Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written towards the beginning of the career of
playwright William Shakespeare about two teenage "star-cross'd lovers" whose
untimely deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among
Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet,
is one of his most frequently performed plays. Its plot is based on an
Italian tale, translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and
Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562, and retold in prose in Palace of Pleasure
by William Painter in 1582. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both, but
developed supporting characters, particularly Mercutio and Paris, in order
to expand the plot. Believed to be written between 1591 and 1595, the play
was first published in a quarto version in 1597. The play ascribes different
poetic forms to different characters, sometimes changing the form as the
character develops. John Gielgud's 1935 version kept very close to
Shakespeare's text, and used Elizabethan costumes and staging to enhance the
drama. In the 20th century the play has been adapted in versions as diverse
as MGM's comparatively faithful 1936 film, the 1950s stage musical West Side
Story, and 1996's MTV-inspired Romeo + Juliet.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1779:
English explorer James Cook was killed in a fight by Native Hawaiians near
Kealakekua on the Island of Hawaii.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cook>
1876:
Inventor Alexander Graham Bell and electrical engineer Elisha Gray each
filed a patent for the telephone, starting a controversy on who invented the
telecommunications device first.
<
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisha_Gray_and_Alexander_Bell_telephone_contr…
>
1949:
Asbestos miners began a labour strike around Asbestos, Quebec, Canada,
considered one of the causes of the Quiet Revolution.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos_Strike>
1989:
A fatwa was issued for the execution of Salman Rushdie for authoring The
Satanic Verses, a novel Islamic fundamentalists considered blasphemous.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Satanic_Verses_controversy>
2005:
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated when explosives
were detonated as his motorcade drove past the St. George Hotel in Beirut,
sparking the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafik_Hariri>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
callipygous (adj):
Having shapely, beautiful buttocks
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/callipygous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade
itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is
not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in
the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether
there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will
vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that
which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought
as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we
see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then
I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is
love. --Paul of Tarsus
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paul_of_Tarsus>
300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by Frank
Miller, and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The
film is directed by Zack Snyder while Miller served as executive producer
and consultant. The film was shot mostly with a super-imposition chroma key
technique, to help replicate the imagery of the original comic book. Spartan
King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fight to the last man against
Persian 'God-King' Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his army of more than one
million soldiers. As the battle rages, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to
rally support in Sparta for her husband. The story is framed by a voice-over
narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham). Through this
narrative technique, various fantastical creatures are introduced, placing
300 within the genre of historical fantasy. 300 was released in both
conventional and IMAX theaters in the United States on March 9, 2007, and on
DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD on July 31, 2007. The film broke box office records,
although critics were divided over its look and style. Some acclaimed it as
an original achievement, while others criticized it for favoring visuals
over characterization and its controversial depiction of the ancient
Persians.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_%28film%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1689:
Glorious Revolution: Instead of James Francis Edward Stuart, the Prince of
Wales, acceding to the throne, his half-sister Mary and her husband William
were proclaimed co-rulers of England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_II_of_England>
1815:
The Cambridge Union Society, one of the oldest debating societies in the
world, was founded at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Union_Society>
1867:
Work began on the covering of the Senne, burying Brussels' polluted main
waterway to allow urban renewal in the centre of the city.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/covering_of_the_Senne>
1880:
American inventor Thomas Edison observed the Edison Effect, which later
formed the basis of vacuum tube diodes designed by English electrical
engineer John Ambrose Fleming.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermionic_emission>
1945:
World War II: The Allies began the strategic bombing of Dresden in Dresden,
Saxony, Germany, resulting in a lethal firestorm which killed tens of
thousands of civilians.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Dresden_in_World_War_II>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
dogma (n):
1. An authoritative principle, belief, or statement of opinion, especially
one considered to be absolutely true.
2. A doctrine relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth
authoritatively by a religious organization or leader
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dogma>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Love has no uttermost, as the stars have no number and the sea no rest.
--Eleanor Farjeon
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eleanor_Farjeon>
The history of evolutionary thought has roots in antiquity. However, until
the 18th century, Western biological thinking was dominated by essentialism,
the belief that every species has essential characteristics that are fixed
and unalterable. During the Enlightenment, naturalists began to focus on the
variability of species; the emergence of paleontology with the concept of
extinction further undermined the static view of nature. In the early 19th
century, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed his theory of the transmutation of
species, the first fully formed scientific theory of evolution. In 1858,
Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace published a new evolutionary
theory, which was explained in detail in Darwin's On the Origin of Species.
