Operation Epsom was a Second World War British offensive that took
place between 26–30 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy. The
offensive was intended to outflank and seize the German occupied city
of Caen, which was a major Allied objective in the early stages of the
invasion of northwest Europe. Epsom was launched early on the 26 June,
with units of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division advancing behind a
rolling artillery barrage. Additional bomber support had been expected,
but poor weather led to this being cancelled; air cover would be
sporadic for much of the operation. Supported by the tanks of the 31st
Tank Brigade, the 15th Scottish made steady progress, and by the end of
the first day had largely overrun the German outpost line. In heavy
fighting over the following two days, a foothold was secured across the
River Odon, and efforts were made to expand this by capturing strategic
points around the salient and moving up the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry
Division. However, in response to powerful German counterattacks, by 30
June some of the British positions across the river were withdrawn,
bringing the operation to a close. Although the Germans had managed to
contain the offensive, to do so they had been obliged to commit all
their available strength, including two panzer divisions newly arrived
in Normandy and earmarked for a planned offensive against British and
American positions around Bayeux.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Epsom>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1758:
Seven Years' War: Austria defeated Prussia at the Battle of Domstadtl,
forcing Frederick the Great to leave Moravia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Domstadtl>
1860:
Seven months after the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of
Species, several prominent British scientists and philosophers
participated in an evolution debate at the Oxford University Museum in
Oxford, England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1860_Oxford_evolution_debate>
1894:
London's Tower Bridge , a combined bascule and suspension bridge over
the River Thames, opened.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Bridge>
1905:
The scientific journal Annalen der Physik published Albert Einstein's
article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies", the third of his
Annus Mirabilis Papers, introducing the theory of special relativity.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_Mirabilis_Papers>
1934:
Adolf Hitler violently purged members of the Sturmabteilung, its leader
Ernst Röhm, and other political rivals on the Night of the Long Knives,
executing at least eighty-five people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Long_Knives>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
aiglet (n):
A tip, originally of metal and often decorative, on a ribbon or cord
that makes lacing two parts of a garment or garments together easier
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aiglet>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Life is a jest, and all things show it,
I thought so once, and now I know it.
--John Gay
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Gay>
Joking Apart is a BBC television sitcom written by Steven Moffat about
the rise and fall of a relationship. It juxtaposes a couple, Mark
(Robert Bathurst) and Becky (Fiona Gillies), who meet and fall in love
before getting separated and finally divorced. The twelve episodes,
broadcast between 1993 and 1995, were directed by Bob Spiers and
produced by Andre Ptaszynski for independent production company Pola
Jones. The show is semi-autobiographical; it was inspired by the
then-recent separation of Moffat and his first wife. Some of the
episodes in the first series followed a non-linear parallel structure,
contrasting the rise of the relationship with the fall. Other episodes
were ensemble farces, predominantly including the couple's friends
Robert (Paul Raffield) and Tracy (Tracie Bennett). Paul-Mark Elliott
also appeared as Trevor, Becky's lover. Scheduling problems meant that
the show attracted low viewing figures. However, it scored highly on
the Appreciation Index and accrued a loyal fanbase. One fan acquired
the home video rights from the BBC and released both series on his own
DVD label.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joking_Apart>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1613:
The original Globe Theatre in London burned to the ground after a
cannon employed for special effects misfired during a performance of
William Shakespeare's Henry VIII and ignited the theatre's roof.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_Theatre>
1659:
Russo-Polish War: The hetman of Ukraine Ivan Vyhovsky and his allies
defeated the armies of Russian Tsardom led by Aleksey Trubetskoy at the
Battle of Konotop in the present-day Sumy Oblast of Ukraine.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Konotop>
1880:
Pomare V, King of Tahiti, was forced to cede the sovereignty of Tahiti
and its dependencies to France.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahiti>
1995:
Shuttle-Mir Program: During the STS-71 mission, Space Shuttle Atlantis
became the first space shuttle to dock with the Russian space station
Mir .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle-Mir_Program>
2006:
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered its decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld,
ruling that military commissions set up by the Bush administration to
try detainees at Guantanamo Bay violated both U.S. and international
law.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamdan_v._Rumsfeld>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
lager (n):
A type of beer, brewed using a bottom-fermenting yeast
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lager>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Here is my secret. It is very simple. It is only with the heart that
one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye.
--Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Saint-Exup%C3%A9ry>
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent
demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early
morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich
Village neighborhood of New York City. They are frequently cited as the
first instance in American history when gays and lesbians fought back
against a government-sponsored system that persecuted homosexuals, and
they have become the defining event that marked the start of the gay
rights movement in the United States and around the world. The
Stonewall Inn, at the time, was owned by the Mafia. It catered to an
assortment of patrons, but it was known to be popular with the most
marginalized people in the gay community: transvestites, effeminate
young men, hustlers, and homeless youth. Police raids on gay bars were
routine in the 1960s, but officers quickly lost control of the
situation at the Stonewall Inn, and attracted a crowd that was incited
to riot. Tensions between New York City police and gay residents of
Greenwich Village erupted into more protests the next evening, and
again several nights later. Within six months, two gay activist
organizations were formed in New York, concentrating on confrontational
tactics, and three newspapers were established to promote rights for
gays and lesbians. Within a few years, gay rights organizations were
founded across the U.S. and the world. Today Gay Pride events are held
annually throughout the world toward the end of June to mark the
Stonewall riots.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1651:
Khmelnytsky Uprising: The Zaporozhian Cossacks began clashing with
forces of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth at the Battle of
Berestechko in the Volhynia Region of present-day Ukraine.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berestechko>
1880:
Police captured Australian bank robber and bushranger Ned Kelly after
a gun battle in Glenrowan, Victoria.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Kelly>
1914:
Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavrilo_Princip>
1922:
The week-long Battle of Dublin began with an assault by the Irish Free
State's National Army on the Four Courts building, which had been
occupied by the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army, marking the start of
the Irish Civil War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dublin>
1956:
Workers demanding better conditions held massive protests in Poznań,
Poland, but were violently repressed by the following day by 400 tanks
and 10,000 soldiers of Ludowe Wojsko Polskie and Korpus Bezpieczeństwa
Wewnętrznego.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozna%C5%84_1956_protests>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
denigrate (v):
1. To criticise so as to besmirch, disparage, or defame.
2. To treat as worthless; belittle
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/denigrate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.
--Jean-Jacques Rousseau
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau>
The hippopotamus is a large, mostly plant-eating African mammal, one of
only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other being
the Pygmy Hippopotamus). It is the heaviest extant artiodactyl, despite
being significantly shorter than the Giraffe. The hippopotamus is
semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers and lakes in sub-Saharan Africa in
groups of 5–30 hippos. The hippopotamus uses water to keep itself
hydrated and able to carry out its life functions. During the day they
remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth
both occur in water, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of
river. They emerge at dusk to graze on grass. Despite their physical
resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, their
closest living relatives are cetaceans (whales, porpoise, etc.). The
hippopotamus is recognizable for its barrel-shaped torso, enormous
mouth and teeth, hairless body, stubby legs and tremendous size. It is
the third-largest land mammal by weight, behind the White Rhinoceros
and the Elephant. The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive
creatures in the world, and is often regarded as the most ferocious
animal in Africa. There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 hippos
remaining throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, of which Zambia and Tanzania
have the largest populations. They are still threatened by poaching for
their meat and ivory canine teeth, and by habitat loss.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippopotamus>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1358:
Republic of Ragusa founded.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ragusa>
1743:
War of the Austrian Succession: In the last time that a British
monarch, personally led his troops into battle, George II and his
forces defeated the French in Dettingen, Bavaria.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dettingen>
1846:
Great Irish Famine: An Irish newspaper ran a story about a new potato
blight.<!-Need to verify date
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Irish_Famine>
1905:
The crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin began a mutiny against
their oppressive officers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_battleship_Potemkin>
1954:
The world's first large-scale nuclear power plant opened in Obninsk, in
the Soviet Union.<!-Tagged with <table class="metadata plainlinks ambox
ambox-content" style="">
<tr>
<td class="mbox-image"><div style="width: 52px;">
50x40px</div></td>
<td class="mbox-text" style=""> This article needs additional
citations for verification.
