"To Autumn" is a poem written by English Romantic poet John Keats. The
work was composed on 19 September 1819 and published in a volume of
Keats's poetry that included Lamia and The Eve of Saint Agnes in 1820.
"To Autumn" is the final work in a group of poems known as Keats's
"1819 odes". Although he had little time throughout 1819 to devote to
poetry because of personal problems, he managed to compose "To Autumn"
after he was inspired to write the poem following a walk near
Winchester one autumnal evening. The work marks the end of his poetic
career as he needed to earn money and could no longer devote himself to
the lifestyle of a poet. A little over a year following the publication
of "To Autumn", Keats died in Rome. The poem has three stanzas, each of
eleven lines, that describe the tastes, sights, and sounds of autumn.
Much of the third stanza, however, is dedicated to diction, symbolism,
and literary devices with negative connotations, as it describes the
end of the day and the end of autumn. "To Autumn" includes an emphasis
on images of motion, growth, and maturation. The work can be
interpreted as a discussion of death, an expression of colonialist
sentiment, or as a political response to the Peterloo Massacre. "To
Autumn" has been regarded by critics as one of the most perfect short
poems in the English literature, and it is one of the most anthologized
English lyric poems.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Autumn>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
732:
Charles Martel and the Franks defeated a large Andalusian Muslim army
led by Abd er Rahman at the Battle of Tours near Tours and Poitiers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tours>
1780:
One of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes on record struck the Caribbean
Sea, killing at least 22,000 people over the next several days.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hurricane_of_1780>
1868:
Carlos Manuel de Céspedes made the Grito de Yara, declaring Cuban
independence from Spain, sparking the Ten Years' War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Years%27_War>
1943:
World War II: The Kempeitai, the military police arm of the Imperial
Japanese Army, arrested and tortured over 50 civilians and civilian
internees on suspicion of their involvement in a raid on Singapore
Harbour during Operation Jaywick.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Tenth_Incident>
1973:
United States Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned after being charged
with tax evasion.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiro_Agnew>
1982:
Maximilian Kolbe, who had volunteered to die in place of a stranger in
the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz in Poland, was canonized by
the Catholic Church.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Kolbe>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
lickspittle (n):
1. A toady, brown noser, base sycophant.
2. (by extension) The practice of giving empty flattery for personal
gain
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lickspittle>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the
world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His
diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the
world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared
by the majority of the world's population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate
precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama
is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's
appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of
responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
--w:Norwegian Nobel Committee
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/w%3ANorwegian_Nobel_Committee>
Ernest Augustus I of Hanover (1771–1851) was King of Hanover from 20
June 1837 until his death. He was the fifth son and eighth child of
George III, who reigned in both the United Kingdom and Hanover. As a
fifth son, initially Ernest seemed unlikely to become a monarch, but
Salic Law, which debarred women from the succession, applied in Hanover
and none of his older brothers had legitimate male issue. Ernest was
born in Britain, but was sent to Hanover in his adolescence for his
education and military training. While serving with Hanoverian forces
in Wallonia against Napoleon, he received a disfiguring facial wound.
In 1799, he was created Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale. Although his
1815 marriage to the twice-widowed Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
met with the disapproval of his mother, Queen Charlotte, it proved a
happy relationship. Ernest was active in the House of Lords, where he
maintained an extremely conservative record. There were persistent
allegations (reportedly spread by his political foes) that he had
murdered his valet and had fathered a son by his sister. Before
Victoria succeeded to the British Throne, it was rumoured that Ernest
intended to murder her and take the Throne himself. When King
William IV died on 20 June 1837, Ernest ascended the Hanoverian Throne.