The theory was based on the idea of natural selection. The synthesis of
natural selection with Mendelian genetics during the 1920s and 1930s founded
the new discipline of population genetics. The gene-centered view of
evolution rose to prominence in the 1960s, followed by the neutral theory of
molecular evolution, sparking debates over adaptationism, the units of
selection, and the relative importance of genetic drift versus natural
selection. In the late 20th century, DNA sequencing led to molecular
phylogenetics and the reorganization of the tree of life into the
three-domain system.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_evolutionary_thought>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1733:
James Oglethorpe founded the city of Savannah along with the Province of
Georgia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah%2C_Georgia>
1818:
Led by General Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile formally proclaimed its
independence from Spain.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile>
1909:
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the
oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the United States,
was founded to work on behalf of the rights of African Americans.
<
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Co…
>
1912:
Xinhai Revolution: Puyi (pictured), the last Emperor of China, abdicated
under a deal brokered by military official and politician Yuan Shikai,
formally replacing the Qing Dynasty with a new republic in China.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puyi>
2001:
NASA's robotic space probe NEAR Shoemaker touched down on Eros, becoming one
of the first spacecrafts to land on an asteroid.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEAR_Shoemaker>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
maugre (prep):
(obsolete) notwithstanding; in spite of
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/maugre>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those
who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this
or that problem will never be solved by science. --Charles Darwin
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin>
The buildings and architecture of Bristol are an eclectic combination of
styles, ranging from the medieval to 20th century brutalism and beyond.
During the mid-19th century, Bristol Byzantine, an architectural style
unique to the city was developed, of which several examples have survived.
Buildings from most of the architectural periods of the United Kingdom can
be seen throughout Bristol. Parts of the fortified city and castle date back
to the medieval era, as do some churches dating from the 12th century
onwards. As the city grew, it merged with its surrounding villages, each
with its own character and centre, often clustered around a parish church.
The construction of the city's floating harbour, taking in the wharves on
the Avon and Frome rivers, provided a focus for industrial development and
the growth of the local transport infrastructure, including the Clifton
Suspension Bridge and Temple Meads railway station. The 20th century saw
further expansion of the city, the growth of the University of Bristol, and
the arrival of the aircraft industry. During World War II, the city centre
suffered from extensive bombing during the Bristol Blitz. The redevelopment
of shopping centres, office buildings, and the harbourside continues to this
day.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buildings_and_architecture_of_Bristol>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1858:
Fourteen year-old peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous reported the first of
eighteen Marian apparitions in Lourdes, France, resulting in the town
becoming a major site for pilgrimages by Catholics.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Soubirous>
1929:
To help settle the "Roman Question", Italy and the Holy See of the Roman
Catholic Church agreed to establish the Vatican City as an independent
sovereign enclave within Italy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City>
1979:
During the Iranian Revolution, the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran effectively
collapsed when the military declared itself "neutral" after rebel troops
overwhelmed forces loyal to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in armed street
fighting.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pahlavi_dynasty>
1990:
Anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years,
was released from Victor Verster Prison near Paarl, South Africa.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela>
660 BC:
According to tradition, Emperor Jimmu founded Japan and established his
capital in Yamato.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Jimmu>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
adjacent (adj):
1. Lying next to, close, or contiguous; neighboring; bordering on.
2. Just before, after, or facing
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adjacent>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
In Common Sense Paine flared forth with a document so powerful that the
Revolution became inevitable. Washington recognized the difference, and in
his calm way said that matters never could be the same again. --Thomas
Alva Edison
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Alva_Edison>
The Toa Payoh ritual murders took place in Singapore in 1981. On 25 January
the body of a nine-year-old girl was found dumped next to the lift of a
block of flats in the Toa Payoh district and, two weeks later, a
ten-year-old boy was found dead nearby. The children had been killed as
blood sacrifices to the Hindu goddess, Kali. The murders were masterminded
by Adrian Lim, a self-styled medium, who had tricked scores of women into
believing he had supernatural powers. His victims offered their money and
bodies in exchange for cures, beauty, and good fortune. Two of the women
became his loyal assistants; Tan Mui Choo married him, and Hoe Kah Hong
became one of his "holy wives". When the police investigated a rape charge
filed by one of Lim's targets, he became furious and decided to kill
children to derail the investigations. On each occasion, Hoe lured a child
to Lim's flat where he or she was drugged and killed by the trio. The trio
were arrested after the police found a trail of blood that led to their
flat. The 41-day trial was the second longest to have been held in the
courts of Singapore at the time. None of the defendants denied their guilt.
