Bahia was the lead ship of her class of cruisers built for Brazil by
Armstrong Whitworth in the United Kingdom. Six months after her 21 May
1910 commissioning, crewmen aboard the ship mutinied during the Revolta
da Chibata (English: Revolt of the Whip), killing one of the ship's
officers during the four-day rebellion. During the First World War,
Bahia and her sister ship Rio Grande do Sul were assigned to the
Divisão Naval em Operações de Guerra (English: Naval Division in War
Operations), the Brazilian Navy's main contribution in that conflict.
Based out of Sierra Leone and Dakar, the squadron escorted convoys
through an area believed to be heavily patrolled by U-boats. Between
the wars, Bahia underwent a major overhaul and modernization and was
mobilized against multiple rebellions. In the Second World War, Bahia
was once again used as a convoy escort, sailing over 100,000 nautical
miles (190,000 km; 120,000 mi) in 358 total days of sailing. On 4 July
1945 she was acting as a plane guard for transport aircraft flying from
the Atlantic to Pacific theaters of war. While Bahia's gunners were
firing at a kite for anti-aircraft practice, one aimed too low and hit
depth charges stored near the stern of the ship, resulting in a massive
explosion that incapacitated the ship and sunk her within minutes. Only
a small portion of the crew survived the blast, and even fewer were
still living when their rafts were discovered days later. Conspiracy
theories disputing this story and involving rogue German U-boats
persist to this day.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_cruiser_Bahia>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1758:
French and Indian War: Ten-year-old Mary Campbell was taken captive
from her Pennsylvania home by members of the Native American group
Lenape, presumably becoming the first white child to travel to the
Connecticut Western Reserve.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Campbell>
1894:
The Manchester Ship Canal , linking Greater Manchester in North West
England to the Irish Sea, officially opened, becoming the largest
navigation canal in the world at the time.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Ship_Canal>
1927:
Aboard the Spirit of St. Louis, American aviator Charles Lindbergh
completed the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight, flying from
Roosevelt Field near New York City to Le Bourget Airport near Paris.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_of_St._Louis>
1998:
Indonesian President Suharto resigned following the collapse of
support<!-Not bolded, cleanup issues-> for his three-decade-long reign.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suharto>
2006:
The Montenegrin independence referendum was held in Montenegro, with
55.5 percent of the voters favouring independence from the State Union
of Serbia and Montenegro.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegrin_independence_referendum%2C_2006>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
don't shoot the messenger (proverb):
The bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t_shoot_the_messenger>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Some Figures monstrous and mis-shap'd appear,
Consider'd singly, or beheld too near,
Which, but proportion'd to
their Light, or Place,
Due Distance reconciles to Form and Grace.
A prudent Chief not
always must display
His Pow'rs in equal Ranks, and fair Array,
But with th' Occasion and
the Place comply,
Conceal his Force, nay seem sometimes to Fly.
Those oft are
Stratagems which Errors seem,
Nor is it Homer Nods, but We that Dream.
--Alexander Pope
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope>
Mackinac Island is an island covering 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) in
land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake
Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the
state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native
American settlement before European exploration began in the 17th
century. It served a strategic position amidst the commerce of the
Great Lakes fur trade. This led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac
on the island by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It
was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812. In the late 19th
century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summer
colony. Much of the island has undergone extensive historical
preservation and restoration; as a result, the entire island is listed
as a National Historic Landmark. It is well known for its numerous
cultural events; its wide variety of architectural styles, including
the famous Victorian Grand Hotel; and its ban on almost all motor
vehicles. More than 80 percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac
Island State Park.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Island>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
325:
The First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the
Christian Church, was formally opened in present-day Iznik, Turkey.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea>
685:
The Picts defeated the Northumbrians near Dunnichen, severely weakening
the latter's power in northern Great Britain.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dunnichen>
1293:
Sancho IV, King of Castile and León, established what is now the
Complutense University of Madrid, today one of the top public
universities in Spain.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complutense_University_of_Madrid>
1570:
The first modern atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by cartographer
Abraham Ortelius, was issued.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Ortelius>
1927:
By the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the sovereignty
of King Ibn Saud in the Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd, which later merged
to become Saudi Arabia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Saud_of_Saudi_Arabia>
2002:
East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the twenty-first
century after Indonesia relinquished control of the territory.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Timor>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
kinematic (adj):
Of or relating to motion or to kinematics
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kinematic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
However unwillingly a person who has a strong opinion may admit the
possibility that his opinion may be false, he ought to be moved by the
consideration that, however true it may be, if it is not fully,
frequently, and fearlessly discussed, it will be held as a dead dogma,
not a living truth.
--John Stuart Mill
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill>
The rings of Neptune were discovered in 1989 by the Voyager 2
spacecraft and are tenuous, faint and dusty, and resemble the rings of
Jupiter more closely than those of Saturn or Uranus. Neptune possesses
five known rings, each named for an astronomer who contributed
important work on the planet: the Galle, Le Verrier, Lassell, Arago and
Adams rings. Neptune also has a faint unnamed ring coincident with the
orbit of Neptunian moon Galatea. The rings of Neptune are made of
extremely dark material, likely organic compounds processed by
radiation similar to that found in the rings of Uranus. The proportion
of dust in the rings (between 20 and 70%) is high, while their optical
depth is low, at less than 0.1. Uniquely, the Adams ring is divided
into five discrete arcs, named Fraternité, Égalité 1 and 2, Liberté,
and Courage. The arcs occupy a narrow range of orbital longitudes and
are remarkably stable, having changed only slightly since their initial
detection in 1980. How the arcs maintain stability is still under
debate. However, their stability is probably related to the resonant
interaction between the Adams ring and its inner shepherd moon,
Galatea.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rings_of_Neptune>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1643:
Thirty Years' War: The French led by Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de
Condé scored a decisive victory against the Spanish in Rocroi, France.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rocroi>
1780:
A combination of thick smoke, fog, and heavy cloud cover caused
complete darkness to fall on parts of Canada and the New England area
of the United States, requiring candles to be used from noon until
midnight.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England%27s_Dark_Day>
1802:
Napoléon Bonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic, established
the Légion d'honneur order as a reward to commend civilians and
soldiers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9gion_d%27honneur>
1848:
Mexico ratified the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that was previously
signed to end the Mexican–American War, officially ceding present-day
California, Nevada, Utah, and other territory to the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Cession>
1919:
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk traveled to Samsun to establish the Turkish
National Movement to resist the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire
after World War I, marking the start of the Turkish War of
Independence.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_War_of_Independence>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Ruritanian (adj):
1. Of or having the characteristics of a place full of adventure,
romance, and intrigue, as in works of romantic fiction.
2. Used to describe a fictitious and generic foreign government or
person, as used to state a general or hypothetical situation
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ruritanian>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Humankind consists of two sexes, woman and man. Is it possible that a
mass is improved by the improvement of only one part and the other
ignored? Is it possible that if half of a mass is tied to earth with
chains and the other half can soar into skies?
--Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kemal_Atat%C3%BCrk>
David Alexander Johnston (1949–1980) was a volcanologist with the
United States Geological Survey (USGS) who was killed by the 1980
eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. One of the principal
scientists on the monitoring team, Johnston died while manning an
observation post on the morning of May 18, 1980. He was the first to
report the eruption, transmitting the famous message "Vancouver!
Vancouver! This is it!" before being swept away by the lateral blast
created by the collapse of the mountain's north flank. His work and
that of his fellow USGS scientists had convinced the authorities to
close Mount St. Helens to the general public and to maintain the
closure in spite of heavy pressure to re-open the area; their work
saved thousands of lives. His story has become part of the popular
image of volcanic eruptions and their threat to society, and also part
of the history of volcanology. Following his death, Johnston was
commemorated in several ways, including a memorial fund set up in his
name at the University of Washington, and two volcano observatories
that were named after him. Johnston's life and death have been featured
in several documentaries, films, docudramas and books about the
eruption. Along with other people killed by the volcano, Johnston's
name is inscribed on memorials dedicated to their memory.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_A._Johnston>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1848:
During the aftermath of the March Revolution in the German
Confederation, the Frankfurt Parliament opened in the Paulskirche in
Frankfurt am Main.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt_Parliament>
1896:
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Plessy v. Ferguson,
upholding the legality of racial segregation in public transportation
under the "Separate but equal" doctrine.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plessy_v._Ferguson>
1944:
World War II: Polish forces under Lieutenant General Władysław Anders
captured Monte Cassino, Italy, after a four-month battle.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Monte_Cassino>
1955:
Operation Passage to Freedom, the evacuation of 310,000 Vietnamese
civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the French Army from
communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam following the end of the First
Indochina War, ended.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Passage_to_Freedom>
1980:
The stratovolcano Mount St. Helens erupted , killing 57 people in
southern Washington State, reducing hundreds of square miles to
wasteland, and causing over a billion U.S. dollars in damage.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_eruption_of_Mount_St._Helens>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
windmill (v):
To rotate with a sweeping motion
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/windmill>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel
half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.
--Omar Khayyám
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Omar_Khayy%C3%A1m>
The Marwari horse is a rare breed from the Marwar region of India.
