Today, November 24, the world celebrates World Evolution Day, World Walrus Day, and International Carmenere Wine Day, writes UNN.
World Evolution Day
Today marks World Evolution Day. On November 24, 1859, Charles Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species" was published. Thanks to this book, the theory of evolution emerged, explaining the origin and development of organisms on our planet.
Thanks to this book, the theory of evolution emerged, which is currently fundamental in explaining the origin of life on our planet and the development of living organisms.
Interestingly, Darwin doubted the correctness of his scientific conclusions and did not want to publish the book. His friends persuaded him to do so.
The theory of evolution is based on the fact that each species of living organisms is capable of changing according to its individual genetic characteristics, each living organism is capable of rapid reproduction to increase its population, and natural selection consists in the survival and preferential production of offspring by those representatives of the population who are most adapted to the existing conditions.
World Walrus Day
Since 2008, various events have been held on November 24 to mark World Walrus Day. The event was initiated by the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Marine Mammal Council.
Walruses are among the largest pinnipeds in the world, with males weighing up to 1.5 tons.
The purpose of today's event is to draw public attention to the fact that due to global warming and the reduction of the Earth's ice cover, walruses are forced to change their resting places. Animals become vulnerable, die, and their population in the wild decreases.
World Conjoined Twins Day
On November 24, the world officially celebrates World Conjoined Twins Day. This new international holiday, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on November 24, 2024, aims to raise awareness, support, and respect for conjoined twins and their families.
World Conjoined Twins Day aims to:
- raise awareness about the lives, medical and social needs of conjoined twins and their families;
- promote the development of specialized medical care, psychological and social support, access to education and inclusive spaces;
- encourage governments, the medical community, charities, and the public to cooperate internationally in the fields of healthcare, ethics, research, and human rights.
International Carmenere Wine Day
November 24 marks International Carmenere Wine Day. The holiday was established in 2014 in honor of the 20th anniversary of the revival of the grape variety of the same name, which was considered irrevocably lost by French winemakers.
Initially, in the Bordeaux province, Carmenere grapes were the most popular variety. It was valued for its intense color and notes of plums, mint, and cedar, which it imparted to wines. At that time, neither Cabernet Sauvignon nor Merlot could compare with it.
But everything changed in the 1860s, when grape plantations were infected with phylloxera aphids brought from America. Perhaps Carmenere would have been lost forever if Chilean winemakers had not taken out several seedlings in advance and started growing them on their plantations. However, due to a misunderstanding, until 1994, they mistook it for Merlot, until the scientist Jean-Michel Boursiquot began to study the DNA of these grapes and proved its true origin. This day became the date of the revival of Carmenere, which is now celebrated in many countries around the world.