Manuel I Comnenus was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who
presided over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and
the Mediterranean. Eager to restore his empire to its past glories as
the superpower of the Mediterranean world, Manuel pursued an energetic
and ambitious foreign policy. In the process he made alliances with
the Pope and the resurgent west, invaded Italy, successfully handled
the passage of the dangerous Second Crusade through his empire, and
established a Byzantine protectorate over the Crusader kingdoms of
Outremer. Facing the Islamic jihad in the Holy Land, he made common
cause with the Kingdom of Jerusalem and participated in a combined
invasion of Fatimid Egypt. Manuel reshaped the political map of the
Balkans and the east Mediterranean, placing the kingdoms of Hungary
and Outremer under Byzantine hegemony and campaigning aggressively
against his neighbours both in the west and in the east. However,
towards the end of his reign Manuel's achievements in the east were
compromised by an embarrassing defeat at Myriokephalon, which in large
part resulted from his arrogance in attacking a well-defended Turkish
position.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_I_Comnenus
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1204:
Fourth Crusade: Count Baldwin IX of Flanders was crowned the first
Latin Emperor in Constantinople.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Empire)
1527:
The Medici were driven from Florence and a republic was
re-established.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence)
1866:
Root beer was first prepared commercially.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_beer)
1929:
The first Academy Awards were handed out at the Hollywood Roosevelt
Hotel in Los Angeles.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Awards)
1943:
World War II: SS-Brigadeführer Jürgen Stroop put an end to the Warsaw
Ghetto Uprising, the first mass uprising in Poland against the Nazi
occupation during the Holocaust.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Ghetto_Uprising)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"I like quoting Einstein. Know why? Because nobody dares contradict
you." -- Studs Terkel
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Studs_Terkel)
Sanssouci, the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of
Prussia at Potsdam just outside Berlin in Germany, is often counted
among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more
intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque
counterpart, Frederick's palace is notable for the numerous temples
and follies in Sanssouci Park. Designed by Georg Wenzeslaus von
Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to fulfill Frederick the Great's
need for a private residence where he could relax away from pomp and
ceremony of the Berlin court, the palace is in fact little more than a
large villa: its true French counterpart is Marly. Containing just ten
principal rooms, the single-storey structure is sited on the brow of a
terraced hill at the centre of its own park. So great was the
influence of the King's personal taste in the design and decoration of
the palace that it is characterized as "Frederician Rococo". So
personal and unique to himself did Frederick the Great regard the
palace, that he conceived it as a place that would die with him.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanssouci
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1264:
King Henry III was captured in the Battle of Lewes, making Simon de
Montfort the de facto ruler of England.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_III_of_England)
1796:
Edward Jenner began testing cowpox as a vaccine for protection against
smallpox.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Jenner)
1804:
The William Clark and Meriwether Lewis left Camp Dubois and began
traveling up the Missouri River.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_Expedition)
1948:
Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion publicly read the Declaration of the
Establishment of the State of Israel in Tel Aviv.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_the_Establishment_of_the_State_…)
1973:
The NASA space station Skylab was launched from Cape Canaveral.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylab)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"It is confidently expected that the period is at hand, when man,
through ignorance, shall not much longer inflict unnecessary misery on
man; because the mass of mankind will become enlightened, and will
clearly discern that by so acting they will inevitably create misery
to themselves." -- Robert Owen
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Owen)
Perfect Dark is a first-person shooter video game for the Nintendo 64
game console. The game was developed by Rare, creators of the
multimillion-selling GoldenEye 007, an earlier first-person shooter
with which Perfect Dark shares many gameplay features. The game was
first released in North America in May 2000, where it was greeted with
critical acclaim; PAL and Japanese releases followed soon afterwards.
The game features a single-player mode consisting of seventeen
missions in which the player assumes the role of special agent Joanna
Dark, an operative for the fictional Carrington Institute, as she
attempts to foil a conspiracy by rival corporation dataDyne. It also
includes a range of multiplayer options, including co-operative and
"counter-operative" modes in addition to traditional deathmatch
settings. Technically, it is one of the most advanced games developed
for the N64, with optional high-resolution graphics and Dolby Surround
Sound.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Dark
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1551:
National University of San Marcos, the oldest university in South
America, was founded in Lima, Peru.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_University_of_San_Marcos)
1881:
Tunisia became a French protectorate.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia)
1885:
North-West Rebellion: Louis Riel and the Métis rebels were decisively
defeated in the Battle of Batoche by Canadian forces under
Major-General Frederick Middleton.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Riel)
1926:
A general strike by the trade unions in the United Kingdom ended after
nine days.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_General_Strike_of_1926)
1958:
A formal agreement on the North American Air Defense Command was
signed.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Aerospace_Defense_Command)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Duty, Honor, Country — those three hallowed words reverently
dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They
are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail,
to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to
create hope when hope becomes forlorn." -- Douglas MacArthur
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthur)
The military history of France represents a massive panorama of
conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2,000 years over areas
encompassing modern France, Europe, and European territorial
possessions overseas. Gallo-Roman conflict predominated from 400 BCE
to 50 BCE, with the Romans emerging victorious in the conquest of Gaul
by Julius Caesar. After the decline of the Roman Empire, a Germanic
tribe known as the Franks took control of Gaul by defeating competing
tribes. In the eighteenth century, global competition with Great
Britain led to defeat in the French and Indian War, where France lost
its North American holdings and India, but consolation came in the
form of the American Revolutionary War, where massive French aid led
to America's independence. Internal political upheaval eventually led
to 23 years of nearly continuous war in the French Revolutionary Wars
and the Napoleonic Wars. France reached the zenith of its power during
this period, but by 1815 it had been restored to its pre-Revolutionary
borders. Following defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, Franco-German
rivalry reasserted itself again in World War I, this time France
emerging as the winner. Tensions over the Versailles Treaty led to the
Second World War, where it was humiliated in the Battle of France. The
Allies eventually emerged victorious over the Germans, however, and
France was given an occupation zone in Germany. Today, French military
intervention is most often seen in its former colonies and with its
NATO allies in hot spots around the world.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_France
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
330:
Byzantium became the new capital of the Roman Empire under Emperor
Constantine I, and was referred to as Constantinople.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople)
1792:
Explorer Robert Gray first sighted the Columbia River, the largest
river flowing into the Pacific Ocean from North America.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River)
1812:
British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was assassinated by John
Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Perceval)
1949:
Siam was officially renamed Thailand.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Thailand)
1960:
Mossad agents captured Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi leader and fugitive war
criminal hiding in Argentina.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Eichmann)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Positive vibrations man. That's what makes it work. That's reggae
music. You can't look away because it's real. You listen to what I
sing because I mean what I sing, there's no secret, no big deal. Just
honesty, that's all." -- Bob Marley
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bob_Marley)
The flag of Australia was chosen in 1901 from entries in a nationwide
design competition held following Federation. It was approved by
Australian and British authorities over the next few years, although
the exact specifications of the flag were changed several times both
intentionally and as a result of confusion. The current specifications
were published in 1934, and in 1954 the flag became legally recognised
as the "Australian National Flag". The flag is a defaced Blue Ensign:
a blue field with the Union Flag in the upper hoist quarter, and a
large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star that
symbolises the six states and other territories of the Commonwealth of
Australia; the remaining half is a representation of the Southern
Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and
four, larger, seven-pointed stars. In addition to the Blue Ensign
there are several additional Australian flags, including the
Aboriginal flag, the Torres Strait Islander flag and the flags of the
Defence Forces. The design of the Australian flag is the subject of
debate within Australia, with some advocating its redesign in
connection with the republican movement.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Australia
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1503:
Christopher Columbus and his crew became the first Europeans to visit
the Cayman Islands.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayman_Islands)
1857:
The Sepoy Rebellion broke out in colonial India, threatening the rule
of the British East India Company.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_rebellion_of_1857)
1869:
The First Transcontinental Railroad of North America was completed
with a golden spike ceremony.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Transcontinental_Railroad)
1924:
J. Edgar Hoover became director of the U.S. Bureau of Investigation.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover)
1940:
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of the United Kingdom resigned and
formally recommended Winston Churchill as his successor.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Chamberlain)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"The Truth lies not in the Yes and not in the No, but in the knowledge
and the beginning from which the Yes and the No arise." -- Karl Barth
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Karl_Barth)
An HTTP cookie is a parcel of textual information sent by a server to
a World Wide Web browser and then sent back by the browser each time
it accesses that server. HTTP cookies are used for user
authentication, user tracking, and maintaining user-specific
information such as site preferences and electronic shopping carts.
Cookies have been of concern for Internet privacy, since they can be
used for tracking the browsing of a user. As a result, they have been
subject to legislation in various countries such as the United States,
as well as the European Union. Cookies have also been criticised
because the identification of users they provide is not always
accurate and because they can be used for network attacks. Some
alternatives to cookies exist, but have their own drawbacks. On the
other hand, cookies have been subject to a number of misconceptions,
mostly based on the erroneous notion that they are computer programs.
Most modern browsers allow users to decide whether to accept cookies,
but rejection makes some Web sites unusable.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1429:
Siege of Orléans: French troops led by Joan of Arc lifted the English
siege and turned the tide of the Hundred Years' War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Orl%C3%A9ans)
1541:
The expedition led by Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reached
the Mississippi River.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernando_de_Soto_%28explorer%29)
1794:
French chemist and economist Antoine Lavoisier, a former royal tax
collector with the Ferme Générale, was tried, convicted, and
guillotined on the same day during the Reign of Terror.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Lavoisier)
1902:
The volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée destroyed the town of St.
Pierre, Martinique, killing over 30,000 people.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pel%C3%A9e)
1945:
Most armed forces under German control ceased active operations by
23:01 hours CET at the end of World War II in Europe, in accordance
with the capitulation documents signed the day before.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/end_of_World_War_II_in_Europe)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"While in the physical sciences the investigator will be able to
measure what, on the basis of a prima facie theory, he thinks
important, in the social sciences often that is treated as important
which happens to be accessible to measurement. This is sometimes
carried to the point where it is demanded that our theories must be
formulated in such terms that they refer only to measurable
magnitudes." -- Friedrich Hayek
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek)
Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, Brahmo philosopher, visual
artist, playwright, composer, and novelist whose avant-garde works
reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. A celebrated cultural icon of Bengal, he became Asia's
first Nobel laureate when he won the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature.
His home schooling, life in Shelidah, and extensive travels made
Tagore an iconoclastic pragmatist; however, growing disillusionment
with the British Raj caused the internationalist Tagore to back the
Indian Independence Movement and befriend Mahatma Gandhi. Despite the
loss of virtually his entire family and his regrets regarding Bengal's
decline, his life's work — Visva-Bharati University — endured.
Tagore's major works included Gitanjali and Ghare-Baire, while his
verse, short stories, and novels — many defined by rhythmic lyricism,
colloquial language, meditative naturalism, and philosophical
contemplation — received worldwide acclaim.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1763:
Indian Wars: Chief Pontiac led an attempt to seize Fort Detroit and
drive out the British settlers, beginning Pontiac's Rebellion.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Detroit)
1824:
Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor premiered in Vienna.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._9_%28Beethoven%29)
1915:
World War I: The ocean liner RMS Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by
the German submarine Unterseeboot 20, killing 1,198 on board.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Lusitania)
1920:
Kiev Offensive: Polish-Ukrainian troops led by Józef Piłsudski and
Edward Rydz-Śmigły captured Kiev during the Polish-Soviet War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiev_Offensive)
1945:
End of World War II in Europe: On behalf of Reichspräsident Karl
Dönitz, General Alfred Jodl signed and submitted the capitulation
documents to the Allies in Reims, France.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Jodl)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"The meaning of the living words that come out of the experiences of
great hearts can never be exhausted by any one system of logical
interpretation. They have to be endlessly explained by the
commentaries of individual lives, and they gain an added mystery in
each new revelation." -- Rabindranath Tagore
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore)
Gerald Ford was the 40th Vice President and the 38th President of the
United States. He was elected House Minority Leader in 1963 and served
in the House until 1973. When Spiro Agnew resigned, Ford was appointed
Vice President of the United States during the height of the Watergate
scandal. Following the resignation of Richard Nixon, Ford ascended to
the presidency on August 9, 1974. The Ford administration saw the
withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam, the execution of the
Helsinki Accords and the continuing specter of inflation and
recession. Faced with an overwhelmingly Democratic majority in
Congress, the administration was hampered in its ability to pass major
legislation and Ford's vetoes were frequently overridden. After Ford
was criticized by many for granting a pardon to Nixon, Democrat Jimmy
Carter narrowly defeated Ford in the 1976 presidential race. Ford is
the only U.S. President never elected to either the Presidency or Vice
Presidency. Along with his own Vice President, Nelson Rockefeller, he
is one of two people appointed Vice President rather than elected.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1682:
King Louis XIV of France took up residence in the Château de
Versailles.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles)
1863:
American Civil War: The Army of Northern Virginia led by Robert E. Lee
and Stonewall Jackson scored a decisive Confederate victory in the
Battle of Chancellorsville.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville)
1937:
The German zeppelin Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed in
Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster)
1954:
Roger Bannister became the first person to run the mile in under four
minutes.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bannister)
1994:
The Channel Tunnel, a 50-km long rail tunnel beneath the English
Channel at the Strait of Dover, was officially opened.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Thinking is an experimental dealing with small quantities of energy,
just as a general moves miniature figures over a map before setting
his troops in action." -- Sigmund Freud
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud)
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun,
thereby obscuring Earth's view of the Sun totally or partially. This
configuration can only occur at the New Moon phase, when the Sun and
Moon are in conjunction, as seen from the Earth. In ancient times, and
in some countries today, solar eclipses are arrtibuted mythical
properties. Total solar eclipses are very rare events for a given
place on Earth. This is because totality is only visible where the
umbra of the Moon touches the Earth's surface. Some people travel to
the most remote places imaginable to observe eclipses. A total solar
eclipse is considered by them to be the most spectacular natural
phenomenon that one can observe. The 1999 total eclipse in Europe,
which was without doubt the most watched eclipse in human history,
helped to increase public awareness of the phenomenon. This was
illustrated by many people willing to make the displacement to witness
the 2005 annular eclipse and the 2006 total eclipse. The next total
solar eclipse will be the Solar eclipse of August 1, 2008.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
French Revolution: The Estates-General convened in Versailles to
discuss a financial crisis in France.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estates-General_of_1789)
1862:
Cinco de Mayo in Mexico: Troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halted a
French invasion in the Battle of Puebla.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_mayo)
1904:
Cy Young of the Boston Americans pitched the first perfect game in the
modern era of baseball.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cy_Young)
1949:
The Council of Europe was formed.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Europe)
1950:
Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej was crowned in Bangkok as King Rama IX of
Thailand, currently the world's longest-serving head of state.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhumibol_Adulyadej)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Once you label me you negate me." -- Søren Kierkegaard
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard)
Chew Valley Lake is a large reservoir in the Chew Valley, Somerset,
England, and the largest artificial lake in south-west England with an
area of 1,200 acres (4.9 km²). The lake, which was created in the
early 1950s and opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956, provides much of
the drinking water for the city of Bristol and surrounding area,
taking its supply from the Mendip Hills. Some of the water from the
lake is used to maintain the flow in the River Chew. Before the lake
was flooded, archaeological investigations were carried out which
showed evidence of occupation since Neolithic times and included Roman
artefacts. The lake is also an important site for wildlife and has
been dedicated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special
Protection Area. It is a national centre for birdwatching with over
260 species recorded, including some unusual sightings. The lake has a
range of indigenous and migrant water birds throughout the year, and
two dedicated nature trails have been created. The flora and fauna
provide a variety of habitats and include some of the less common
plants and insects. Some restricted use for recreational activities is
permitted by the owners Bristol Water including Dinghy sailing and
fishing, primarily for trout.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chew_Valley_Lake
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1791:
The Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791, one of the earliest codified
national constitutions in the world, was adopted by the Sejm.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Constitution_of_May_3%2C_1791)
1808:
The Swedish fortress Sveaborg was lost to Russia during the Finnish
War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suomenlinna)
1937:
Gone with the Wind, a novel by Margaret Mitchell, won the Pulitzer
Prize.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_with_the_Wind)
1945:
World War II: German ocean liner SS Cap Arcona, left to float
defenselessly in the Baltic Sea with thousands of prisoners from
various concentration camps on board, was attacked and sunk by RAF
Typhoons.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Cap_Arcona)
1947:
A new Constitution of Japan went into effect.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Japan)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"Education is what you get when you read the fine print; experience is
what you get when you don't." -- Pete Seeger
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pete_Seeger)