Known for its inward-turning ear tips, it comes in all equine colours,
although pinto patterns tend to be the most popular. It is known for
its hardiness, and is quite similar to the Kathiawari, another Indian
breed from the Kathiawar region southwest of Marwar. Many breed members
exhibit a natural pacing gait. The Marwari are descended from native
Indian ponies crossed with Arabian horses, possibly with some Mongolian
influence. The Rathores, traditional rulers of the Marwar region of
western India, were the first to breed the Marwari. Beginning in the
12th century, they espoused strict breeding that promoted purity and
hardiness. Used throughout history as a cavalry horse by the people of
the Marwar region, the Marwari was noted for its loyalty and bravery in
battle. The breed deteriorated in the 1930s, when poor management
practices resulted in a reduction of the breeding stock, but today has
regained some of its popularity. The Marwari is used for light draught
and agricultural work, as well as riding and packing. In 1995, a breed
society was formed for the Marwari in India, and in the 2000s horses
have begun to be exported to the United States and Europe.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marwari_horse>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1590:
Anne of Denmark was crowned Queen consort of Scotland in the abbey
church at Holyrood Palace.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Denmark>
1943:
World War II: Royal Air Force Dam Busters successfully deployed
bouncing bombs on German dams in Operation Chastise.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Chastise>
1954:
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Brown v. Board of
Education, outlawing racial segregation in public schools because
"separate educational facilities are inherently unequal".
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education>
1980:
On the eve of Peruvian general election, the Maoist guerrilla group
Shining Path attacked a polling location in the town of Chuschi,
Ayacucho, starting the internal conflict in Peru.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/internal_conflict_in_Peru>
2009:
Dalia Grybauskaitė was elected the first female President of Lithuania,
receiving 68.18 percent of the vote.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalia_Grybauskait%C4%97>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
doge (n):
The chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/doge>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Yes, there is a Divinity, one from which we must never turn aside for
the guidance of our huge inward life and of the share we have as well
in the life of all men. It is called the truth.
--Henri Barbusse
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henri_Barbusse>
Ratanakiri is a province in northeastern Cambodia that borders Laos to
the north, Vietnam to the east, Mondulkiri Province to the south, and
Stung Treng Province to the west. The province extends from the
mountains of the Annamite Range in the north, across a hilly plateau
between the Tonle San and Tonle Srepok rivers, to tropical deciduous
forests in the south. In recent years, logging and mining have scarred
Ratanakiri's environment, long known for its beauty. For over a
millennium, Ratanakiri has been occupied by the highland Khmer Loeu,
who are a minority elsewhere in Cambodia. During the region's early
history, its Khmer Loeu inhabitants were exploited as slaves by
neighboring empires. The slave trade economy ended during the French
colonial era, but a harsh Khmerization campaign after Cambodia's
independence again threatened Khmer Loeu ways of life. The Khmer Rouge
built its headquarters in the province in the 1960s, and bombing during
the Vietnam War devastated the region. Today, rapid development in the
province is altering traditional ways of life. Ratanakiri is sparsely
populated; its 150,000 residents make up just over 1% of the country's
total population. Residents generally live in villages of 20 to 60
families and engage in subsistence shifting agriculture. Ratanakiri is
among the least developed provinces of Cambodia. Its infrastructure is
poor, and the local government is weak. Health indicators in Ratanakiri
are extremely poor, and almost one in four children die before reaching
the age of five. Education levels are also low; three quarters of the
population is illiterate.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratanakiri_Province>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1204:
Fourth Crusade: Count Baldwin IX of Flanders was crowned the first
Latin Emperor in Constantinople.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_I_of_Constantinople>
1877:
President Patrice de Mac-Mahon dismissed Jules Simon and installed
Albert, Duc de Broglie as Prime Minister, triggering a political crisis
in the French Third Republic.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16_May_1877_crisis>
1918:
The Sedition Act was passed in United States, forbidding Americans from
using "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the
United States government, flag, or armed forces during the ongoing
World War I.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedition_Act_of_1918>
1929:
The first ceremony of the Academy Awards was held at the Hollywood
Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award>
1975:
Based on the results of a referendum held about one month earlier,
Sikkim abolished its monarchy and was annexed by India, becoming its
22nd state.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikkim>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
insofar as (conj):
To the extent that
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/insofar_as>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The slave system is one of constant danger, distrust, suspicion, and
watchfulness. It debases those whose toil alone can produce wealth and
resources for defence, to the lowest degree of which human nature is
capable, to guard against mutiny and insurrection, and thus wastes
energies which otherwise might be employed in national development and
aggrandizement. The free-labor system educates all alike, and by
opening all the fields of industrial employment and all the departments
of authority, to the unchecked and equal rivalry of all classes of men,
at once secures universal contentment, and brings into the highest
possible activity all the physical, moral, and social energies of the
whole state.
