"Dixie" is a popular American song. It is one of the most
distinctively American musical products of the 19th century, and
probably the best-known song to have come out of blackface minstrelsy.
Although not a folk song at its creation, "Dixie" has since entered
the American folk vernacular and probably cemented the word "Dixie" in
the American vocabulary as a synonym for the Southern United States.
Most sources credit Daniel Decatur Emmett with the song's composition,
although even during Emmett's lifetime, many other people have claimed
to have composed "Dixie". The song originated in the blackface
minstrel show of the 1850s and quickly grew famous across the United
States. Its lyrics, written in a racist, exaggerated version of
African American English Vernacular, tell the story of a freed black
slave pining for the plantation of his birth. During the American
Civil War, "Dixie" was adopted as an anthem of the Confederacy. Since
the advent of the American Civil Rights Movement, many have identified
the lyrics of the song with the iconography and ideology of the Old
South. Today, "Dixie" is often considered offensive, and the act of
singing it to be sympathetic to the concept of slavery in the American
South. Its supporters, on the other hand, view it as a legitimate
aspect of Southern culture and heritage.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_%28song%29
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1606:
Guy Fawkes was executed for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot
against the English Parliament and King James I.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes)
1747:
The first clinic specializing in the treatment of venereal diseases
was opened.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexually-transmitted_infection)
1876:
The United States ordered all Native Americans to move into
reservations.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States)
1946:
In Yugoslavia, a new constitution established the six constituent
republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro,
Serbia and Slovenia.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslavia)
1961:
Aboard Mercury-Redstone 2, Ham the Chimp became the first higher
primate to travel in outer space.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_2)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Everyone does magic all the time in different ways. 'Life' plus
'significance' = magic." -- Grant Morrison
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Grant_Morrison)
Charles I was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March
1625, until his execution. He famously engaged in a struggle for power
with Parliament; he was an advocate of the divine right of kings. Many
in England therefore feared that he was attempting to gain absolute
power. There was widespread opposition to many of his actions,
especially the levying of taxes without Parliament's consent. This is
one of the many manifestations of popular discontent with an absolute
monarchy. The last years of Charles's reign were marked by the English
Civil War; he was opposed by the forces of Parliament and by Puritans.
The war ended in defeat for Charles, who was subsequently tried,
convicted and executed for high treason. The monarchy was overthrown,
and a republic was established.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1649:
King Charles I was beheaded for high treason in front of the
Banqueting House in London during the English Civil War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England)
1820:
Edward Bransfield of the Royal Navy landed on the mainland of
Antarctica.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bransfield)
1933:
Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler)
1948:
Nathuram Godse bowed before Mahatma Gandhi, wished him well, then shot
him to death with a Beretta pistol.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi)
1968:
Vietnam War: Viet Cong forces launched the T?t Offensive on Vietnamese
New Year's Day.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tet_Offensive)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless,
unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to
convert retreat into advance." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt)
Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate,
a gland in the male reproductive system. Cancer occurs when cells of
the prostate mutate and begin to multiply out of control. These cells
may spread (metastasize) from the prostate to other parts of the body,
especially the bones and lymph nodes. Prostate cancer can cause pain,
difficulty urinating, erectile dysfunction, and other symptoms.
Prostate cancer only occurs in men and develops most frequently in
individuals over fifty years old. It is the second most common type of
cancer in men and is responsible for more deaths than any cancer
except for lung cancer. Prostate cancer is most often discovered by
screening blood tests, such as the PSA (prostate specific antigen)
test or by physical examination of the prostate gland by a health care
provider. Prostate cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation
therapy, hormone therapy, occasionally chemotherapy, or some
combination of these. The age and underlying health of the man as well
as the extent of spread, appearance under the microscope, and response
of the cancer to initial treatment are important in determining the
outcome of the disease.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostate_cancer
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1845:
The Raven, a narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe, was first published in
the New York Evening Mirror.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raven)
1856:
The Victoria Cross was first awarded, recognizing acts of valour
during the Crimean War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross)
1886:
Karl Benz received a patent for the first successful gasoline-driven
automobile.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Benz)
1959:
The Disney animated film Sleeping Beauty was first released.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Beauty_%281959_film%29)
2002:
In his State of the Union Address, U.S. President George W. Bush
described Iraq, Iran and North Korea as an "axis of evil".
