WASHINGTON (GNB)- The planting of cherry trees in Washington DC originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan.
In Japan, the flowering cherry tree, or “Sakura,” is an important flowering plant. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a symbol with rich meaning in Japanese culture.
“For more than a hundred years, we have celebrating cherry trees blooming in solidarity”, National Park Service says.
Every spring, nearly 1,700 Cherry Blossom trees lining Washington DC’s Tidal Basin burst into color in a beautiful display of floral fireworks. Some of the trees are now over a century old, dating back to a 1912 gift from the Japanese government. The trees around the Tidal Basin are joined in their flowering display by a couple of thousand more cherry and flowering fruit trees nearby and on the National Mall. In all, about 4,000 trees make for a spectacular floral launch to Washington’s spring.
D.C.’s first cherry trees were a gift to the United States from Japan in 1912. In Kyoto, Japan, the cherry trees’ peak bloom this year was the earliest on record in 1,200 years. This follows a pattern of earlier and earlier blooms since the 1800s.
This year’s blossoms in D.C. peaked several days ahead of the 30-year average, according to The Washington Post.
People flocked to Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin on March 30- April 05 to enjoy the city’s famous cherry blossoms, which hit peak bloom days before initial expectations, due to the warmer weather.
View mobile photos taken by Semina Poudel, a DC resident.
The UAE says Iranian cruise missiles struck two of its tankers, the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, in the Strait of Hormuz on July 14, killing one Indian crew member and injuring others. India summoned an Iranian diplomat and lodged a protest, while the two governments gave differing casualty figures.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces struck oil refineries in Bashkortostan and Russia’s Krasnodar region, hit a patrol ship and tanker in Gelendzhik, and struck three shadow fleet tankers in the Sea of Azov. The claims could not be independently verified.
President Trump said the U.S. will be reimbursed at 20% on cargo through the Strait of Hormuz and is reinstating an Iranian blockade, declaring America the strait’s guardian. His post did not explain who would pay or how, as Washington and Tehran trade conflicting claims over the waterway.
U.S. Central Command said it hit dozens of Iranian targets July 12 — air defenses, radars, missiles, drones and small boats — using attack sea drones for the first time. The strikes aim to reduce Iran’s ability to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the command said.
Sen. Mitch McConnell has moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center after a fall at home left him briefly unconscious. Doctors ruled out stroke, fractures and cardiac problems, his office said, and he is recovering from a mild case of pneumonia while continuing Senate work remotely.
