Daily Calendar - June 30

The 172nd day of the year, 194 days left until the New Year.

Church Calendar

Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs: Manuel, Abel and Ismail (362); Martyr Shalva of Akhaltsikhe (1227).

The Holy Martyr Shalva was appointed the ruler of Akhaltsikhe by the Holy Orthodox Queen Tamar for his courage and valor. Under his command, the Georgian army brutally defeated the Turkish Sultan Ruknadin, which increased the strength and world authority of Georgia.

During the reign of Queen Rusudan, the Khorezmshah — Jalal-ed-Din invaded Georgia. In an unequal battle, Prince Shalva of Akhaltsikhe was seriously wounded and captured.

Jalal-ed-Din received Shalva with great honor, but a year later, when he recovered, he demanded that he convert to Islam and promised him a position. The knight of Christ refused the promised glory and was not afraid of terrible torment. By order of the enraged Shah, he was captured and brutally tortured. The holy martyr died in June 1227.

After that, Jalal-ed-Din once again marched on Georgia. The Georgian army heroically met the enemy approaching Tbilisi, but was defeated as a result of the betrayal of the city's Muslims. Tbilisi fell to the enemy.

The Shah ordered the dome of the Holy Mother of God's Zion Cathedral to be demolished, and in its place he pitched his tent to watch over the captured city and the martyrdom of Christians. The captive Georgians were offered wealth and freedom for their apostasy from Christianity and for desecrating the holy icons placed at the bridge over the Mtkvari River. But the Christians went to the holy icons one by one and worshiped them. The executioners standing nearby killed them. Thus, 100,000 Georgians who confessed Christ were martyred.

At night, a pillar of light descended over the bridge and illuminated the remains of those martyred for Christ. This was followed by a terrible earthquake, during which the tent of the unholy Shah fell from the roof of the Sioni Cathedral.

The commemoration of the 100,000 Tbilisi martyrs is celebrated together with the commemoration of Shalva Akhaltsikhe.

Born:

1685 _ John Gay, English poet and playwright. Died in 1732.

1812 _ Mirza-Fatali Akhundov, Azerbaijani writer, philosopher. Died 1896.

1928 _ Giorgi Chikovani, physicist. Died 1968.

Died:

1971 _ Vladislav Volkov, Soviet cosmonaut.

1971 _ Viktor Patsaev, cosmonaut.

Events:

1792 _ The Marseille Volunteer Battalion entered Paris with the ``Iron Army Battle Song'', after which the song was named ``La Marseillaise''.

1907 _ The Georgian Historical and Ethnographic Society was founded.

1908 _ The Tunguska meteorite fell, destroying 2,000 sq. km of forest in Eastern Siberia.

1910 _ Telephone communication was established between Europe and South America.

1941 _ The State Defense Committee was created in the Soviet Union under the leadership of Stalin.

1971 _ The Soviet spacecraft ``Salyut'', carrying cosmonauts Volkov, Dobrovolsky and Patsaev, failed during landing. All three cosmonauts died.

1985 _ Yul Brynner performed his last role in the Broadway production of ``The King and I.'' The play remained on stage for 34 years, and Brynner performed the role 4,600 times.

Memorable Days:

Guatemala - Army Day.

Sudan - National Revolution Day.

Congo - Independence Day