Happy International Women's Day!

Marked every year on March 8th, the anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in 1911 (who thought of marking that date? And who outside of NYC know the history behind that fire? Duh!) and the protests that gave rise to the first Women's Garment Worker's Union, International Women's Day celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Demonstrations marking International Women's Day in Russia proved to be the first stage of the Russian Revolution. Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik feminist Alexandra Kollontai persuaded Lenin to make it an official holiday, and during the Soviet period it continued to celebrate "the heroic woman worker". The day remains an official holiday in Russia, and is observed by men congratulating women (any woman) and giving them gifts.

Other historical & cultural hilights of today are:

• 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion (he soon rejects the idea after some initial calculations were made but later on May 15 confirms the discovery).
• 1921 - Cyd Charisse, actress, dancer, is born
• 1945 - Micky Dolenz, actor, director, musician ("The Monkees") is born.
• 1958 - Gary Numan, singer, is born.
• 1959 - Last television appearance of all three of The Marx Brothers, in The Incredible Jewel Robbery.
• 1971 - Harold Lloyd, actor & pioneering stuntman, (b. 1893), dies.
• 1972 - The Goodyear blimp flies for the first time.

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance on 2005-03-08 06:53 ]

Look for the union label
when you are buying that coat, dress or blouse.

Remember somewhere our union's sewing,
our wages going to feed the kids, and run the house.

We work hard, but who's complaining?
Thanks to the I.L.G. we're paying our way!

So always look for the union label,
it says we're able to make it in the U.S.A.!

Jaws Audio

On 2005-03-08 06:52, freddiefreelance wrote:
Marked every year on March 8th, the anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in 1911 (who thought of marking that date? And who outside of NYC know the history behind that fire? Duh!)

I know about the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, but I did not know that it had anything to do with International Women's Day. I am one sorry-ass feminist. 8)

The day remains an official holiday in Russia

...and in Berkeley.

The women (and children) that toil in Kathy Lee Gifford's and Walmart's textile sweatshops look forward to International Women's Day. They get an extra 1/2 hour for lunch.