Benjamin Morrell (1795 – c. 1839) was an American sealing captain
and explorer who made a series of voyages, mainly to the Atlantic, the
Southern Ocean and the Pacific Islands, between 1823 and 1831. Many of
the claims in his ghost-written memoir, A Narrative of Four Voyages,
especially those relating to his Antarctic experiences, have been
disputed by geographers and historians. In 1823 he took the sealer Wasp
for an extended voyage into subantarctic waters, and it was from this
time that much of the controversy surrounding his reputation developed.
Many of his claims—the first landing on Bouvet Island, a Weddell Sea
penetration to 70° S, an extremely rapid passage of 3,500 miles
(5,600 km) at improbably high latitudes and the discovery of a
coastline he named New South Greenland—have been doubted or proved
false. He ended his career as a fugitive, having wrecked his ship and
misappropriated parts of the salvaged cargo.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Morrell>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1598:
Anglo-Spanish War: After a 15-day siege Spanish troops in San
Juan, modern-day Puerto-Rico, surrendered to an English force under Sir
George Clifford.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Juan_%281598%29>
1859:
French acrobat Charles Blondin crossed Niagara Gorge, making
him one of the world's most famous tightrope walkers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Blondin>
1963:
The coronation of Pope Paul VI took place, the last such
ceremony before its abandonment by later popes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_of_Pope_Paul_VI>
2009:
Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean near the
Comoros, killing 152 people, with French schoolgirl Bahia Bakari the
sole survivor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemenia_Flight_626>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
in fine fettle:
In good condition; energetic, fit.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/in_fine_fettle>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The purpose of poetry is to remind us how difficult it is to
remain just one person, for our house is open, there are no keys in the
doors, and invisible guests come in and out at will.
--Czesław Miłosz
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Czes%C5%82aw_Mi%C5%82osz>