A traffic light is an optical signaling device that regulates the movement of vehicles, pedestrians at crossings and other road users. This device is also used on railways, in shipping and navigation. All people living in cities are accustomed to these structures, which are a mandatory attribute of most intersections, but few people know that there is a date in the calendar when the entire planet celebrates World Traffic Light Day. The official founding date of such a device is August 5, 1914. It was on that day that the world's first traffic light was installed on the streets of Cleveland. Two flashlights, green and red, lit up in stages, and during the switching process a long beep was heard, which initially put the townspeople into a slight stupor. Despite the fact that this date is considered the device’s birthday, the first regulator was developed in the 10th century by the British D. Knight. The structure was placed near Parliament in London in 1868. Naturally, the device was not completely perfect, and three years later it exploded, injuring a policeman. After this unpleasant situation, the traffic controller was forgotten for half a century, until 1910, when the first automatic device with two-color lights was created and patented. Three-color models similar to the current ones appeared in 1920 in Detroit and New York. Over the years they have gained popularity in various European cities. In Russia, such a device appeared only in the winter of 1930 - in Leningrad. And the capital’s first traffic light was installed on December 30 of the same year. Later, in 1932, a similar structure was placed at the intersection of Neglinnaya and Kuznetsky Most streets. The installation of both devices was carried out as an experiment. Only at the end of 1933, when the test was considered successful, about a hundred devices were installed and placed throughout the capital. The next Russian settlement in Russia where a traffic light appeared was Rostov-on-Don. In Russia, the holiday is actively used by traffic police inspectors, employees of educational institutions and participants in active movements as another reason to remind all drivers and pedestrians of the need to strictly adhere to traffic rules, since the price of the smallest mistake on the road can be a human life.

Labor, according to Darwin's theory, made a man out of a monkey. One famous proverb states: “Work makes horses die, but people grow stronger.” Popular wisdom says that labor is harmful specifically for animals, because... it doesn't make any sense to them. Work hardens a person, making him more resilient both physically and morally. For thousands of years, people have used pets in their work activities. Horses and buffaloes, despite scientific and technological progress, still help cultivate the land with the help of harrows and transport agricultural goods. Dogs, faithful friends of man, pull sleds with people on ice or snow, looking for victims of earthquakes littered with the rubble of buildings. Dogs serve on the border, help the police solve crimes, and act as guides for blind people. Dogs protect private houses and industrial buildings from thieves, graze flocks of sheep and herds of rams. The brave Belka and Strelka conquered space, and their trained brothers - the hearts of spectators of circus shows. Many holidays have been established in honor of these hardworking animals. One of them, Work Like a Dog Day, is celebrated annually on August 5th. The origins of Work Like a Dog Day are unknown. Man tamed and domesticated the dog, or rather the wolf Canis lupus, one of the first among other wild animals. This happened 10-14 years ago during the Neolithic era. As a sign of gratitude to dogs, their devotion and loyalty, not only holidays have been established, but also monuments have been erected. The dogs are immortalized in metal and stone in the images of rescuers helping emergency workers and firefighters, and experimental animals, thanks to which I.P. Pavlov and other scientists made discoveries in the field of higher nervous activity. Some people believe that Work Like a Dog Day is dedicated to man's true friends - dogs. Others are sure that the holiday was established in honor of workaholics who work like bees without vacations or days off. Such people are ready to stay in the office or at work until late as long as necessary to achieve their goal. Workaholics often sacrifice their personal interests and health in the name of work. Therefore, about fans of their work who show excessive persistence, they often say: “Plows like a horse” or “Spins like a squirrel in a wheel.” But most often, workaholics are compared to dogs. Among four-legged friends, Boxers, Dobermans, Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Labradors, German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Huskies are especially diligent. “Tired like a hound dog,” says a man who has worked tirelessly for a long time. In honor of these workers and their faithful tailed assistants, “Work Like a Dog” Day was established.

