History of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King's Childhood and Education:

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GA. His birth certificate listed his first name as Michael but this was later changed to Martin. His Grandfather and then his Father both served as the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. King graduated from Morehouse College in 1948 with a degree in Sociology. He further received a Bachelor's of Divinity in 1951 and then a Ph.D. from Boston College in 1955. It was in Boston where he met and later married Coretta Scott. They had two sons and two daughters together.

Becoming a Civil Rights Leader:

Martin Luther King, Jr. was appointed the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in 1954. It was while serving as pastor of the church that Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This occurred on December 1, 1955. By December 5, 1955, the Montgomery Bus Boycott had begun.

Montgomery Bus Boycott:

On December 5, 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was unanimously elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association which led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. During this time, African-Americans refused to ride the public bus system in Montgomery. King's home was bombed due to his involvement. Thankfully his wife and baby daughter who were home at the time were unharmed. King was then arrested in February on the charges of conspiracy. The boycott lasted 382 days. In the end on December 21, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation on public transportation was illegal.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference:

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was formed in 1957 and King was named its leader. Its goal was to provide leadership and organization in the fight for civil rights. He used the ideas of civil disobedience and peaceful protests based on the writings of Thoreau and the actions of Mohandas Gandhi to lead the organization and the fight against segregation and discrimination. Their demonstrations and activism helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a major part of many nonviolent protests as he helped lead the fight for desegregation and equal rights. He was arrested numerous times. In 1963, numerous "sit-ins" were staged in Birmingham, Alabama to protest segregation in restaurants and eating facilities. King was arrested during one of these and while he was imprisoned wrote his famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." In this letter he argued that only through visible protests would progress be made. He argued that it was an individual's duty to protest and in fact disobey unjusts laws.

Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech:

On August 28, 1963, the March on Washington led by King and other Civil Rights Leaders took place. It was the largest demonstration of its kind in Washington, D.C. up to that time and approximately 250,000 demonstrators were involved. It was during this March that King gave his awe-inspiring "I Have a Dream" speech while speaking from the Lincoln Memorial. He and the other leaders then met with President John F. Kennedy. They asked for many things including an end to segregation in public schools, greater protections for African-Americans, and more effective civil rights legislation amongst other things.

Nobel Peace Prize:

In 1963, King was named Time Magazine's Man of the Year. He had stepped onto the world stage. He met with Pope Paul VI in 1964 and then was honored as the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded this on December 10, 1964 at the age of thirty-five. He gave the entire amount of the prize money to help with the Civil Rights movement.

Selma, Alabama:

On March 7, 1965, a group of protestors attempted a march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery. King was not part of this march because he had wanted to delay its start date until the 8th. However, the march was extremely important because it was met by terrible police brutality that was captured on film. The images of this made a huge impact on those not directly involved in the fight resulting in a public outcry for changes to be made. The March was attempted again and the protestors successfully made it to Montgomery on March 25, 1965 where they heard King speak at the Capitol.

Assassination:

Between 1965 and 1968, King continued with his protest work and fight for Civil Rights. King became a critic of the War in Vietnam. While speaking from a balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. The day before he gave a poignant speech where he , "[God's] allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you." While James Earl Ray was arrested and charged with the assassination, there have been and still are questions to his guilt and whether there was a larger conspiracy at work.

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/afamerpeople/p/mlking.htm

By Martin Kelly

New Year Horoscopes

Just at the beginning of New Year, or even before, everyone start looking for New Year Horoscopes. The excitement is to have an idea as to what the coming year has in store for them. Though many seriously believe in the validity of the horoscopes most others just enjoy reading them. 

Popularity of New Year Horoscopes

Whether one believes in them or not, the truth is that New Year Horoscopes are extremely popular. Most newspapers, magazines, TV channels, calendars give detailed horoscopes reports to suit the fancy of their readers. These days one can also find New Year Horoscopes in many of the astrology websites. Besides, several astrologers, numerologists, tarot card readers publish books which claim to predict a person's future in coming year. These are very much in demand and even work as a New Year's gift. 

