Daily Calendar - August 31
The 243rd day of the year, 122 days left until the New Year.
Church Calendar
Venerable Christodoulon the Philosopher (XII): Martyrs Florus and Lavrus (II); Martyrs Hermos, Serapion and Polyenus (II); Hieromartyr Aemilianus the Bishop and with him Hilarion, Dionysius and Hermipesus (IV); Hieromartyrs John (674) and George (683), Patriarchs of Constantinople; Venerable Macarius, Abbot of Pelikita (c. 830); Venerable John of Rille (946).
Commemoration of the Venerable Fathers Florus and Lavrus. They were stonemasons and first lived in Byzantium, then migrated to Illyria. The ruler Hilarion Lycaon sent them to build a pagan temple, where the saints fasted severely, distributed the money they received to the poor, and prayed unceasingly. When the construction of the temple was completed, the saints gathered the Christians, broke the idols, and erected the Holy Cross in its eastern part. When the ruler heard about this, he sentenced 300 Christians to be burned at the stake, and the saints were thrown into a dry well and covered with earth. Their holy relics were later transferred to Constantinople.
Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Hermes, Serapion, and Polyene. They went to Rome to confess Christ.
Commemoration of the Patriarchs John V and George I of Constantinople. They served during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great.
Commemoration of the Venerable Father Christopher. He was the abbot of the Meli Monastery.
Commemoration of the Venerable Father Barnabas and his nephew Sophrony. They were Athenians and served on Meli Mountain near Trebizond.
Commemoration of the Icon of the Mother of God “Odigirias”. It is kept in the Meli Monastery near Trebizond. According to tradition, this icon belongs to the pen of the Evangelist Luke.
Commemoration of the four deserters, whose names are unknown, and of 300 saints who were burned at the stake for destroying idols.
Born:
1749 – Alexander Radishchev, Russian writer, educator, philosopher-materialist.
1811 – Théophile Gautier, French writer.
1821 – Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Helmholtz, German physicist, mathematician, physiologist and psychologist.
1834 – Amilcare Ponchielli, Italian composer, organist.
1891 – Aleksandre Namoradze, historian, one of the founders of modern and contemporary history research in Georgia, Honored Scientist.
1892 – Pimen Naneishvili, Georgian pediatrician, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Honored Scientist of Georgia.
1899 – Grigol Peradze, historian, theologian, clergyman and public figure.
1908 – William Saroyan, American writer.
1942 – Deiran Pachuashvili, painter.
1949 – Nani Chikvinidze, Georgian actress.
1949 – Richard Gere, American actor.
Died:
1963 – Georges Braque, French artist.
1967 – Ilya Ehrenburg, Russian writer.
1986 – Henry Spencer Moore, English sculptor.
1969 – Rocky Marciano, American boxer.
1997 – Diana Spencer, ex-wife of Charles, heir to the British throne.
Events:
1897 – Thomas Edison patented the motion picture camera (kinetograph).
1914 – Germany defeats Russia at the Battle of Tannenberg. 30,000 Russian soldiers die.
1939 – The Supreme Soviet of the USSR approves the Russo-German Non-Aggression Pact.
1955 – The first solar-powered car is demonstrated in Chicago.
1957 – Malaysia becomes independent from Britain.
1968 – A 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Iran destroys dozens of villages. 12,000 people die.
1984 – A tropical storm in the Philippines kills 1,000 people.
1990 – West and East Germany sign an agreement to unify their legal and political systems.
1991 – Kyrgyzstan declares independence.
1994 – Russian troops withdraw from Germany.
1997 – Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed die in a car crash in Paris.
Memorable days:
Trinidad and Tobago – Independence Day
Kyrgyzstan – Independence Day
Malaysia – Independence Day
Philippines – Heroes’ Day.