Today is Armed Forces Day in Egypt (we’ll get back to Armed Forces Day in a moment but it’s not in celebration of the Elvis Costello album) and Ivy Day in Ireland. (Ivy Day is not a horticultural celebration. The date marks the anniversary of the 1891 death of Irish nationalist Charles Stewart Parnell;
Irish favoring home rule traditionally pin a bit of ivy to their lapels in his honor.
Ivy Day should not be confused with I.V. Day, celebrated only by drips.)
October 6, 1973 –
In a surprise attack on the Jewish highest holiday of Yom Kippur – Syrian and Egyptian armies invaded Israel on this date, starting, what became known as, the Yom Kippur War. The US came to Israel’s aid, but as Israel began winning the war, Israel wouldn’t back down from the siege brought on by the Egyptian troops to the south.
The Soviet Union threatened to intervene on Egypt’s behalf, causing high tensions between the US and Soviet Union that caused lasting damage to the relationship between two. Eventually, all parties came to a peace agreement.
October 6, 1981 –
During Armed Forces Day (commemorating Egypt’s participation in the Arab-Israeli War,) armed gunmen leapt from a truck and began shooting into the reviewing stand at Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
The assassination had been approved by Omar Abdel-Rahman, a cleric later convicted in the US for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
And so it goes.
The Haus of Dcaligari 