Swedish is a North Germanic language spoken predominantly in Sweden,
part of Finland, and on the autonomous Åland islands, by a total of
over 9 million speakers. Standard Swedish is the national language
that evolved from the Central Swedish dialects in the 19th century and
was well-established by the first decades of the 20th century. While
distinct regional varieties still exist, influenced by the older rural
dialects, the spoken and written language is uniform and standardized,
with a 99% literacy rate among adults. Some of the genuine dialects
differ considerably from the standard language in grammar and
vocabulary and are not always mutually intelligible with Standard
Swedish. These dialects are confined to rural areas and spoken by a
rather limited group of people of low education and social mobility.
Swedish is distinguished by its prosody, which differs considerably
between varieties. It includes both lexical stress and some tonal
qualities. Swedish is also notable for the voiceless dorso-palatal
velar fricative, a sound found in many dialects, including the more
prestigious forms of the standard language.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_language
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1812:
The United States declared war against Great Britain, beginning the
War of 1812.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812)
1815:
Napoléon Bonaparte fought and lost his final battle, the Battle of
Waterloo.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Waterloo)
1858:
Charles Darwin received a manuscript by Alfred Russel Wallace on
evolution, which prompted him to publish his theory.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Russel_Wallace)
1873:
Woman suffrage activist Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for attempting
to vote in the 1872 presidential election.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_B._Anthony)
1979:
The SALT II treaty was signed by the United States and the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SALT_II)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." -- Paul
McCartney
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paul_McCartney)
The Warren County Canal was a branch of the Miami and Erie Canal in
southwestern Ohio about 20 miles (30 km) in length that connected the
Warren County seat of Lebanon to the main canal at Middletown. Lebanon
was at the crossroads of two major roads, the highway from Cincinnati
to Columbus (later U.S. Route 42) and the road from Chillicothe to the
College Township (Oxford), but Lebanon businessmen and civic leaders
wanted better transportation facilities and successfully lobbied for
their own canal, part of the canal fever of the first third of the
19th Century. Because of the low volume of traffic, the Warren County
Canal was never successful, operating less than a decade before the
state abandoned it.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_County_Canal
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1775:
American Revolutionary War: British forces took Bunker Hill outside of
Boston.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bunker_Hill)
1789:
French Revolution: The Third Estate of France declared itself the
National Assembly.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_%28French_Revolution%29)
1961:
Canada's New Democratic Party was founded with the merger of the CCF
and organized labour.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Democratic_Party)
1972:
Watergate scandal: Five men were arrested for burglarizing the offices
of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Hotel.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal)
1994:
O. J. Simpson was chased down and arrested on suspicion of murdering
his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"I observed, 'Love is the fulfilling of the law, the end of the
commandment.' It is not only 'the first and great' command, but all
the commandments in one. 'Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise,' they
are all comprised in this one word, love. -- John Wesley
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Wesley)
The Book of Kells is an ornately illustrated manuscript, produced by
Celtic monks around AD 800. It is one of the most lavish illuminated
manuscripts to survive the mediæval period. Because of its technical
brilliance and great beauty, it is considered by many scholars to be
one of the most important works in the history of mediæval art. It
contains the four gospels of the Bible, in Latin, along with prefatory
and explanatory matter, all decorated with numerous colourful
illustrations and illuminations. Today it is on permanent display at
the Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland where it is catalogued
as MS 58.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1487:
The Battle of Stoke Field, the final battle of the Wars of the Roses,
was fought.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stoke_Field)
1745:
During King George's War, British colonial forces led by William
Pepperrell captured the French stronghold at Fortress Louisbourg on
Cape Breton Island after a six-week siege.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_Louisbourg)
1846:
Pius IX was elected pope, beginning the longest reign of all popes
since the days of the apostles.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_IX)
1963:
Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentina_Tereshkova)
1976:
Police in Soweto, South Africa opened fire on schoolchildren
protesting against the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of
instruction in township schools, triggering a series of nationwide
demonstrations, strikes, riots and violence.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector_Pieterson)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"I cannot think we are useless or Usen would not have created us. He
created all tribes of men and certainly had a righteous purpose in
creating each." -- Geronimo
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Geronimo)
The Cat's Eye Nebula is a planetary nebula in the constellation of
Draco. Structurally, it is one of the most complex nebulae known, with
high resolution Hubble Space Telescope observations revealing
remarkable structures such as knots, jets and sinewy arc-like
features. It was discovered by William Herschel on February 15, 1786,
and was the first planetary nebula whose spectrum was investigated, by
the English amateur astronomer William Huggins in 1864. Modern studies
reveal several mysteries. The intricacy of the structure may be caused
in part by material ejected from a binary central star, but as yet
there is no direct evidence that the central star has a companion.
