Colombia

Republic of Colombia
Flag
Location  South America
Capital  Bogotá
Area  1,138,910 sq km
Population  48,168,996

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever"
(Proverb/Quote of the Week)

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January

January 1 January 2 January 3 January 4 Pope Francis named Jose de Jesus Pimiento Rodríguez of Colombia as a cardinal among a new batch of cardinals selected by Pope on 4 January 2015. January 5 Colombian graphic designer Koral Avella was announced as the Panda Champions for Global Goals by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 5 January 2017. The aim of the recognition is to build a team of enthusiastic individuals from around the world to achieve the UN sustainable development goals by 2030. January 6 January 7 January 8 January 9 Colombian club Atlético Nacional won the FIFA Fair Play award in Zurich on 9 January 2017. January 10 January 11 January 12 Colombia's James Rodriguez won the FIFA goal of the year award on 12 January 2015 for his World Cup strike against Uruguay in 2014. January 13 January 14 January 15 January 16 Colombian singer Shakira received the 2017 Crystal Award at the opening of the 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos for her efforts to help displaced and disadvantaged children in Colombia. January 17 January 18 Colombian actress Sofia Vergara won a People’s Choice Award on 18 January 2017 for Favourite Comedic TV Actress. January 19 January 20 January 21 January 22 January 23 January 24 January 25 Colombian, 22-year-old student of business administration, Paulina Vega was crowned Miss Universe 2014 in Miami. January 26 January 27 January 28 January 29 January 30 January 31

February

February 1 February 2 February 3 February 4 February 5 February 6 February 7 February 8 February 9 February 10 Colombian singer Juanes won Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album for his "MTV Unplugged" album on 10 February 2013. February 11 Dr Paula Giraldo Gallo from the University of the Andes in Colombia was recognised as one of the International Rising Talents at the 2020 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award. The IKO Creative Prosthetic System, a prosthetic arm that allows children to design their own Lego accessories, created by Colombian designer Carlos Torres won the grand prize at the 2016 Netexplo forum in Paris. February 12 Colombian researchers and a team of International scientists have uncovered shells belonging to the largest turtle that ever existed, with a shell nearly 10 feet in length that weighed 2,500 pounds. The fossils were found in Colombia's Tatacoa Desert and Venezuela's Urumaco region, according to the study published on 12 February 2020 in the journal Science Advances. February 13 February 14 February 15 February 16 February 17 February 18 Colombian cyclist Egan Bernal won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award on 18 February 2020. February 19 February 20 February 21 Colombian cyclist Fernando Gaviria won the men's omnium title at the World Track Championships on 21 February 2015. The 20-year-old Colombian overcame three former champions to take the victory in the six-discipline event at the national velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. February 22 February 23 February 24 February 25 February 26 February 27 February 28 The government of the Republic of Colombia was awarded the prestigious Government Leadership Award at the 17th Mobile World Congress on 28 February 2012 for the exemplary vision and courage of its policy makers in devising and implementing its ICT strategy. February 29

March

March 1 An international team of researchers, including Colombian scientists, has for the first time identified a gene called IRF4 responsible for greying hair. Their study published in Nature Communications on 1 March 2016 confirms greying has a genetic component and is not just environmental. March 2 Colombia ranked eighth in the list of the Global Energy Index 2016 published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), showcasing the country's ability to deliver secure, affordable and sustainable energy. March 3 March 4 March 5 March 6 March 7 Colombia's government and the country's biggest rebel movement FARC on 7 March 2015 announced an agreement to work together to remove landmines in rural areas of the country as part of ongoing peace talks. March 8 Colombian researchers have discovered a new frog species, named Pristimantis macrummendozai, with distinctive yellow eyebrows in Colombia's East Andes, as announced by the Humboldt Institute on 8 March 2016. Jineth Bedoya Lima, an investigative journalist from Colombia, was honored with the 2012 International Women of Courage Award by the United States Department of State for her continuous quest for justice in her own and other unsolved cases of sexual and gender-based violence. March 9 March 10 March 11 María Emma Mejía Vélez, a Colombian politician, was elected as the Secretary-General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) on March 11, 2011. She was the second Secretary-General of UNASUR which was formed as an economic and political union of South American nations. March 12 March 13 March 14 March 15 March 16 March 17 Colombian cyclist Egan Bernal won the 2019 Paris–Nice race in France representing Team Sky on 17 March 2019. March 18 March 19 March 20 March 21 March 22 March 23 March 24 March 25 March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 Natalia Ponce de Leon of Colombia, a human right activist and acid attack victim, was honoured with the United States Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award 2017. Giomar Helena BORRERO-PÉREZ from Colombia received a Unesco-L’Oreal International Fellowship for Young Women in Life Sciences on 29 March 2012 for her research that focuses on the genetics and ecology of the ‘chocolate chip’ sea cucumber, a commercially important marine animal faced with decimation by over-fishing. March 30 March 31

