CITIES FOR LIFE

Emperor Leopold II in the

regalia of the Order of the

Golden Fleece

On the 30^th November 1786 Peter Leopold Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, promulgates a penal reform making his country the first state to abolish the death penalty. Consequently the 30^th  November  is commemorated by 300 cities around the world as Cities for Life Day. Cities around the world celebrate the first abolition of the death penalty by a European state. On this occasion the participating cities show their commitment for life and against the death penalty.

A LITTLE COUNTRY MUSIC

The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings 28 November 1925, as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Dedicated to honouring country music and its history, the Opry showcases a mix of legends and contemporary chart-toppers performing country, bluegrass, folk, gospel and comedic performances and skits. Considered an American icon, it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world and millions of radio and Internet listeners. The Opry is "the show that made country music famous" and has been called the "home of American music" and "country’s most famous stage."

Here are a couple of Willie Nelson tracks - a view years apart


And just one more

BEGINNINGS OF BAND AID

In October 1984, a BBC report by Michael Buerk was aired in the UK, which highlighted the famine that had hit the people of Ethiopia. Irish singer Bob Geldof saw the report and wanted to raise money. He called Midge Ure from Ultravox and together they quickly co-wrote the song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

Geldof kept a November appointment with BBC Radio 1 DJ Richard Skinner to appear on his show, but instead of discussing his new album (the original reason for his booking), he used his airtime to publicise the idea for the charity single, so by the time the musicians were recruited there was intense media interest in the subject. Geldof put together a group called Band Aid, consisting of leading British and Irish musicians who were among the most popular of the era. On 25^th November 1984, the song was recorded at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London, and was released four days later

A DAY FOR DE GAULLE

On 23 November 1959, in a speech in Strasbourg, General Charles de Gaulle, President of France, (born 22^nd November 1890) announced his vision for Europe:

Oui, c’est l’Europe, depuis l’Atlantique jusqu’à l’Oural, c’est toute l’Europe, qui décidera du destin du monde. ("Yes, it is Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals, it is the whole of Europe, that will decide the destiny of the world.")

De Gaulle in 1961 at the

Köln/Bonn, airport.

In the November 1958 elections (which took place on the 23^rd and 30^th November 1958), de Gaulle and his supporters (initially organised in the Union pour la Nouvelle République-Union Démocratique du Travail, then the Union des Démocrates pour la Vème République, and later still the Union des Démocrates pour la République, UDR) won a comfortable majority. In December, de Gaulle was elected President by the electoral college with 78% of the vote, and inaugurated in January 1959.

He oversaw tough economic measures to revitalise the country, including the issuing of a new franc (worth 100 old francs). Internationally, he rebuffed both the United States and the Soviet Union, pushing for an independent France with its own nuclear weapons, and strongly encouraged a "Free Europe", believing that a confederation of all European nations would restore the past glories of the great European empires.

He set about building Franco German cooperation as the cornerstone of the European Economic Community (EEC), paying the first state visit to Germany by a French head of state since Napoleon. In January 1963, Germany and France signed a treaty of friendship, the Élysée Treaty. France also reduced its dollar reserves, trading them for gold from the U.S. government, thereby reducing the US' economic influence abroad.
This video biography has a strange start, but worth a look if only to brush up your French. There are no subtitles.