1981 - Data Points by Date/Period

The West Block of Grasslands National Park is a captivating section of the park located about an hour south of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and near the village of Val Marie. Established in 1981, Grasslands National Park encompasses two main parcels: the East Block and the West Block. The park is situated on the edge of the U.S. state of Montana, adjacent to the international boundary.This area of the park is renowned for its rich natural features, including the Frenchman River Valley, which is a significant highlight. The West Block is home to a thriving population of over 300 plains bison, originally reintroduced from Elk Island National Park in Alberta in 2006. By 2015, the herd had grown substantially, demonstrating successful conservation efforts.The West Block also features prairie dog colonies and is part of an Important Bird Area of Canada, known for its diverse avian species. Visitors can enjoy the Frenchman Valley Campground, which offers serviced camping sites, teepee camping, and a cook shelter. For those seeking a more rugged experience, backcountry camping is available.In addition to its natural attractions, the park was designated a dark-sky preserve in 2009. This designation helps maintain the area's natural night environment, benefiting nocturnal wildlife and preserving the starry skies.Historical significance adds to the West Block's allure, with notable events including the discovery of Western Canada's first dinosaur remains in the Killdeer Badlands by Sir George Mercer Dawson in 1874, and Sitting Bull's refuge in the area with his Sioux followers after the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1877.The park is located in Census Division No. 4 and holds cultural importance as it is situated on Treaty 4 land, traditionally belonging to the Blackfoot people of the Canadian and American plains. In 2022, an agreement with the Métis Nation - Saskatchewan facilitated the transfer of 24 bison, further enriching the park's ecological diversity.

Situated in the heart of Zagreb, the Zagreb Mosque stands as the largest of its kind in Croatia, boasting significant cultural and educational facilities. Within its premises, the Islamic Secondary School 'Dr. Ahmed Smajlović' and a vibrant cultural center thrive alongside the mosque. Commencing its construction journey in 1981, this architectural marvel reached completion in 1987. A generous donation of US$2.5 million from Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, the Emir of Sharjah, fueled the realization of this grand project. The Emir's support was not only financial but also marked by a visit to Zagreb's Islamic community in 1983, underscoring his personal commitment to the mosque's vision and significance.

The fortress on Stronghold Hill (Martinsberg, Schlossberg) dates to 1529, prepared to repel Moldavia's ruler Petru Rareş. In the mid-16th century, after Habsburgic Empire's control in Transylvania, the Citadel became vital for the town's defense. Between 1553-1554, Count Arco expanded the older core with artillery towers, altering initial defensive features. By 1630, under Judge Mayor Cristel Hirscher, the brick-built bastion-style stronghold with a gate tower was completed. In the early 18th century, ditches and embankments surrounded the complex. After 1773, expansions added a hexagonal tower and two-level building, partially integrating with the pre-existing 'castle'. The Citadel later served as a prison and military barracks. Notable visits occurred in 1773, 1783, and 1817. From 1955-1975, it was a State Archives warehouse. Restoration began in 1981, turning the Citadel into a medieval-themed tourist complex.

Situated outside the city of Brasov, the Fortress held strategic significance as a defensive stronghold. Initially, in the early 15th century, it comprised solely a watchtower. By 1524, a wooden bastion with four towers was added to the site. However, in 1529, it fell to destruction by Petru Rares' forces. Over twenty-five years later, stone walls emerged, accompanied by intricate carvings. A devastating fire in 1618 inflicted substantial harm, prompting extensive restoration by 1625. An impressive 81-meter well was excavated in 1627, while 1630 witnessed the incorporation of four bastions at its corners. For over two centuries, it functioned as a prison until 1954. Then repurposed as a storage facility for the Brasov State Archives until 1975, it eventually underwent comprehensive renovation in 1981, evolving into a medieval-themed tourist complex.

The National Circus in Chisinau is renowned as one of the notable modernist structures in the city. Its construction commenced in 1980, with the first performances scheduled for 1981. The architects behind the project aimed for an unconventional design, departing from the typical Soviet-era circus architecture. They conceived a circular building with slanted columns reminiscent of the Moldavian hora dance. At the entrance, guests were greeted by sculptures depicting two joyful clowns. The Circus hosted over 60 performances annually, entertaining up to 1,900 spectators. The troupe consisted of acrobats, jugglers, and exotic animals, captivating audiences with their acts. Unfortunately, in 2004, the Circus ceased its activities due to economic reasons, and the grand hall has remained abandoned since then. However, in 2014, a smaller arena within the Circus reopened for limited use. There is now renewed hope for the restoration of the Chisinau Circus, as a new project funded by the European Union aims to revitalize the venue and provide a platform for a diverse range of cultural events.

Guguță Café, a popular coffeehouse in the historical center of Chișinău, Moldova, was originally constructed between 1967 and 1969 as a restaurant called Noroc. It was later transformed into a coffeehouse in 1976. In 1979, the coffeehouse underwent a reconstruction, featuring a new metal construction and concrete arches. It was renamed Guguță Café in 1981, inspired by a beloved children's book character. However, in 2010, the land beneath the building was sold to a company affiliated with Vladimir Plahotniuc, leading to controversy. In 2018, the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the new owners, allowing them to demolish Guguță Café and replace it with a multistory building. The planned demolition sparked a pro-democracy protest movement known as Occupy Guguță.

Western Fortress Wall is a part of a fortification system of Messambria Messemvria Nessebar, most of which is now under water. Now the preserved area of the wall is long, about 100 meters and its maximum height is up to 8 meters, and the wall is built in 'Opus Mixtum'. The main exposed wall is early Byzantine (5th-6th century). The wall follows the Thracian one (8th - 6th century BC) and antique fortress wall (4th - 3rd century BC), parts of this wall are preserved in its northwestern corner. Northern and southern edges of the wall entered the sea and used to be quay walls of two town ports. Two pentagonal towers flank the gate in front of the isthmus. Circle and semi-circle towers are symmetrically built near them. Later on the two faces of the wall are added rectangular towers. Two doors - falling down (cataract) and a door of two ales had closed down the main entrance of the town. Early Byzantine fortress walls functioned all Middle Age. The wall was seriously damaged during the different invasions. Five reconstructions had been documented in the period 7th - 14th century. After the capturing of Nessebar by Turks (1453), fortress walls lost their importance and gradually were destroyed. The main excavations and researches of preserved parts of fortress walls were made in the years 1958 until 1969 and later 1970-1981.

The ancient city of Lissos dates back to the 4th century BC and is founded over the traces of an early protourban settlement. The city was one of the most important economic and political centers of the last rulers of the Illyrian Kingdom. The earliest traces are identified in Acrolissos and are located in the foot of Shelbuem Hill. The ancient city of Lissos is extended in an area of 20 ha and is divided into two parts: the Acropolis (or the Upper City) and the Lower City, which extends from the foot of the hill to the Drin riverside. The historical sources provide evidence that the first church of St. Nicholas, where the Assembly of Lezha convened (1444), was ruined during the late 40s of the XVth century. Early archaeological excavations revealed the traces of the walls as well as those of the apses of the ruined church. In 1459 the church was rebuilt from the foundations, with larger dimensions and was transformed into a cathedral with the ruins of the earliest church included. Based on the biography written by Marin Barleti for Gjergj Kastriot - Skanderbeg. It is proved that our National Hero was buried in 1468 in the St. Nicholas Cathedral Church. The monument suffered damages from two fires, respectively in the years 1478 and 1506. In the 80s of the XVth century the cathedral was turned into a mosque, as it is clearly evidenced by the layers and wall adaptations and was named Selimie Mosque. The mosque was abandoned around the 20s of XVII and was rebuilt at the end of the XVIII century. Undoubtedly, the most important historical phase was that of 1459. Cleaning and excavations carried out during 1979-1981 brought to light the plan of the old church, which was preserved unchanged, excluding the southwestern corner, where the minaret was later built. At the center of this church, at a depth of 2.80m, a basement stone with dimensions of 2.85 x 1.95 m and two gradients were discovered. The process of shipping the plaster from the walls evidenced the original windows of the southern wall which were all covered with a sharp bow. The main door, the semi-circular chamber over it and a restored part of the circular apses and a Romanesque style. Below, after analyzing all the historical data, a summarize with the three main stages of monument transformation is providedThe first phase XIVthe CenturyThe ruins of the walls in the interior of the cathedral as well as the preserved fragment of the apses belong to this phase, together with the mural part, which contained a piece of fresco. This fresco is drawn using Byzantine techniques and Romanesque spirit. The second phase - XVth centuryDuring this phase the cathedral was built on the traces of the ruined church from which the perimeter walls are preserved.The third phase - XVIIth - XVIIIth centuryThis phase involves the two consecutive transformations of the cathedral into a mosque, which contained all its characteristic elements such as windows, minarets, doors, mihrabs, etc. In 1981 the monument was liberated by extensions and the changes made over the years, thus highlighting the most important historical phase dated back to the 15th century, related to the time and place the National Hero Gjergj Kastriot - Skanderbeg rested. The complete restoration of the monument and the identification of its historical values were realized through a new construction which was raised in a colonnade form, surrounding the old church converted into a cathedral.

The charnel house of Italian soldiers was completed in 1938, and on 18 September it was ceremonially opened by Benito Mussolini. It was the work of the sculptor Giannino Castiglioni and the architect Giovanni Greppi. Its overall ground plan is octagonal, containing three diminishing concentric 'octagonal circles' embracing the tapering hill in the upward direction on the top of which stands the church of St. Anthony. Transferred to the charnel house were mortal remains of 7014 known and unknown Italian soldiers who had been killed in the First World War and originally buried in different military cemeteries in the surroundings. Their names are engraved onto the slabs of greenish serpentine. Beside the charnel house, there are also memorial tablets which are dedicated to the Italian soldiers and were transferred from the Bovec area in 1981. Along the road from Kobarid to the church of St. Anthony stand the fourteen Stations of the Cross. The charnel house and the Stations of the Cross are managed by the Italian state.

Dongjakdaegyo is a bridge over the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It carries road traffic and Seoul Subway Line 4, and Dongjak Station is located at the southern end of this bridge. It is a blue truss bridge. It is the 11th bridge overall, and the fifth railroad bridge to be completed across the Han River. Dongjakdaegyo was completed on the same day as Donghodaegyo, which has a similar structure. Construction on Dongjakdaegyo commenced on October 18, 1978, and Seoul Mayor Jachoon Gu, Deputy Prime Minister Deokwoo Nam, and Minister of Construction Hyeongshik Shin participated in the groundbreaking ceremony. At the time of commencing construction, Dongjakdaegyo was the first bridge in Korea to have the langer-arch design, and was scheduled to open in September 1981. The reason for using the langer-arch design for this bridge was because a steel plate was used instead of a concrete plate for reducing the bridge weight by designing to allow the Seoul Line No. 4 to pass. At the time, the construction of Dongjakdaegyo was carried out as construction of a civil investment method by the investment and construction delegated to Daewoo Development, similar to Wonhyo Daegyo, therefore there was a plan to receive toll fares for a period of 20 years. At the time of construction, Dongjakdaegyo was the widest bridge in Korea. The Dongjak Bridge was completed and opened on November 14, 1984.

1981 (20)

Other Dates/Periods

1015

1295

1480

07-12-2018

1781

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