A shorter name for ‘Great Britain And Ireland’

First of all, let me show you this map I personally took the liberty to add the “Channel Islands” within, thereby.

Great Britain and Ireland

This map illustrates the Great Britain and Ireland isles.

However, this name has actually not become accepted. As you might’ve heard, this group of isles have been named in several ways. Does The north-east Atlantic archipelago or The north-west European archipelago sound familiar to you? Probably yes. And what about: IONA (Islands of the North Atlantic) and The Isles?

Could you possibly realize the quantity of names that have been given to these isles and the incredible disapprovement for each of them? Incredible.

James I

(Soon…)

The flag of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The origin of this flag it’s quite simple, religion reasons. It was designed by the union of Ireland and Great Britain  in 1801, during the Middle Ages. (It is also named Union Flag or Union Jack).

• At the top of this picture, we can see clearly the United Kingdom flag ( Union Jack), on the left. On the right, we can appreciate the Scottish flag (“x”).
• At the bottom of this picture, we can see also clearly the old UK flag (also called Union Jack), on the left. On the right, the Irish flag (“x”).
• In the middle of it, we can see the England flag.

Firstly, we are going to see which were the first two regions which decided to unite their flags as one:

Union Jack (1606)

Then, Ireland decided to unite its flag with the Union Jack, in 1801:

Union Jack (1801)

But, let me begin from the start:

• Union of England and Scotland (1606):  
• Union of Ireland and Great Britain (1801): there were lots of rejections by the Irish Parliament caused by the British’s. But, after those rejections, the Irish rebellion in 1798 led to approve this union with the Great Britain/Union Jack. Both Parliaments were agreed. Thanks to this act, those Irish members of the Parliament who were agreed, those won a title from the aristocracy, some properties and other ecclesiastic gifts. – [And this is how the Union Jack was formed in 1801.]

 

Nowadays, some people talk about the Great Britain’s flag, but that is wrong, actually. Those people who say that, they only refer to: England, Scotland and Wales. They must know that there are not only those regions forming this flag. There is also the Northern Ireland. So in that way, it would be more correct if we talk about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s flag and not the Great Britain’s flag.

[ UNITED KINGDOM

First middle of the XVII century. The dynastic union had formed between England and Scotland after they awarded the English throne to James I in 1603. Meanwhile, the process of the English colonization of Ireland carried on. During this century, two revolutions appeared:

• Firstly, the English Revolution (1640-1660): it started a period of battles which ..Starting with Charles I of England and Scotland ’til James II.
• Secondly, the Glorious Revolution (1688): on this one, Tories they were irish politicians) and Whigs (who supported the abolition of slavery and the expansion of the franchise) provoke this revolution against James II.

William I, Prince of Orange (also named William the Silent)

NORTHERN IRELAND + UNITED KINGDOM ]

The Great Britain’s origin

Some people say that the Great Britain’s name comes from the Roman Ages because Britannia means Great Britain in Latin. Even so, the truth is: this term (Great Britain) comes from britani a celtic word which means “painted”. The reason is simple: the inhabitants of those islands painted their skins, so that’s why they  named those islands as the Great Britain. 

Great Britain regions

Thanksgiving

(Soon…)

The Beatles

The Beatles crossing in London, 1968.

This English rock band was formed in Liverpool in 1960.  The musicians of the band were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Star.

THE ORIGIN OF ‘THE BEATLES’

John Lennon, aged 16, formed a group with several friends; they called themselves the Blackjacks (1957).

The Blackjacks was formed in 1957. ◄ (John Lennon on the left, playing the piano)

But they discovered that another local group was already using that name. So they changed it to the Quarrymen.

After two months, Paul McCartney, aged 15, joined the group after he and Lennon met that July. In February 1958, McCartney invited also his friend George Harrison to watch the band. George made an  was 14 and he was too young to join the band too, thought Lennon; although he was very good at playing the guitar. So after a month he joined the group.

By January 1959, they left the group and Lennon began his studies at the Liverpool College of Art. Stuart Sutcliffe was a Lennon’s friend made in the College and he was who suggested changing the band’s name to Beatals as a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Crickets, he also joined this group as a bass guitarrist. By July, they changed their name to the Silver Beatles and by the middle of August to the Beatles. The band was now a five-piece band.

The Silver Beatles, on the left. ► The Beatles with Sutcliffe, on the right.

During the next two years the Beatles were resident for periods in Hamburg.  When Sutcliffe decided to leave the band early that year and resume his art studies in Germany, McCartney took up the bass. A producer contracted what was now a four-piece group through June 1962 and he used the band on a series of recordings.

The Beatles enjoyed increasing popularity in Liverpool (mostly Merseyside). However, they were also growing tired for numerous appearances night after night. During one of the group’s frequent appearances at the Cavern Club, in November, a local record store owner and music columnist, Brian Epstein, was there. He really liked what he heard and he courted the band over the next couple of months. They finally appointed him manager in January 1962.

Tragedy greeted upon they return to Germany when they met a man at the airport with news of Sutcliffe’s death the previous day determined as a brain haemorrhage. In mid-August they replaced him with Ringo Starr, who left his previous group Rory Storm and the Hurricanes to join them, as the new group’s drummer. 

Their fist recordings together were ‘Love Me Do‘,  ‘Please Please Me‘ and ‘P.S. I Love You‘. In early October, ‘Love Me Do’ peaked at number 17 on the Record Retailer chart.

In December 1962, the Beatles concluded their fifth and final Hamburg residency. By 1963, all four members agreed to contribute vocals to their albums, including Starr, despite his restricted vocal range, just to validate his standing on the group.

The band’s success grew. So Epstein, in an effort to maximize their potential commercial, encouraged them to adopt a professional approach to performing.

In February 1963, the Beatles recorded 10 songs on the album “Please Please Me”,during a single marathon studio session. The song ‘Please Please Me’ was successful becoming number one on every chart in London except Record Retailer, where it stalled at number two.

“Please Please Me”→ the Beatles’ first album (1963).

FAME

The music changed everything- but that’s only half the story. This music keeps on changing completely generation after generation of listeners. The Beatles recording career lasted just a little over seven years, from September 1962 until the autumn of 1969. Although the group had fans of all ages, it is safe to say that their greatest initial impact was on people born between 1945 and 1957, the kids who screamed at Beatles concerts, collected Beatles souvenirs and bought each new Beatles record as it was released. Those first fans grew up on The Beatles, experiencing the band as hip older brothers who let them know what was coming next. A fan born in early 1950 would have been fourteen when introduced to the witty boys of A Hard Day’s Night, seventeen when things went psychedelic with Sgt. Pepper, and twenty when the group signed off with Let It Be. The Beatles covered enough ground to last a lifetime.

Songs

1. Love Me Do

2. Please Please Me

3. From Me To You

4. She Loves You

5. I Want To Hold Your Hand

6. All My Loving

7. Can’t Buy Me Love

8. A Hard Day’s Night

9. And I Love Her

10. Eight Days A Week

11. I Feel Fine

12. Ticket To Ride

13. Yesterday

14. Help!

15. You’ve To Hide Your Love Away

16. We Can Work It Out

17. Day Tripper

18. Drive My Car

19. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

20. Nowhere Man

21. Michelle

22. In My Life

23. Girl

24. Paperback Writer

25. Eleanor Rigby

26. Yellow Submarine

 [more soon..]

Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins has been known as the author of The Hunger Games trilogy. 

Suzanne was born the 10th of August in 1962.

Suzanne Collins (author)

PERSONAL LIFE

As I said, she was born the 10th of August 1962, in Hartford, Connecticut. Her father served in the Vietnam War as an U. S. Air Force‘s officer. Therefore, she and her family were constantly moving. She studied at Carver High School and at Alabama School of Fine Arts, both situated in Alabama. She graduated from  Indiana University (drama and telecommunications).

In 1991, her career began as a writer for children’s television shows. She worked on many different shows. She was the head writer for ‘Cliffird’s Puppy Days’. She received a Writers Guild of America. From then on, Collins was inspired to write children’s books by herself.  [UNFINISHED]

Stephenie Meyer

She was born the 23th December in 1973, Hartford (USA). As you know, she’s the authoress of the Twilight saga (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn). She also wrote The Guest among others.

Twilight saga

Stephenie Meyer

Her name comes from her father who’s called Sthephen. When she was at school, she was really good at english. But she prefered to study the english literature and read different types of books. So, when she was older, she studied the english philosophy’s career. Then she wrote those previous books. She’s a huge fan of Orson Scott Card (american author).

Twilight

The idea for this book came to her in a dream which was about a human girl and a vampire who was in love with her but thirsted for her blood. Then she wrote the complete story about “Twilight“. But she wasn’t agree to publish it, so her sister persuaded her to send the manuscript to literary agencies.

New Moon

After Twilight she recognized that she couldn’t stop writing about Bella (the human girl) and Edward (the vampire). This book was writed in five months. In this book, she wanted to expand the Jacob’s role and presence because she liked his character. She idealized  the Vulturis’ home in Italy because she prefered a place which was very old and relatively remote. And curiously she found a city called “Volterra” after she thought about the name of “Vulturis” . This way she chose it as the Vulturis’ home.

According to Meyer, “the story was inspired by “Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet“.

Eclipse

Stephenie stated that the events of this book are centered on Bella’s choice to become a vampire and fully comprehending the price she has to pay. She said that “every aspect of the novel revolves around this point, every back story, every relationship, every moment of action.”

Breaking Dawn

This title, is a reference to the beginning of Bella’s life as a newborn vampire. Although, Meyer wanted to title it Forever Dawn. but, finally she chose the first one.

In this book there was a really difficult part for Meyer which was the half-chapter describing the 3 months after Bella’s transformation into a vampire  because “the amount of time per word put into that section was probably ten times what it was in any other part of the book”- she recognized. The Renesmee’s unique name was created by her because there was no human name that was going to work for her.

Emma Watson

Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born in 1990, Paris (France).

Emma Watson

Her parents, Jacqueline Luesby and Chris Watson (English lawyers) got divorced when Emma was five. Consequently, her mum, her little brother and her went to Oxfordshire after her parents’ divorce. As a result, her French isn’t as good as it used to.

When she was six, she wished to become an actress. From that moment, in order to follow her dream, she started attending to different schools: Dragon School, Stagecoach Theatre Arts, Headington School… (where she was tutored for five hours per day). Then she starred in all the Harry Potter films, with which was her first time acting professionally. Therefore, those series has earned her surprisingly several awards. She was a great student, so it’s not that surprising if I mention that she achieved eight A* and two A grades (in 10 subjects) when she took GCSE  school examinations.

[more soon]

Buckingham Palace

This is an oficial residence of the british monarch in London. Inside, you can see the Royal Collection where there are lots and tones of jewels.