International Firefighters' Day on May 4, 2026
On May 4, the annual International Firefighters' Day (IFFD) is held. On this day, the firefighters are honored who put their lives on the line every day to save lives and property...
Australia
International Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2026
In 1993, the United Nations declared May 3 as International Press Freedom Day, with the aim of raising awareness of the principles of press freedom and promoting them worldwide. The idea for this International Day...
Celebration of St. Patrick's Day 2026 in The Hague
What King's Day is to the Dutch, St. Patrick's Day is to the Irish. 'Lá Fhéile Pádriag' is the ultimate expression of Irish identity. St. Patrick's Day is the national holiday of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Montserrat, and the Canadian province of Newfoundland...
Australian Open: first Grand Slam 2026
The Australian Open has been the first Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season since 1986. It is played at Melbourne Park. The tournament is organized by Tennis Australia, the current name of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia (LTAA). The finals (women and...
50 years of Jaws (1975): sharks attack
In 2025, it was 50 years since the film Jaws premiered in cinemas. The film had an unexpectedly major impact: the image of the shark as a man-killer. The film is held responsible worldwide for the many fearful stereotypes...
More Snoopy worldwide
To mark the 75th anniversary of the comic character Snoopy, PostNL is issuing the Snoopy 75 Years stamp sheet with 5 framed stamps on August 11, 2025. See my earlier blog from August 13. After that, PostNL issued another Snoopy gold stamp....
200 years of Ferdinand von Mueller (1825 – 1896): botanist
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and above all, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victoria (Australia) in 1853 and later director of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. He...
The Walk of the World is the Nijmegen Four Days Marches from July 15 to 18, 2025.
The Nijmegen Four Days Marches, often referred to as the 4Daagse since 2021 and officially known as the International Four Days Marches Nijmegen, is a four-day walking event that has taken place annually since 1909 and begins on the third Tuesday of July. This oldest and most...
Oltre Terra in Stedelijk Amsterdam
The Stedelijk presents the exhibition Oltre Terra, a research project by design studio Formafantasma on the history, ecology, and global impact of wool production. Humans have strongly influenced the evolution of sheep, but sheep have also contributed to human history. Oltre Terra...
Garden exhibitions in various cities
Spring has arrived. We are heading back to our gardens. Whether our own garden or the allotment. Naturally, a visit to the garden centre is inevitable. In short, we are all back outdoors after a gloomy winter period. What does that all entail...
Experience Ireland in The Hague during St. Patrick's Festival 2025
What King's Day is to the Dutch, St. Patrick's Day is to the Irish. 'Lá Fhéile Pádriag' is the ultimate expression of Irish identity. St. Patrick's Day is the national holiday of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Montserrat, and the Canadian province of Newfoundland...
Route Paris 2024: Paralympics
The 17th Summer Paralympic Games 2024 will be held from August 28 to September 8, 2024, in Paris. It is the first time that Paris is the host city of the Summer Paralympic Games. These are the second Paralympic Games in France,...
Route Paris 2024: Surfing in Tahiti
Teahupoo has been chosen to host the surfing competition of the 2024 Summer Olympics. The venue will be set up to accommodate 1500 spectators. The selection also results in breaking all records regarding the...
Bicycle Helmet Day on April 10, 2024
On April 10, 2024, the third edition of the national Bicycle Helmet Day took place. It was organized by Artsen voor Veilig Fietsen, HersenStrijd, VeiligheidNL, Interpolis, ANWB, Veilig Verkeer Nederland, the Province of Fryslân, BOVAG, RAI Vereniging, and the Dutch Association of Insurers.
2024 is the Year of the Wasp
EIS Knowledge Centre Insects, together with Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Wasp Foundation, the Dutch Entomological Society, and the youth organizations JNM and NJN, took the initiative for the Year of the Wasp. Through public and research activities (e.g. lectures, excursions, and wasp counts), they aim to...
Christmas Traditions: The Star of Bethlehem (Christmas star), myth or real?
The Christmas star or the Star of Bethlehem can be traced directly back to the Christmas story as described in the Gospel according to Matthew. The Star of Bethlehem indicated the place where the King of the Jews was to be born....
