March 23: Today is the anniversary of the Greek victory in the Battle of Kalamanta against the Ottoman army, in 1821.

The Peloponnesian Prefecture of Messinia has as its capital Kalamata, well known for its olives and traditional dance, 'the kalamatianon'

It was the first important victory of the Greek War of Independence. The Greek revolutionary forces captured the city of Kalamanta which became the first city to be liberated from the Turks.

The Prefecture of Messinia is located in the western part of the District of the Peloponnese, Greece.The capital is the city of Kalamanta.

Recall that the Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Turkish Empire in 1453, with the capture of Constantinople (now Istanbul). More than three and a half centuries the Greeks were subjected to the Turks.

General Alexander Ypsilantis (Alexandros Ypsilantis)

Filiki Etaria was a secret organization founded in 1814 to launch revolts which actually started on 6 March 1821 in the Danubian Principalities. General Alexander Ypsilantis began his rebellion form Modavia with an army of 4500 Hellenes. He was a member of the secret society Filiki Eteria.

As Western civilization has its roots in Hellenism founded by Alexander the Great. Therefore, there was great sympathy in Europe and America for the Greek cause. The English poet Lord Byron went to Greece and from there to the West sought help to finance the independence of Greece.