On August 5th, the Day of the Straightened Corkscrew falls on the holiday calendar. It is celebrated annually by everyone who loves the taste of quality wine or sparkling champagne and knows how important it is to have a corkscrew at hand at the right time. This fun holiday can be a good reason to taste new varieties of wine, the taste of which you are not yet familiar with. The first patent for a corkscrew was issued in England in 1795. Later, in the nineteenth century, inventors in America received several hundred patents for corkscrews, varying in design and size. The archives preserved a document from 1861, in which the device was described as a steel screw designed to remove corks from bottles. People used to call a corkscrew a cork maker. In France, during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, soldiers had similar products that they used to remove bullets from guns. Currently, you can find more than 350 varieties of different corkscrew systems on sale. The Screwpull corkscrew model is considered the easiest to use. It was created by Herbert Allen. The principle of its operation is that when used, two handles protruding from the bottom cover the neck of the bottle. After pressing the lever, the screw is immersed in the plug. It is removed from the bottle as soon as the handle is returned to its original position. For plugs that fit very tightly to the neck, or are made of loose material, a special pneumatic corkscrew is provided. The opening of the bottle occurs after the needle located on the body pierces the cork through and pumps air into the vessel, which squeezes the cork out of the bottle. Now on sale there are modernized versions of pneumatic corkscrews, in which the pump is replaced with a small canister filled with air or carbon dioxide. Corkscrews often attract collectors who try to find the most interesting and unusual examples. The collectors' club first appeared in Milan in the mid-19th century. Nowadays, those wishing to purchase a rare model of corkscrew can be found in different countries. Suitable examples for collections can be found at Christie's auction, which is organized twice a year and offers corkscrews of various designs and shapes for sale. Some copies sell there for thousands of dollars. At one of the auctions, a unique ivory corkscrew was sold, which was a real work of art. A few years ago, a “corkscrew” complex made by craftsmen of the 18th century was also presented at the auction, which included a corkscrew with wings and protective sockets, a stand and a box for storing it. It cost about 50 thousand dollars.

August 5 is a memorable day for career military personnel. In all higher educational institutions of the USSR it was unofficially called the day of the drunken cadet. In Soviet times, as a rule, it was on August 5 that the Ministry of Defense issued an order on the enrollment of yesterday's schoolchildren in military schools, as well as on the transfer of students to the next course. If the date fell on a weekend, then the order was issued on the next working day. Naturally, this date means a lot to everyone involved. This is due to the following reasons: 1. Random people do not enroll in military schools. They prepare for enrollment for a long time, dream and make plans for their future life and career. And successful admission becomes a real event, perhaps one of the most memorable in life. The same applies to transfer to the next year of study. It is awaited with special trepidation by junior students who have not yet fully believed in their strength and ability to endure the hardships of cadet life. 2. Student life is, in principle, an unforgettable time. This is a period of great hopes and accomplishments, freshness of perception, intense study and vibrant love. But if we are talking specifically about a military educational institution, then all this is complemented by a unique atmosphere. There, young people join the military brotherhood and learn to overcome difficulties, where their character is formed and strengthened. Of course, it would be more correct to call August 5 simply cadet day. But it was the name with the word “drunk” that stuck. The joy of future defenders of the homeland regarding admission to college or successful transfer to the next year was traditionally marked by wild joy. It was extremely rare to do without alcohol. Being at home, it was easy to celebrate such an event. It’s enough to meet friends at someone’s apartment, go to a bar or cafe. It was more difficult for those cadets who found the holiday in the barracks or dormitory. But they always found an opportunity to celebrate their day on a grand scale, sneaking alcohol into the territory secretly from the command and drinking it. Celebrating Drunken Cadet Day sometimes ended badly. The command traditionally turned a blind eye to some violations on that day. But for the most daring antics, students were held accountable, including expulsion. However, the tradition of celebration has survived to this day. Modern cadets honor this holiday in the same way as their predecessors - students of Soviet higher educational institutions. After the collapse of the USSR, the holiday can rightfully be considered international, since it is celebrated not only in the Russian Federation. The date matters both for current cadets and for those who were them in the past.