To trigger the minds of the readers, most New Year horoscopes give prediction on some of the most touching aspects of our life including career, love life, relationships, money matters, travel prospects, health etc. Many people feel that most of the the horoscopes give generalized or vague predictions which in some way or the other seems true for every one. At times people use selective thinking to fit the predictions into their lives. Well, whatever be the case, the fact remains that New Year predictions are extremely popular and the craze for them seems to be increasing amongst both the young and old. 

Various Kinds of New Year Prediction 

Different theories are used to predict one's future. Some of the most popular ones include:

Sun Sign Astrology

Sun Sign astrology is one of the most popular form of traditional Western astrology. This is quite popular in newspaper columns. This system describe a map of the zodiac at the time of one's birth. The zodiac is divided into twelve zones of the sky, each named after the constellation that originally fell within its zone (Taurus, Leo, etc.). The apparent paths of the sun, the moon, and the major planets all fall within the zodiac.

Tarot Cards

Tarot Cards are quite popular in present times. These are considered powerful tools for those with the ability to interpret the cards. Traditionally, there are 78 cards in a Tarot Card deck and is separated into two parts - the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. The type of Tarot Card deck used is based upon personal preference.

Chinese Astrology

Chinese Astrology is one of the oldest types of Astrology and is popular all over the world. Each Chinese Astrology sign is represented by an animal. There are 12 animal signs in total, each corresponding to a lunar year. Each of these signs also having 5 elements namely, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. In certain years, particular elements are more prominent.

Junishi or Japanese Astrology

Japanese style of astrological predictions is known as Junishi. This is based on 12 year cycle of animal years and is gradually gaining popularity.

Numerology

Numerology is the study of numbers and how they relate to us. The study takes into consideration birth date, numeric value of alphabets used in one's name and other basic numerology techniques to determine the future of a person.

Blood Type

Japanese people use person's blood group to determine a person's character. Though there is no scientific theory to back this system of predicting future there are many who believe in it.

History of Baby New Year

The Baby New Year personifies the start of the New Year and is one of the most popular symbol of New Year Eve celebrations. The Baby New Year is a cute and chubby baby who wears nothing more than a diaper and a sash across his torso that shows the year he is representing. This Baby New Year quickly grows up into a elderly bearded man or Father Time (represents the year which is coming to an end) at the end of his year. At this time, he hands over his duties to the next Baby New Year.

The image of Baby New Year is very much popular in China. Besides, depicting the beginning of the New Year, here Baby New Year represents happiness, strength, good luck and prosperity.

History of Baby New Year

It is said that the custom of using a baby to depict the beginning of New Year began in Greece around 600 BC. At that time, the Greeks honored their God of Wine - Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket. This ritual represent the annual rebirth of Dionysus as the spirit of fertility. Besides, early Egyptians are also said to have used the baby as a symbol of rebirth. 

Early Christians denounced the practice of using a baby as they felt that the custom was Pagan in nature. But the significance of baby as a personification of rebirth later forced the Church to reevaluate its position. Eventually, it was decreed that Church members would be permitted to celebrate the New Year using a symbolic baby, provided it illustrated the birth of the baby Jesus. 

The use of a baby's image as a banner for New Year celebrations was brought to America by the Germans, who had used the effigy since the 14th Century. 

Commercial Use of Baby New Year 

In recent times, Baby New Year is being widely used for commercial purpose. One can find the colourful image of Baby New Year being used in various types of banners, posters and New Year Cards. Banners and posters with Baby New Year image has become an important part of New Year decorations.

http://www.happywink.org/newyearfestival/baby-new-year.html 

New Year In Different Languages

New Year is celebrated in countries across the world. Find out how "Happy New Year" is said in different countries around the world. Use these information to greet and impress your friends who speak a different language other than your mother tongue.