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/axis_of_evil)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or
discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is
to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it was
peace." -- Milan Kundera
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Milan_Kundera)
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of Japan from 1869 until 1947,
when it was dissolved following Japan's renouncement of the use of
force as a means of settling international disputes in its post-World
War II Constitution of Japan. The origins of the Imperial Japanese
Navy trace back to early interactions with states on the Asian
continent at the beginning of the medieval period, and reached a peak
of activity during the 16th and 17th century at a time of cultural
exchange with European powers during the Age of Discovery. After two
centuries of stagnation during the country's ensuing seclusion policy
under the shoguns of the Edo period, Japan's navy was comparatively
backward when the country was forced open to trade by American
intervention in 1854. This eventually led to the Meiji Restoration, a
period of frantic modernization and industrialization accompanied by
the re-ascendance of the emperor. The navy's history of successes,
sometimes against much more powerful foes as in the 1895 Sino-Japanese
war and the 1905 Russo-Japanese War, ended with almost complete
annihilation in 1945 against the United States Navy, and official
dissolution at the end of the conflict.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Navy
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1521:
The Diet of Worms was convened to discuss Martin Luther and the
Protestant Reformation in the Holy Roman Empire.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Worms)
1820:
A Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen
approached the coast of Antarctica.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Gottlieb_von_Bellingshausen)
1855:
A locomotive on the Panama Railway made the world's first
transcontinental crossing.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Railway)
1921:
A symbolic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was installed beneath the Arc
de Triomphe in Paris.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe)
1986:
NASA Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into its tenth
mission.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then
you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's
worth, without pity, and destroy most of it." -- Colette
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Colette)
€2 commemorative coins are a special kind of €2 coin that can be
minted and issued by the individual member states of the Eurozone
since 2004. While they are legal tender in the whole Eurozone, they
are also collectibles. Typically, they commemorate anniversaries of
historical events or draw attention to current events of special
importance. Up to now, fourteen €2 commemorative coins have been
minted — six in 2004 and eight in 2005. Eight more are currently
planned to be minted in 2006.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E2%82%AC2_commemorative_coins
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1756:
Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in the city of Salzburg.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart)
1945:
The Red Army liberated 7,500 prisoners left behind by Nazi personnel
in the Auschwitz concentration camps in Oświęcim, Poland.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp)
1951:
Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a one-kiloton bomb
dropped on Frenchman Flats.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_Test_Site)
1967:
The Apollo 1 spacecraft was destroyed by fire at the Kennedy Space
Center, killing astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger
Chaffee.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_1)
1973:
The Paris Peace Accords were signed to put an end to the Vietnam War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Accords)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"If you drink much from a bottle marked 'poison' it is almost certain
to disagree with you, sooner or later." -- Lewis Carroll
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll)
StarCraft is a real-time strategy computer game by Blizzard
Entertainment. Introduced in 1998, it was the best-selling computer
game in that year and won the Origins Award for Best Strategy Computer
Game of 1998. It is praised for being a benchmark of real-time
strategy (RTS) games, due to its depth, intensity, and game balance.
Blizzard estimated in 2005 that 9 million copies of StarCraft and
StarCraft: Brood War had been sold since its release, and it has
achieved an international cult-like status in the computer gaming
world, especially in its online multiplayer form. Set in a "space
opera" environment, StarCraft is broadly similar to Blizzard's popular
high fantasy RTS Warcraft II, but during the development process,
there were great efforts to steer the game away from being simply
"Warcraft in Space," and eventually the entire game engine was
rewritten to achieve the desired result.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarCraft
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1700:
The magnitude 9 Cascadia Earthquake took place off the Pacific coast
of the American Northwest, as evidenced by Japanese records of
tsunamis.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Earthquake)
1788:
The British First Fleet, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, landed at
Sydney Cove just outside present-day Sydney, establishing the first
permanent European settlement in Australia.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Fleet)
1950:
President Rajendra Prasad succeeded Rajaji the last Governor General
as the head of state of India and the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian
armed forces.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajendra_Prasad)
1983:
Lotus 1-2-3, a hugely popular spreadsheet program, was first released.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_1-2-3)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is
more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its
very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as
a means of settling international disputes... But once war is forced
upon us, there is no other alternative than to apply every available
means to bring it to a swift end." -- Douglas MacArthur
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthur)
Kalimpong is a hill station nestled in the Shiwalik Hills in the
Indian state of West Bengal. The town is the headquarters of the
Kalimpong subdivision, a part of the district of Darjeeling. A major
forward base of the Indian Army is located on the outskirts of the
town. Kalimpong is well-known for its many educational institutions,
which attract students from all over North East India, West Bengal,
Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In recent times, Kalimpong has become
an important tourist destination owing to its temperate climate and
proximity to popular tourist locations in the region. Kalimpong is
also famous for its flower market, especially the wide array of
orchids. It houses several Buddhist monasteries holding a number of
rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimpong
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1327:
Teenaged Edward III was crowned King of England, but the country was
ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_III_of_England)
1554:
Jesuit priests José de Anchieta and Manoel da Nóbrega established a
mission at São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga, which grew to become
São Paulo, Brazil.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Paulo)
1924:
The first Winter Olympic Games opened at the foot of Mont Blanc in
