Today, October 28, marks the anniversary of one of the most important days in the history of the world, yet few remember it’s significance. But the Greeks do, and they celebrate OXI day, every year with grade school student parades with marching bands and a work holiday. The day was October 28, 1940. At dawn that morning (4:00am), after a party in the German embassy in Athens, Mussolini (through Emanuele Grazzi, the Italian ambassador in Greece) issued an ultimatum to Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas to surrender, or face open war with Italy. What ensued was--after a long and bloody war known as the Albanian Night or the Albanian Front during one of the harshest winters to ever hit those mountains--the first Allied victory over the Axis powers of Italy, and of their effort against the Italian Fascists Winston Churchill said, "Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks" Greet us with "OXI!" today and we will treat you with a Baklava Sundae! Xronia Polla!