Language	Happy New Year
Afghani	Saale Nao Mubbarak
Afrikaans	Gelukkige nuwe jaar
Albanian	Gezuar Vitin e Ri
Arabic	Antum salimoun
Armenian	Snorhavor Nor Tari
Assyrian	Sheta Brikhta
Azeri	Yeni Iliniz Mubarek!
Bengali	Shuvo Nabo Barsho
Cambodian	Soursdey Chhnam Tmei
Catalan	FELIÇ ANY NOU
Chinese	Chu Shen Tan / Xin Nian Kuai Le
Corsican Language	Pace e Salute
Croatian	Sretna Nova godina!
Cymraeg (Welsh)	Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Czechoslovakia	Scastny Novy Rok
Danish	Godt Nytår
Dhivehi	Ufaaveri Aa Aharakah Edhen
Dutch	GELUKKIG NIEUWJAAR!
Eskimo	Kiortame pivdluaritlo
Esperanto	Felican Novan Jaron
Estonians	Head uut aastat!
Ethiopian	MELKAM ADDIS AMET YIHUNELIWO!
Finnish	Onnellista Uutta Vuotta
French	Bonne Annee
Gaelic	Bliadhna mhath ur
German	Prosit Neujahr
Greek	Kenourios Chronos
Gujarati	Nutan Varshbhinandan
Hawaiian	Hauoli Makahiki Hou
Hebrew	L'Shannah Tovah
Hindi	Nav varsh ka shubkamnayein
Hong Kong (Cantonese)	Sun Leen Fai Lok
Hungarian	Boldog Ooy Ayvet
Indonesian	Selamat Tahun Baru
Iranian	Saleh now mobarak
Iraqi	Sanah Jadidah
Irish	Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit
Italian	Felice anno nuovo
Japanese	Akimashite Omedetto Gozaimasu
Kabyle	Asegwas Amegaz
Kannada	Hosa Varushadha Shubhashayagalu
Kisii	SOMWAKA OMOYIA OMUYA
Khmer	Sua Sdei tfnam tmei
Korea	Saehae Bock Mani ba deu sei yo!
Kurdish	NEWROZ PIROZBE
Lithuanian	Laimingu Naujuju Metu
Laotian	Sabai dee pee mai
Macedonian	Srekjna Nova Godina
Malay	Selamat Tahun Baru
Marathi	Nveen Varshachy Shubhechcha
Malayalam	Puthuvatsara Aashamsakal
Maltese	Is-Sena t- Tajba
Nepal	Nawa Barsha ko Shuvakamana
Norwegian	Godt Nyttår
Papua New Guinea	Nupela yia i go long yu
Pashto	Nawai Kall Mo Mubarak Shah
Persian	Saleh now ra tabrik migouyam
Philippines	Manigong Bagong Taon
Polish	Szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese	Feliz Ano Novo
Punjabi	Nave sal di mubarakan
Romanian	AN NOU FERICIT
Russian	S Novim Godom
Samoa	Manuia le Tausaga Fou
Serbo-Croatian	Sretna nova godina
Sindhi	Nayou Saal Mubbarak Hoje
Singhalese	Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Siraiki	Nawan Saal Shala Mubarak Theevay
Slovak	A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovenian	sreèno novo leto
Somali	Iyo Sanad Cusub Oo Fiican!
Spanish	Feliz Ano ~Nuevo
Swahili	Heri Za Mwaka Mpyaº
Swedish	GOTT NYTT ÅR! /Gott nytt år!
Sudanese	Warsa Enggal
Tamil	Eniya Puthandu Nalvazhthukkal
Telegu	Noothana samvatsara shubhakankshalu
Thai	Sawadee Pee Mai
Turkish	Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian	Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku
Urdu	Naya Saal Mubbarak Ho
Vietnamese	Chuc Mung Tan Nien
Uzbek	Yangi Yil Bilan

http://www.happywink.org/newyearfestival/new-year-in-different-languages.html

Look the New Year Superstitions.

People across the globe trust in certain superstitions related to New Year's Day. Underlying idea behind most of these superstitions is that events occurring on New Year's Day sets the pattern for the rest of the year. According to customs prevalent in their society, people perform auspicious acts to invite Lady Luck and ward off evil. Given here are some of the most astonishing and popular New Year Superstitions:

Wear New Clothes

People believe that one should wear new clothes on a New Year's Day. This would mean receiving more new garments during the year. Red clothing is preferred for New Year's Day since red is considered a happy colour and is sure to attract for the wearer a brighter future. 

Avoid Crying

It is said that one should avoid breaking things or crying and wailing on the first day of the year, if you don't want to continue the pattern for the entire year. 

Be Polite

People say that one should behave nicely on New Year and must refrain from using foul language. Ghost stories and conversations on death should also be avoided. 

Lucky New Year Babies

Babies born on 1st January is said to be the luckiest of all throughout their lives. 

Don't Let Money Leave the House

In several countries, people do not let money, jewelry, precious items or other invaluable things leave home on New Year Day. Hence it is said that one should not pay loans and bills or lend things to anybody. People go to the extent of not taking out garbage or even not dusting their carpets on this day to ensure that nothing goes out of home during the year. If you have to deliver presents on New Year morning, it is advised to leave them in the car since New Year Eve on December 31st. In case you must take something out from the home, let someone come with the present inside the home first. 

Letting the Old Year Out 

At midnight, all the doors of a house must be opened to let the old year escape unimpeded. 

Stack Up Cupboards and Wallets

It is believed that cupboards stocked up with food and wallets and purses full of money bring prosperity in New Year. Similarly, empty pockets or empty cupboards on New Years Eve portend a year of poverty. 

Do not Wash Dishes

In several societies washing dishes and doing laundry on New Year's day is said to lead to a death in the family during the year. Many people do not even wash hair on New Year day. 

Do Token Amount of Work

It is said that one must do token amount of work on the New Year's Day. This is said to ensure advancement in career. But starting out a serious work project is unlucky on New Year Day. 

Make Noise

People believe that Evil One and his attendants and servants hate din and loud noise. So, scare them away by being as loud in New Year celebrations as possible. Church bells are rung at midnight for the same reason. 

Don't Keep Debts

Pay your bills and loans before New Year Eve, so you don't have any debt left for New Year. 

Eat Black-Eyes Peas 

In Southern part of the United States it is said that eating of black-eyed peas on New Year's Day will attract both general good luck and money in particular to the one doing the dining. 

Kiss at Midnight 

It is believed that kissing at midnight ensures that affections and ties will continue throughout the New Year. On similar lines, it is said, to not do this would be to set the stage for a year of coldness. 

First Footing

One must never leave the home before someone comes in first. First footer in the house should be ushered in with a warm welcome and should not have flat feet, cross-eyes or eyebrows stretching out to meet in the middle. It would be even better if he came bearing certain small gifts. 

The Direction of Wind

The direction of wind during sunrise on New Year morning prophesies about the coming year. Wind from south foretells fine weather and prosperous times ahead while wind from north foretells bad weather. Wind blowing from east foretells natural calamities and wind from west foretells plenty of milk and fish for all but death of a person of great national importance. No wind means joy and prosperity throughout the year.

Dance in the Open Air 

To dance in the open air, especially round a tree, on New Year's Day ensures luck in love and prosperity and freedom from ill health during the coming twelve months. 

Find Future Groom

On New Year's Day if, on rising, a girl should look out of her bedroom window and see a man passing by, she may reckon to be married before the year is finished. 

Drain the Bottle

You could ensure yourself good fortune by draining the last dregs from a bottle of drink on New Years! 

http://www.happywink.org/newyearfestival/new-year-superstitions.html

Origin Of New Year

New Year is the world's most popularly celebrated festival. Perhaps, everybody would like to know how these celebrations began, from where it originated and what is so important about the festival. Let's give you an insight to the origin of this grand event in a brief form.

