Hero of Belarus is the highest title that can be bestowed on a citizen of Belarus. Created in 1995 by President Alexander Lukashenko, the title is awarded to those who perform great deeds in the name of Belarus. The deed can be for military performance, economic excellence or great service to the State and society. The design of the medal is similar to its predecessor, Hero of the Soviet Union. Similar titles to the Hero of Belarus include the Russian Hero of the Russian Federation and the Ukrainian Hero of Ukraine. This title has only been awarded to five people since its inception — Uładzimir Karvat, Alaksandar Dubko, Michajił Karčmit, Vital Kramko and Pavieł Maryjaŭ. Of those, only Kramko and Maryjaŭ are living today.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_of_Belarus

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1619: The first representative assembly in the Americas, Virginia's House of Burgesses, convened for the first time. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Burgesses)

1825: Malden Island (now one of Kiribati's Line Islands) was discovered. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malden_Island)

1864: American Civil War: Union forces attempted to break Confederate lines in the Battle of the Crater. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Crater)

1966: England won the Football World Cup, beating Germany 4 to 2. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_World_Cup)

2003: The last 'old style' VW Beetle rolled off the assembly line in Puebla, Mexico. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VW_Beetle)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

No coward soul is mine, No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere: I see Heaven's glories shine, And Faith shines equal, arming me from Fear. -- Emily Brontë -- (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Emily_Bront%C3%83%C2%AB)