6 May 2018

Rakia or Rakija

(/ˈrɑːkiə/, /ˈrækiə/, or /rəˈkiːə/)

– the collective term for fruit brandy popular in Central Europe and Southeast Europe. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50% to 80%, even going as high as 90% at times). e.g. the gypsy’s got drunk on rakia.

wikipedia.org

Today’s quote

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

– Winston Churchill

On this day

6 May – Following ‘May the Fourth be with you’, and Cinco de Mayo yesterday, does this make today ‘Revenge of the Sixth?’

6 May 1937 – the German passenger dirigible (Zeppelin), The Hindenburg, crashes bursts into flames, falling 200 feet to the ground, killing 37 people. The Hindenburg was the world’s largest hydrogen airship and the disaster marked the end of the airship era. The disaster was captured on camera and a newsreel released, which can be viewed on Youtube.

6 May 1945 – Hermann Göring, Hitler’s second in command and the most powerful Nazi alive, surrenders to US forces, effectively marking the end of the Second World War. The official surrender was announced by German officers on 8 May 1945.

6 May 1954 – Roger Bannister becomes the first man to break the 4 minute mile on foot. He ran the mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds at the Iffley Road Track, Oxford, England.