This post is being published on World Bee Day, 2023-05-20, held on the anniversary of the baptism date, and potential birth-date, of Anton Janša (1734-05-20 – 1773-09-13). Later this year, one will be able to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his death, and in eleven years, the 300th anniversary of his birth.
On 2017-12-20, after three years of efforts, the United Nations member states unanimously approved a Slovenian proposal, and proclaimed 05-20 as World Bee Day, starting in 2018. Today is its fifth anniversary.
I have mentioned bees and beekeeping in other posts, notably: Constructive Environmentalism, in 2019, and Hipster, in 2020.
Carniolan/ Slovenian beekeeper Anton Janša, became the first beekeeping teacher at the Viennese imperial court of Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa (1717 – 1780). He completely revised beekeeping methods based on (scientific) observations, and laid the foundations of modern beekeeping. By introducing Carniolan beekeeping methods, he caused a real beekeeping revolution.