--William H. Seward
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_H._Seward>
Quiriguá is an ancient Maya archaeological site in the department of
Izabal in south-eastern Guatemala. It is a medium-sized site covering
approximately 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) along the lower Motagua
River, with the ceremonial center about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the north
bank. During the Maya Classic Period, Quiriguá was situated at the
juncture of several important trade routes. The site was occupied by
200, construction on the acropolis had begun by about 550, and an
explosion of grander construction started in the 8th century. All
construction had halted by about 850, except for a brief period of
reoccupation in the Early Postclassic. Quiriguá shares its
architectural and sculptural styles with the nearby Classic Period city
of Copán, with whose history it is closely entwined. Quiriguá's rapid
expansion in the 8th century was tied to king K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat's
military victory over Copán in 738. When the greatest king of Copán,
Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil or "18-Rabbit", was defeated, he was
captured and then sacrificed in the Great Plaza at Quiriguá. Before
this, Quiriguá had been a vassal state of Copán, but it maintained its
independence afterwards. The ceremonial architecture at Quiriguá is
quite modest, but the site's importance lies in its wealth of
sculpture, including the tallest stone monuments ever erected in the
New World.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quirigu%C3%A1>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1602:
English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold became the first recorded European
to visit Cape Cod.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Gosnold>
1836:
English astronomer Francis Baily first observed "Baily's beads", a
phenomenon during a solar eclipse in which the rugged lunar limb
topography allows beads of light to shine through .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Baily>
1905:
Las Vegas was established as railroad town, after 110 acres (0.45 km2)
owned by the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad was
auctioned off.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas%2C_Nevada>
1928:
Mickey and Minnie Mouse made their film debut in the animated cartoon
Plane Crazy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Mouse>
1932:
Japanese Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi was assassinated in a coup
attempt by radical elements of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_15_Incident>
1966:
After a policy dispute, South Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ's
ruling junta launched a military attack on the forces of General Ton
That Dinh, forcing him to abandon his command.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ton_That_Dinh>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
pleased as Punch (adj):
(colloquial) Pleased with one's own actions or achievements
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pleased_as_Punch>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The real sin against life is to abuse and destroy beauty, even one's
own — even more, one's own, for that has been put in our care and we
are responsible for its well-being.
--Katherine Anne Porter
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Katherine_Anne_Porter>
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is an arcade-style action game co-developed
by Factor 5 and LucasArts. The first of three games in the Rogue
Squadron series, it was published by LucasArts and Nintendo and
released for Windows and the Nintendo 64 in December 1998. Rogue
Squadron was one of the first games to take advantage of the Nintendo
64's Expansion Pak, which allows gameplay at a 640 × 480 display
resolution, instead of that system's standard 320 × 240 resolution. Set
in the fictional Star Wars galaxy and inspired by the Star Wars: X-wing
Rogue Squadron comics, the game takes place primarily between events in
the films Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.
The player controls Luke Skywalker, commander of the elite X-wing
pilots known as Rogue Squadron. As the game progresses, Skywalker and
Rogue Squadron fight the Galactic Empire in sixteen missions across
various planets. Rogue Squadron received generally positive reviews.
Critics praised the game's technical achievements and flight controls,
but its use of distance fog and the lack of a multiplayer mode drew
criticism.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars%3A_Rogue_Squadron>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1264:
Second Barons' War: King Henry III was defeated at the Battle of Lewes
and forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, making Simon de Montfort the de
facto ruler of England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_of_Lewes>
1607:
An expedition led by Edward Maria Wingfield, Christopher Newport, and
John Smith established the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia, the first
permanent English settlement in North America.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamestown_Settlement>
1940:
The Yermolayev Yer-2, a long-range Soviet medium bomber had its first
flight.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yermolayev_Yer-2>
1943:
World War II: The Australian Hospital Ship Centaur was attacked and
sunk by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland, killing 268
people aboard.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AHS_Centaur>
1948:
David Ben-Gurion publicly read the Israeli Declaration of Independence
at the present-day Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, officially
establishing a new Jewish state in parts of the former British Mandate
of Palestine.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_Declaration_of_Independence>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
gubernatorial (adj):
Of or pertaining to a governor
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gubernatorial>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Union and co-operation in war obviously increase the power of the
individual a thousand fold. Is there the shadow of a reason why they
should not produce equal effects in peace; why the principle of
co-operation should not give to men the same superior powers, and
advantages, (and much greater) in the creation, preservation,
distribution and enjoyment of wealth?