Hanover's first ruler to reside in the kingdom since George I, he had a
generally successful fourteen-year reign, but excited controversy when
he dismissed the Göttingen Seven for agitating against his policies.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Augustus_I_of_Hanover>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1831:
Ioannis Kapodistrias , the Greek head of state, was assassinated in
Nafplion.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioannis_Kapodistrias>
1845:
Anglican priest John Henry Newman was formally received into the Roman
Catholic Church.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Newman>
1919:
In Major League Baseball, the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series,
five games to three, over the Chicago White Sox, whose players were
later found to have lost intentionally.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sox_Scandal>
1942:
World War II: American forces defeated the Japanese at the Third Battle
of the Matanikau in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, avenging the Japanese
victory at the Second Battle of the Matanikau a couple of weeks
earlier.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actions_along_the_Matanikau>
2006:
North Korea conducted a nuclear test, reportedly near Kilchu, with an
explosive force of less than one kiloton, that was unanimously
condemned and denounced by many countries and the United Nations
Security Council.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_North_Korean_nuclear_test>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
uplift (v):
To raise something or someone to a higher physical, social, moral,
intellectual, spiritual or emotional level
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/uplift>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out.
It doesn't
matter much to me.
--John Lennon
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Lennon>
Convoy GP55 was a convoy of Allied ships that travelled between Sydney
and Brisbane in June 1943 during World War II. It comprised ten cargo
ships, three Landing Ships, Tank and an escort of five corvettes. The
Japanese submarine I-174 attacked the convoy on 16 June, sinking the
United States Army transport ship Portmar and damaging USS LST-469. Two
of the corvettes subsequently counter-attacked I-174, but only lightly
damaged her. The Australian military conducted an intensive search for
I-174 in the days after the attack in the mistaken belief that she had
been significantly damaged. This search was not successful and
highlighted the unsatisfactory communications between the Royal
Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Due to
Japan's deteriorating strategic situation, I-174 was the last Imperial
Japanese Navy (IJN) submarine to operate off the Australian east coast.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convoy_GP55>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1600:
San Marino, the world's oldest constitutional republic, adopted its
written constitution.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_San_Marino>
1856:
Officials of the Chinese Qing Dynasty arrested and imprisoned twelve
people aboard the Hong Kong-registered ship Arrow for suspected piracy
and smuggling, sparking the Second Opium War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Opium_War>
1871:
The Great Chicago Fire broke out in Chicago, destroying 17,500
buildings and leaving 90,000 people homeless within two days.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1871_Great_Chicago_Fire>
1918:
World War I: After his platoon suffered heavy casualties during the
Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France's Forest of Argonne, United States
Sergeant Alvin C. York led the seven remaining men on an attack against
a German machine gun nest, killing 28 German soldiers and capturing 132
others.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_C._York>
1932:
The Indian Air Force was founded as an auxiliary air force of the
Indian Empire.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Air_Force>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
analgesic (n):
(pharmacology) Any medicine, such as aspirin, that reduces pain without
inducing unconsciousness
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/analgesic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Muad'Dib could indeed see the Future, but you must understand the
limits of this power. Think of sight. You have eyes, yet cannot see
without light. If you are on the floor of a valley, you cannot see
beyond your valley. Just so, Muad'Dib could not always choose to look
across the mysterious terrain. He tells us that a single obscure
decision of prophecy, perhaps the choice of one word over another,
could change the entire aspect of the future. He tells us "The vision
of time is broad, but when you pass through it, time becomes a narrow
door." And always, he fought the temptation to choose a clear, safe
course, warning "That path leads ever down into stagnation."
--Frank Herbert
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Frank_Herbert>
The Shield nickel was the first United States five-cent piece to be
made out of copper-nickel, the same alloy of which American nickels are
struck today. Designed by James B. Longacre, the coin was issued from
1866 until 1883, when it was replaced by the Liberty Head nickel.