April

April 1 April 2 April 3 April 4 April 5 April 6 April 7 April 8 April 9 April 10 April 11 April 12 April 13 April 14 April 15 Nohra Padilla from Colombia won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, on 15 April 2013 for her efforts in making recycling a legitimate and compensated part of society. April 16 April 17 April 18 April 19 April 20 Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was named as one of the most influential people, according to Time Magazine’s 2017 list of 100 Most Influential People. April 21 April 22 April 23 April 24 April 25 April 26 April 27 April 28 April 29 April 30

May

May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 Colombian actress Sofia Vergara was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 7 May 2015. May 8 May 9 May 10 Colombian journalist Claudia Duque won the 2010 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) for her courageous journalism amidst death threats. IWMF officially announced the award in a press release on May 10, 2010. Later in the year, the award was presented in the United States. May 11 Jorge Palacio of Colombia was elected as a member of Fifa's Disciplinary Committee from South America on 11 May 2017. May 12 Pope Francis of the Catholic Church canonized Mother Laura Montoya from Colombia on 12 May 2013 who worked as a teacher and spiritual mother to Colombia's indigenous peoples in the early 1900s, turning her into the first Colombian saint. May 13 May 14 May 15 Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), Colombia’s main armed opposition group, signed an agreement on 15 May 2016 for the release of all children under the age of 15 from FARC’s ranks. A free trade agreement between the United States and Colombia came into effect on 15 May 2012 aimed at boosting mutual exports and investments. May 16 May 17 May 18 May 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 Colombian racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya won the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on 24 May 2015. Colombian film director Simón Mesa Soto received the Palme d'Or for Short Film at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival for his film Leidi. May 25 May 26 The government of Colombia and leftist FARC rebels on 26 May 2013 reached a deal on land reform, one of the most contentious items in their drawn-out peace negotiations. The agreement aimed to compensate those who have lost land or were displaced from their property during the long conflict between the government and rebels in Colombia. May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31

June

June 1 Colombian Nairo Quintana won the 2014 Giro d'Italia bicycle race and became the first ever Colombian to win the title. June 2 June 3 June 4 June 5 June 6 June 7 June 8 June 9 June 10 Colombia and Israel signed a free trade agreement on 10 June 2013 during Colombian President Juan Manuel Santo's visit in Israel. The agreement, to come into effect by the end of the year, will reduce tariffs on industrial and agricultural products between the two countries, and enable Israeli companies and individuals to invest with greater ease in the Colombian economy. June 11 June 12 June 13 Colombian women's football team created history on 13 June 2015 beating France 2-0 to record their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup victory. June 14 Colombia was elected as a member of the prestigious Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations for the term 2020-2022 from the Latin America and the Caribbean region on 14 June 2019. June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 June 19 June 20 June 21 Ancient Qhapac Ñan road system built by the Inca Empire spanning six countries in South America including Colombia was granted World Heritage status by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2014. June 22 June 23 June 24 June 25 The Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia was inscribed on UNESCO's 2011 World Heritage List on June 25, 2011. It is an exceptional example of a sustainable and productive cultural landscape that is unique and representative of a tradition that is a strong symbol for coffee growing areas. June 26 June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30

