Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the Independence of the United States
The commemoration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence coincides with the celebration of the 35th anniversary of Slovenia's independence, giving this year's events an especially meaningful symbolic significance.
To mark the occasion, the Embassy has organized a series of events celebrating the longstanding friendship and close cooperation between Slovenia and the United States. In cooperation with the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, the Embassy also produced a short film dedicated to Slovenian-American friendship and cooperation.
Film (Slovenian version): https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DEbMgpmWQ/
Film (English version): https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GTsq24sa3/
Congratulatory messages on this important anniversary were also delivered by Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Mr. Tone Kajzer, Minister of Defence mag. Valentin Hajdinjak, and Ambassador Iztok Mirošič:
Tone Kajzer: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CkL7Aymjj/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Valentin Hajdinjak: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1D5Nss217v/
Ambassador Iztok Mirošič:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17yGRABdzh/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1QqhehsB3r/?mibextid=wwXIfr
In addition to illuminating Ljubljana's Triple Bridge in the colors of the American flag, the Embassy and the Ambassador's Residence in Washington were also illuminated in red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July celebrations and the Embassy's façade was specially decorated for the occasion.
On July 4, Ambassador Mirošič attended a special reception at the Library of Congress hosted by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, as well as a reception and fireworks celebration organized by the U.S. Department of State. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, Ambassador Mirošič presented the Library of Congress with a selection of works "Complete plays" by the renowned Slovenian author Ivan Cankar.
To further celebrate Slovenian-American cooperation, the Embassy is hosting throught the summer and autumn the exhibition entitled "Us and Them Without Borders" throughout the summer and autumn in cooperation with the Technical Museum of Slovenia. The exhibition highlights the contributions of Slovenians and Slovenian Americans to the development of the United States in science, technology, and engineering. Featured prominently are the world's first handheld scientific calculator, the HP-35, developed at Hewlett-Packard in 1972 by Slovenian engineer France Rode, and the logarithmic tables created in 1794 by the distinguished Slovenian mathematician Jurij Vega. Both artifacts were generously loaned to the Embassy by the President of the Republic of Slovenia for the purpose of the exhibition.
Through the end of the year, the Embassy plans to organize a number of additional cultural events, including musical performances, exhibitions and other programs, to continue commemorating the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States and the 35th anniversary of Slovenia's independence, while further strengthening Slovenian-American friendship and cooperation.