People have long loved to watch a rainbow appear at the point where heaven and earth meet, and ships and camels disappear from sight. The ancient Greeks and Romans gave the name to this line horizont - “limit”, “frontier”, “border”. In open, flat terrain close to northern latitudes, the distance from an average height observer to the junction of the earth and the sky can be a maximum of 5 km. This makes you want to try to peer into the distance and even look beyond the horizon. A funny holiday has been invented in honor of the imaginary line. August 5th is Skyline Day. Flat Earth supporters often discuss the boundary between the sky and water or land. They argue that if the planet was spherical, people would see the horizon as an arc, rather than a straight line. Opponents of the theory say that the curvature of the planet is not visible due to the limitations of human vision. As proof, supporters of a round Earth cite calculations of the refraction of a light beam in an optically dense medium. The character of the 1938 Soviet fairy tale, old man Hottabych, spoke of the horizon as the meeting place of the heavenly dome with the firmament of the earth. The author of the work about the adventures of the boy Volka and his friendship with the genie was hardly a “flat-earther.” However, the statement of the wise old man suggests that the writer L. Lagin believed that a solid dome rises above the Earth, limiting flights into outer space and protecting it from cosmic radiation, the fall of large meteorites and small asteroids. There is no other way to use the expression “heavenly dome” by the main character of the story, Hottabych. At the line connecting sky and earth, you can see the sun setting below the horizon, and beautiful mirages and northern lights appear in the Arctic region. Fata Morgana in the desert, an illusion created in the air due to the refraction of the sun's rays, takes the form of oases, camel caravans and mysterious cities. On the horizon, people observe a halo ring, a near-zenith rainbow and a green beam - a short-term flash of light with the appearance of a star in the morning hours. For the sake of these optical illusions and atmospheric phenomena, a person looks into the distance, to where the sky meets the earth. The horizon has been attracting people with its mysteries and inaccessibility for many centuries. That is why the expression “look beyond the horizon” appeared, i.e. lift the veil of secrecy over future events and learn something new. Not everyone is ready to take a step towards the unknown. An unusual holiday is called upon to push people to expand the boundaries of knowledge and develop imagination - Day of Looking at the Horizon.

Croatian holidays - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day

Holidays of Belarus - Day of formation of financial investigation bodies of the Republic of Belarus

According to the folk calendar, Trofim Bessonnik is celebrated on August 5 (July 23, old style). This holiday is named after the church day of honoring the memory of St. Trophimus, a Christian who suffered at the hands of idolaters. Trophimus lived in the 3rd century in the Roman Empire, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. When the ruler issued a decree to strengthen paganism in the state, cruel oppression of Christians began. Trofimus confessed the faith of Christ with all his soul, therefore at the trial he refused to change it. For refusing, the man was subjected to torture: he was beaten, his shins were cut and he was burned with fire. The martyr endured suffering, but was adamant. Unable to break his strong faith, the pagans cut off Trophim's head. And among the people Trofim was nicknamed Insomniac, associating this with the times when there was practically not enough time for sleep. At the height of summer, it was necessary to have time to collect rye, prepare hay, and manage household chores. In addition, it began to get dark early, and the nights were already getting longer. To cope with a large volume of work, the owners got up at dawn and worked until dark, without closing their eyes. In addition, residents also called the day of Trofim Bessonnik Kalinnik-Malinnik. In the forests, the viburnum began to turn red and raspberries ripened in abundance. Young people or children were sent to their gatherings. The viburnum berries were still tart, but very healthy. But the raspberries pleased with their sweetness. On this day, viburnum and raspberries were used in compotes, jam, marmalade, dried for tea for the winter, and added to butter pies. Peasants valued viburnum for its medicinal properties. Its berries, bark, inflorescences and even leaves were used for colds, to treat the digestive tract, to stop bleeding or to lower blood pressure. Picked berries could be stored fresh for a long time, and when dried, their beneficial properties did not decrease. Raspberries among the people were not only a delicacy, but also a useful product. Raspberries, rich in vitamin C, were used to boost immunity and reduce fever during fever. It had hemostatic properties and helped in the treatment of joints. Girls used raspberries to improve skin color and health. If fog was noticed on the ground on Trofim Bessonnik, then the next day they prepared for clear weather. The cry of an owl in the forest foreshadowed the onset of cool weather. The bright twinkling of stars was noticed on rainy days. Pigeons hiding in their nests during the day promised bad weather soon.

