August 18 marks several important dates, both church and secular. On this day, the memory of the martyrs Flora and Laurus is honored, as well as a reminder of scientific and social events that were important for history. There are 135 days left until the New Year.
According to the new calendar, believers celebrate the day of memory of the martyrs Flora and Laurus. The brothers came from Byzantium or Illyria, received a good education and learned stonemasonry. In the city of Illyria, they built a temple by order of the ruler Lyconius, using this time to preach Christianity. They converted many people to the faith, including the son of the ruler Faltius. After consecrating the temple in honor of Jesus Christ and destroying pagan idols, Flora and Laurus were captured and thrown alive into a well, where they died a martyr's death.
Our ancestors believed that on August 18th, one should not work with horses, perform heavy physical labor, or sell livestock, especially horses and cows.
Folk omens
Observations of nature helped predict the weather for autumn:
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the rain heralded a wet autumn;
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The clear weather promised a dry and warm season;
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fog in the morning is a sign of a rapid cooling;
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a strong wind warned of a windy autumn;
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The restless behavior of the horses indicated a change in the weather.
On this day, George, Grigory, Denis, Eugene, Omelyan, Ivan, Hilarion, Lev, Makar, Mikhail, Ulyana celebrate their name day. Onyx was considered the talisman of those born on August 18, as it was supposed to protect against evil forces.
Among those born on this day:
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1965 — Igor Momot, Major General of the State Security Service of Ukraine, Hero of Ukraine;
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1969 - Serhiy Zayets, Ukrainian football player;
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1977 - Andriy Deryzemlya, biathlete, world championship medalist.
Memorable events
In different years, significant historical events took place on August 18:
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293 BC - a temple to the goddess Venus was built in Rome;
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1201 — the city of Riga was founded;
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1649 — the Treaty of Zboriv was concluded between Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Jan II Casimir;
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1743 — Jack Broughton formulated the rules of boxing;
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1826 - Alexander Lang became the first European to reach the city of Timbuktu;
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1868 - French astronomer Pierre Janssen discovered the chemical element helium;
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1920 — The United States ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote;
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1941 — the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Plant exploded, and a mass deportation of Germans from Crimea took place;
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1962 - Ringo Starr performed for the first time with The Beatles;
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1992 — the Presidential Medal of Honor was established in Ukraine, later the Order of Merit;
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2006 — the IV World Forum of Ukrainians opened in Kyiv;
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2018 — The XVIII Asian Games started in Indonesia.
On August 18, several important dates are celebrated around the world:
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World Breast Cancer Research Day is designed to raise awareness about the disease and support scientific research;
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Contraception Day - reminds of the importance of family planning and safe pregnancy prevention;
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Helium Discovery Day is dedicated to the discovery of a new chemical element in 1868.
