Hungarian Heritage Review, 1987 (16. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1987-03-01 / 3. szám
Hungarian ^brítane (Eaíenimr- by -DR. ANDRAS BOROS-KAZAI I • 1785: The astronomer and linguist Janos SAJNOVICS died in Buda. In 1768 he travelled to Norway with court astronomer Maximillian Hell, and during his stay there he observed the similarities between the Hungarian and Lapp languages. His Demonstratio idioma Ungarorum et Lapponum idem esse (1770) is one of the earliest accomplishments of Finno- Ugric linguistics. 1875: The Hungarian NATIONAL ARCHIVES were opened in the Castle District of Buda. 1920: The National Assembly elected Miklós HORTHY, a former career officer in the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Navy, to be the Governing Regent of Hungary. 1817: The poet Janos ARANY, the greatest master of the Hungarian language, was born in Nagyszalonta (today: Salonta, Romania.) 3 • 1844: The hotel and restaurant operator Johann (later: Janos) GUNDEL was born in the Bavarian town of Ausbach. He moved to Pest in 1857; in 1869 opened his first restaurant on the Király Street; after 1889 he took over and made worldfamous the restaurant of the Archduke Stefan Hotel, and founded a great dynasty of chefs. 9 • 1850: The Pesti Napló was established: It became one of the most prestigious and durable press-organs of Dualist Hungary. (Ceased publication in 1939.) 10 • 1962: Mihály KERTÉSZ (“Michael Curtiz”), the director of such film classics as City of Gold, Casablanca and White Christmas, died in Hollywood, California. II • 1879: The city of SZEGED was almost completely destroyed by the overflowing Tisza river. (151 fatalities; 5,585 houses destroyed.) 12 • 1790: The cavalry general András HADIK, hero of the War of MARCH Succession and the Seven Year War, died in Vienna. In 1757 his units briefly occupied the Prussian capital, Berlin. For his valor he was made a count and received several land-holdings. From 1764 he was the military commander of Transylvania: In this capacity he was the first to propose the emancipation of serfs. 13 • 1937: The world-famous violinist, teacher and composer Jeno HUBAY (ne: Huber) died in Budapest. 14 • 1769: The tragically shortlived novelist József KARMÁN, was born in Losonc (today: Lucenec, Czechoslovakia). His sentimental work, Fanni hagyományai [The Heritage of Fanny; 1790] is the first novel written in Hungary. 15 • 1848: “The ocean of people stormed...” and the people of Hungary joined the many other European nations in rising up against foreign oppression. 16 • 1893: One of Thomas Edison’s collaborators and inventor of the telephone switchboard, the electrical engineer Tivadar PUSKAS died in Budapest. 19 • 1637: The outstanding representative of Baroque prose, Peter Cardinal PÁZMÁNY died in Pozsony (today: Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.) His writings and his activities in church politics contributed significantly to the success of Roman Catholic counterreformation in Hungary. In 1635 he founded the University of Nagyszombat, the direct fore-runner of the University of Budapest. 1758: Count László BERCSÉNYI became a marshal of the French army. 1832: The Orientalist, ethnographer and writer Armin VAMBERY (ne: Hermann Vamberger) was born in Dunaszerdahely (today: Dunajska Streda, Czechoslovakia.) Through his own diligence he became a recognized expert of Turkic folklore and languages; by publishing the accounts of his travels, he was one of the first to reveal the mysteries of the Muslim world. 20 • 1880: The poet and newspaper editor György SZECSKAY, active in the cultural life of Hungarian-Americans for decades, was born in Valkany, (Zala county.) 1894: Lajos KOSSUTH died in Turin, Italy. 22 • 1844: The poet and essayist László ARANY was born in Nagyszalonta (today: Salonta, Romania.) His best-known work, the verse-novel A delibabok hose [The Hero of Mirages, 1872] depicts the psychological problems of Dualist Hungary’s society. 25 • 1881: The composer, ethnomusicologist and theorist Bela BARTÓK was born in Nagyszentmiklos (today: Sinicolau Mare, Romania.) 26 • 1472: The Humanist man of letters Janus PANNONIUS (ne: Janos Csezmiczei) died in the Croatian Medvevar. He was the first Hungarian poet of secular lyricism whose work was known abroad. 27 • 1676: Ferenc RÁKÓCZI H, from 1704 Prince of Transylvania, the leader of the 1703-1711 kuruc War of Independence, was born in Borsi (today: Borsa, Czechoslovakia.) 1891: The writer Lajos ZILAHY, after 1948 the leading figure of Hungarian literary life abroad, was born in Nagyszalonta (today: Salonta, Romania.) 29 • 1903: The poet, writer, translator and essayist Dezső KOSZTOLÁNYI was born in Szabadka (today: Subotica, Yugoslavia). 1903: The most popular song-composer in Hungary around the turn of the century, the Gypsy bandleader István (Pista) DANKO died in Budapest. 12 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW MARCH 1987
