Anniversaries...Aniversarios

This is a year of important anniversaries and I want to mention three.
 1st: Tower Bridge, one of London´s most iconic landmarks, which tourists and Londoners flock to every day. Now, in 2014,it has reached its 120th anniversary. Despite its age, the bridge still plays a vital part in river life because it opens and closes nearly 1,000 times for vessels, war ships, sailing barges and cruises.When it opened it played an important part in linking all the different parts of the city. London Bridge was the only crossing on the Thames and as population grew more bridges were built. Architect Horace Jone`s design was chosen and the bridge officially opened in 1894. In the last couple of years it played a part in the Queen´s Diamond Jubilee and if you watched the London games in 2012 the Olympic rings hang from it. Do you remember?


2nd: Red Cross celebrates 150th anniversary. The world´s oldest aid organisation has brought relief to the victims of war, bringing help to the destitute and uniting families. It was founded in 1863 in response to the suffering at the Battle of Solferino by Geneva businessman Henri Dunant. Today it faces the chaos of 21st century warfare such as drones, conflicts like that in Syria...but its basic principles of impartiality have not changed. But Red Cross is more nowadays: its 95 million volunteers around the world take care of poor people in countries, as in Spain, and it´s easy to understand that this organisation has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize three times.Thanks!

3rd: World War One or Great War Centenary: it´s the most important and it began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until November 1918. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the trigger of a global war centred in Europe and it was one of the deadliest conflicts in history. If you want to remember what happened look at this link. Spain was neutral and the War benefited Spanish industry and exporting but the role of Spain was important because Alfonso XIII improved the treatment of prisoners and non-combatants throughout the conflict as his family had German and English roots. I recommend you this link and a book by Javier Sanz, Fuego a discreción.

En el 2014 se cumplen varios aniversarios y quiero mencionar tres importantes: el puente mas famoso de Londres cumple 120 años -y los turistas tendrán la oportunidad de visitarlo desde dentro- y la conmemoración de los 150 años de Cruz Roja, nacida a raiz del conflicto bélico de la Batalla de Solferino-Italia-, que ademas de socorrer a las víctimas de las guerras, ayuda a nuestros pobres. Y por último el centenario de la Primera Guerra Mundial en la que España se mantuvo neutral pero en la que Alfonso XIII, por su parentesco con Guillermo II, jugó un importante papel en el trato a prisioneros y en la conmutación de ocho penas de muerte por parte de Alemania.