The siege of Calais (4 September 1346 – 3 August 1347) marked the
conclusion of the Crécy campaign, during the Edwardian phase of the
Hundred Years' War. On 26 August 1346, an English army under King
Edward III (effigy pictured) inflicted a heavy defeat on a large French
army led by King Philip VI at the Battle of Crécy. A week later they
invested the well-fortified port of Calais, which had a strong garrison
under the command of Jean de Vienne. Edward made several unsuccessful
attempts to breach the walls or to take the town by assault. During the
winter and spring the French were able to run in supplies and
reinforcements by sea, but in late April the English established a
fortification which enabled them to command the entrance to the harbour
and cut off the further flow of supplies. On 3 August Calais
capitulated. The town provided the English with an important strategic
lodgement, and was not recaptured by the French until 1558.
(This article is part of a featured topic: Hundred Years' War,
1345–1347.).
Read more:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Hundred_Years%27_War,_1345%E2%80%931347>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1903:
Macedonian rebels in Kruševo proclaimed a republic, which
existed for ten days before Ottoman forces destroyed the town.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kru%C5%A1evo_Republic>
1913:
An agricultural workers' strike in Wheatland degenerated into a
riot, becoming one of the first major farm-labor confrontations in
California.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatland_hop_riot>
1940:
World War II: Italian forces began a conquest of British
Somaliland, capturing the region in 16 days.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_invasion_of_British_Somaliland>
1997:
The Sky Tower, the tallest free-standing structure in the
Southern Hemisphere at 328 m (1,076 ft), opened in Auckland, New
Zealand.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Tower_%28Auckland%29>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
fine-tooth comb:
1. A comb with fine, closely spaced teeth, especially one used for
removing head lice and their nits (eggs) from the hair; a nit comb.
2. (figuratively) A means of making a thorough search.
3. (dated) To comb or go through (hair, an animal's fur, etc.) with a
comb having fine, closely spaced teeth.
4. (figuratively) To search (something or somewhere) meticulously.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fine-tooth_comb>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
My fellow Americans, on Saturday, at my direction, the United
States successfully concluded an airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan, that
killed the emir of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri. … People around the
world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer. The
United States continues to demonstrate our resolve and our capacity to
defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm. …
After relentlessly seeking Zawahiri for years under Presidents Bush,
Obama, and Trump, our intelligence community located Zawahiri earlier
this year. … After carefully considering the clear and convincing
evidence of his location, I authorized a precision strike that would
remove him from the battlefield once and for all. This mission was
carefully planned and rigorously minimized the risk of harm to other
civilians. And one week ago, after being advised that the conditions
were optimal, I gave the final approval to go get him, and the mission
was a success. None of his family members were hurt, and there were no
civilian casualties.
--Joe Biden
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden>
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