--Robert Owen
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Owen>
The Historian is the 2005 debut novel of American author Elizabeth
Kostova. The plot blends the history and folklore of Vlad Ţepeş and his
fictional equivalent Count Dracula. Kostova's father told her stories
about Dracula when she was a child, and later in life she was inspired
to turn the experience into a novel. She worked on the book for ten
years and then sold it within a few months to Little, Brown, and
Company, which bought it for a remarkable US$2 million. The Historian
has been described as a combination of genres, including Gothic novel,
adventure novel, detective fiction, travelogue, postmodern historical
novel, epistolary epic, and historical thriller. It is concerned with
history's role in society and representation in books, as well as the
nature of good and evil. The evils brought about by religious conflict
are a particular theme, and the novel explores the relationship between
the Christian West and the Islamic East. Little, Brown, and Company
heavily promoted the book and it became the first debut novel to become
number one on the The New York Times bestseller list. As of 2005, it
was the fastest-selling hardback debut novel in US history. Kostova
received the 2006 Book Sense award for Best Adult Fiction and the 2005
Quill Award for Debut Author of the Year. Sony has bought the film
rights and, as of 2007, were planning an adaptation.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Historian>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1846:
The United States declared war on Mexico after a series of disputes in
the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, starting the
Mexican–American War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican-American_War>
1917:
Our Lady of Fátima: Ten-year-old Lúcia Santos (pictured middle) and her
cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto reportedly began experiencing a
Marian apparition near Fátima, Portugal.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_F%C3%A1tima>
1958:
Algerian War: A group of French military officers led a coup in
Algiers, demanding that a government of national unity be formed with
Charles de Gaulle at its head in order to defend French control of
Algeria.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_1958_crisis>
1981:
Mehmet Ali Ağca shot and critically wounded Pope John Paul II in Saint
Peter's Square, Vatican City.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehmet_Ali_A%C4%9Fca>
2005:
Uzbek Interior Ministry and National Security Service troops fired into
a crowd of protesters in Andijan, Uzbekistan, killing from anywhere
from 187, the official count of the government, to a reported 5,000
people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andijan_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
turncoat (n):
A traitor; one who turns against a previous affiliation or allegiance
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/turncoat>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Not living in fear is a great gift, because certainly these days we do
it so much. And do you know what I like about comedy? You can’t laugh
and be afraid at the same time — of anything. If you're laughing, I
defy you to be afraid.
--Stephen Colbert
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert>
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province which entered into
Confederation in 1870 after the Red River Rebellion. The area has been
inhabited for thousands of years, with European contact made in the
17th century. The province has over 10,000 lakes, and has a largely
continental climate due to its mostly flat topography. Agriculture,
found especially in the fertile southern and western parts of the
province, is vital to its economy; other major industries are
transportation, manufacturing, mining, forestry, energy, and tourism.
The political and cultural capital, Winnipeg, is home to four of the
province's five universities, all four of its major professional sports
teams, and most of its cultural events. The city is also a
transportation and military hub, hosting a busy international airport
and the regional headquarters of NORAD. The province has a population
of over one million; its largest ethnic group is English, but it has a
significant Franco-Manitoban minority and a growing aboriginal
population. The province's name, meaning "strait of the spirit" or
"lake of the prairies", is derived from the languages of its early
aboriginal inhabitants.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoba>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1885:
North-West Rebellion: Louis Riel and the Métis rebels were decisively
defeated by Canadian forces under Major-General Frederick Middleton in
Batoche, Saskatchewan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Riel>
1926:
The Trades Union Congress, a federation of British trade unions,
announced that it would end its week-long general strike "in defence of
[[Coal miners|[coal] miners']] wages and hours".
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1926_United_Kingdom_general_strike>
1941:
German engineer Konrad Zuse presented the Z3 , the world's first
working programmable, fully automatic computer, to an audience of
scientists in Berlin.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z3_%28computer%29>
1975:
The Cambodian navy seized the American container ship SS Mayaguez in
recognized international waters, but claimed as territorial waters by
Cambodia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayaguez_incident>
2008:
An earthquake measuring about 8.0 Ms struck the Sichuan province of
China, killing at least 69,000 people, injuring at least 374,000, and
leaving at least 4.8 million others homeless.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Sichuan_earthquake>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
couple-close (n):
(heraldry) A diminutive of the chevron, always borne in closely placed
pairs
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/couple-close>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I think one's feelings waste themselves in words, they ought all to be
distilled into actions and into actions which bring results.
--Florence Nightingale
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale>