Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film set in the
fictional Midwest town of Haddonfield, Illinois, on Halloween. The
film was directed by John Carpenter and stars Donald Pleasence as Dr.
Sam Loomis, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, and Nick Castle as
Michael Myers. The film centers on Michael Myers' escape from a
psychiatric hospital, his murdering of teenagers, and Sam Loomis's
attempts to track and stop Myers. Halloween was produced on a budget
of only $325,000 and grossed $47 million at the box office in the
United States, making it the most successful independent film in
American movie history. Many critics credit this film as the first in
a long line of slasher films inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho
(1960). The movie originated many of the clichés seen in low-budget
horror films of the 1980s and 1990s, although first-time viewers of
Halloween may be surprised by the fact that the film contains little
actual graphic violence or gore.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_%28film%29
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
27 BC:
Gaius Octavius was given the title Augustus by the Roman Senate.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus)
929:
Emir Abd-ar-Rahman III of Cordoba declared himself caliph, thereby
establishing the Caliph of Córdoba.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd-ar-Rahman_III)
1547:
Ivan the Terrible was crowned Tsar of Russia.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_IV_of_Russia)
1909:
The expedition led by Ernest Shackleton located the Magnetic South
Pole.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Shackleton)
2006:
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was sworn in as President of Liberia, becoming
Africa's first female elected head of state.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Johnson-Sirleaf)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
To me, literature is a calling, even a kind of salvation. It connects
me with an enterprise that is over 2,000 years old. What do we have
from the past? Art and thought. That's what lasts. That's what
continues to feed people and give them an idea of something better. A
better state of one's feelings or simply the idea of a silence in
one's self that allows one to think or to feel. Which to me is the
same. -- Susan Sontag
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Susan_Sontag)
Alcibiades was a prominent Athenian statesman, orator, and general.
The last famous member of an aristocratic family that fell from
prominence after the Peloponnesian War, he played a major role in the
second half of that conflict as a strategic advisor, military
commander, and politician. During the course of the Peloponnesian War,
Alcibiades changed his allegiance on several occasions. In his native
Athens in the early 410s BC, he advocated for an aggressive foreign
policy, and was a prominent proponent of the Sicilian Expedition, but
fled to Sparta after his political enemies brought charges of
sacrilege against him. In the years that he served Sparta, Alcibiades
played a crucial role in Athens' undoing; the capture of Decelea and
the revolts of several critical Athenian subjects occurred either at
his suggestion or under his supervision. Once restored to his native
city, however, he played a crucial role in a string of Athenian
victories that eventually brought Sparta to seek a peace with Athens.
He favored unconventional tactics, frequently winning cities over by
treachery or negotiation rather than by siege. Alcibiades' military
and political talents frequently proved valuable to whichever state
currently held his allegiance, but his capacity for making powerful
enemies ensured that he never remained in one place for long, and, by
the end of the war that he had helped rekindle in the early 410s, his
days of political relevance were a bygone memory.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcibiades
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1301:
The Árpád dynasty in Hungary ended with the death of King Andrew III.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Árpád_dynasty)
1639:
The Fundamental Orders, the first written constitution that created a
government, was adopted in Connecticut.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_Orders_of_Connecticut)
1900:
Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in
Rome.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tosca)
1972:
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark ascended to the throne under a new act
of succession.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margrethe_II_of_Denmark)
2004:
The national flag of Georgia, the so-called Five Cross Flag, was
restored to official use after a hiatus of some 500 years.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Georgia_(country))
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
I still feel that sincerity and realism are avant-garde, or can be,
just as I did when I started out. -- Edmund White
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edmund_White)
Richard III is a 1955 British film adaptation of William Shakespeare's
historical play Richard III. The film also contains elements of
Shakespeare's Henry VI, part 3. It was directed by Laurence Olivier,
who also played Richard. The cast includes many noted Shakespearean
actors of the time, including a quartet of acting knights. The film
depicts Richard plotting and conspiring to grasp the throne from his
brother, King Edward, played by Cedric Hardwicke. In the process, many
are killed and betrayed, with Richard's evil leading to his own
downfall. The prologue of the film states that history without its
legends would be "a dry matter indeed", thus the film admits that it
is not portraying the actual events of the time, but rather the
legend. Many critics now consider Olivier's Richard III his best
screen version of Shakespeare. As well, the British Film Institute has
called Olivier's rendition of the play "definitive" and that it has
done more to popularize Shakespeare than any other single piece of
work.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_%281955_film%29
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1838:
In order to avoid anti-Mormon persecution, Joseph Smith, Jr.
and his followers fled Ohio for Missouri.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith%2C_Jr.)
