This date was celebrated as Independence Day until the Soviet occupation of Estonia in 1940. During the Soviet occupation, Independence Day was celebrated in Estonian communities around the world. As the hope of restoring the nation's independence grew stronger in the late 1980s, the people of Estonia began to celebrate Independence Day publicly before the end of the Soviet occupation. Since the restoration of independence on Aug. 20, 1991, Independence Day continues to be a day of celebration and a day of reflection for the Estonian people.
On this day in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII established the Gregorian calendar, which is a reformed version of the Julian calendar and is the most commonly used calendar in the world today. Thus, Feb. 24 came to be known as the Gregorian Calendar Day.
Today is the Baire Proclamation Day in Cuba. This day marks the anniversary of the Grito de Baire (the Baire Proclamation), the Cuban Declaration of Independence from Spain in 1895. On this day, the Cuban independence movement issued this proclamation declaring Independencia o Muerte (independence or death).
Feb. 24 is also the Flag Day of Mexico. Locally named Dia de la Bandera, this day was first implemented in 1937 by President of Mexico General Lazaro Cardenas. The Mexican flag has three colors representing three equally important concepts for the Mexicans: The white color represents religion, green independence and red union. The current flag was adopted in 1968, but the overall design has been used since 1821 when the first national flag was created.
Today is also Liberation Day of Ghana. This day should not be confused with Independence Day. Liberation Day commemorates the ousting of the Nkrumah government by Ghana's armed forces on Feb. 24, 1966.
Today is Dragobete in Romania, a rural holiday known as "the day when birds get engaged." In fact birds begin to assemble their nests and mate around this day. Romanian farmers consider this day the first day of spring. The holiday is essentially a day on which younger farmers pick flowers and sing, welcoming the new season.
Today is National Artist Day in Thailand. On this day the Office of the National Culture Commission declare the Thai artists of the year in literature, fine arts, visual arts, applied arts (architecture and design) and performing arts. The date was chosen because it is the birth date of Buddha Loetla Nabhalai, or King Rama II, who was an artist himself.
Today Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the famous NBA basketball player, hit his first three-point shot in 1987. Before this date, he had scored 36,000 points -- all of them two-pointers.
Arab traveler and author Ibn Battuta was born on this day in 1304. Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan Sunni Islamic scholar, jurisprudent and, at times, judge. However, he is best known as a traveler and explorer whose account documents his travels and excursions over a period of almost 30 years and covers some 73,000 miles. His journeys covered almost the entirety of the known Islamic world, extending to present-day Pakistan, India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and China, a distance that readily surpasses that of his predecessor and near-contemporary, Marco Polo.
Gregorian Calendar: 24 February 2008 C.E.
Hijri Calendar: 17 Safar 1429 A.H.
Hebrew Calendar: 18 Adar I 5768
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