Silver half dimes had been struck from the early days of the United
States Mint in the late 18th century. They disappeared from
circulation, along with most other coins, in the economic turmoil of
the Civil War. In 1864, the Mint successfully introduced
low-denomination coins, whose intrinsic worth did not approach their
face value. Industrialist Joseph Wharton advocated coins containing
nickel—a metal in which he had significant financial interests. When
the Mint proposed a copper-nickel five-cent piece, Congress required
that the coin be heavier than the Mint had suggested, allowing Wharton
to sell more of the metal to the government. Longacre's design was
based on his two-cent pieces, and symbolizes the strength of a unified
America. The nickel proved difficult to strike, and the reverse, or
"tails", design was modified in 1867. Even so, production difficulties
continued, causing many minor varieties which are collected today.
Minting of the Shield nickel for circulation was suspended in 1876 for
a period of over two years, and it was struck in only small quantities
until 1882. The following year, the coin was replaced by Charles E.
Barber's Liberty head design.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shield_nickel>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1542:
Explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo became the first European to set foot
on Santa Catalina Island off the coast of California.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Catalina_Island%2C_California>
1571:
The Ottoman Empire was decisively defeated by the Christian West for
the first time, as a multinational fleet led by Don John of Austria
crushed the Turkish navy near the Gulf of Corinth in the Battle of
Lepanto .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lepanto_%281571%29>
1780:
American Revolutionary War: The Patriots defeated the Loyalists at the
Battle of Kings Mountain in South Carolina.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kings_Mountain>
1849:
American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe died under mysterious
circumstances at Washington Medical College after being found four days
earlier on the streets of Baltimore, Maryland, in a delirious and
incoherent state.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Edgar_Allan_Poe>
1967:
Marxist revolutionary and guerrilla leader Che Guevara was captured
near La Higuera, Bolivia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara>
2003:
Californians voted to recall Governor Gray Davis from office and
elected Arnold Schwarzenegger from a list of 135 candidates.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
burdensome (adj):
Of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/burdensome>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I am doing it
the it I am doing is
the I that is doing it
the I that is doing
it is
the it I am doing
--Ronald David Laing
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ronald_David_Laing>
Ravenloft is an adventure module written by Tracy Hickman (pictured)
and Laura Hickman for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. TSR,
Inc. released it as a standalone adventure booklet in 1983, including
art by Clyde Caldwell with maps by David Sutherland III. The plot of
Ravenloft focuses on the villain Strahd von Zarovich, a vampire who
pines for his lost love. Various story elements, including Strahd's
motivation and the locations of certain items, are randomly determined
by drawing cards. The player characters attempt to defeat Strahd and,
if successful, the adventure ends. The Hickmans began work on Ravenloft
in the late 1970s, intent on creating a frightening portrait of a
vampire in a setting that combined Gothic horror with the D&D game
system. Strahd has since appeared in a number of D&D accessories and
novels. The module inspired numerous revisions and adaptations,
including a campaign setting of the same name and a sequel. In 1999, on
the 25th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, two commemorative versions
of Ravenloft were released. Ravenloft won the 1984 Strategists' Club
Award for Outstanding Play Aid, and appeared second in Dungeon
magazine's list of the top 30 D&D adventures.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenloft_%28module%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
105 BC:
The Cimbri and the Teutons inflicted a major defeat on the Roman
Republic in the Battle of Arausio.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Arausio>
1849:
In Arad, present-day Romania, 13 Hungarian rebel honvéd generals who
became known as the 13 Martyrs of Arad were executed by Austrian
authorities for their part in the Hungarian Revolution.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_13_Martyrs_of_Arad>
1927:
The first successful feature sound film The Jazz Singer, starring Al
Jolson, was released.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jazz_Singer_%281927_film%29>
1973:
Egypt, under the leadership of President Anwar Sadat , launched
Operation Badr in co-ordination with Syria, crossing the Suez Canal and
attacking the fortified Israeli Bar Lev Line, starting the Yom Kippur
War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur_War>
1995:
In an article published by the scientific journal Nature, astronomers
Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz reported the discovery of a planet
orbiting 51 Pegasi as the first known extrasolar planet around a
main-sequence star.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/51_Pegasi>
1998:
University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was fatally attacked for
being gay near Laramie, Wyoming, USA.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
stupefy (v):
To dull the senses or capacity to think, thereby reducing
responsiveness
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stupefy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Every marvel of our age arose out of the critical give and take of an
open society. No other civilization ever managed to incorporate this
crucial innovation, weaving it into daily life. And if you disagree
with this ... say so!
--David Brin
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Brin>
Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star approximately 4.2 light-years
(3.97 × 1013 km) distant in the constellation of Centaurus. The star is
the nearest star to the Sun and is only 0.21 ly (15,000 ± 700
astronomical units) away from the binary star system Alpha Centauri.
Proxima Centauri's diameter is one-seventh that of the Sun; its mass is
about an eighth of the Sun's, and its average density is about 40 times
that of the Sun. Although it has a very low average luminosity, Proxima
Centauri is a flare star that undergoes random increases in brightness
because of magnetic activity; during a flare the star generates a total
X-ray emission similar to that produced by the Sun. The star's
relatively low energy production rate means that it will be a
main-sequence star for another four trillion years, or nearly 300 times
the current age of the universe. Searches for companions orbiting
Proxima Centauri have been unsuccessful; the detection of smaller
objects will require the use of new instruments, such as the proposed
Space Interferometry Mission. Whether a planet orbiting this star could
support life is disputed. Because of the star's proximity, it has been
proposed as a destination for interstellar travel.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxima_Centauri>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
869:
The Fourth Council of Constantinople, the eighth Catholic Ecumenical
Council, was convened to discuss the patriarchate of Photios I of
Constantinople.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Council_of_Constantinople_%28Roman_Cath…>
1877:
After battling the U.S. Army for more than three months, retreating
over 1,000 miles across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, and
enduring a five-day siege, Chief Joseph and his Nez Perce band finally
surrendered.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Joseph>
1903:
Samuel Griffith became the first Chief Justice of Australia, while
Edmund Barton and Richard O'Connor became the first Puisne Justices of
the High Court of Australia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Griffith>
1948:
The International Union for Conservation of Nature was founded at a
congress sponsored by UNESCO director Julian Huxley in Fontainebleau,
France.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Union_for_Conservation_of_Nature>
1963:
The US suspended the Commercial Import Program, its main economic
support for South Vietnam, in response to oppression of Buddhism by
President Ngo Dinh Diem.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Import_Program>
1986:
The British newspaper The Sunday Times published former nuclear
technician Mordechai Vanunu's story revealing details of Israel's
nuclear capability.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordechai_Vanunu>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
peristalsis (n):
The rhythmic, wave-like contraction of the digestive tract that forces
food through it
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/peristalsis>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There are things I can't force. I must adjust. There are times when the
greatest change needed is a change of my viewpoint.
--Denis Diderot
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Denis_Diderot>
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed
in 1995. The band comprises founder, frontman and songwriter Sully
Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer
Shannon Larkin. Since its formation, Godsmack has released five studio
albums, one EP, four DVDs, and one greatest hits collection. The band
has had three consecutive No. 1 albums (Faceless, IV, and The Oracle)
on the Billboard 200. The band also has parked a ratified 19 top ten
rock radio hits, including 15 songs in the Top Five. Godsmack is one of
the most popular rock acts in the United States, selling almost 15
million records worldwide. Since its inception, Godsmack has toured on
Ozzfest on more than one occasion, and has toured with many other large
tours and festivals, including supporting its albums with its own arena
tours. In the summer of 2009, Godsmack toured as support to Mötley
Crüe's Crüe Fest 2 tour.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godsmack>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1830:
A provisional government in Brussels declared the creation of the
independent and neutral state of Belgium, in revolt against the United
Kingdom of the Netherlands.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Revolution>
1910:
Manuel II, the last King of Portugal, fled to Gibraltar when a
revolution erupted in Lisbon and his palace was shelled. The Portuguese
First Republic was proclaimed the next day.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_II_of_Portugal>
1957:
Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 1 , the first artificial satellite to orbit
the Earth, was launched by an R-7 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
near Tyuratam, Kazakh SSR.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1>
1985:
Software developer Richard Stallman founded the Free Software
Foundation to support the free software movement.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Software_Foundation>
2003:
A suicide bomber killed 21 people and injured more than 50 others
inside the Maxim restaurant in Haifa, Israel.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxim_restaurant_suicide_bombing>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
proscenium (n):
1. (in a modern theater) The stage area between the curtain and the
orchestra.
2. (in an ancient theater) The stage area immediately in front of the
scene building
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/proscenium>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The real difficulty is with the vast wealth and power in the hands of
the few and the unscrupulous who represent or control capital. Hundreds
of laws of Congress and the state legislatures are in the interest of
these men and against the interests of workingmen. These need to be
exposed and repealed. All laws on corporations, on taxation, on trusts,
wills, descent, and the like, need examination and extensive change.
This is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people
no longer. It is a government of corporations, by corporations, and for
corporations. — How is this?
--Rutherford B. Hayes
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rutherford_B._Hayes>
Charlotte Stuart (1753–1789) was the illegitimate daughter of the
Jacobite pretender Prince Charles Edward Stuart, and his only child to
survive infancy. Her mother was Clementina Walkinshaw, who was mistress
to the Prince from 1752 until 1760. After years of abuse, Clementina
left him, taking Charlotte with her. Charlotte spent most of her life
in French convents, estranged from a father who refused to make any
provision for her. Unable to marry, she herself became a mistress with
illegitimate children, taking the Archbishop of Bordeaux as her lover.
She was finally reconciled to her father in 1784, when he legitimised
her and created her Duchess of Albany. She left her own children with
her mother, and became her father's carer and companion in the last
years of his life, before dying less than two years after him. Her
three children were raised in anonymity; however, as the only
grandchildren of the pretender, they have been the subject of Jacobite
interest since their lineage was uncovered in the 20th century.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Stuart%2C_Duchess_of_Albany>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1283:
Dafydd ap Gruffydd the Prince of Wales, the last native ruler of Wales
to resist English domination, was executed by drawing and quartering.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dafydd_ap_Gruffydd>
1935:
Italian forces under General Emilio De Bono invaded Abyssinia during
the opening stages of the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Bono%27s_invasion_of_Abyssinia>
1942:
World War II: The first successful test of the German V-2 rocket , the
world's first ballistic missile and first human artifact to achieve
sub-orbital spaceflight, occurred.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-2_rocket>
1950:
Korean War: The First Battle of Maryang San, primarily pitting
Australian and British forces against communist China, began.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Maryang_San>
1981:
The Hunger Strike by Irish Republican Army prisoners at the Maze jail
in Belfast ended after seven months and 10 deaths.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_Irish_hunger_strike>
1990:
The German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany
officially joined to form the first fully sovereign united German state
since the end of World War II.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
fishmonger (n):
1. (UK) A shop that sells fish.
2. (UK) A person who sells fish.
3. (archaic) A pimp
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fishmonger>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We are forming our own Social Contract. This governance will arise
according to the conditions of our world, not yours. Our world is
different.
Cyberspace consists of transactions, relationships, and thought
itself, arrayed like a standing wave in the web of our communications.
Ours is a world that is both everywhere and nowhere, but it is not
where bodies live.
We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or
prejudice accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station
of birth.
We are creating a world where anyone, anywhere may express his or her
beliefs, no matter how singular, without fear of being coerced into
silence or conformity.
--John Perry Barlow
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Perry_Barlow>
The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas
Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835,
between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army
troops. In 1835, several Mexican states revolted. As the unrest spread,
Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, the commander of all Mexican troops in
Texas, asked the settlers of Gonzales to return a cannon that the army
had previously given them. When the initial request was refused,
Ugartechea sent 100 dragoons to retrieve the cannon. For two days
colonists used a variety of excuses to keep the soldiers at bay,
allowing up to 140 Texians reinforcements to gather. In the early hours
of October 2, Mexican soldiers opened fire as Texians approached their
camp. After several hours of desultory firing, Mexican soldiers
withdrew. Although the skirmish had little military significance, it
marked a clear break between the colonists and the Mexican government.
The battle, considered to have been the start of the Texas Revolution,
has been referred to as the "Lexington of Texas". The cannon’s fate is
disputed.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gonzales>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1535:
French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed along the St. Lawrence River and
reached the Iroquois fortified village Hochelaga on the island now
known as Montreal.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cartier>
1835:
Mexican dragoons dispatched to disarm settlers at Gonzales, Texas,
encountered stiff resistance from a Texian militia in the Battle of
Gonzales, the first armed engagement of the Texas Revolution.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gonzales>
1928:
Saint Josemaría Escrivá founded Opus Dei, a worldwide organization of
lay members of the Roman Catholic Church.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_Dei>
1941:
World War II: Nazi German forces began Operation Typhoon, an all-out
offensive against Moscow, starting the three-month long Battle of
Moscow.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Moscow>
1967:
Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African-American Justice of
the Supreme Court of the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurgood_Marshall>
1992:
In response to a prison riot, military police stormed the Carandiru
Penitentiary in São Paulo, Brazil, killing at least 100 prisoners.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carandiru_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
heterographic (adj):
1. Misspelled; of or pertaining to an incorrect spelling or a spelling
that differs from accepted standards.
2. (linguistics) Of a writing system in which a particular symbol
represents more than one possible sound
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/heterographic>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
There is but one means to extenuate the effects of enemy fire: it is to
develop a more violent fire oneself.
--Ferdinand Foch
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Foch>
Ayumi Hamasaki (born 1978) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and former
actress. Also called Ayu by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the
"Empress of Pop" due to her popularity and widespread influence in
Japan. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to
pursue a career in entertainment. In 1998, under the tutelage of Avex
CEO Max Matsuura, she released a string of modestly selling singles
that concluded with her 1999 debut album A Song for ××. The album
debuted atop the Oricon charts and stayed there for four weeks,
establishing her popularity in Japan. Because of her constantly
changing image and tight control over her artistry, Hamasaki's
popularity extends across Asia; music and fashion trends she has
started have spread to countries such as China, Singapore, and Taiwan.
She has appeared in or lent her songs to many advertisements and
television commercials. Though she originally supported the
exploitation of her popularity for commercial purposes, she later
reconsidered and eventually opposed her status as an Avex "product".
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayumi_Hamasaki>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
331 BC:
Alexander the Great of Macedon defeated Darius III of Persia at the
Battle of Gaugamela, and was subsequently crowned "King of Asia" in a
ceremony in Arbela.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gaugamela>
1890:
At the urging of preservationist John Muir and writer Robert Underwood
Johnson, the United States Congress established Yosemite National Park
in California.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_National_Park>
1891:
Stanford University, founded by railroad magnate and California
Governor Leland Stanford and his wife Jane Stanford on their former
farm lands in Palo Alto, California, officially opened with 559
students and free tuition.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_University>
1949:
Chinese Civil War: Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong
proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China>
1965:
A coup d'état in Indonesia by the self-proclaimed Thirtieth of
September Movement was crushed by forces of General Suharto and sparked
an anti-Communist purge.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_September_Movement>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
agape (adj):
1. (of a mouth) Gaping, as with wonder, expectation, or eager
attention.
2. Open wide
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/agape>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The final end of government is not to exert restraint but to do good.
--Rufus Choate
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rufus_Choate>