Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Hungarian Revolution anniversary

October 23rd will be the fiftieth anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution. It was a glorious lost cause; glorious enough that Hungary, and the world, won in the long run.

The Hungarian American Federation has a great 1956 page. Wikipedia has a good article. My alma mater happens to have a good collection of historical documents related to the Revolution, along with an introduction to the events. Here is an old newsreel that provides a good overview. Even Quentin Tarantino helped make a movie about the Revolution and a nasty game of water polo.

My dad was one of those students who wouldn't put up with tyranny. Besides communism being defeated in the end, there was a bright spot for myself and my siblings in particular: it brought my dad to America to meet my mom, making us possible. :-) But thousands of Hungarians didn't make it through November.