2430 A.D. is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the October 1970 issue of Think, the IBM house magazine, and was reprinted in Asimov's 1975 collection Buy Jupiter and Other Stories.
Early in 1970 the author was commissioned by Think to write a story based on a quotation by writer and social commentator J. B. Priestley:
Asimov, assuming that Think wanted a story that illustrated Priestley's quotation, crafted 2430 A.D. He selected the date because he calculated that at the then-current rate of human population growth, doubling every thirty-five years, that would be the year when the world's animal biomass would consist entirely of human beings. Asimov wrote the story on April 26, 1970 but it was rejected as Think had actually wanted a story that refuted the quotation. ("Well, they never said so," Asimov remarked later.) After Asimov wrote a second story that did refute the quotation, Think took the first story after all and published it in their October 1970 issue. The second story was later published in Analog magazine as The Greatest Asset. Both stories inspired by the Priestley quote were included in the 1975 collection Buy Jupiter and Other Stories.
Year zero does not exist in the Anno Domini (or Common Era) system usually used to number years in the Gregorian calendar and in its predecessor, the Julian calendar. In this system, the year 1 BC is followed by AD 1. However, there is a year zero in astronomical year numbering (where it coincides with the Julian year 1 BC) and in ISO 8601:2004 (where it coincides with the Gregorian year 1 BC) as well as in all Buddhist and Hindu calendars.
The Anno Domini era was introduced in 525 by Scythian monk Dionysius Exiguus (c. 470–c. 544), who used it to identify the years on his Easter table. He introduced the new era to avoid using the Diocletian era, based on the accession of Roman Emperor Diocletian, as he did not wish to continue the memory of a persecutor of Christians. In the preface to his Easter table, Dionysius stated that the "present year" was "the consulship of Probus Junior [Flavius Anicius Probus Iunior]" which was also 525 years "since the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ". How he arrived at that number is unknown.
1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (dominical letter CB) of the Gregorian calendar, the 1988th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 988th year of the 2nd millennium, the 88th year of the 20th century, and the 9th year of the 1980s decade.
In the 20th century, the year 1988 has the most Roman numeral digits (11).
1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United States (NSFNET) and Europe (Nordunet) as well as the first Internet-based chat protocol, Internet Relay Chat. The concept of the World Wide Web was first discussed at CERN in 1988.
The Soviet Union began its major restructuring towards a mixed economy at the beginning of 1988 and began its gradual collapse. The first extrasolar planet, Gamma Cephei Ab (confirmed in 2002) was detected this year and the World Health Organization began its mission to eradicate polio, a feat that is nearly complete as of 2015.
Lichk (Armenian: Լիճք, formerly known as Gyol) is a major village located south of Lake Sevan in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. Although the village was officially founded in 1829-30, there are ruins of earlier habitation including the remains of a medieval town (Paul Village). There are also the ruins of the early Tsaghkavank (meaning "Flowering Monastery") which sit adjacent to the church of S. Astvatsatsin at the hilltop cemetery. Tsaghkavank overlooks the village of Lichk, and the remaining lower walls are cylindrical walls with a very small entry. The reasoning behind this is that one would technically be forced to bow in respect upon entering the church. The church of S. Astvatsatsin is a small basilica with some broken khachkars and gravestones embedded into its walls. It is currently in disrepair as the roof has collapsed. Surrounding the two churches is a 13th-century cemetery with numerous interesting khachkars. Nearby is a cyclopean fort. Between 1950-60, an Aramaic inscription was found nearby.
Gul is a Persian and Turkish name, it is also used as a family name, which is common in Central and South Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey. The term also refers to the central medallion of many Turkish carpets.
Gul in Persian and Turkish languages means rose, it is also an abbreviation used in the medieval and early modern periods for William (derived from French Guillaume), for example in the signature "Gul: Ebor" for William Dawes, Archbishop of York.
G&L is a guitar design and production company founded by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Dale Hyatt in the late 1970s. Fender sold his eponymous company Fender in 1965. He designed and produced instruments for Music Man in the 1970s through his company CLF Research. When relations with Music Man soured, G&L was created to continue operations outside of Music Man. The G&L name comes from the initials of George Fullerton and Leo Fender.
G&L instruments are similar to the classic Fenders, but with some modern innovations. They are built at the same facility on Fender Avenue in Fullerton, California that produced the early Music Man instruments. G&L instruments are not widely distributed but are highly regarded by many musicians and collectors. The relatively small scale of production further allows for more custom options than are possible on larger production lines.
After the death of Leo Fender in 1991, Fender's wife, Phyllis Fender, passed the management of G&L to John C. McLaren of BBE Sound. George Fullerton remained a permanent consultant until his death on July 4, 2009, and Leo's wife Phyllis remains as Honorary Chairman of G&L.
"G.L.A.D" is a song by English singer Kim Appleby. The single remix features a rap from Aswad vocalist Brinsley Forde. It peaked at #10 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in February 1991.