Daily Calendar – October 24

The 298th day of the year; 68 days remain until the New Year.

Ecclesiastical Calendar

Commemoration of the Apostle Philip, one of the seven deacons (1st century); the Venerable Theophanes the Confessor, a composer of canons and Bishop of Nicaea (c. 850); and the Martyrs Zinaida and Philonilla (1st century).

The Holy Apostle Philip, one of the Seventy, was born in the Palestinian city of Caesarea. Following the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Twelve Apostles appointed him as a deacon of the Church in Jerusalem, entrusting him with the care of widows, orphans, and the destitute. When the persecution of Christians began, the Holy Apostle Philip left Jerusalem. He traveled to Samaria, where he preached Christianity with great success. The saint passed away at a very advanced age.

The Venerable Theophanes the Confessor—a composer of canons and Bishop of Nicaea—was the younger brother of the Venerable Theodore the Scribe. Their primary aspiration was the knowledge of God, for which purpose they withdrew to the Lavra of Saint Sabbas. There, Saint Theophanes was tonsured as a monk, and several years later, he was ordained a priest.

During the persecution of Christians, the brothers had to endure many hardships and torments. Subsequently, by the emperor's decree, Saint Theodore was cast into prison, where he soon passed away, while the Venerable Theophanes was sent into exile. The Venerable Theophanes the Confessor departed this life in peace around the year 850.

The martyrs Zinaida and Philonilla were natives of the city of Tarsus. They settled in a cave near the city of Demetrias, where they led an ascetic life of unceasing prayer and labor. The saints healed all who came to them for help and restored people's souls by turning them toward the true God. For their holy zeal for the Lord, these preachers of Christ received the crown of martyrdom; idolaters stoned them to death.

Born:

1632 – Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch naturalist and the founder of scientific microscopy. He died in 1723. 1845 – Sergi Meskhi, publicist and journalist. Died in 1883.

1893 – Vakhtang Kotetishvili, literary scholar, critic, folklorist, sculptor, and art historian. Died in 1937.

1915 – Giorgi Tsitsishvili, chemist, professor, and Academician of the Georgian Academy of Sciences.

1916 – Ekaterine Baghdavadze, a well-known painter. Died in 1975.

1925 – Luciano Berio, Italian composer.

1925 – Giorgi Khukhashvili, writer.

1941 – Fridon Sulaberidze, choreographer.

1957 – Nineli Chankvetadze, film and theater actress.

Died:

1601 – Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer and mathematician.

1592 – Pierre Gassendi, French materialist philosopher; also worked in the fields of astronomy, mathematics, mechanics, and the history of science. 1660 – Alessandro Scarlatti, an Italian composer and founder of the Neapolitan school of opera.

1832 – Charles Lecocq, a French composer.

Events:

1648 – The Holy Roman Empire recognized the independence of Switzerland.

1795 – Poland was partitioned for the third time by Austria, Prussia, and Russia.

1813 – The Treaty of Gulistan was signed, ending the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813.

1851 – Astronomer William Lassell discovered two moons of Uranus: Ariel and Umbriel.

1855 – The premiere of Johann Strauss’s operetta The Gypsy Baron took place in Vienna.

1856 – South Australia adopted a constitution.

1861 – The first transcontinental telegram was sent.

1882 – Robert Koch discovered the tuberculosis bacillus.

1904 – Six thousand people died as a result of the eruption of the Santa María volcano in Guatemala. 1924 – The organization of young Georgian patriots, "Tetri Giorgi" (White George), was founded in Paris under the leadership of General Leo Kereselidze.

1924 – Dutch physiologist Willem Einthoven was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

1938 – Child labor in industrial facilities was banned in the United States.

1945 – The United Nations became an official international organization.

1948 – Bernard Baruch used the term "Cold War" for the first time.

1951 – The United Nations issued its first postage stamp.

1964 – Zambia gained independence.

Notable Days:

United Nations Day.

World Development Information Day.

Zambia — Independence Day.