1967:
James Bedford became the first person to be cryonically frozen with
intent of future resuscitation.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryonics)
1969:
British rock band Led Zeppelin released their first record album, Led
Zeppelin.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin)
1970:
The self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra in southeastern Nigeria
capitulated, ending the Nigerian Civil War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biafra)
1971:
The American situation comedy All in the Family, starring Carroll
O'Connor, was first broadcast on the CBS television network. It became
the first show to depict controversial issues previously deemed
unsuitable for network television comedy.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_in_the_Family)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Society is indeed a contract... it is not a partnership in things
subservient only to the gross animal existence of a temporary and
perishable nature. It is a partnership in all science; a partnership
in all art; a partnership in every virtue, and in all perfection. As
the ends of such a partnership cannot be obtained in many generations,
it becomes a partnership not only between those who are living, but
between those who are to be born. -- Edmund Burke
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke)
Half-Life 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game
and the sequel to Half-Life. It was developed by the Valve Software
Corporation and was released on November 16 2004 following a
protracted five-year development cycle during which the game's source
code was leaked to the Internet. The game garnered near unanimous
positive reviews and received critical acclaim, winning over 35 Game
of the Year awards for 2005. Originally available only for
Windows-based personal computers, the game has since been ported onto
the Xbox console, and is due to be released additionally for the Xbox
360 and PlayStation 3 in 2007. Taking place in and around the
fictional City 17 sometime in the near future, Half-Life 2 follows the
scientist Gordon Freeman. Dr. Freeman is thrust into a dystopian
environment in which the aftermath of the Black Mesa Incident has come
to bear fully upon human society. The game uses the Source game
engine, which includes a heavily modified version of the Havok physics
engine. Overall, the Half-Life franchise, including Counter-Strike and
Day of Defeat, has seen over 15 million sales.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Life_2
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1787:
William Herschel discovered the Uranian moons Titania and Oberon.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titania_(moon))
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberon_(moon))
1879:
The Anglo-Zulu War broke out.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Zulu_War)
1922:
Insulin was first administered to a human patient with diabetes in
Toronto, Canada.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin)
1923:
Troops from France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr Area to force the
German Weimar Republic to pay its reparation payments in the aftermath
of World War I.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_the_Ruhr)
1964:
In a landmark report, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Leonidas Terry
issued the warning that smoking may be hazardous for one's health.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Leonidas_Terry)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Has it been found that bodies of men act with more rectitude or
greater disinterestedness than individuals? The contrary of this has
been inferred by all accurate observers of the conduct of mankind; and
the inference is founded upon obvious reasons. Regard to reputation
has a less active influence, when the infamy of a bad action is to be
divided among a number than when it is to fall singly upon one. A
spirit of faction, which is apt to mingle its poison in the
deliberations of all bodies of men, will often hurry the persons of
whom they are composed into improprieties and excesses, for which they
would blush in a private capacity. -- Alexander Hamilton
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton)
The fauna of Puerto Rico is similar to other island archipelago
faunas, exhibiting high levels of endemism and low, skewed taxonomic
diversity. Bats are the only extant native terrestrial mammals in
Puerto Rico. Other terrestrial mammals are introduced species such as
cats, goats, sheep, the Indian Mongoose, and escaped monkeys. Marine
mammals include dolphins, manatees and whales. Of the 349 bird
species, about 120 breed in the archipelago and 47.5% are accidental
or rare. The most recognizable and famous animal of Puerto Rico is
probably the coquí, a small endemic frog and one of the 85 species
that comprise Puerto Rico's herpetofauna. No native freshwater fish
occur in Puerto Rico, but some species, introduced by humans, have
established populations in reservoirs and rivers. The low
richness-high diversity pattern is also apparent among invertebrates,
which constitute most of the archipelago's fauna. The arrival of
indigenous people about 4,000 years ago and, to a larger extent, of
Europeans more than 500 years ago had a significant impact on Puerto
Rico's fauna. Hunting, habitat destruction, and the introduction of
non-native species led to extinctions and extirpations. Conservation
efforts, the most notable for the Puerto Rican Parrot, began in the
second half of the 20th century.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauna_of_Puerto_Rico
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1475:
In the Battle of Vaslui, Stephen the Great and his Moldavian forces
successfully repelled an Ottoman attack led by Hadân Suleiman Pasha,
the Beylerbeyi of Rumelia.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vaslui)
1810:
Napoleon, childless after 14 years of marriage, divorced his first
wife Empress Joséphine.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joséphine_de_Beauharnais)
1776:
Thomas Paine published Common Sense, which galvanized the American
Revolution among the populace.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_(pamphlet))
1927:
The film Metropolis was released. It was the most expensive silent
film of the time, costing approximately 7 million Reichsmark to make.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(film))
1946:
The first General Assembly of the United Nations opened in London's
Westminster Central Hall. Fifty-one member states were represented.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Science and mathematics
Run parallel to reality, they symbolize it, they squint at it,
They never touch it: consider what an explosion
Would rock the bones of men into little white fragments and unsky the\
world
If any mind for a moment touch truth. -- Robinson Jeffers
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robinson_Jeffers)
An invasion is a military action consisting of armed forces of one
geopolitical entity entering territory controlled by another such
entity, generally with the objective of conquering territory or
altering the established government. An invasion can be the cause of a
war, it can be used as a part of a larger strategy to end a war, or it
can constitute an entire war in and of itself. The term usually
connotes a strategic endeavor of substantial magnitude; because the
goals of an invasion are usually large-scale and long-term, large
forces are needed to hold territory and protect the interests of the
invading entity. Smaller and lighter tactical infiltrations are not
generally considered invasions, being more often classified as
skirmishes, sorties, targeted killings, assassinations or
reconnaissance in force. By definition, an invasion is an attack from
outside forces. As such, rebellions, civil wars, coups d'etat, and
internal acts of democide or other acts of oppression are generally
not considered invasions.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1768:
Philip Astley staged the first modern circus in London.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus)
1839:
The French Academy of Sciences announced the Daguerreotype
photographic process, named after its inventor, Louis Daguerre.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daguerreotype)
1878:
Humbert the Good became King of Italy.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umberto_I)
1916:
World War I: In Gallipoli, the Ottoman Empire was victorious in the
Battle of Çanakkale.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gallipoli)
1964:
Martyrs' Day in Panama: A four-day riot erupted over sovereignty of
the Canal Zone.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrs'_Day)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
I think it is possible, and that is the most dramatic element in
modern civilization, that a human truth is opposed to another human
truth no less human, ideal against ideal, positive worth against worth
no less positive, instead of the struggle being as we are so often
told, one between noble truth and vile selfish error. -- Karel Čapek
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Karel_%C4%8Capek)
Operation Auca was an attempt by five Evangelical Christian
missionaries from the United States to make contact with the Huaorani
people of the rainforest of Ecuador. The Huaorani, also known as the
Aucas, were an isolated tribe known for their violence, both against
their own people and outsiders who entered their territory. With the
intention of being the first Protestants to evangelize the Huaorani,
the missionaries began making regular flights over Huaorani
settlements in September 1955, dropping gifts. After several months
of exchanging gifts, on January 2, 1956, the missionaries established
a camp at "Palm Beach", a sandbar along the Curaray River, a few miles
from Huaorani settlements. Their efforts culminated on January 8,
1956, when all five—Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming,
and Roger Youderian—were attacked and speared by a group of Huaorani
warriors. The news of their deaths was broadcast around the world,
and Life magazine covered the event with a photo essay. The deaths of
the men galvanized the missionary effort in the United States,
sparking an outpouring of funding for evangelization efforts around
the world. Their work is still frequently remembered in evangelical
publications, and in 2006, was the subject of the film production End
of the Spear.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Auca
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1198:
Lotario de Conti became Pope Innocent III. His first act was the
restoration of the papal power in Rome.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Innocent_III)
1815:
War of 1812: The United States Army led by Andrew Jackson won the
Battle of New Orleans two weeks after the signing of the Treaty of
Ghent.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Orleans)
1889:
Herman Hollerith received a patent for his electric tabulating
machine.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Hollerith)
1989:
British Midland Flight 92 crashed onto the embankment of the M1
motorway in the Kegworth air disaster.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kegworth_air_disaster)
2004:
RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest passenger ship ever built, was
christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary_2)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Some marry the first information they receive, and turn what comes
later into their concubine. Since deceit is always first to arrive,
there is no room left for truth. -- Baltasar Gracián
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Baltasar_Graci%C3%A1n)
The Adventures of Tintin is a comic book series created by Belgian
artist Hergé. The series first appeared in 1929 in a children's
supplement to the French-language Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième
Siècle. Set in a painstakingly researched world closely mirroring
reality, The Adventures of Tintin presents colourful characters in
distinctive, well-realised settings. The hero of the series is the
eponymous Tintin, a young reporter and traveller aided in his
adventures by his faithful dog Snowy. The success of the series saw
serialised strips collected into albums, spun into a successful
magazine, and adapted for both film and theatre. The series is one of
the most popular European comics of the 20th century, with
translations published in over 50 languages and more than 200 million
copies of the books sold to date. The comic strip series has long been
admired for its clean, expressive drawings, done in Hergé's signature
ligne claire style. The Adventures of Tintin straddles a variety of
genres, from mysteries to political thrillers to science fiction.
Stories always feature slapstick humour, offset in later albums by
sophisticated satire and political and cultural commentary.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tintin
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1477:
Charles the Bold died at the Battle of Nancy, leading to the
annexation of Burgundy by France.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I%2C_Duke_of_Burgundy)
1527:
Felix Manz, a leader of the Anabaptist congregation in Zürich, was
executed by drowning.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Manz)
1968:
Alexander Dubček came to power in Czechoslovakia, beginning a
political reform known as "Socialism with a human face".
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Dub%C4%8Dek)
2005:
Eris, the largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System, was
discovered by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David
L. Rabinowitz using images originally taken in 2003 at the Palomar
Observatory.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eris_(dwarf_planet))
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
All statements are true in some sense, false in some sense,
meaningless in some sense, true and false in some sense, true and
meaningless in some sense, false and meaningless in some sense, and
true and false and meaningless in some sense. -- Principia Discordia
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Principia_Discordia)
John Brooke-Little was an influential and popular writer on heraldic
subjects and a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in
London, England. In 1947, while still a student, Brooke-Little founded
the "Society of Heraldic Antiquaries", now known as The Heraldry
Society and recognized as one of the leading learned societies in its
field. He served as the society's chairman for 50 years and then as
its President from 1997 until his death in 2006. In addition to
founding this group, Brooke-Little was involved in other heraldic
groups and societies and worked for many years as an officer of arms.
Having started his career as Bluemantle Pursuivant, Brooke-Little
worked his way up to the second-highest heraldic office in
England–Clarenceux King of Arms.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brooke-Little
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1698:
Most of the Palace of Whitehall in London, the main residence of the
English monarchs, was destroyed by fire.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Whitehall)
1884:
The Fabian Society, a socialist intellectual movement, was founded in
London.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Society)
1936:
Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_(magazine))
1948:
Thakin Nu of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League presided over
the independence of Burma (now Myanmar) from the British Empire.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Myanmar)
2004:
The NASA Mars Rover Spirit landed successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MER-A)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Men learn little from others' experience. But in the life of one man,
never the same time returns. -- T.S. Eliot, in Murder in the Cathedral
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/T.S._Eliot)
Yarralumla is a large suburb within Canberra, the capital city of
Australia. Located approximately 3.5 kilometres south-west of the city
centre, Yarralumla extends along the southern bank of Lake Burley
Griffin. Europeans first settled the area in 1828, and it was named
Yarralumla in 1834 from the Ngunnwal Indigenous Australian name for
the area. Yarralumla is most noted for being the site of Government
House, the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia,
built in 1891. The suburb was officially gazetted in 1928 and today is
home to approximately 3000 people and many diplomatic missions. In
recent years, it has become one of Canberra's most desirable and
expensive suburbs because of its leafy streets, attractive lakeside
setting and central location.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarralumla%2C_Australian_Capital_Territory
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1521:
Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther from the Roman Catholic Church
after Luther refused to retract 41 of his 95 theses.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_X)
1749:
Benning Wentworth began to issue the New Hampshire Grants on land
which was also claimed by New York, and is now Vermont.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire_Grants)
1958:
Ten former British colonies in the Caribbean joined to form a new
independent country, the West Indies Federation.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Indies_Federation)
1973:
George Steinbrenner and a group of investors bought the New York
Yankees for US$8.7 million.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Steinbrenner)
1990:
United States invasion of Panama: General Manuel Noriega, the deposed
"strongman of Panama", surrendered.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_invasion_of_Panama)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
Each comprehended only that part of the mind of Ilúvatar from which he
came, and in the understanding of their brethren they grew but slowly.
Yet ever as they listened they came to deeper understanding, and
increased in unison and harmony. -- J. R. R. Tolkien in The
Silmarillion
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien)