January 12 - Memorial Day in Turkmenistan

Posted on January 12, 2017

Memorial Days, in whatever nation, are usually solemn remembrances of fallen heroes. This Memorial Day in Turkmenistan honors those who died on this date in 1881 in an attempt to defend a fort against invading Russian troops.

There are a lot of ancient and historical
ruins in Turkmenistan.

The Turkmen lost the battle, lost the fort, and basically lost control of their nation. This victory for the Russian Empire meant that the Russian conquest of Central Asia was nearly complete.

Turkmenistan didn't become independent again until 1991, more than a century after this battle.

The Russian Empire isn't the only empire to which Turkmenistan's land and people once belonged. Here is a run-down of some of the other, earlier empires:

Achaemenid Empire -- an ancient empire that is sometimes called the first Persian Empire

Parthian Empire -- an ancient empire that held sway of lands that are now called Iran and Iraq

Seljuk Empire -- a medieval Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire

Mongol Empire -- Genghis Khan's empire, from the later medieval / European Renaissance period

Uzbek Khanates -- by the 1500s, most of the Turkmen nomadic tribes were under the control of nearby Uzbek Khanates

Also on this date:

Anniversary of the premiere of Cavedigger

Fairy Tale innovator Charles Perrault's birthday 

Educator Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi's birthday 

Author Jack London's birthday

Celebrating platinum and lithium

Anniversary of first woman elected to U.S. Senate

Anniversary of establishment of first public museum in U.S.

Plan ahead:

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