Also, measurements of chemical abundances reveal a large discrepancy
between two measurement methods, the cause of which is uncertain.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat%27s_Eye_Nebula
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1215:
King John of England put his seal to the Magna Carta.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta)
1389:
In the Battle of Kosovo, Turks defeated Serbs and Bosnians.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kosovo)
1752:
Benjamin Franklin conducted an experiment to prove that lightning is
electricity by flying a kite in a thunderstorm.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin)
1904:
The General Slocum burned in New York's East River, over 1,000 died.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Slocum)
1954:
The Union of European Football Associations was founded in Basel,
Switzerland.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"If fate means you to lose, give him a good fight anyhow." -- William
McFee
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_McFee)
James K. Polk was an American politician and the eleventh President of
the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. Polk
was born in North Carolina, but primarily lived in and represented the
state of Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as Speaker of the House
(1835–1839) and Governor of Tennessee (1839–1841) prior to becoming
president. He is the only former Speaker of the House to become
President. He is noted for his expansionist beliefs, for his pledge to
serve only one term, and for becoming the first "dark horse" (a
candidate who unexpectedly gains the party nomination) to win the
presidency. His term is remembered for the Mexican-American War, the
opening of the U.S. Naval Academy and Washington Monument, and the
issuance of the first postage stamps in the United States.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_K._Polk
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1898:
Yukon Territory was formed, with Dawson chosen as its capital.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon)
1966:
The Miranda v. Arizona ruling established the Miranda Warning.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_v._Arizona)
1967:
Thurgood Marshall was nominated as the first African American justice
of the U.S. Supreme Court.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurgood_Marshall)
1971:
Vietnam War: The New York Times began to publish the Pentagon Papers.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_Papers)
1983:
Pioneer 10 became the first man-made object to leave the solar system.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_10)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Talent perceives differences, Genius unity." -- William Butler Yeats
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Butler_Yeats)
During the reign of Charles I, who inherited the throne from his
father Philip, Habsburg Spain controlled territory ranging from
Argentina to the Netherlands, and was among Europe's greatest powers.
For this reason, this period of Spanish history has also been referred
to as the "Age of Expansion." Although usually associated with its
role in the history of Central Europe, the Habsburg family extended
its realm into Spain from 1516 to 1700. Under Habsburg rule, Spain
reached the zenith of its influence and power, but also began its slow
decline. Spain's maritime supremacy was symbolized by the victory over
the Ottomans at Lepanto in 1571, but in the following decades they
suffered defeat at sea against England and the Netherlands. On land,
Spain became embroiled in the Thirty Years' War, and in the second
half of the 17th century they were defeated by the French, led by King
Louis XIV. Habsburg rule came to an end in Spain with the death in
1700 of Charles II which resulted in the War of the Spanish
Succession. The Habsburg years were also a Spanish Golden Age of
cultural efflorescence. Some of the outstanding figures of the period
were Diego Velázquez, El Greco, Miguel de Cervantes, and Pedro
Calderón de la Barca.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_Spain
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1864:
Union General Ulysses S. Grant pulled his troops out of the Battle of
Cold Harbor.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cold_Harbor)
1889:
The Armagh rail disaster killed 88 people near Armagh, Northern
Ireland.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armagh_rail_disaster)
1964:
Anti-Apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison
by the South African government.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela)
1979:
A human-powered aircraft named Gossamer Albatross flew across the
English Channel.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross)
1987:
U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to
tear down the Berlin Wall.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"I don't want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be
useful or bring enjoyment to people, even those I've never met. I want
to go on living even after my death! And that's why I'm grateful to
God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop and to
express all that's inside me!" -- Anne Frank
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anne_Frank)
MTR is the metro system of Hong Kong. First opened for service in
1979, the network has since expanded to encompass seven metro lines
and 53 stations, with further expansions planned. It is an affordable
mode of public transport in Hong Kong, with an average of 2.45 million
journeys recorded each day. The system has proven so popular because
of its efficiency and affordability. Construction of the MTR was
prompted by a government-commissioned study released in 1967. The
government of Hong Kong commissioned the study in the 1960s to find
solutions to the growing traffic problem caused by expansion of the
colony's economy. Construction started soon after release of the
study, and the first line was opened in 1979. In 2000, the
government-owned MTR Corporation was partially privatised and renamed
the MTR Corporation Limited. MTR Corporation has always been reliant
on developing properties next to railway stations for its profits
(although the rail lines are profitable themselves); many recently
built stations are incorporated into large housing estates or shopping
complexes.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTR
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1509:
King Henry VIII of England married Catherine of Aragon.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Aragon)
1770:
Captain James Cook ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef)
1899:
Pope Leo XIII dedicated the entire human race to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart)
1963:
The University of Alabama was desegregated as Governor George Wallace
stepped aside after a stand in the schoolhouse door.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"The good writing of any age has always been the product of someone's
neurosis, and we'd have a mighty dull literature if all the writers
that came along were a bunch of happy chuckleheads." -- William Styron
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Styron)
Sudoku is a number placement puzzle. The aim of the puzzle is to enter
a number from 1 through 9 in each cell of a grid, frequently a 9×9
grid made up of 3×3 subgrids (called "regions"), starting with various
numbers given in some cells (the "givens"). Each row, column and
region must only contain one instance of each number. Completing the
puzzle requires only patience and modest logical ability, although
some puzzles can be fiendishly difficult. Its classic grid layout is
reminiscent of other newspaper puzzles such as crosswords and chess.
