WOW: What’s On Where In June
79 Years Since D-Day
On June 6th 1944, the Allied Forces (UK, USA & Canada) invaded Nazi-occupied Normandy beaches in France in an attempt to push back the frontiers of the Nazi’s Western Front. By August, the mission had been successful, Northern France had been liberated and the Nazi’s pushed out, and so D-Day is remembered as laying the foundations for an Allied Forces victory, and the start of the end of World War II. To learn some more about D-Day, why not watch our episode Adventure Golf – Northern France.
World Environment Day
World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5th very year and is celebrated in over 100 countries. Run by the United Nations in a bid to raise awareness of the issues that the environment faces, World Environment Day this year celebrates 45 Years of encouraging people to make effort to do something good for the planet in either an individual, local or national capacity. This year the host nation for the day is China, and the theme is ‘air-pollution’, but there are ways you can get involved the world over, so check their website and get inspired!
Anne Frank born 94 Years ago
June 12th will this year mark what would have been the 90th birthday of Anne Frank, the Jewish Diarist who died of disease during the Holocaust but left a diary of the run up to her death. Incredibly, the diary was kept and later published by her father, her only surviving relative. “The Diary Of A Young Girl” which has risen to international fame, was simply a diary started by Anne just after her 13th birthday. Anne’s family avoided persecution in Holland, spending two years in hiding before being discovered and sent to concentration camps. Her diary has since been published in 60 languages, and her family home in Amsterdam has been preserved as a museum.
Summer Solstice (Northern Hemisphere) and Winter Solstice (Southern Hemisphere)
June 21 marks the Summer Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere (the longest day of the year) and the Winter Solstice for the Southern Hemisphere (the shortest day of the year). This year it falls on a Friday, so here at Pilot Productions we’ll be enjoying the long evening with a Tequila Sunrise to mark the occasion… Cheers!!
Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury is a performing arts festival in Somerset, England, and is the largest greenfield festival in the world drawing up to 175,000 visitors each year. This year the festival falls on June 26th – 30th, and the headline acts include The Killers, Janet Jackson, Stormzy, Lauryn Hill and Snow Patrol among many other household names! Tickets are notoriously hard to get, but don’t fret as it will be broadcasted on the BBC!
The Festival of the Sun
Held on the Winter Solstice each year, Inti Raymi (The Festival of The Sun) is the greatest of Inca festivals. Held in Cusco, Peru and attracting thousands of Peruvians and visitors, expect celebrations with dancing, feasting, and cockfights through the night. Historically, the Incas would sacrafice up to 200 Llamas during the celebrations, however they now only sacrafice one during the ceremony in which they worship their Sun God.
Fathering Sunday
On the third Sunday in June every year in many countries across the West celebrate Fatherhood with Fathers Day. Fathers Day has been celebrated in the USA since 1910, where Americans decided to allocate a special day to fathers across the world, much like mothers day. Typically, cards, phone calls and gifts are exchanged.
By Sofi Pickering