<small>Please help
[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&action=edit
improve this article] by adding reliable references. Unsourced material
may be challenged and removed. </td>
</tr>
</table>Category:Articles needing additional references
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_reactor>
1957:
Hurricane Audrey struck Texas and Louisiana, leaving $1 billion (2005
USD) in damage and at least 419 fatalities.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Audrey>
1967:
The world's first electronic automated teller machine was installed in
Enfield Town, London by Barclays Bank.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/automated_teller_machine>
1980:
Aerolinee Itavia Flight 870 suffered an in-flight explosion due to
unknown causes while en route from Bologna to Palermo, Italy, killing
all 81 people on board.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerolinee_Itavia_Flight_870>
1986:
The International Court of Justice ruled against the United States in
Nicaragua v. United States. <!-Tagged for cleanup
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaragua_v._United_States>
1998:
Kuala Lumpur International Airport near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today
the 7th busiest international airport in Asia, was officially
inaugurated.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur_International_Airport>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
fungible (adj):
1. (of a debt) Able to be substituted for something of equal value.
2. Interchangeable
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fungible>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We differ, blind and seeing, one from another, not in our senses, but
in the use we make of them, in the imagination and courage with which
we seek wisdom beyond the senses.
--Helen Keller
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Helen_Keller>
The Ten Commandments in Roman Catholicism are considered essential for
spiritual good health and growth, and serve as the basis for Catholic
social teaching. The Commandments appear in the earliest Church
writings; the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that they have
"occupied a predominant place" in teaching the faith since the time of
Saint Augustine (AD 354–430). The first Church-wide catechism in 1566
provided "thorough discussions of each commandment", but gave greater
emphasis to the seven sacraments. Church teaching of the Commandments
is largely based on the Old and New Testaments and the writings of the
early Church Fathers. In the New Testament, Jesus freed his followers
from Jewish law and most of its 613 regulations, but did not exempt
them from abiding by the Commandments. Summarized by Jesus into two
"great commandments" that teach love of God and love of neighbor, they
instruct individuals on their relationships with both. The first three
commandments demand respect for God's name, observation of the Lord's
Day, and prohibit the worship of other gods. The others deal with the
relationships between individuals, such as that between parent and
child; they include prohibitions against lying, stealing, murdering,
adultery and covetousness.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments_in_Roman_Catholicism>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1409:
In an attempt to end the Western Schism, during which Gregory XII in
Rome and Benedict XIII in Avignon simultaneously claimed to be the true
pope, the Council of Pisa instead ended up electing a third one,
Alexander V.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Schism>
1541:
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro was assassinated in Lima by
supporters of his rival Diego de Almagro's son.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Pizarro>
1918:
World War I: The 26-day Battle of Belleau Wood near the Marne River in
France ended with American forces finally clearing that forest of
German troops.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood>
1945:
At a conference in San Francisco, delegates from 50 nations signed a
charter establishing the United Nations.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations>
1963:
U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech,
underlining the support of the United States for democratic West
Germany shortly after Soviet-supported East Germany erected the Berlin
Wall.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
urbanity (n):
Behavior that is polished, refined, courteous
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/urbanity>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Every event has had its cause, and nothing, not the least wind that
blows, is accident or causeless.
--Pearl S. Buck
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pearl_S._Buck>
A white dwarf is a small star composed mostly of electron-degenerate
matter. Because a white dwarf's mass is comparable to that of the Sun
and its volume is comparable to that of the Earth, it is very dense.
Their faint luminosity comes from the emission of stored heat. They
comprise roughly 6% of all known stars in the solar neighborhood. The
unusual faintness of white dwarfs was first recognized in 1910 by Henry
Norris Russell, Edward Charles Pickering and Williamina Fleming. White
dwarfs are thought to be the final evolutionary state of all stars
whose mass is not too high. The material in a white dwarf no longer
undergoes fusion reactions, so the star has no source of energy, nor is
it supported against gravitational collapse by the heat generated by
fusion. It is supported only by electron degeneracy pressure, causing
it to be extremely dense. The physics of degeneracy yields a maximum
mass for a nonrotating white dwarf, the Chandrasekhar
limit—approximately 1.4 solar masses—beyond which it cannot be
supported by degeneracy pressure. Over a very long time, a white dwarf
will cool to temperatures at which it will no longer be visible, and
become a cold black dwarf.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_dwarf>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1530:
The Augsburg Confession, the primary confession of faith of the
Lutheran Church, was presented to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at
the Diet of Augsburg.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augsburg_Confession>
1876:
Black Hills War: United States Army Colonel George Armstrong Custer
was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in present-day Big Horn
County, Montana.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Armstrong_Custer>
1938:
Douglas Hyde became the first President of Ireland after the office was
established by the Constitution of Ireland in 1937.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Hyde>
1996:
The Khobar Towers bombing in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, left 19 American
servicemen dead and 372 of many nationalities wounded.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khobar_Towers_bombing>
2006:
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by Palestinian militants in
a cross border raid from the Gaza Strip on the crossing Kerem Shalom,
and has been held hostage by Hamas since.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilad_Shalit>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
prolix (adj):
1. Tediously lengthy.
2. Tending to use large or obscure words, which few understand
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prolix>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
By "nationalism" I mean first of all the habit of assuming that human
beings can be classified like insects and that whole blocks of millions
or tens of millions of people can be confidently labelled "good" or
"bad." ... By "patriotism" I mean devotion to a particular place and a
particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world
but has no wish to force on other people. Patriotism is of its nature
defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other
hand, is inseperable from the desire for power.
--George Orwell
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Orwell>
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization in eastern North Africa,
concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now
the modern nation of Egypt. The civilization began around 3150 BC with
the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first
pharaoh, and it developed over the next three millennia. Its history
occurred in a series of stable periods, known as kingdoms, separated by
periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods. After
the end of the last kingdom, known as the New Kingdom, the civilization
of ancient Egypt entered a period of slow, steady decline, during which
Egypt was conquered by a succession of foreign powers. The civilization
of ancient Egypt thrived from its ability to adapt to the conditions of
the Nile River Valley. With resources to spare, the administration
sponsored the early development of an independent writing system, the
organization of collective construction and agricultural projects,
trade with surrounding regions, and a military that defeated foreign
enemies and asserted Egyptian dominance. Egypt left a lasting legacy:
art and architecture were copied and antiquities paraded around the
world, and monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of tourists
and writers for centuries. A newfound respect for antiquities and
excavations in the early modern period led to the scientific
investigation of Egyptian civilization and a greater appreciation of
its cultural legacy for Egypt and the world.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1314:
In the decisive battle in the First War of Scottish Independence,
Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce defeated English troops under
Edward II near Bannockburn, Scotland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bannockburn>
1880:
"O Canada", today the national anthem of Canada, was first performed in
Quebec City, Quebec, during a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day banquet.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Canada>
1894:
Italian anarchist Sante Geronimo Caserio fatally shot Marie François
Sadi Carnot , President of the French Third Republic, after Carnot
delivered a speech at a public banquet in Lyon, France.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Fran%C3%A7ois_Sadi_Carnot>
1948:
Cold War: The Soviet Union blocked access to the American, British, and
French sectors of Berlin, cutting off all rail and road routes going
into Soviet-controlled territory in Germany.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Blockade>
1994:
A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress based at Fairchild Air
Force Base in Spokane County, Washington, USA crashed, killing all four
crew members, and providing a case study on the importance of
compliance with safety regulations.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Fairchild_Air_Force_Base_B-52_crash>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
boggle (v):
1. To to be bewildered, dumbfounded, or confused.
2. To confuse or mystify; overwhelm
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/boggle>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
All I do is done in love; all I suffer, I suffer in the sweetness of
love.
--John of the Cross
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_of_the_Cross>
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an
all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and loss of
interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Major depression
is a disabling condition which adversely affects a person's family,
work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health. In
the United States, approximately 3.4% of people with major depression
commit suicide, and up to 60% of all people who commit suicide have
depression or another mood disorder. The diagnosis of major depressive
disorder is based on the patient's self-reported experiences, behavior
reported by relatives or friends, and a mental status exam. The most
common time of onset is between the ages of 30 and 40 years, with a
later peak between 50 and 60 years. Most patients are treated in the
community with antidepressant medication and some with psychotherapy or
counseling. Hospitalization may be necessary in cases with associated
self-neglect or a significant risk of harm to self or others.
Psychological, psycho-social, evolutionary and biological causes for
major depression have been proposed. Most biological theories focus on
the monoamine chemicals serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine that
are naturally present in the brain and assist communication between
nerve cells.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1757:
Seven Years' War: British forces under Robert Clive defeated troops
under Siraj ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey, allowing the British
East India Company to annex Bengal.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Plassey>
1858:
Edgardo Mortara, a six-year-old Jewish boy, was seized by Papal
authorities and taken to be raised as a Roman Catholic.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgardo_Mortara>
1887:
The Parliament of Canada passed the Rocky Mountains Park Act, creating
Banff National Park as Canada's first national park.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_National_Park>
1894:
Led by French historian Pierre de Coubertin, an international congress
at the Sorbonne in Paris founded the International Olympic Committee to
reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Olympic_Committee>
1919:
Estonian War of Independence: Estonian troops engaged the forces of the
Pro-German Government of Latvia near Cēsis, Latvia, recapturing the
area four days later.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wenden>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
dungarees (n):
Heavy denim pants or overalls, worn especially as work clothing
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dungarees>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there
that needs to be done.
