First of all: I’m really sorry that I neglected this blog since a while. To run my own business, get trained as Pilates teacher, trying to keep my running fitness on an acceptable level and doing alle the other bibs and bobs fills my days up quite quickly. By the way my business has a blog too: https://ammannbodywork.com/this-and-that/

However, it’s not about me today. It’s about the 4th of July, an important day since ages. Let’s start with 1776: Happy Birthday United States of America! The US Declaration of Independence, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson is adopted by the Congress and signed by 56 delegates of the thirteen British colonies.
1934: Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard patents the cain-reaction design for the atomic bomb
1946: The Philippines became a self-governing nation after 48 years of US sovereignty
1954: UK Rationing ends (bringing rationing of meat and bacon to an end which had been in place in Great Britain since Word War II (1939-1945 by the way).
1959: a 49th star is added to the American flag, representing Alaska
1960: a 50th star is added to the American flag, representing Hawaii
1966: the subway fares of New York increased for 15 to 20 cents (nowadays 2.75 dollars)
1976: Israeli commandos rescue 100 hostages held by pro-Palestinian hijackers at Entebbe airport in Uganda
1997: NASA’s Pathfinder lands on Mars after traveling 120 million miles in seven months
1999: Pete Sampras beats Andre Agassi in three straight sets and wins his sixth Wimbledon title
2006: the shuttle Discovery launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and was bound to the International Space Station
2008: Joelle Aileen Ammann was born
2011: Otto von Habsburg, the oldest son of the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian empire and the only remaining heir, died at the age of ninety-eight in Germany
2012: 12th century manuscript Codex Calixtinus fromSantiago de Compostela Cathedral is rediscovered, after been stolen, in the garage of an employee
2013: Joelle Aileen Amman turns 5
2015: Chile wins the Copa América Final 4-1 in penalties against Argentina
2016: The song One Dance by Drake is on top in the UK and USA and the movie Finding Dory is at the top of the Box Office.
2018: Joelle Aileen Amman gets double digits
2019: I don’t care – Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber reached #1 in the UK Music Chars
2020: Rapper Kanye West announces that he will be running in the 2020 US presidential election
2022: Joelle Aileen Ammann celebrates her 14th birthday!

Many more or less momentous things happened on a 4th of July so far, but the most world changing thing happened on 4th of July 2008. Joelle you turned our world upside down and made it a better place (most of the time at least). I’m pretty sure, that everyone who knows her will agree, it’s good to have a Joelle around you. She’s caring, reliable, passionate, funny and maybe sometimes a bit mulish and smart-alecky but who cares, it’s just what rounds it off and makes it magic!

A very happy birthday little sunshine. We love you more than you can imagine!