slovakia;  and Tynwald Day on the Isle of Man

also

• 1687 – Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton  was first published, describing his laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation. (think of what would not be possible today, if Sir Isaac had not been the genius he was…)

• 1946 – Named after Bikini Atoll, the site of the nuclear weapons test Operation Crossroads in the Marshall Islands, the modern bikini was introduced at a fashion show in Paris. (hallelujah, we hit a home run on this one!)

•1950 – The Israeli Knesset enacted the Law of Return, granting Jews around the world the right to migrate to and settle in Israel and gain citizenship. (my Jewish friends celebrate this almost as much as the 4th)

•2004 – Indonesia held its first direct presidential elections in its history; Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would later be elected president during the second round of the elections on September 20.

Not quite as important to the average American, but no less many important things occurred on this day.

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