May 22: International Day of Biological Diversity, Sherlock Holmes Day

Today, on May 22, environmental activists and nature lovers in many countries of the world can join events on the occasion of the International Day of Biological Diversity, UNN writes.  

The event was founded by the United Nations in honor of the fact that it was on May 22 that the Convention on Biological Diversity was presented at one of the UN conferences. The document was opened for signing in 1992. Ukraine joined the convention in 1994.

Our planet's biodiversity includes bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals, and includes about nine million diverse species. At the same time, only a fifth of them are described by scientists. At the same time, two or three species of living organisms disappear on our planet every hour.

The purpose of today's event is to show that even the smallest organism is extremely important for the integrity of the ecosystem and is an inseparable link in the food chain. And it is only necessary for one small element to disconnect, so that other components of the ecosystem begin to suffer. Today, more than half of all ecological systems on Earth, mainly due to human activity, are used irrationally and are subject to degradation.

Fans of the detective genre can join the celebration of Sherlock Holmes day today, because it was on May 22, 1859 that the "father" of this literary hero, Arthur Conan Doyle, was born.

It is believed that the prototype of Sherlock Holmes was the English surgeon Joseph Bell, who fairly accurately diagnosed his patients, and not least because he carefully asked them about the past, method  and also learned about the occupation and past of patients.

In total, Conan-Doyle wrote 56 short stories and four novellas about the adventures of detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend and loyal assistant doctor John Watson.

An interesting event today is the day of Bitcoin Pizza.

On May 22, 2010, programmer Laszlo Hanech bought two pizzas for 10 thousand bitcoins through the BitcoinTalk forum, which at that time was estimated at about.40.

This transaction is historically important because it was the first documented purchase of a tangible product or service using Bitcoin, setting a precedent for future real transactions using the digital currency.

Cocktail lovers can join Paloma day today. The basis of this Mexican cocktail, which in its homeland competes in popularity with "Margarita" is tequila and grapefruit juice.

Also on May 22, representatives of the Gothic subculture celebrate their unofficial holiday.

The Gothic subculture is a protest against cultural stereotypes, which is expressed through a specific appearance and interest in gothic rock.

Back on May 22, many countries around the world host events on the occasion of World Preeclampsia Day, a potentially life - threatening condition that can occur during pregnancy and is associated with hypertensive disorders.

Preeclampsia occurs in 5-8% of pregnancy cases. However, doctors can not fully determine the causes of its appearance.

According to the church calendar, today is the day of remembrance of the Holy Martyr Basilisk.

Basilisk was a preacher and had the gift of healing. During the growing persecution of Christians, Basilisk was thrown into prison. One night Basilisk had a vision in which the Lord predicted  his martyrdom. The next day, Basilisk was executed. 

Name days on May 22 are celebrated by Vasily, Vladimir, Pavel, Sofia.