Daily Calendar – July 7

The 188th day of the year, 177 days left until the New Year.

Church Calendar

The Nativity of the Honorable Great Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John.

Commemoration of the Seven Holy Martyrs Brothers — Orentis, Pharnaces, Eros, Firmus, Firminus, Cyricus and Longinus the Soldiers.

The Gospel tells us that the righteous parents of Saint John the Baptist, Zechariah and Elizabeth, who lived in the ancient city of Hebron, had reached such an old age that they were no longer worthy of having children. Once the Archangel Gabriel informed Zechariah that God had heard their prayers and that they would soon have a son, John, who would be the forerunner of the Messiah. Zechariah did not believe this and asked the angel to give him a sign to prove it. For his unbelief, his tongue was taken away before the birth of his son. Soon they had a son, whom the Lord willed to be called John. After the birth of Jesus Christ and the adoration of the Magi, the wicked Herod ordered the slaughter of all male children. Saint Elizabeth hid her child in a cave in the desert.

Herod sent horsemen to Zechariah to find out from him the whereabouts of John and Elizabeth. Zechariah refused, for which he was killed in the temple. John lived in the desert, where angels protected him.

Born:

1848 _ Paul Gauguin, French painter, post-impressionist.

1852 _ Arthur Leist, German Kartvelologist. Died in 1927.

1860 _ Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer.

1879 _ Chola Lomtatidze, writer. Died in 1915.

1884 _ Leon Feuchtwanger, German writer. Died in 1958.

1887 _ Marc Chagall, great abstract painter. Died in 1985.

1901 _ Vittorio De Sica, Italian film director. Died in 1974.

1908 _ Odysseus Dimitriadis, Greek conductor and teacher working in Georgia. Died in 2005.

1922 _ Pierre Cardin, French couturier.

1924 _ Natalia Bekhtereva, Russian academician, neurosurgeon.

Died:

1930 _ Arthur Conan Doyle, the `father' of Sherlock Holmes.

1967 _ Vivien Leigh, English film actress.

2014 _ Eduard Shevardnadze, former President of Georgia.

Events:

1607 _ The English anthem ``God Save the King'' was first sung.

1807 _ Emperors Napoleon I and Alexander I signed a peace treaty between France and Russia in Tilsit.

1923 _ The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region was established, which became part of Azerbaijan.

Memorable days:

Navy and River Fleet Workers' Day