Humanity has been using drugs for quite a long time. Smoking tobacco, hashish, drinking tinctures of fly agarics and cacti... And the fight against their spread and control of their circulation has been going on for more than 100 years... Back in 1909, members of the Shanghai Opium Commission, which consisted of 13 countries, including Russia, attempted to limit the import of narcotic poison from Asian countries. But today, unfortunately, we are still far from resolving this growing problem. Despite the fact that students are told from school about the dangers of these psychotropic drugs, there are always those who want to try them once, naively believing that one dose will not cause addiction... The result is addiction, personality degradation, poisoning and destruction of the body, and - early death. With the goal of helping the world community free itself from drug abuse, the UN General Assembly in 1987 adopted a resolution to annually celebrate June 26 as the International Day against Drug Use and Illicit Trafficking. In addition to drugs of natural origin, such as hemp, for example, there are many synthetic ones, the use of which kills faster than any terrible disease, literally in just a few days. There are also a huge number of medications that cause addiction, and the use of which as drugs is almost impossible to control. Statistics show that the number of drug addicts is increasing in parallel with the list of addictive drugs, and this list is updated and replenished almost daily... Researchers have estimated that at the end of 2011, over 600 thousand regularly used drugs in Russia, and today our country ranks “honorably” first in the world in heroin use. Every year, addiction claims the lives of 30 to 40 thousand people - these are the statistics for our country. For the International Day Against Drug Use, many countries around the world are preparing various events and campaigns aimed at educating the population, mainly young people, about the harm and destructive consequences of drug use. And our country was no exception. On June 26, drug addiction specialists, representatives of the public and authorities, and the media were involved in educational events in Russia. Participants and guests of the conference have a unique opportunity to check the state of their health, if necessary, consult and consult with employees and specialists in the field of psychology, sociology and even addiction medicine. Youth and public organizations also organize various events, such as sports competitions, promotions, concerts, flash mobs... Most of the activities are aimed at young people and teenagers, because they are the potential victims of destructive addiction. Educational work of a cognitive and lecture nature helps parents recognize changes in their child’s behavior in a timely manner and turn to appropriate specialists for help, so that their child can once and for all say “NO to drugs!”

Every year, UN member states celebrate the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26th. The international holiday, permeated with an atmosphere of tragedy and horrific cruelty, began in 1997. The day aims to put an end to inhumane, aggressive and degrading acts, as well as to provide psychological and financial support to victims who have been subjected to suffering and torture. The concept of “torture” means an action that is directed at a person and entails causing him severe torment and pain in order to obtain the necessary information from him, or as retribution for his earlier actions, as well as intimidation or coercion. Torture is based on discrimination of any kind in order to suppress a person and strike a blow to self-esteem. This can be both physical pain and psychological stress. Torture is prohibited in accordance with the principles of international law at the legislative level. No external circumstances, even large-scale ones, can justify such crimes. Somehow a war or threat of military action, a revolutionary situation, political instability, a threat to national security or any other emergency situation. It is impossible to justify an order from representatives of the civil service, much less from the boss. Some countries simply ignore the official prohibition of torture at the international legislative level. Thus, in Cuba, prisoners were played loud music for several days. Psychological influence was exerted in order to obtain confessions during interrogations. In China, a thriving business is the removal and sale of internal organs from prisoners. For the most part, the horrific fate concerns dissident prisoners - Catholics, Christians, Tibetans, etc. It is no coincidence that a special term even arose - Chinese “transplant tourism”. In many countries, patients are forced to wait for several years for a donor organ, so they go to China to receive a liver, kidney or other organ in the shortest possible time and undergo a complex operation. On this day, participating states unite to help people who are victims of violent acts, as well as their families. A special charitable fund has been opened at the UN, which receives contributions to support victims. Rehabilitation centers invite people to undergo free psychological programs for a painless way out of post-traumatic states, which help them forget about the horror of the scenes they experienced and heal. Large-scale events are being held all over the world, in which released prisoners, public figures, government officials, human rights activists, representatives of political parties and patriotic communities take part. On the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Torture, flowers and wreaths are traditionally laid at the memorials. It is customary to reward people who helped with their release from prison. They also organize thematic forums, seminars, conferences and lectures. On television and radio, people who suffered due to inhumane criminal acts share their memories of terrible events and tell how their lives turned out after that. A documentary film is being broadcast, which tells with utmost honesty about the fate of the people who suffered these tragic trials. To prevent acts of torture, intensive educational and propaganda work is carried out in many areas. Legislative acts are being adopted that toughen penalties for crimes against human dignity and freedom.

Every morning, first thing we go to the bathroom, where we finally wake up after washing and brushing our teeth. This obligatory ritual is practiced until it becomes automatic, but how and with what did you brush your teeth before? Man has taken care of oral hygiene since time immemorial. They used all kinds of devices for this - from pieces of fabric to special brushes made from branches and sticks. Such personal hygiene products could not always be called convenient, but several centuries ago mass production of toothbrushes began, which had the same design as the ones we use today. June 26 marks the birthday of the toothbrush - a personal hygiene item that modern people can no longer do without. It is believed that the idea of ​​its creation came to the mind of the Englishman William Addis, a rebel who paid for incitement and went to prison in 1770. Perhaps he had too much free time there, so Addis decided to make a toothbrush for himself. The handle was a bone, in which he made several holes, and through them he passed tufts of stiff bristles and secured them with glue. When Addis was released, he founded his own company called Wisdom Toothbrushes, which is still in operation today. Exactly ten years after his brilliant invention, Addis launched mass production of toothbrushes, but the Englishman did not acquire a patent for them. Instead, in 1850, an American did it, whose company five years later began producing toothbrushes with bone handles and boar bristles, but the device turned out to be not very practical. The problem was the choice of bristles. The Siberian boar had bristles inside the cavity. Germs got into them. The bristles themselves took a long time to dry, creating ideal conditions for the active growth of bacteria. Such a brush could not be called hygienic. In fact, calling Addis a “pioneer” would be a misnomer. Similar devices existed several centuries before the “official” invention by the Englishman. Brushes with animal bristles and bamboo sticks instead of handles were actively used in China in the 15th century. Subsequently, several such devices came to Europe, but no one tried to switch from handicraft to mass production. Addis was the first, which is why he appears in the history of the toothbrush as an inventor. In 1938, a real breakthrough in the field of toothbrush production was made by the well-known Oral-B company. Instead of animal bristles, which became a breeding ground for bacteria, artificial bristles made from nylon were used. These are exactly the brushes called Miracle Tuft Toothbrush that Oral-B presented. After a while, they made another breakthrough and improved the brush production technology - the tips of each bristle began to be carefully ground, polished and rounded. A similar solution is still actively used today. Modern brushes differ in the degree of stiffness of the bristles, which in turn is determined by the thickness and mobility of each bristle. Animal bristles are no longer used in this industry at all. The handles have also been completely redesigned. Modern toothbrushes are made of plastic. The material is usually covered with a soft rubberized layer on top for greater comfort. Also in use today are electric toothbrushes that run on batteries. This is a convenient device that perfectly cleans the oral cavity. The first electric toothbrush was created in 1939. However, this “pilot version” required serious revision. It entered mass production only in 1960 with the release of a new, improved Broxodent model.