The first Saturday in August celebrates a fun holiday - International Baldness Day. Under his auspices, people suffering from alopecia unite and share their problems. Hair loss is associated with hormonal or age-related changes, hereditary factors, stress and intoxication of the body. However, men and women with bald spots and complete absence of hair do not lose heart, treating this problem philosophically. Heroine L.M. Gurchenko in the film “The Recipe for Her Youth” called crocodile tears one of the components of the potion for longevity. A farmer from Switzerland claimed that the panacea for baldness is bat milk, which promotes hair growth. No matter how fantastic these components may seem, the stories are familiar with other, no less exotic, ingredients and methods of combating alopecia. Thus, the ancient Egyptians rubbed a paste of boiled porcupine quills into their bald heads. Another recipe for hair growth, contained in the papyrus of G. Ebers (1550 BC), was a mixture of fat from 4 animals - hippopotamus, mountain goat, crocodile and cat. Hippocrates suggested that his patients apply an “explosive cocktail” of opium, pigeon droppings, horseradish and hot peppers to the scalp. Cleopatra recommended that her lover, Gaius Julius Caesar, rub in a paste of ground horse teeth and mice mixed with bear fat. It has long been known that pet excrement is rich in organic matter. That is why the Indians used cow dung, pigeon and goose droppings to maintain the fullness of their hair. And indeed, their hair, braided in braids, was reminiscent of horse manes in thickness and shine. Aristotle advised washing your hair with goat urine. The Celts used the ashes of the raven for these purposes. The Vikings smeared their hair with goose droppings, which they then rubbed into the scalp. Yogis believe that the thickness of hair depends on active blood circulation. Therefore, Hindus recommend the practice of standing on your head. French psychologist Emile Coue (1857-1926) suggested that balding people practice self-hypnosis. In his opinion, positive thoughts help activate the follicles and trigger hair growth. Many male actors with alopecia are the epitome of masculinity and strength. This includes Bruce Willis in the Die Hard action movie series, Vin Diesel in The Fast and the Furious, and Dwayne Johnson, who began his career with professional arm wrestling. The shaved head became the signature look of John Malkovich and Stanley Tucci. Actresses do not lag behind men and shave their heads if required by a role in an action movie or thriller. So, Demi Moore became bald for “G.I. Jane”, for the film “Heaven” - Cate Blanchett, for the horror film “Alien” - Sigourney Weaver. Natalie Portman also shaved her head to perfectly fit her character in “V for Vendetta.” The ease of attitude towards the problem of baldness and the positive attitude of celebrities becomes a good example for ordinary people who suffer from partial or complete alopecia. Kevin Costner with thinning hair looks no less masculine and sexy than Sean Connery in the role of Agent 007 or Gerard Butler in the film "300". Baldness is associated with the main male hormone - testosterone, which serves as confirmation that the stronger sex is still strong. Therefore, there is clearly no need to have complexes about this. Alopecia areata, which often affects women, is also not a cause for despondency. To disguise areas of the head where there is very little hair, hairpieces, extensions, thickening powders and sprays are used. Accepting yourself for who you are and an ironic attitude towards thinning hair helps you overcome complexes and inconveniences. Therefore, everyone who is familiar with the problem of hair loss or lack thereof celebrates International Baldness Day on August 3 with smiles on their faces.

Orthodox holidays on August 5:

Glorification of the righteous warrior Feodor Ushakov

Celebration in honor of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God

Feast of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy to All Who Sorrow with Pennies”

Memorial Day of the Martyrs Trophimus and Theophilos of Lycia