The Italian War of 1521–1526 was a part of the Italian Wars. The war
pitted Francis I of France and the Republic of Venice against the Holy
Roman Emperor Charles V, Henry VIII of England, and the Papal States.
The conflict arose from animosity over the election of Charles as
Emperor in 1519–20 and from Pope Leo X's need to ally with Charles
against Martin Luther. The war broke out across western Europe late in
1521 when the French invaded Navarre and the Low Countries. Imperial
forces overcame the invasion and attacked northern France, where they
were stopped in turn. The Pope, the Emperor, and Henry VIII then signed
a formal alliance against France, and hostilities began on the Italian
peninsula. At the Battle of Bicocca, Imperial and Papal forces defeated
the French, driving them from Lombardy. Following the battle, fighting
again spilled onto French soil, while Venice made a separate peace. The
English invaded France in 1523. A French attempt to regain Lombardy in
1524 failed and provided Bourbon with an opportunity to invade Provence
at the head of a Spanish army. Francis himself led a second attack on
Milan in 1525. While he was initially successful in driving back the
Spanish and Imperial forces, his disastrous defeat at the Battle of
Pavia, where he was captured and many of his chief nobles were killed,
led to the end of the war. Although the Italian Wars would continue for
another three decades, they would end with France having failed to
regain any substantial territories in Italy.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_War_of_1521%E2%80%931526>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1775:
American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Quebec, British forces
repulsed an attack by the Continental Army to capture Quebec City and
enlist French Canadian support.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Quebec_%281775%29>
1857:
Queen Victoria selected Ottawa as the capital of the British colony of
Canada.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa>
1972:
American baseball player Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash en
route to deliver aid to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Clemente>
1999:
Boris Yeltsin, the first democratically elected President of Russia,
resigned and named Vladimir Putin as Acting President.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Yeltsin>
2004:
Taipei 101 in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan, one of the world's
tallest skyscrapers, opened to the public.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ancillary (adj):
Subordinate; secondary; auxiliary; accessory
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ancillary>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy... Let's go exploring!
--w:Calvin and Hobbes
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/w%3ACalvin_and_Hobbes>
Dr Pepper Ballpark is the home ballpark of the Frisco RoughRiders Class
AA minor league baseball club. Located in Frisco, Texas, U.S., the
stadium has a capacity of up to 10,600. The ballpark is host to
numerous functions in addition to minor league baseball games,
including corporate and charity events, wedding receptions, city of
Frisco events, and church services. Local soft drink manufacturer Dr
Pepper/Seven Up holds naming rights and exclusive non-alcoholic
beverage rights in the park. Since its opening in 2003, the Dr Pepper
Ballpark has won awards and garnered praise for its unique design,
feel, and numerous facilities. In his design, park architect David M.
Schwarz desired the creation of a village-like "park within a
(ball)park". Dr Pepper Ballpark received the 2003 Texas Construction
award for Best Architectural Design and was named the best new ballpark
in the country by BaseballParks.com.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr_Pepper_Ballpark>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1880:
Paul Kruger, who would eventually become the international face of the
Boer resistance during the Second Boer War, was elected President of
the Transvaal Republic.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Kruger>
1896:
Philippine Revolution: Nationalist José Rizal was executed by a firing
squad in Manila after Spanish authorities convicted him of rebellion,
sedition, and conspiracy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Rizal>
1903:
In the deadliest single-building fire in United States history, the
Iroquois Theater Fire claimed 602 lives in Chicago.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroquois_Theater_Fire>
1947:
Michael, King of Romania, was forced to abdicate as the Kingdom of
Romania became Communist Romania.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_of_Romania>
2006:
Former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein was executed after being found
guilty of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_of_Saddam_Hussein>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
monochrome (n):
1. A black and white image, especially a photograph.
2. A ceramic glaze of a single colour, or an object so glazed.
3.
<span class="qualifier-brac">(</span><span
class="qualifier-content">dated</span><span
class="qualifier-brac">)</span> A painting executed in shades of a
single colour
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/monochrome>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is the artist's business to create sunshine when the sun fails.
--Romain Rolland
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Romain_Rolland>
Mysore is the second-largest city in the state of Karnataka, India. It
is the headquarters of the Mysore district and the Mysore division and
lies about 146 km (91 mi) southwest of Bangalore, the capital of
Karnataka. The name Mysore is an anglicised version of Mahishūru, which
means the abode of Mahisha. Mahisha stands for Mahishasura, a demon
from Hindu mythology. The city is spread across an area of 128.42 km2
(50 sq mi) and is situated at the base of the Chamundi Hills. Mysore is
famous for the festivities that take place during the Dasara festival
when the city receives a large number of tourists. Mysore also lends
its name to the Mysore mallige, Mysore style of painting, the sweet
dish Mysore Pak, Mysore Peta (traditional silk turban) and the garment
called the Mysore silk saree. Until 1947, Mysore was the capital of the
Kingdom of Mysore which was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty, except for a
brief period in the late 18th century when Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan
took power. The Wodeyars were patrons of art and culture and have
contributed significantly to the cultural growth of the city, which has
led to Mysore earning the sobriquet Cultural capital of Karnataka.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysore>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1170:
Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket was slain in his own cathedral
by four knights of Henry II of England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Becket>
1845:
The Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States, becoming the
28th U.S. state admitted into the union.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Texas>
1860:
To counter the French Navy's La Gloire, the world's first ironclad
warship, the British Royal Navy launched the world's first iron-hulled
armoured battleship, HMS Warrior.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Warrior_%281860%29>
1911:
Sun Yat-sen was elected as the provisional President of the Republic of
China by representatives from provinces in Nanjing.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Yat-sen>
1930:
During an address in Allahabad, poet and philosopher Muhammad Iqbal
introduced what became known as the Two-Nation Theory outlining a
vision for the creation of an independent state for Muslim-majority
provinces in northwestern India.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Iqbal>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
impetuous (adj):
1. Making arbitrary decisions, especially in an impulsive and forceful
manner.
2. Characterized by sudden and violent force
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/impetuous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop
at the border? There is a brotherhood among all men. This must be
recognized if life is to remain. We must learn the love of man.
--Pablo Casals
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pablo_Casals>
William Barley (1565?–1614) was an English bookseller and publisher. He
completed an apprenticeship as a draper in 1587, but was soon working
in the London book trade. As a freeman of the Drapers' Company, he was
embroiled in a dispute between it and the Stationers' Company over the
rights of drapers to function as publishers and booksellers. He found
himself in legal tangles throughout his life. Barley's role in
Elizabethan music publishing has proved to be a "contentious" issue
among scholars. The assessments of him range from "a man of energy,
determination, and ambition", to "somewhat remarkable", to "surely to
some extent a rather nefarious figure". His contemporaries harshly
criticized the quality of two of the first works of music that he
published, but he was also influential in his field. After becoming the
assignee of the composer and publisher Thomas Morley, Barley published
Anthony Holborne's Pavans, Galliards, Almains (1599), the first work of
music for instruments rather than voices to be printed in England. His
partnership with Morley enabled him to claim a right to the music
publishing patent that Morley held prior to his death in 1602. Some
publishers ignored his claim, however, and many music books printed
during his later life gave him no recognition.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Barley>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1065:
London's Westminster Abbey was consecrated, becoming the traditional
place of coronation for English, and now Monarchs of the Commonwealth
Realms.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey>
1768:
Taksin the Great was crowned king of the newly established Thonburi
Kingdom in the new capital at Thonburi, present-day Thailand.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taksin>
1836:
At the Old Gum Tree near present-day Adelaide, Royal Navy Rear–Admiral
John Hindmarsh read a proclamation establishing the British province of
South Australia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australia>
1973:
U.S. President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into
law, a wide-ranging environmental law designed to protect critically
imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth
and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation."
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act>
1989:
In one of Australia's most serious natural disasters, a 5.6 ML
earthquake struck Newcastle, New South Wales, killing 13 people and
injuring more than 160 others, and causing an estimated AUD$4 billion
in damages.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Newcastle_earthquake>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
fiddle (v):
1. To play aimlessly.
2. To adjust in order to cover a basic flaw or fraud etc.
3. To play
the violin
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fiddle>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Nothing is so galling to a people not broken in from the birth as a
paternal, or, in other words, a meddling government, a government which
tells them what to read, and say, and eat, and drink and wear.
--Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Babington_Macaulay%2C_1st_Baron_Macaulay>
Prairie Avenue is a north–south thoroughfare on the South Side of
Chicago, which historically extended from 16th Street in the Near South
Side community area of Chicago to the city's southern limits and
beyond. The street has a rich history from its origins as a major trail
for horseback riders and carriages. During the last three decades of
the 19th century, a six-block section of the street served as the
residence of many of Chicago’s elite families and an additional
four-block section was also known for grand homes. The upper six-block
section includes the historic Prairie Avenue District, which was
declared a Chicago Landmark and added to the National Register of
Historic Places. Several of Chicago's most important historical figures
have lived on the street, especially after the Great Chicago Fire of
1871 when many of the most important families in the city moved to the
street. Preservation battles regarding properties on the street have
been notable with one having been chronicled on the front page of The
New York Times. As of 2009, the street is being redeveloped.
Redevelopment has extended the street north to accommodate new
high-rise condominiums, such as One Museum Park, along Roosevelt Road
(12th Street) and bordering Grant Park.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_Avenue>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
537:
The current Hagia Sophia building in Istanbul, originally built as a
church before it later became a mosque in 1453 and then a museum in
1935, was inaugurated.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia>
1831:
Aboard HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin left Plymouth, England, on what
became an historic expedition to South America that made his name as a
naturalist.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_voyage_of_HMS_Beagle>
1904:
Scottish author and dramatist J. M. Barrie's stage play Peter Pan, or
The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, about a mischievous little boy who can
fly, premiered in London.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_and_Wendy>
1918:
A public speech by famed Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski in
Poznań sparked the Greater Poland Uprising against Germany and Prussia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacy_Jan_Paderewski>
2007:
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was assassinated while
she was leaving a political rally of Pakistan Peoples Party supporters
at Liaquat National Bagh in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Benazir_Bhutto>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
inexorably (adv):
In an inexorable manner; without the possibility of stopping or
preventing
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inexorably>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There never is any such thing as one truth to be found in dramatic art.
There are many. These truths challenge each other, recoil from each
other, reflect each other, ignore each other, tease each other, are
blind to each other. Sometimes you feel you have the truth of a moment
in your hand, then it slips through your fingers and is lost.
--Harold Pinter
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harold_Pinter>
The Rolls-Royce R was a British aero engine designed and built
specifically for air racing purposes by Rolls-Royce Limited. Developed
from the Rolls-Royce Buzzard, it was a 37-litre (2,240 cu in) capacity,
supercharged V-12 capable of producing just under 2,800 horsepower
(2,090 kW), and weighed 1,640 pounds (770 kg). Factory testing
initially revealed mechanical failures that were reduced by the use of
redesigned components, greatly improving reliability. The R was highly
successful during its use in the Schneider Trophy seaplane competitions
held in England in 1929 and 1931. Shortly after the 1931 competition,
an R engine using a special fuel blend powered the winning Supermarine
S.6B aircraft to a new airspeed record of over 400 miles per hour
(640 km/h). Continuing through the 1930s, both new and used R engines
were used to achieve various land and water speed records by such
racing personalities as Sir Henry Segrave, Sir Malcolm Campbell, and
his son Donald; the last record was set in 1939. Nineteen R engines
were assembled in a limited production run between 1929 and 1931. The
experience gained by Rolls-Royce and Supermarine designers was
invaluable in the subsequent development of the Rolls-Royce Merlin
engine and the Spitfire.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_R>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1606:
The first recorded performance of the play King Lear, a tragedy by
William Shakespeare based on the legend of King Lear of Britain, was
held.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Lear>
1790:
French Revolution: Louis XVI of France gave his Royal Assent to the
Civil Constitution of the Clergy, subordinating the Roman Catholic
Church in France to the French government.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Constitution_of_the_Clergy>
1806:
War of the Fourth Coalition: French troops under Napoleon engaged
Russian forces in both the Battles of Pultusk and Golymin.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pu%C5%82tusk>
1898:
At the French Academy of Sciences, physicists Pierre and Marie Curie
announced the discovery of a new element, naming it radium.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/radium>
2006:
The Hengchun earthquake struck off the southwest coast of Taiwan,
coincidentally on the second anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean
earthquake that devastated the coastal communities across Southeast and
South Asia, and on the third anniversary of the 2003 Bam earthquake
that destroyed areas of southeastern Iran.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Hengchun_earthquake>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
supernal (adj):
1. Pertaining to heaven or to the sky; celestial.
2. Exalted, exquisite, superlative
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/supernal>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Hear from the grave, great Taliessin, hear;
They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.
Bright Rapture calls, and
soaring, as she sings,
Waves in the eye of Heav'n her many-colour'd wings.
--Thomas Gray
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Gray>
The Christmas 1994 nor'easter was an intense cyclone along the East
Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada. It developed from an
area of low pressure in the southeast Gulf of Mexico near the Florida
Keys, and moved across the state of Florida. As it entered the warm
waters of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, it began to rapidly
intensify, exhibiting traits of a tropical system, including the
formation of an eye. It attained a pressure of 970 millibars on
December 23 and 24, and after moving northward, it came ashore near New
York City on Christmas Eve. Due to the uncertain nature of the storm,
the National Hurricane Center (NHC) did not classify it as a tropical
cyclone. Heavy rain from the developing storm contributed to
significant flooding in South Carolina. Much of the rest of the East
Coast was affected by high winds, coastal flooding, and beach erosion.
New York State and New England bore the brunt of the storm; damage was
extensive on Long Island, and in Connecticut, 130,000 households lost
electric power during the storm. Widespread damage and power outages
also occurred throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts, where the
storm generated 30-foot (9.1 m) waves along the coast.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_1994_nor%27easter>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
800:
In Rome's St. Peter's Basilica, Frankish King Charlemagne was crowned
Imperator Augustus by Pope Leo III as a rival of the Byzantine Emperor
in Constantinople.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne>
1100:
Baldwin of Boulogne was crowned as the first King of Jerusalem in the
Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_I_of_Jerusalem>
1776:
American Revolutionary War: George Washington and his army crossed the
Delaware River to launch a surprise attack on Hessian mercenaries at
the Battle of Trenton.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%27s_crossing_of_the_Delaware_River>
1927:
The Vietnamese Nationalist Party, a revolutionary socialist political
party that sought independence from French colonial rule in Vietnam,
was formed in Hanoi.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viet_Nam_Quoc_Dan_Dang>
1941:
World War II: The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after Mark
Aitchison Young, the Governor of Hong Kong, surrendered the territory
to Japan after 18 days of fierce fighting.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_occupation_of_Hong_Kong>
2003:
The Beagle 2 space probe, part of the European Space Agency's Mars
Express mission, disappeared shortly before its scheduled landing on
Mars.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle_2>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
chiliasm (n):
Belief in an earthly thousand-year period of peace and prosperity,
sometimes equated with the return of Jesus for that period
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chiliasm>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not
Christmas in his heart.
--Helen Keller
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Helen_Keller>
French Texas was the period of Texas history from 1685 until 1689.
During this time, a French colony, Fort Saint Louis, existed near what
is now Inez, Texas. Explorer Robert de La Salle intended to found the
colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River, but inaccurate maps and
navigational errors caused his ships to instead anchor 400 miles
(644 km) west, off the coast of Texas near Matagorda Bay. The colony
faced numerous difficulties during its brief existence, including
hostile Native Americans, epidemics, and harsh conditions. Mindful of
his original mission, La Salle led several expeditions to find the
Mississippi River; instead, he explored much of the Rio Grande and
parts of East Texas. During one of his absences in 1686 the colony's
last ship was wrecked, leaving the colonists unable to obtain supplies
from the French colonies in the Caribbean Sea. As conditions
deteriorated, La Salle realized the colony could only survive with help
from French settlements in Illinois Country. His last expedition ended
along the Brazos River in early 1687 when La Salle and five of his men
were murdered by rivals in the group. Although a handful of men reached
Illinois, help never arrived. The remaining members of the colony were
killed or captured during a Karankawa raid in late 1688. Although the
colony lasted only three years, its existence established France's
claim to possession of the region that is now Texas, and later
supported the claim by the United States to the region as part of the
Louisiana Purchase.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Texas>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1777:
An expedition led by English explorer James Cook reached Christmas
Island, the largest coral atoll in the world.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiritimati>
1814:
The Treaty of Ghent was signed in Ghent, present-day Belgium, ending
the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom and the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ghent>
1865:
Six Confederate veterans of the American Civil War founded the Ku Klux
Klan, which would later become a white supremacist group.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan>
1964:
The Vietcong bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, killing two US Army
officers, raising fears of an escalation in the Vietnam War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Brinks_Hotel_bombing>
1968:
Astronaut William Anders of the NASA spacecraft Apollo 8, the first
manned voyage to orbit the Moon, took the famous photograph known as
"Earthrise" , showing the Earth rising above the lunar surface.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthrise>
1974:
Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin, Australia, eventually destroying more than
70 percent of the city.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Tracy>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
unobtrusively (adv):
In an unobtrusive manner; in a manner that is not noticeable or blatant
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unobtrusively>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and
destroying, keeping everything whirling and flowing, allowing no rest
but in rhythmical motion, chasing everything in endless song out of one
beautiful form into another.
--John Muir
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Muir>
Z. Marcas is an 1840 novelette by French author Honoré de Balzac. Set
in contemporary Paris, it describes the rise and fall of a brilliant
political strategist who is abandoned by the politicians he helps into
power. Destitute and forgotten, he befriends a pair of students who
live next door to him in a boarding-house. The story follows their many
discussions about the political situation in France. Balzac was
inspired to write the story after he spotted the name "Z. Marcas" on a
sign for a tailor's shop in Paris. It was published in July 1840, in
the Revue Parisienne, a magazine he had founded that year. One year
later it appeared in a collection from various authors under the title
La Mort d'un ambitieux ("The Death of an Ambitious Man"). Balzac later
placed it in the Scènes de la vie politique section of his vast novel
sequence La Comédie humaine. Although Z. Marcas features characters
from other Balzac stories and elements of literary realism – both
hallmarks of Balzac's style – it is remembered primarily for its
political themes. Balzac, a legitimist, believed that France's lack of
bold leadership had led to mediocrity and ruin, and that men of quality
were being ignored or worse. He maintained that the youth of France
were in danger of being abandoned by the government, and predicted
unrest in the years to come. The story also explores Balzac's
conviction that a person's name is a powerful indicator of his or her
destiny, an idea he drew from the work of Laurence Sterne. The title
character, with his keen intellect, is based on Balzac's conception of
himself: a visionary genius who fails to achieve his true potential
because of less talented individuals with more social power.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z._Marcas>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
962:
Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas,
Byzantine troops stormed the city of Aleppo, recovering the tattered
tunic of John the Baptist.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine%E2%80%93Arab_Wars_%28780%E2%80%93118…>
1620:
Construction of the Plymouth Colony, an English colonial venture in
what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA, began two days after the
first landing party arrived at the site.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony>
1823:
A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as The Night Before Christmas,
was first published anonymously. Authorship was later attributed to
Clement Clarke Moore.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Visit_from_St._Nicholas>
1888:
During a bout of mental illness, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh
stalked his friend French painter Paul Gauguin with a razor, and then
afterwards infamously cut off the lower part of his own left ear and
gave it to a prostitute.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh>
1972:
The Nicaraguan capital of Managua was struck by a 6.5 magnitude
earthquake, killing more than 10,000 people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Nicaragua_earthquake>
1986:
Piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, Voyager became the first
aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, landing
in California's Edwards Air Force Base after a nine-day trip.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutan_Voyager>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
dulse (n):
A seaweed of a reddish-brown color (Palmaria palmata) which is
sometimes eaten
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dulse>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Working together, we can build a world in which the rule of law — not
the rule of force — governs relations between states. A world in which
leaders respect the rights of their people, and nations seek peace, not
destruction or domination. And neither we nor anyone else should live
in fear ever again.
--Wesley Clark
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wesley_Clark>
The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although
the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the
Icelandic refer to it as a horse. Icelandic horses are late-developers,
but are also long-lived and hardy. In their native country they have
few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into
the country and exported animals are not allowed to return. The
Icelandic displays two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, and
canter/gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. The only breed of
horse in Iceland, they are also popular internationally, and sizable
populations exist in Europe and North America. The breed is still used
for traditional farm work in its native country, as well as for
leisure, showing, and racing. Developed from ponies taken to Iceland by
Viking settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, the breed is mentioned
in literature and historical records throughout Icelandic history; the
first reference to a named horse appears in the 12th century. Horses
were worshipped in Norse mythology, a custom brought to Iceland by the
country's earliest settlers. Selective breeding over the centuries has
developed the breed into its current form. Natural selection has also
played a role, as the harsh Icelandic climate eliminated many horses
through cold and starvation. In the 1780s, much of the breed was wiped
out in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_horse>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1808:
German composer Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Fifth Symphony,
currently one of the most popular and well-known compositions in all of
European classical music, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._5_%28Beethoven%29>
1885:
Itō Hirobumi, a samurai from Chōshū, became the first Prime Minister of
Japan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%C5%8D_Hirobumi>
1947:
The Constitution of the Italian Republic was enacted by the Constituent
Assembly.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Italy>
1963:
A total of 128 people died when the ocean liner TSMS Lakonia burned at
sea 180 miles (290 km) north of Madeira.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSMS_Lakonia>
1989:
Berlin's historic Brandenburg Gate re-opened after nearly 30 years,
symbolizing the unity of East and West Germany.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Gate>
2001:
Burhanuddin Rabbani of the Northern Alliance handed over power in
Afghanistan to the interim government headed by Hamid Karzai.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Karzai>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
altruistic (adj):
Regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/altruistic>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
While you live ... you have a duty to life. ... The fey wonders of the
world only exist while there are those with the sight to see them. ...
Otherwise they fade away.
--Charles de Lint
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_de_Lint>