July

July 1 Chiribiquete National Park – “The Maloca of the Jaguar” - located in the north-west Colombian Amazon was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List on 1 July 2018. July 2 July 3 July 4 Colombia on 4 July 2014 played in their first ever FIFA World Cup quarterfinal. They played against host Brazil and unfortunately lost the match 2-1. July 5 July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 Colombian forward James Rodriguez won the Golden Boot for finishing as the top scorer at the 2014 FIFA World Cup with six goals in five matches. July 14 July 15 July 16 July 17 July 18 July 19 July 20 July 21 July 22 July 23 July 24 July 25 Muriel Coneo of Colombia won gold in the Women's 1500m race at the 2015 Pan American Games. July 26 Luz Marina Zuluaga from Colombia won the 1958 Miss Universe contest at the age of 19. Luz was the first Colombian to win the title. July 27 July 28 Egan Bernal became the first Colombian to win the Tour de France bicycle race at age 22, youngest ever winner of the Tour de France since the inception of the yellow jersey 100 years ago, on 28 July 2019. July 29 Colombia won their first Copa América, the main football tournament of the South American nations, on 29 July 2001 by beating Mexico 1-0 in Bogota. July 30 July 31

August

August 1 August 2 Fundacion Ecoprogreso, a group in Colombia that works to protect a mangrove lagoon surrounding the city of Cartagena, was announced as one of the recipients of the 2012 United Nations World Environment Day Challenge prize. August 3 August 4 Colombian and Japanese researchers on 4 August 2013 announced, in a study published in the journal Nature Genetics, they had developed a rice plant with deeper roots that can sustain high yields in droughts that wipe out conventional rice crops. August 5 August 6 August 7 August 8 August 9 August 10 Mariana Pajon of Colombia won Olympic gold in Women's BMX cycling on 10 August 2012 in London. August 11 August 12 After more than 30 years of speculation among Colombia’s biologists, scientist revealed that rare Caquetá Titi monkeys, a species of red-bearded cat-sized monkeys, were found in Colombia’s Caquetá region in 2010. August 13 August 14 August 15 Scientists on 15 August 2013 reported they have discovered a new animal - named as olinguito, a small animal that looks like a cross between a cat and a teddy bear - living in the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador. It is the first new species of carnivore to be identified in the Western hemisphere in 35 years, a discovery that scientists say is incredibly rare in the 21st Century. August 16 Colombian cyclist Daniel Martinez won the 72nd edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné cycling race on 16 August 2020. August 17 August 18 August 19 August 20 August 21 August 22 Pope Paul VI visited Bogota, Colombia in 1968. It was the first ever Papal visit to Latin America. August 23 August 24 August 25 August 26 August 27 August 28 August 29 August 30 August 31

September

September 1 September 2 September 3 September 4 Colombia and its main leftist rebel group, FARC, said on 4 September 2012 they have signed an accord to launch peace talks next month aimed at ending a stubborn, half-century-old conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. September 5 September 6 September 7 September 8 September 9 September 10 UNICEF Colombia on 10 September 2016 received first group of children released from FARC-EP, Colombia's largest armed group, ranks in a temporary reception center. September 11 Cyclist Nairo Quintana of Colombia claimed his second Grand Tour title when he won the Vuelta a España on 11 September 2016. September 12 September 13 September 14 September 15 September 16 September 17 September 18 September 19 Carolina Medina of Colombia was recognized as one of the 2016 UN Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals for her passion to make healthy food more affordable and accessible for everyone. September 20 Laura Ullo of Colombia was named as the winner of the Young Goalkeeper Award at the 2017 UNICEF Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards for her dedication to help former guerrillas get reintegrated into society. September 21 September 22 September 23 September 24 Iván Velásquez of Colombia was awarded the 2018 Right Livelihood Award — known as the “Alternative Nobel” — for his innovative work in exposing abuse of power and prosecuting corruption, thus rebuilding people’s trust in public institutions. September 25 September 26 Colombian government and the country's largest armed group FARC signed a historic peace agreement on 26 September 2016 that formally brings an end to 52 years of armed conflict. September 27 September 28 September 29 September 30