Chamonix, France.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Olympic_Games)
1971:
General Idi Amin seized power in Uganda from Milton Obote, beginning
eight years of military rule.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idi_Amin)
2004:
Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed on Mars and rolled into
Eagle crater, a small crater on the Meridiani Planum.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MER-B)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"While fame impedes and constricts, obscurity wraps about a man like a
mist; obscurity is dark, ample, and free; obscurity lets the mind take
its way unimpeded. Over the obscure man is poured the merciful
suffusion of darkness. None knows where he goes or comes. He may seek
the truth and speak it; he alone is free; he alone is truthful, he
alone is at peace." -- Virginia Woolf in Orlando
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Virginia_Woolf)
Claudius was the fourth Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty,
ruling from January 24 41 to his death in 54. Born in Lugdunum in Gaul
(modern-day Lyon, France), to Drusus and Antonia Minor, he was the
first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy. Claudius was considered
a rather unlikely man to become emperor. He was reportedly afflicted
with some type of disability, and his family had virtually excluded
him from public office until his consulship with his nephew Caligula
in 37. This infirmity may have saved him from the fate of many other
Roman nobles during the purges of Tiberius and Caligula's reigns. His
very survival led to his being declared emperor after Caligula's
assassination, at which point he was the last adult male of his
family. Despite his lack of political experience, Claudius proved to
be an able administrator and a great builder of public works. His
reign saw an expansion of the empire, including the conquest of
Britain.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudius
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1438:
Pope Eugenius IV was suspended by the Council of Basel.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Basel)
1848:
James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma,
California, leading to the California Gold Rush.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush)
1891:
Prime Minister John Ballance began his term with his Liberal Party the
first political party in power in New Zealand.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ballance)
1924:
Petrograd, founded by Peter the Great of Russia in 1703, was renamed
Leningrad three days after the death of Vladimir Lenin.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petersburg)
1984:
The first Apple Macintosh went on sale, as advertised on television
two days earlier during Super Bowl XVIII.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Macintosh)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
''Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,To soften Rocks, or bend
a knotted Oak. -- William Congreve --
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Congreve)
Planetary habitability is the measure of an astronomical body's
potential for developing and sustaining life. It may be applied both
to planets and to the natural satellites of planets. The only absolute
requirement for life is an energy source (usually but not necessarily
solar energy), but the notion of planetary habitability implies that
many other geophysical, geochemical, and astrophysical criteria must
be met before an astronomical body is able to support life. The idea
that planets beyond Earth might host life is an ancient one, though
historically it was framed by philosophy as much as physical science.
The late 20th century saw two breakthroughs in the field. To begin
with, the observation and robotic exploration of other planets and
moons within the solar system has provided critical information on
defining habitability criteria and allowed for substantial geophysical
comparisons between the Earth and other bodies. The discovery of
extra-solar planets—beginning in 1995 and accelerating
thereafter—was the second milestone. It confirmed that the Sun is
not unique in hosting planets and expanded the habitability research
horizon beyond our own solar system.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_habitability
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1579:
The Union of Utrecht was signed, unifying the provinces in northern
Netherlands.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_Utrecht)
1719:
Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI created Liechtenstein, the only
principality in the Holy Roman Empire still remaining today.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liechtenstein)
1960:
The bathyscaphe Trieste reached the record depth of 10,916 m (35,813
feet) in Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathyscaphe_Trieste)
1968:
USS Pueblo was seized by North Korean forces, who claimed that it had
violated their territorial waters while spying.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pueblo_%28AGER-2%29)
1986:
Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, the Everly
Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley became the
first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"To minimize suffering and to maximize security were natural and
proper ends of society and Caesar. But then they became the only ends,
somehow, and the only basis of law — a perversion. Inevitably, then,
in seeking only them, we found only their opposites: maximum suffering
and minimum security." -- Walter M. Miller, Jr.
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walter_M._Miller%2C_Jr.)
The History of Test cricket in the period from 1884 to 1889 was one of
English dominance over the Australians. England won every Test series
that was played. The period also saw the introduction of the word
"Test", a word coined by the Press in 1885, which has remained in
common usage ever since. In 1883 England had won the first Ashes
series by beating Australia 2-1 away, though they had lost a fourth
extra Test played at the end of their Australian tour. However, this
last Test proved to be a blip as English dominance remained for the
rest of the 1880s. Of the 17 England-Australia Tests played in the
period from 1884 to 1889, England won 14, Australia 3, with 2 draws.
1889 saw the first English tour to South Africa. England won both
representative matches easily. But, although it was only recognised as
a Test nation later, after 13 years, cricket had a third Test-playing
team.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Test_cricket_%281884_to_1889%29
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1879:
Zulu forces of King Cetshwayo routed British forces at the Battle of
Isandlwana.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Isandlwana)
1901:
After holding the title Prince of Wales for six decades, King Edward
VII became the second oldest man to ascend to the throne in British
history.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VII_of_the_United_Kingdom)
1905:
Russian Revolution: Peaceful demonstrators led by Father Gapon were
massacred outside the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on Bloody
Sunday.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281905%29)
1973:
Roe v. Wade: The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark legal
decision on abortion.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade)
1980:
Andrei Sakharov, a key architect of the Soviet hydrogen bomb and
winner of the 1975 Nobel Peace Prize, was arrested in Moscow and
exiled to Gorki.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Sakharov)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know
they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general
thing." -- Robert E. Howard
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_E._Howard)