International Day of Light
May 16th is the International Day of Light, established by UNESCO in November 2017. This day is celebrated annually by the Steering Committee as part of UNESCO's International Basic Science Programme (IBSP). Its establishment was inspired by the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies, which UNESCO initiated in 2015. That year, 147 countries hosted more than 13,000 events highlighting the role of light in science, culture, art, medicine, and daily life. The date of May 16 was chosen to coincide with the day when the laser was first demonstrated to the world in 1960 by physicist and engineer Theodore Maiman. Light plays a central role in human activity.
Prominent prose writer and playwright Ilyas Afandiyev
Ilyas Mahammad oghlu Afandiyev was born on May 28, 1914 in the city of Fuzuli. Ilyas Afandiyev's mother, Bilgeyis Khanum, played an invaluable role in his development as a young man. She instilled in him a love for books, literature, and reading. After her spouse’s death, she became her son’s teacher, friend, and father figure. The future renowned writer developed a strong work ethic and a keen interest in reading from a young age.
The concession of Iravan to Armenia as a political center
Throughout its history, Iravan has been one of the oldest cultural centers in the Caucasus, with most of its population being Azerbaijani. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Iravan Khanate had a strategic position between the Ottoman and Qajar empires. In 1828, the Iravan Khanate was incorporated into the Russian Empire with the Treaty of Turkmenchay, concluded as a result of the Russo-Iranian War. As part of Russia's Caucasian policy, especially from 1828 to 1830, tens of thousands of Armenian families were resettled from Iranian and Ottoman lands to Iravan and surrounding regions.
The prominent Azerbaijani satirical poet Mirza Alakbar Sabir
Mirza Alakbar Sabir was born on May 30, 1862, in the city of Shamakhi, Azerbaijan. When Sabir turned eight, his father enrolled him in a mollakhana (Muslim ecclesiastical school). There, he had the opportunity to learn Arabic and Persian languages and become acquainted with examples of Eastern literature. Sabir studied at the mollakhana until he was twelve, after which he transitioned to a newly established school founded by the famous poet Seyid Azim Shirvani. This school benefited him, particularly in developing his knowledge and poetic talent. However, two years later, Sabir’s father took him out of school and made him work as an assistant in his shop.
Prominent statesman, Minister of Gas Industry of the USSR Sabit Orujov
Orujov Sabit Atababa oglu was born on May 30, 1912 in Baku. He taught at the secondary school in 1929-1931 and studied at the Azerbaijan Oil Industry Institute (now Azerbaijan State University of Oil and Industry) in 1931-1936. S.Orujov received his PhD in technical sciences in 1940, doctor of technical sciences in 1961, professor. In 1967 he was elected correspondent member of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (AAS). S. Orujov was a mechanic, oil refiner, director of Surakhani mines in the compressor farm from 1936 to 1946. He worked as Chief Executive Officer of Ordconikidzeneft, Deputy Chief of Drilling at Azneftkombinat, Chief Engineer at Azneft.