Sudoku initially became immensely popular in Japan in 1986 and in the
UK, Israel, and Canada in 2005, stimulating international interest.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudoku
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1190:
Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowned in a river in Anatolia
while leading an army to Jerusalem.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_I%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor)
1829:
Oxford beat Cambridge in the first Boat Race.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boat_Race)
1864:
Confederates defeated a much larger Union force at the Battle of
Brice's Crossroads.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Brice%27s_Crossroads)
1935:
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, Ohio. This is the
traditional date of the first day of sobriety of the co-founder of AA,
Dr. Bob Smith.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"A novel is balanced between a few true impressions and the multitude
of false ones that make up most of what we call life. It tells us that
for every human being there is a diversity of existences, that the
single existence is itself an illusion in part, that these many
existences signify something, tend to something, fulfill something; it
promises us meaning, harmony and even justice." -- Saul Bellow
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Saul_Bellow)
Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) is the capital of the Indian state
of Maharashtra and the most populous Indian city. Mumbai is located on
an island off the west coast of India. The city, which has a deep
natural harbour, is also the largest port in western India, handling
over half of India's passenger traffic. Mumbai is the commercial
capital of India, and houses important financial institutions such as
the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange and the corporate
headquarters of many Indian companies. Owing to the immense business
opportunities available in Mumbai and relatively high standard of
living, it has attracted migrants from all over India and South Asia,
making the city a potpourri of various communities and cultures.
Within Mumbai is located Bollywood, the epicentre of the country's
Hindi film and television industry, producing the world's highest
number of films annually. Mumbai is also one of the rare cities to
accommodate a National Park within its municipal limits.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1534:
Jacques Cartier became the first European to reach the Saint Lawrence
River.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lawrence_River)
1915:
World War I: U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigned
over a disagreement regarding the sinking of the RMS Lusitania.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jennings_Bryan)
1934:
Donald Duck debuted in the Silly Symphonies cartoon The Wise Little
Hen.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Duck)
1973:
Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes, earning him the Triple Crown.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretariat_%28racehorse%29)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"There are always good parts. They may not pay what you want, and they
may not have as many days' work as you want, they may not have the
billing that you want, they may not have a lot of things, but—the
content of the role itself—I find there are many roles." -- Anne
Bancroft
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anne_Bancroft)
The United Kingdom corporation tax is a tax levied in the United
Kingdom on the profits made by UK-resident companies and associations.
It is also levied on non-UK resident companies and associations which
trade in the UK through a permanent establishment. The tax was
introduced by the Finance Act 1965, which simultaneously removed
companies and associations that became liable to corporation tax from
the charge to the income tax. The tax borrowed its basic structure and
many of its rules from income tax. Recently the tax has come under
pressure from a number of sources. Tax competition between
jurisdictions has reduced the headline charge to 30 percent; judgments
from the European Court of Justice have found that certain aspects of
UK corporate tax law are discriminatory under European Union treaties
and are expected to continue to do so; and tax avoidance schemes
marketed by the big accountancy and law firms and by banks have
threatened the tax base. The British government has responded to the
last two by introducing ever more complex legislation to counter the
threats.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_corporation_tax
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1887:
Herman Hollerith received a patent for his punch card calculator.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/punch_card)
1949:
George Orwell's dystopic political novel Nineteen Eighty-Four was
first published.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four)
1953:
Flint-Worcester Tornadoes: A tornado hit in Flint, Michigan, killing
115. This was the last tornado to claim more than 100 lives.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint-Worcester_Tornadoes)
1967:
Six-Day War: The intelligence ship USS Liberty was attacked by Israel
Defense Forces in the USS Liberty incident, killing 34 Americans.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident)
2001:
Popular editorial site suck.com published its final article: "Gone
Fishin'."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/suck.com)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"I have something to tell you today. Mac OS X has been leading a
secret double life— for the past five years." -- Steve Jobs
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs)