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Showing posts from March, 2017

World Poetry Day

This Wednesday 21st March, we celebrate the UN's World Poetry Day by looking at the famous and lesser-known poets that we've come across in the Deceased Online database The United Nations designated 21 March World Poetry Day in 1999. Observing the day, according to UNESCO , encourages all of us to, "return to the oral tradition of poetry recitals, to promote the teaching of poetry, to restore a dialogue between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and to support small publishers . . . " In doing so, UNESCO recognises, "the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind." Like family history, poetry can reaffirm our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, across the world and across time, share the same questions and feelings. Among the very famous poets in the database are the revolutionary William Blake and feminist pioneer and chronicler of the mid-Victorian period, George Eliot .

International Women's Day 2017

In honour of International Women's Day 2017, this week's blog pays tribute to some of the inspirational women whose burial records are held in the Deceased Online database. 8 March each year marks International Women's Day . The event commemorates the movement for women's rights, and dates from 1909 when a day of observance was held in New York. That day was organised by the Socialist Party of America, but in the 21st century events take place all over the world. They include talks, marches, conferences, fun runs, concerts, festivals and online digital gatherings. Throughout the day, actions and thoughts are focused on women living now and those who inspire us from the past. Among the billions of inspirational women who are no longer with us are remarkable women whose lives continue to be remembered by historical researchers and family historians. Below I highlight just a few of the women who continue to inspire, long after their deaths. The burial place of Kathar