June 26 is the International Day of Spiritualism, a mysterious holiday in all respects. Man has always believed in the existence of other worlds and the entities that inhabit them. With the help of religious dogmas, he tried to understand the world around him and provide an explanation for those phenomena whose nature he did not understand. The history of world religions clearly shows how the worldview of man has changed as civilization has developed. Even today, in the age of technological progress, many continue to appease brownies, believe in prophetic dreams and bypass black cats as the seventh road. However, modern scientists cannot unravel the mystery of death. What happens to us “after”? Does a certain substance remain from a person, which is called the soul? Can the living communicate with those who have left this world? The answers to these questions are provided by spiritualism, a religious and philosophical doctrine whose popularity peaked at the beginning of the last century. Spiritualism originates in the works of Franz Mesmer, a German physician who developed his own theory of “animal magnetism.” According to his idea, the body of each person acts as a conductor for the fluid, which literally permeates all surrounding matter. Through the fluid, one can transmit thoughts at a distance, that is, establish a telepathic connection with a person, but mesmerism affected only communication between living people, and what about the dead? Spiritualism has its origins in spiritualism. In Russian, these concepts are related, but not identical. Spiritualism has a broader meaning - this is the name of the religious and philosophical doctrine, and special writing using special boards, and the very sessions of communication with the souls of the dead. The founder of the theory of spiritualism was the Frenchman Allan Kardec. He was an extraordinary person. Kardec sincerely believed that he had an important mission - to convey to all humanity knowledge about the structure of this world, which diverged from generally accepted concepts. His theory gave rise to spiritualism. Kardec wrote several works, among which the “Book of Spirits” gained the greatest popularity. Before this, he carefully prepared, conducted spiritualistic seances, using his friend’s daughters as mediums. Kardec was convinced that he had made contact with the spirits. The philosopher and researcher asked them questions and carefully wrote down the answers. In this simple way he tried to build a new picture of the world. Often during these sessions a special board with letters was used. Kardec's work was a huge success. Even Napoleon III was engrossed in them, and he often invited the philosopher to his place to communicate in a private setting. One of the ardent supporters of the theory of spiritualism was the famous writer Arthur Conan Doyle, who, already in his declining years, began to gather like-minded people around him and conduct spiritualistic seances. There was nothing new in Kardec’s theory, since it was based on the idea of ​​​​the reincarnation of the human soul. However, unlike Indian philosophy, according to Kardec the soul does not strive to get rid of its past. She retains the memory of previous lives, and each new one for her becomes an attempt to purify herself and achieve some kind of enlightenment. This is a test that the spirit must go through again and again until it reaches its cherished goal. Souls that were able to pass through this wheel of reincarnation go to the ocean of eternal life, where they experience the highest bliss. You can communicate with spirits, but to establish contact it is necessary to use special people - mediums who can reach the immaterial world from our material world. Although the theory of spiritualism does not stand up to criticism, it has many followers even today. For example, French spiritualists gather annually at the grave of Allan Kardec in the Père Lachaise cemetery. The philosopher died of a heart attack right in the process of work, when he was preparing for the next spiritualistic session. Although science continues to stubbornly reject the existence of the immaterial world, and the presence of a soul in each of us remains in question, it is important for a person to believe that death is not the end, but the beginning of something more.

Holidays of Azerbaijan - Day of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan

The Day of Workers of the Prosecutor's Office of Belarus as a professional holiday was established in honor of the date June 26, 1922, when a separate government department arose. The Belarusian SSR needed special supervision over the implementation of laws, competent employees capable of fighting crime, both at the external and internal levels. After the collapse of the USSR and Belarus gaining independence, the prosecutor's office received special powers. In 1998, President A. Lukashenko emphasized the importance of this department by signing a decree awarding the date June 26 the status of a professional holiday, securing this with a special decree. The system is headed by the prosecutor general, who is the president’s right hand in organizing and controlling the investigation, and the rights are reflected in the country’s Constitution. The activities of the prosecutor's office became more clearly regulated after the adoption of an individual law in 2007, which outlined its main role and the nature of its functioning in the state mechanism. The main directions of the field of activity were more precisely formulated. Maximum protection of the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens of Belarus and business entities is one of the goals of the activity. It is possible to eradicate corruption in almost every application, protecting the economic interests of the country. The prosecutor's office actively interacts not only with law enforcement and judicial structures, but also with social institutions in order to completely eliminate crime, including among young people and minors. The transfer of cases from administrative proceedings to criminal ones has been a trend in recent years. Such tough measures are aimed at making offenders aware of the seriousness of their intentions and are a preventive measure. The Prosecutor's Office guarantees and ensures the rule of law without restrictions and ensures the inevitability of punishment for violators. Sometimes its activities are too active: there have been cases in history when third-party international human rights organizations recognized the accusations as suppression of dissent, and some of the accused as prisoners of conscience. A special task is set for the prosecutor's office to carry out a censorship mission aimed at strengthening patriotism and preventing influence on the internal structure of the country. Becoming an employee of the prosecutorial environment is not so easy; they are subject to exaggerated demands due to broad powers. Only citizens of the republic who have not only a legal education, but also high moral qualities, complete loyalty to the regime, and patriotism are allowed to take a special oath and the opportunity to serve the fatherland in defense of the law. On their professional day, employees of the prosecutor's office of all regions of Belarus receive major congratulations on behalf of the president, to whom they directly report. On June 26, awards are given to employees who have particularly distinguished themselves in a difficult field, press conferences are held to highlight the results of the annual period, and interviews are taken. The veterans of this field who stood guard over state interests are not forgotten.

Madagascar Holidays - Independence Day of the Republic of Madagascar

Holidays of Turkmenistan - Day of Prosecutor's Office Workers

Thailand Holidays - Sunton Pu Remembrance Day

Akulina Buckwheat is celebrated according to the folk calendar on June 26 (June 13, old style). The name of the date was partially borrowed from the church day of honoring the memory of the holy martyr Aquilina of Byblos. Aquilina lived in Phenicia in the town of Byblos in the 3rd century and was a righteous Christian. At the age of twelve, the girl persuaded her peers to accept the faith of Christ. For this, she was reported to the local ruler, who ordered the girl to be tortured. They beat her, forcing her to renounce her faith, then burned her head with a hot iron. The deceased Aquilina was thrown outside the city, where an angel of God appeared and resurrected the martyr. Then the girl appeared to the ruler, declaring the power of the Lord. Frightened, he ordered Akilina's head to be cut off. On the way to execution, the Lord took the soul of the child to himself, and the cat was forced to execute the dead body of the saint. Akulina was popularly nicknamed the Buckwheat Girl, as the peasants celebrated the festival of buckwheat. On this day they tried not to work in the field, believing that the land would not produce buckwheat. But the sowing of buckwheat was planned 7 days before Akulina Day or 7 days after the date. In the morning they prayed to Saint Aquilina for a rich buckwheat harvest. The owners cooked buckwheat porridge and boasted about it among themselves, then treated it to hungry passers-by, and they thanked the owners and wished that the buckwheat would produce a lot. Another name for Akulina’s day was “Put up your tails.” During this period, it became very hot outside, and annoying insects appeared near the livestock. Flies, gadflies, midges and midges circled around the cows, stinging them painfully. From them, the cattle became restless: they often swung their tails, ran through the meadows, ate less, as a result of which their milk yield decreased. In addition, insects were carriers of diseases. On Akulinin's day, caring owners tried to protect their livestock and alleviate their suffering. To do this, the cattle were grazed at sunrise, taken to the river during the day, and then locked in cool barns. To repel insects, cows were sprayed with tincture of wormwood, mint or laurel. Even peasants suffered from insect bites - mosquitoes flocked to them. Due to the fact that during Akulina Buckwheat the cattle nervously rushed about the fields, their milk was considered unfit for consumption. Usually buckwheat porridge was cooked in milk, but on this day they refused it. This belief came from the belief that Akulina’s milk became harmful and reduced her health. If you noticed an abundance of midges on Akulina Buckwheat, you prepared for fine days. Watching the free flight of bees from the hives, the residents expected a clear day. The arrival of a large gadfly foreshadowed a generous grain harvest. If the dog rolled out in the grass, then the weather was expected to worsen.

Orthodox holidays June 26:

Memorial Day of St. Alexandra Diveevskaya

Memorial Day of the Martyr Aquilina

Memorial Day of St. Andronik of Moscow