Origin of New Year dates back to the era of emperors. They thought of celebrating a special day which should dot a day for beginning and end of the year. First New Year celebrations were noticed in Mesopotamia around 2000 years. It was celebrated at the time of Equinox in mid-March by the Egyptians, Persians and Phoenicians while Greeks celebrated it on winter solstice. 

Ancient New Year Calendar

First New Year celebrations were noticed in Mesopotamia around 2000 years. It was celebrated at the time of Equinox in mid-March by the Egyptians, Persians and Phoenicians while Greeks celebrated it on winter solstice. As per the ancient Roman calendar New Year fell on March 1. This calendar just had ten months and March was the first month of the year. The calendar originated by the cycles of the moon, beginning in spring and ending with autumn planting. 

Inclusion of Two Calendar Months

It was Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome who divided the year into twelve lunar months by adding the months of January and February. The New Year was shifted to January as it marked the beginning of the civil years in Rome. But this was not fully accepted by the people of Rome and they continued celebrating in the month of March only.

January 1- an Official Date of New Year Celebrations

The Roman emperor Julius Caesar officially declared January 1 to be a New Year in 46 B.C. Romans worshiped God Janus who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward. The month of January was named after this Roman God and it gave an idea to the emperor to establish January as a gate to the New Year. It is said Caesar celebrated January 1 - New Year by ordering the revolutionary Jewish forces to route back. 

People began New Year celebrations on January 1 after many years. They ritualized the beginning of the year by acting and re-enacting the world of the past before peace proliferated. People learned January as first month of the year and with this the tradition of following Julian calendar.

Abolition of Roman New Year Date

In the medieval period, pagan festivals were given more importance and March 25 was announced as the beginning of the New Year. March 25 was called the Annunciation Day as on this day Mary got the news that she should be impregnated. 

Later, the King of England ensured that Jesus' birth December 25 should be commemorated as New Year. 

Gregorian Calendar

About 500 years later, Pope Gregory XIII abolished the old Julian calendar and introduced Gregorian calendar which comprised of a leap year after every four years to maintain balance between seasons and calendar. Finally, in 1582, Gregorian calendar was set to celebrate New Year on the first day of January. 

http://www.happywink.org/newyearfestival/origin-of-new-year.html

New Year's Day in United States

New Year's Day falls on January 1 and marks the start of a new year according to the Gregorian calendar. It marks the end of New Year's Eve celebrations in the United States and gives many Americans a chance to remember the previous year. 

What do people do?

The start of New Year's Day, at midnight, is heralded by fireworks, parties and special events, which are often televised. Very few people have to work on the day itself. For many it is a day of recovery from the New Year's Eve celebrations the previous night. In some towns and cities, parades are held and special football games are played. The birth of the first baby in the New Year is often celebrated with gifts to his or her parents and appearances in local newspapers and on local news shows. Many people make New Year's resolutions. These are usually promises to themselves that they will improve something in their own lives. Common New Year's resolutions are to stop smoking or drinking alcohol, to lose weight, exercise more or to live a healthier lifestyle.

Public life

Government offices, organizations, schools and many businesses are closed in the USA on New Year's Day. Public transit systems do not run on their regular schedules. Where large public celebrations have been held, traffic may be disrupted by the clean-up operation. In general, public life is completely closed down.

Background

The Gregorian calendar is widely used in many countries such as the United States. This was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. The Julian calendar that had been in use until then was slightly inaccurate, causing the vernal equinox to move backwards in the calendar year. The Gregorian calendar was not accepted everywhere and some churches, particularly with origins in Eastern Europe, still use other calendars. According to the Gregorian calendar, the first day of the year is January 1.

Symbols

A common symbol of New Year's Day is Baby New Year. This is often a white male baby dressed in a diaper, a hat and a sash. The year he represents is printed on his sash. He rarely a newborn baby, as many pictures show him sitting up or even standing alone. According to mythology, Baby New Year grows up and ages in a single year. At the end of the year he is an old man and hands his role over to the next Baby New Year. Other symbols of New Year's Day are spectacular fireworks exploding over landmarks and clocks striking midnight as the year begins.

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/new-year-day