--Alan Turing
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alan_Turing>
Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) was an American poet. Born in Amherst,
Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she
lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the
Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at
Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in
Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for
her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or,
later in life, even leave her room. Dickinson was a prolific private
poet; fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were
published during her lifetime. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era
in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles,
and often utilize slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization
and punctuation. Many of her poems deal with themes of death and
immortality, two subjects which infused her letters to friends. Despite
unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the
late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be
a major American poet.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Dickinson>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
217 BC:
Syrian Wars: Forces under Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeated Antiochus III
the Great of the Seleucid Empire at the Battle of Raphia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Raphia>
1854:
The British Parliament abolished the Seigneurial system of New France.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigneurial_system_of_New_France>
1941:
World War II: As Nazi Germany began its invasion of the Soviet Union,
the Lithuanian Activist Front took the opportunity to start an uprising
to liberate Lithuania from Soviet occupation and establish a new
government.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Activist_Front>
1978:
Working at the United States Naval Observatory, American astronomer
James W. Christy discovered Charon, then considered the sole moon of
Pluto.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charon_%28moon%29>
1986:
Argentine footballer Diego Maradona scored both the "Hand of God goal"
and the "Goal of the Century" against England during the quarter-final
match of the FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_v_England_%281986_FIFA_World_Cup_qua…>
2002:
An earthquake measuring 6.5 Mw struck a region of northwestern Iran,
killing at least 261 people and injuring 1,300 others, and eventually
causing widespread public anger due to the slowness of the victims
receiving aid and supplies.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Bou%27in-Zahra_earthquake>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
panjandrum (n):
1. An important, powerful or influential person.
2. A self-important or pretentious person
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/panjandrum>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If we glance at the most important revolutions in history, we are at no
loss to perceive that the greatest number of these originated in the
periodical revolutions of the human mind.
--Wilhelm von Humboldt
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wilhelm_von_Humboldt>
Iridium is the chemical element with atomic number 77. A very hard,
brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum family, iridium
is the second densest element and is the most corrosion-resistant
metal, even at temperatures as high as 2000 °C. Although only certain
molten salts and halogens are corrosive to solid iridium, finely
divided iridium dust is much more reactive and can even be flammable.
Iridium was discovered in 1803 by Smithson Tennant among insoluble
impurities in natural platinum from South America. It is one of the
rarest elements in the Earth's crust, with annual production and
consumption of only three tonnes. However, iridium does find a number
of specialized industrial and scientific applications. Iridium is
employed when high corrosion resistance and high temperatures are
needed, as in spark plugs, crucibles for recrystallization of
semiconductors at high temperatures, electrodes for the production of
chlorine in the chloralkali process, and radioisotope thermoelectric
generators used in unmanned spacecraft. Iridium is found in meteorites
with an abundance much higher than its average abundance in the Earth's
crust. It is thought that due to the high density and siderophilic
("iron-loving") character of iridium, most of the iridium on Earth is
found in the inner core of the planet.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1734:
A black slave known as Marie-Joseph Angélique, after having been
convicted of setting the fire that destroyed much of Montreal, was
tortured and then hanged in New France.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Joseph_Ang%C3%A9lique>
1813:
Peninsular War: The Marquess of Wellington's combined British,
Portuguese, and Spanish allied army defeated the French near Vitoria,
Spain.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vitoria>
1826:
Greek War of Independence: A combined Egyptian and Ottoman army began
their invasion of the Mani Peninsula, but they were initially held off
by the Maniots at the fortifications of Vergas.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman%E2%80%93Egyptian_Invasion_of_Mani>
1948:
The Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine , the world's first
stored-program computer, ran its first computer program.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Small-Scale_Experimental_Machine>
1973:
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered its decision in the landmark case
Miller v. California, establishing the "Miller test" for determining
what is obscene material.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_v._California>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
spinet (n):
A short, compact harpsichord
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spinet>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson>