All Australians Holding our Flag Celebrating the Southern Cross: A Look at Australian National Flag Day Today, the 3rd of September, is a date of special significance for Australians. It's Australian National Flag Day , a day to commemorate the inaugural flying of our national flag in 1901. But why this specific date? The answer takes us back to a pivotal moment in our nation's history, a few months after Federation . In 1901, a competition was held to design a flag for the new Commonwealth of Australia . A staggering 32,823 entries were submitted, and the winning design was a collaborative effort of five individuals. Their design, which we now know so well, was officially unveiled on this very day, September 3, 1901. The grand occasion took place at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. The building, a symbol of progress and a testament to the nation's burgeoning identity, was the perfect backdrop for this historic event. The flag was hoisted for the first time by t...
Putin, I extend greetings to all Christians on the day of Christ’s Resurrection
Vladimir Putin greeted Orthodox Christians and all citizens of Russia celebrating Easter Sunday. With great sincerity, I extend greetings to all Christians on the day of Christ’s Resurrection, the great holiday of Easter. I know that members of all religious denominations and followers of all traditional religions in Russia will join me in these greetings. This year celebrations are being held under mandated restrictions. They are necessary to fight the spread of the coronavirus infection, a disease that is by now known throughout the world. By joining efforts, together we are overcoming challenges as they emerge. And as I have repeatedly said, we have everything we need for this – a healthy and strong economy, scientific capabilities, the necessary material base and highly professional healthcare. We are carefully monitoring the experience of foreign countries and are engaged in active cooperation with our foreign friends and colleagues. We are aware of what is going on and see the ri...