October

October 1 Colombian child rights defender Mayerlín Vergara Pérez won the 2020 Nansen Refugee Award – a humanitarian prize given annually by UNHCR, the United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency. October 2 October 3 October 4 October 5 October 6 October 7 The Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 was awarded to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end, a war that has cost the lives of at least 220,000 Colombians and displaced close to six million people. October 8 October 9 October 10 Colombian start-up Nativo Digital that teaches teenagers and children how to code won the top prize at the 2016 Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Awards for being the Most Innovative Start-up with Development Impact in Latin America and the Caribbean. October 11 October 12 October 13 Educator Vicky Colbert of Colombia was included in the BBC global list of 100 inspirational and innovative women for 2017. October 14 Carolina Guerra from Colombia was announced as one of the winners of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards 2011 for her initiative Ingerecuperar that engineers eco-friendly solutions to turn hazardous wastes such as aluminium dross into useful products and raw materials. October 15 October 16 October 17 October 18 October 19 October 20 October 21 October 22 October 23 October 24 Ingrid Betancourt, a Colombian politician, was awarded with the prestigious 2008 Prince of Asturias Award for Concord for her struggle in favor of democracy including being held hostage for more than six years in the Colombian jungle by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The 2008 Prince of Asturias awards ceremony was held in Oviedo, Spain, on October 24, 2008. The Prince of Asturias award is given annually by the Prince of Asturias Foundation of Spain to individuals and organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, or public affairs. October 25 October 26 October 27 Alejandra Carmona from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia at Medellín, Colombia was awarded the 2016 Green Talent prize by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for her research focus on climate change and climate variability in tropical South America. October 28 October 29 October 30 October 31

November

November 1 Colombia was named as the most positive country from South America at the World’s Most Positive Countries 2017. Colombia was named as the most positive country from South America at the World’s Most Positive Countries 2016. November 2 November 3 November 4 November 5 Colombia was admitted as a member of the United Nations (UN) on 5 November 1945. November 6 November 7 November 8 Oscar Castro Ardila of Colombia was awarded the 2013 Green Talents Award in Berlin for his passionate research works with Wind Energy in Colombia. November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November 13 November 14 November 15 November 16 November 17 November 18 November 19 November 20 November 21 November 22 November 23 November 24 Claudia López of Colombia, first female mayor of Bogotá, Colombia’s capital and the largest city in the country, on 24 November 2020 was included in BBC's annual list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world. November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 November 29 Colombian women’s bowling team won gold at the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz. November 30 Colombian men's and women's rugby team won gold at the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz in their respective categories.

December

December 1 December 2 December 3 Eduardo Pérez of Colombia won the 2020 UNESCO/Emir Jaber al Ahmad al Jaber al Sabah Prize for Digital Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in the individual category for his pioneering work in developing technology-based resources for people with visual and hearing impairment. December 4 December 5 Colombia on 5 December 2015 announced the discovery of a Spanish shipwreck, laden with gold, silver and previous stones, that went down off the country's coast more than 300 years ago. The discovery is dubbed as the world's largest sunken treasure which could easily be worth more than $10 billion. December 6 December 7 Colombian director Nicolas Rincon Gille's Valley of Souls, the story of a father's solitary search for the bodies of his murdered sons, won the top prize at the Marrakesh film festival on 7 December 2019. December 8 Gabriel García Márquez of Colombia won the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature for his significant contributions as novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist. His Nobel lecture took place on 8th December 1982. García Márquez achieved his first major international success as a writer with his novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, in 1967. The novel has been translated into a large number of languages and has sold millions of copies. December 9 December 10 December 11 Medellín of Colombia was declared as the member of the 2015 UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the Music category. December 12 Jeison Aristizábal of Colombia named 2016 CNN Hero of the Year for his work of providing educational and medical support for youth living with disabilities in Colombia. December 13 Karen Nathalia Cerón Steevens, a 25-year-old Colombian woman, was selected as the winner of 2012 UNESCO/Juan Bosch Prize for the Promotion of Social Science Research in Latin America and the Caribbean by an international jury, in recognition of her research into youth violence in Central America and its application to social policies and prevention plans in Guatemala. December 14 December 15 December 16 December 17 December 18 December 19 December 20 December 21 December 22 December 23 December 24 December 25 December 26 December 27 Kidnappings in Colombia have dropped 92 percent since 2000, according to an official announcement on 27 December 2016 by the anti-kidnapping unit of the National Police. In 2016 the number of abduction dropped down to 188. December 28 Colombian football player Radamel Falcao was named best player of the year at the Globe Soccer Awards on 28 December 2012. December 29 Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez was named as Best Revelation Player of the Year at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on 29 December 2014. December 30 December 31

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