Their appointed counsels tried to spare their clients the death sentence by
pleading diminished responsibilities, arguing that the accused were mentally
ill and could not be entirely held responsible for the killings. The
prosecution's expert, however, refuted these testimonies and argued that
they were in full control of their mental faculties when they planned and
carried out the murders. The judges agreed with the prosecution's case and
sentenced the trio to death. The three were hanged on 25 November 1988. The
Toa Payoh ritual murders shocked the populace of Singapore, who did not
expect such an act to take place in the heartland of their society.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toa_Payoh_ritual_murders>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1258:
Hulagu Khan and the Mongols sacked and burned Baghdad, a cultural and
commercial centre of the Islamic world at the time, ending the rule of the
Abbasid caliphate.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Baghdad_%281258%29>
1567:
After an explosion destroyed the house in Kirk o' Field, Edinburgh, where he
was staying, the strangled body of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, the King
consort of Scotland, was found in a nearby orchard.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Stuart%2C_Lord_Darnley>
1763:
Britain, France, and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris to end the Seven
Years' War, significantly reducing the size of the French colonial empire
while at the same time marking the beginning of an extensive period of
British dominance outside of Europe.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_%281763%29>
1964:
The Royal Australian Navy aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne collided with the
destroyer HMAS Voyager while both were performing manoeuvres in Jervis Bay
in New South Wales, Australia, killing over eighty of Voyager's crew.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Melbourne_%28R21%29>
1996:
Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in a game of chess, the first ever game
won by a chess-playing computer against a reigning International Grandmaster
and World Chess Champion under chess tournament conditions.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Blue_%28chess_computer%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
reproach (v):
1. To criticize or rebuke someone.
2. To disgrace, or bring shame upon someone
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reproach>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Our theater must stimulate a desire for understanding, a delight in changing
reality. Our audience must experience not only the ways to free Prometheus,
but be schooled in the very desire to free him. Theater must teach all the
pleasures and joys of discovery, all the feelings of triumph associated with
liberation. --Bertolt Brecht
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bertolt_Brecht>
The House of Gediminas were the siblings, children, and grandchildren of
Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania (ca. 1275–1341). The Gediminid dynasty
ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from ca. 1285 or 1316 to 1572, eventually
extending its territories from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Gediminas'
origins are unclear, but recent research suggests that Skalmantas, an
otherwise unknown historical figure, was Gediminas' grandfather or father,
and could be considered the dynasty's founder. Because none of his brothers
or sisters had known heirs, Gediminas, who sired at least twelve children,
had the advantage in establishing sovereignty over his siblings. Known for
his diplomatic skills, Gediminas arranged his children's marriages to suit
the goals of his foreign policy: his sons consolidated Lithuanian power
within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, while his daughters established or
strengthened alliances with the rulers of areas in modern-day Russia,
Ukraine, and Poland. Gediminas' many grandchildren and their descendants
engaged in power struggles that continued well into the 15th century.
Gediminas' grandchildren converted Lithuania to Christianity and inaugurated
the first personal union with Poland. The dynasty came to an end in 1572,
when Sigismund II Augustus died without producing a male heir.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Gediminas>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
474:
As the seven-year old Leo II was deemed too young to rule, his father Zeno
was crowned as the co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno_%28emperor%29>
1825:
After no presidential candidate received a majority of electoral votes, the
United States House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams President
of the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election%2C_1824>
1895:
William G. Morgan, a YMCA physical education director in Holyoke,
Massachusetts, USA, invented a game called Mintonette, which evolved into
volleyball (pictured).
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/volleyball>
1920:
The Spitsbergen Treaty was signed, recognizing Norwegian sovereignty over
the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, but all signatories were also given
equal rights to engage in commercial activities on the islands.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitsbergen_Treaty>
1943:
World War II: Allied forces declared Guadalcanal secure, ending the
Guadalcanal Campaign as a significant strategic victory for Allied forces
fighting Japan in the Pacific War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal_Campaign>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
livery (n):
1. Any distinctive identifying uniform worn by a group, such as the uniform
worn by chauffeurs and male servants.
2. The paint scheme of a vehicle or fleet of vehicles.
3. (law) The delivery of property from one owner to the next
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/livery>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
The people gonna treat you better,
You're gonna find, yes you will,
That you're beautiful as you feel. --Carole King
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carole_King>
"Hell Is Other Robots" is the ninth episode of season one of Futurama. It
originally aired in North America on May 18, 1999, as the season finale of
the first season. The episode was written by Eric Kaplan and directed by
Rich Moore. Guest stars in this episode include The Beastie Boys as
themselves and Dan Castellaneta voicing the Robot Devil. The episode is one
of the first to focus heavily on Bender as he develops an addiction to
electricity. When this addiction becomes problematic, Bender joins the
Temple of Robotology; however, after Fry and Leela successfully tempt Bender
with alcohol and prostitutes, he quits the Temple of Robotology, but
receives a visit from the Robot Devil for sinning. When Fry and Leela come
to rescue him, the three escape safely. The episode introduces the Robot
Devil, Reverend Lionel Preacherbot and the religion of the Temple of
Robotology, a Futurama spoof on the Church of Scientology. The episode
received positive reviews, and was one of four featured on the DVD boxed set
of Matt Groening's favorite episodes: Monster Robot Maniac Fun Collection.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_Is_Other_Robots>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1587:
Mary I, Queen of Scots was executed at Fotheringhay Castle on suspicion of
having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Elizabeth I
of England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_I_of_Scotland>
1855:
The Devil's Footprints, a series of mysteriously hoof-like marks, appeared
in the snow in Devon, England, and continued throughout the countryside for
over {{convert|100|mi|km}}.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Footprints>
1879:
At a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute, engineer and inventor Sandford
Fleming first proposed the adoption of worldwide standard time zones based
on a single universal world time.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandford_Fleming>
1904:
The Russo-Japanese War began with a surprise torpedo attack by the Japanese
on Russian ships near present-day Lüshunkou, China.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War>
1969:
The Allende meteorite (fragment pictured), the largest carbonaceous
chondrite ever found on Earth, fell near Allende, Chihuahua, Mexico.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allende_meteorite>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
revanchist (adj):
Advocating a policy of revenge or retaliation
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/revanchist>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something,
and tell what it saw in a plain way. Hundreds of people can talk for one who
can think, but thousands can think for one who can see. To see clearly is
poetry, prophecy, and religion, — all in one. --John Ruskin
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Ruskin>
Isaac Shelby (1750–1826) was the first and fifth Governor of Kentucky and
served in the state legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina. He was also
a soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812.
While governor, he personally led the Kentucky militia in the Battle of the
Thames, an action that was rewarded with a Congressional Gold Medal.
Counties in nine states, and several cities and military bases, have been
named in his honor. His fondness for John Dickinson's The Liberty Song is
believed to be the reason Kentucky adopted the state motto "United we stand,
divided we fall". At the end of his gubernatorial term, Shelby retired from
public life, but he was called back into politics by the impending War of
1812. Kentuckians urged Shelby to run for governor again and lead them
through the inevitable conflict. He was elected easily, and at the request
of General William Henry Harrison, commanded troops from Kentucky at the
Battle of the Thames. At the conclusion of the war, he declined President
James Monroe's offer to become Secretary of War. In his last act of public
service, he and Andrew Jackson acted as commissioners to negotiate the
Jackson Purchase from the Chickasaw.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Shelby>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1301:
The title of Prince of Wales was granted for the first time to the English
heir apparent, then Edward of Carnarvon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Wales>
1795:
The Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting the
ability of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to sue U.S. states in federal
courts, was ratified in order to overrule the U.S. Supreme Court decision in
Chisholm v. Georgia.
<
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleventh_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Consti…
>
1863:
HMS Orpheus of the British Royal Navy sank off the coast of Auckland, New
Zealand, killing 189 crew out of the ship's complement of 259.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Orpheus_%281860%29>
1914:
The film Kid Auto Races at Venice, featuring the first appearance of comedy
actor Charlie Chaplin's character "The Tramp", was released.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chaplin>
1984:
During NASA Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-41-B, astronauts Bruce
McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart performed the first and second
untethered spacewalks (pictured), respectively, using Manned Maneuvering
Units.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra-vehicular_activity>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
desultory (adj):
1. Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order
or rational connection; without logical sequence.
2. As a digression; not connected with the subject
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/desultory>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A man acts suitably to his nature, when he conquers his enemy in such a way
as that no other creature but a man could be capable of, and that is by the
strength of his understanding. --Thomas More
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_More>
The Action of 13 January 1797 was a small naval battle fought between a
French ship of the line and two British frigates off the coast of Brittany
during the French Revolutionary Wars. The action is notable for its outcome:
the frigates successfully outmanoeuvred the much larger French vessel and
drove it on shore in heavy seas, resulting in the death of over 900 of the
1,300 persons aboard. One of the British frigates was also lost in the
engagement, running onto a sandbank after failing to escape a lee shore. The
French ship Droits de l'Homme had been part of the Expédition d'Irlande, a
disastrous attempt by a French expeditionary force to invade Ireland. During
the operation, the French fleet was beset by poor co-ordination and
extremely violent weather, eventually being compelled to return to France
without landing a single soldier ashore. Two British frigates, HMS
Indefatigable and HMS Amazon, had been ordered to patrol the seas off Ushant
in an attempt to intercept the returning French force and sighted Droits de
l'Homme on the afternoon of 13 January. The damage the more nimble British
vessels inflicted on the French ship was so severe that as the winds
increased, the French crew lost control and Droits de l'Homme was swept onto
a sandbar and destroyed.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_13_January_1797>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1819:
British official Stamford Raffles signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah
of Johor, establishing Singapore as a new trading post for the British East
India Company.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_of_modern_Singapore>
1840:
The British and the Māori signed the Treaty of Waitangi, considered as the
founding document of New Zealand.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Waitangi>
1934:
In an attempted coup d'état against the French Third Republic, far right
leagues demonstrated on the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6_February_1934_crisis>
1952:
Elizabeth II ascended to the thrones of the United Kingdom and six other
British Commonwealth countries upon the death of her father, George VI.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II_of_the_United_Kingdom>
1958:
British European Airways Flight 609, carrying the Manchester United football
club, a number of their fans and journalists covering the team, crashed
while attempting to take off from Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West
Germany, killing eight players and 15 others.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_air_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
fortnight (n):
A period of fourteen nights; two weeks
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fortnight>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I do not believe in a fate that will fall on us no matter what we do. I do
believe in a fate that will fall on us if we do nothing. So, with all the
creative energy at our command, let us begin an era of national renewal. Let
us renew our determination, our courage, and our strength. And let us renew
our faith and our hope. We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those
who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know
where to look. --Ronald Reagan
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan>
Tim Duncan (born 1976) is a Virgin Islander American professional basketball
player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). The 6'11" (2.11 m), 260-pound (118 kg) power forward/center is a
four-time NBA champion, a three-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, and
the current captain of the Spurs. He has also won the NBA Most Valuable
Player Award twice, and has been voted into 11 NBA All-Star Games, 11
All-NBA Teams, and 11 All-Defensive Teams. Duncan graduated from college
before entering the 1997 NBA Draft as the number one pick, and his list of
accomplishments and leadership in the Spurs' NBA title runs in 1999, 2003,
2005, and 2007 have led basketball experts to consider him to be one of the
greatest power forwards in NBA history. Off the court, Duncan is known for
his quiet and unassuming ways, as well as his active philanthropy. He holds
an honors degree in psychology and created the Tim Duncan Foundation to
raise general health awareness and fund education and youth sports in
various parts of the United States.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Duncan>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1862:
Domnitor Alexander John Cuza merged his two principalities, Wallachia and
Moldavia, to form the United Principalities (now Romania).
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_John_Cuza>
1885:
Leopold II of Belgium established the Congo Free State as his personal
possession in Africa through his organization Association Internationale
Africaine and his private army, the Force Publique.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Free_State>
1924:
Hourly Greenwich Time Signals from the Royal Greenwich Observatory were
first broadcast by the BBC.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Observatory%2C_Greenwich>
1958:
A hydrogen bomb now known as the Tybee Bomb disappeared off the shores of
Tybee Island, Georgia after it was jettisoned during a practice exercise
when the bomber carrying it collided in midair with a fighter plane.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Tybee_Island_B-47_crash>
2004:
The Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front captured Gonaïves, Haiti,
starting the 2004 Haitian rebellion against the government of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Haitian_rebellion>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
mollycoddle (v):
To be overprotective and indulgent toward; to pamper
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mollycoddle>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Let's talk sense to the American people. Let's tell them the truth, that
there are no gains without pains, that we are now on the eve of great
decisions, not easy decisions, like resistance when you're attacked, but a
long, patient, costly struggle which alone can assure triumph over the great
enemies of man — war, poverty, and tyranny — and the assaults upon human
dignity which are the most grievous consequences of each. --Adlai
Stevenson
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Adlai_Stevenson>