The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural world championship for
international association football teams – the FIFA World Cup. It was
played in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July. Fédération Internationale de
Football Association (FIFA) selected Uruguay as host nation as the
country would be celebrating the centenary of its independence, and the
Uruguay national football team had successfully retained their football
title at the 1928 Summer Olympics. All matches were played in the
Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, the majority at the Estadio Centenario,
which was built for the tournament. Thirteen teams, seven from South
America, four from Europe and two from North America entered the
tournament. The teams were divided into four groups, with the winner of
each group progressing to the semi-finals. Lucien Laurent of France
scored the first goal in World Cup history. Argentina, Uruguay, the US
and Yugoslavia each won their respective groups to qualify for the
semi-finals. In the final, hosts and pre-tournament favourites Uruguay
defeated Argentina 4–2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people, and became
the first nation to win a World Cup.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930_FIFA_World_Cup>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
French Revolution: Jacques Necker was dismissed as Director-General of
Finances of France, sparking public demonstrations in Paris that led to
the Storming of the Bastille three days later.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Necker>
1921:
The Irish War of Independence ended with a truce between the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Irish Republican Army,
resulting in negotiations that eventually led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty
and the establishment of the Irish Free State.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_War_of_Independence>
1960:
American author Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, featuring
themes of racial injustice and the destruction of innocence in the
American Deep South, was first published.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird>
1995:
Bosnian Genocide: Bosnian Serb forces began the Srebrenica massacre in
the region of Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, eventually killing an
estimated total of 8,000 Bosniaks.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srebrenica_massacre>
2006:
A series of seven bombs exploded over a period of 11 minutes on the
Suburban Railway in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, killing 209 people and
injuring over 700 others.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11_July_2006_Mumbai_train_bombings>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
profligate (adj):
1. Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly.
2. Immoral; abandoned to vice
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/profligate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I can never join with my voice in the toast which I see in the papers
attributed to one of our gallant naval heroes. I cannot ask of heaven
success, even for my country, in a cause where she should be in the
wrong. Fiat justitia, pereat coelum. My toast would be, may our country
always be successful, but whether successful or otherwise, always
right.
--John Quincy Adams
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Quincy_Adams>
The Royal Gold Cup is a solid gold covered cup lavishly decorated with
enamel and pearls. It was made for the French royal family at the end
of the 14th century, and later belonged to several English monarchs,
before spending nearly 300 years in Spain. Since 1892 it has been in
the British Museum, and is generally agreed to be the outstanding
survival of late medieval French plate. The cup has a cover that lifts
off, and once stood on a triangular stand, now lost. The stem of the
cup has twice been extended by the addition of cylindrical bands, so
that it was originally a good deal shorter, giving the overall shape "a
typically robust and stocky elegance." The gold surfaces are decorated
with scenes in basse-taille enamel with translucent colours that
reflect light from the gold beneath; many areas of gold both underneath
the enamel and in the background have engraved and pointillé decoration
worked in the gold. Scenes from the life of Saint Agnes run round the
top of the cover and the sloping underside of the main body. The
symbols of the Four Evangelists run round the foot of the cup, and
there are enamel medallions at the centre of the inside of both the cup
and the cover. The lower of the two added bands contains enamel Tudor
roses on a diapered pointillé background; this was apparently added
under Henry VIII.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Gold_Cup>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1553:
Four days after the death of her predecessor, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey
was officially proclaimed Queen of England, beginning her reign as "The
Nine Days' Queen".
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Jane_Grey>
1800:
Lord Wellesley, Governor-General of the British Raj, founded Fort
William College in Fort William, India, to promote Bengali, Hindi and
other vernaculars of the subcontinent.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_William_College>
1913:
California's Death Valley hit 134 °F (56.7 °C), the highest temperature
ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_National_Park>
1925:
Indian mystic and spiritual master Meher Baba began his silence until
his death in 1969, only communicating by means of an alphabet board or
by unique hand gestures.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meher_Baba>
1941:
The Holocaust: A group of non-Jewish ethnic Poles from around the
nearby area murdered hundreds of Jewish residents of Jedwabne in
occupied Poland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedwabne_pogrom>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ocularly (adv):
1. By means of the eye; visually.
2. Into or towards the eye
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ocularly>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent
suffer.
--William Blackstone
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Blackstone>
The Chalukya dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts
of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries.
During this period, they ruled as three related, but individual
dynasties. The earliest dynasty, known as the "Badami Chalukyas", ruled
from their capital Vatapi (modern Badami) from the middle of the 6th
century. The Badami Chalukyas began to assert their independence at the
decline of the Kadamba kingdom of Banavasi and rapidly rose to
prominence during the reign of Pulakesi II. After the death of
Pulakesi II, the Eastern Chalukyas became an independent kingdom in the
eastern Deccan. They ruled from their capital Vengi until about the
11th century. In the western Deccan, the rise of the Rashtrakutas in
the middle of 8th century eclipsed the Chalukyas of Badami before being
revived by their descendants, the Western Chalukyas, in late 10th
century. These Western Chalukyas ruled from Kalyani (modern
Basavakalyan) till the end of the 12th century. The rule of the
Chalukyas marks an important milestone in the history of South India
and a golden age in the history of Karnataka.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalukya_dynasty>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
French Revolution: The National Constituent Assembly was formed from
the National Assembly, and began to function as a governing body and a
drafter for a new constitution.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Constituent_Assembly>
1868:
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, including
the Citizenship Clause, the Equal Protection Clause and the Privileges
or Immunities Clause among others, was ratified by the minimum required
twenty-eight U.S. states.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Cons…>
1900:
Queen Victoria gave her Royal Assent to an Act of the Parliament of the
United Kingdom, ratifying the Constitution of Australia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Australia>
1944:
World War II: The Allies began their invasion of Sicily, a large scale
amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land
combat.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_invasion_of_Sicily>
1962:
In a seminal moment for pop art, Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans
exhibition opened at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell%27s_Soup_Cans>
1999:
Six days of student protests began after Iranian police attacked a
University of Tehran dormitory following a peaceful student
demonstration against the closure of the reformist newspaper Salam.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_student_protests%2C_July_1999>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
coagulate (v):
To congeal; to convert from a liquid to a semisolid mass
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coagulate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
As a child I was taught that to tell the truth was often painful. As an
adult I have learned that not to tell the truth is more painful, and
that the fear of telling the truth — whatever the truth may be — that
fear is the most painful sensation of a moral life.
--June Jordan
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/June_Jordan>
Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works was a 19th-century manufacturer of
railroad steam locomotives based in Paterson, New Jersey in the United
States. They built more than 6,000 steam locomotives for railroads
around the world. Most railroads in 19th-century United States rostered
at least one Rogers-built locomotive. The company's most famous product
was a locomotive named The General, built in December 1855, which was
one of the principals of the Great Locomotive Chase of the American
Civil War. Rogers was the second-most popular American locomotive
manufacturer of the 19th century behind the Baldwin Locomotive Works
amongst almost a hundred manufacturers. The company was founded by
Thomas Rogers in an 1832 partnership with Morris Ketchum and Jasper
Grosvenor as Rogers, Ketchum and Grosvenor. Rogers remained president
until his death in 1856 when his son, Jacob S. Rogers, took the
position and reorganized the company as Rogers Locomotive and Machine
Works. The younger Rogers led the company until he retired in 1893.
Robert S. Hughes then became president and reorganized the company as
Rogers Locomotive Company, which he led until his death in 1900.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Locomotive_and_Machine_Works>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1579:
Our Lady of Kazan , a holy icon of the Russian Orthodox Church, was
discovered underground in Kazan, present-day Tatarstan, Russia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Kazan>
1709:
Great Northern War: Peter I of Russia defeated Charles XII of Sweden in
Poltava, Ukraine, effectively ending Sweden's role as a major power in
Europe.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Poltava>
1758:
French and Indian War: French forces defeated the British at Fort
Carillon on the shore of Lake Champlain in the British Colony of New
York.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carillon>
1947:
After various news agencies reported the capture of a "flying disc" by
U.S. Air Force personnel from the Roswell Army Air Field in Roswell,
New Mexico, the U.S. Military issued a press release maintaining that
what was actually recovered was debris from an experimental
high-altitude surveillance weather balloon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roswell_UFO_Incident>
2004:
After a 19-month trial, U.S. Marine Corps Major Michael Brown was
convicted by a court in Naha, Okinawa, for an attempted indecent
assault on a Filipina bartender.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Brown_Okinawa_assault_incident>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
figment (n):
A fabrication, fantasy, invention; something fictitious
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/figment>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities
vanish.
--Jean de La Fontaine
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean_de_La_Fontaine>
Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) was an Austrian late-Romantic composer, and
one of the leading conductors of his generation. After graduating from
the Vienna Conservatory in 1878, he held a succession of conducting
posts of rising importance in the opera houses of Europe, culminating
in his appointment in 1897 as director of the Vienna Court Opera
(Hofoper). During his ten years in Vienna, Mahler's innovative
productions and insistence on the highest performance standards ensured
his reputation as one of the greatest of opera conductors, particularly
as an interpreter of the stage works of Wagner and Mozart. The
compositions of Mahler's maturity are confined to the genres of
symphony and song. His symphonies were often controversial when first
performed, and were slow to receive critical and popular approval; an
exception was the triumphant premiere of his Eighth Symphony in 1910.
After 1945 the music was rediscovered and championed by a new
generation of listeners; Mahler then became one of the most frequently
performed and recorded of all composers, a situation that continues
into the 21st century.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Mahler>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1585:
The Treaty of Nemours was first signed, forcing Henry III of France to
give in to the demands of the Catholic League and revoking all edicts
granting concessions to the Huguenots.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Nemours>
1928:
The Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri, US, first
produced sliced bread, advertised as "the greatest forward step in the
baking industry since bread was wrapped", which then led to the popular
phrase "the greatest thing since sliced bread".
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sliced_bread>
1937:
The Imperial Japanese Army engaged the Republic of China's National
Revolutionary Army on Beijing's Marco Polo Bridge, marking the
beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polo_Bridge_Incident>
1963:
The police of Ngo Dinh Nhu, brother and chief political advisor of
President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem, attacked a group of American
journalists who were covering a protest during Buddhist crisis.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Seven_Day_scuffle>
2005:
Suicide bombers killed 52 people in a series of four explosions on
London's public transport system (ambulances at Russell Square
pictured, following the attack).
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_July_2005_London_bombings>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bursiform (adj):
Shaped like a purse or bag
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bursiform>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Magic is not science, it is a collection of ways to do things — ways
that work but often we don't know why.
--Robert A. Heinlein
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein>
Expedition to the Barrier Peaks is an adventure module written by Gary
Gygax (pictured) for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. While
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is typically a fantasy game, the adventure
includes science fiction elements. It takes place on a downed
spaceship; the crew has died, but robots and strange creatures still
inhabit the ship. The player characters fight monsters and robots, and
gather futuristic weapons and colored access cards to advance the
story. The adventure was first played at the 1976 Origins II
convention. TSR published the adventure in 1980, updated for Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons. The adventure is a favorite of many fans, including
Stephen Colbert. Dungeon magazine ranked it the fifth-best D&D
adventure of all time, and White Dwarf and The Space Gamer magazines
gave it positive reviews.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_to_the_Barrier_Peaks>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
371 BC:
The Post-Peloponnesian War Conflicts: The Thebans defeated the Spartans
at the Battle of Leuctra in Boeotia in the territory of Thespiae,
weakening Sparta's influence over the Greek peninsula.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leuctra>
1777:
American Revolutionary War: American troops at Fort Ticonderoga in New
York retreated from the advancing British forces, causing an uproar in
the American public since the fort was widely believed to be virtually
impregnable.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Ticonderoga_%281777%29>
1887:
King Kalākaua of Hawai'i was forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution,
stripping the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority as well as
disfranchising all Asians, most native Hawaiians, and the poor.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1887_Constitution_of_the_Kingdom_of_Hawaii>
1998:
Hong Kong International Airport, built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by
land reclamation, opened for commercial operations, becoming one of the
world's busiest airports.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_International_Airport>
2006:
Nathu La , a mountain pass in the Himalayas connecting India and China,
sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opened for trade after more than
40 years.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathu_La>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
stellify (v):
1. (mythology) To transform from an earthly body into a celestial body;
to place in the sky as such.
2. (astronomy) To turn into a star
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stellify>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people
are fed, and where individuals and nations are free. True peace with
oneself and with the world around us can only be achieved through the
development of mental peace.
--Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tenzin_Gyatso%2C_14th_Dalai_Lama>
The July 2009 Ürümqi riots were a series of violent riots over several
days that broke out on 5 July 2009 in Ürümqi, the capital city of
Xinjiang, China. Protests calling for a full investigation into the
Shaoguan incident, a brawl in southern China several days earlier in
which two Uyghurs had been killed, escalated into violence. During the
first day's rioting mainly Han ("ethnic Chinese") were targeted; two
days later hundreds of Han people gathered and clashed with both police
and Uyghurs. Chinese officials said that a total of 197 people died,
with 1,721 others injured and considerable damage to property; Uyghur
groups say the death toll is higher than officially disclosed. Human
Rights Watch documented numerous cases of arrests and disappearances in
the wake of the riots. Rioting began when the police confronted the
march, but observers disagree on what caused the protests to become
violent. The Chinese central government alleges that the riots
themselves were planned from abroad by the World Uyghur Congress and
its leader Rebiya Kadeer, while Kadeer denies fomenting the violence in
her struggle for her people's right to self-determination. Uyghur
groups claim that the escalation was caused by the police's use of
excessive force. Chinese media coverage of the Ürümqi riots was
extensive.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_2009_%C3%9Cr%C3%BCmqi_riots>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1687:
The Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton was
first published, describing his laws of motion and his law of universal
gravitation.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophi%C3%A6_Naturalis_Principia_Mathemati…>
1950:
The Israeli Knesset enacted the Law of Return, granting Jews around the
world the right to migrate to and settle in Israel and gain
citizenship.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Return>
1996:
A cloned sheep named Dolly, the first mammal to have been successfully
cloned from an adult cell, was born at the Roslin Institute in
Midlothian, Scotland near Edinburgh.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_%28sheep%29>
2004:
Indonesia held its first direct presidential elections; Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono would later be elected president during the second round of
the elections on September 20.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_presidential_election%2C_2004>
2006:
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting hours
after North Korea reportedly tested at least seven separate missiles.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_North_Korean_missile_test>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
menagerie (n):
1. A collection of live wild animals on exhibition.
2. A diverse or miscellaneous group
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/menagerie>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We shelter an angel within us. We must be the guardians of that angel.
--Jean Cocteau
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean_Cocteau>
The known history of the Grand Canyon area stretches back 10,500 years
when the first evidence for human presence in the area started. Native
Americans have been living at Grand Canyon and in the area now covered
by Grand Canyon National Park for at least the last 4,000 of those
years. Drought in the late 13th century was the likely cause for these
cultures to move on. Under direction by conquistador Francisco Vasquez
de Coronado to find the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, Captain Garcia
Lopez de Cardenas led a party of Spanish soldiers with Hopi guides to
the Grand Canyon in September of 1540. Not finding what they were
looking for, they left. Over 200 years passed before two Spanish
priests became the second party of non-Native Americans to see the
canyon. In 1869, U.S. Army Major John Wesley Powell led the Powell
Geographic Expedition through the canyon on the Colorado River. This
and later study by geologists uncovered the geology of the Grand Canyon
area and helped to advance that science. In the late 19th century there
was interest in the region because of its promise of mineral
resources—mainly copper and asbestos. Although first afforded Federal
protection in 1893 as a forest reserve and later as a U.S. National
Monument, Grand Canyon did not achieve U.S. National Park status until
1919, three years after the creation of the National Park Service.
Today, Grand Canyon National Park receives about five million visitors
each year.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Grand_Canyon_area>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1610:
Polish–Muscovite War: The outnumbered forces of the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth defeated the Russians at the Battle of Klushino.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Klushino>
1776:
In Philadelphia, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of
Independence, announcing that the thirteen American colonies were no
longer a part of the British Empire.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence>
1941:
German AB-Aktion operation in Poland: After capturing Lwów, the Nazis
executed approximately 45 professors of the University of Lwów.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Lviv_professors>
1976:
Israel Defense Forces raided Uganda's Entebbe International Airport to
free hostages taken by hijackers on Air France Flight 139.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Entebbe>
2005:
The NASA space probe Deep Impact impacted the nucleus of the comet
Tempel 1 , excavating debris from its interior to study its
composition.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Impact_%28space_mission%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
pyrotechnics (n):
1. The art and technology of fireworks and related military
applications.
2. A display of fireworks.
3. (figuratively) An impressive display
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pyrotechnics>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Every individual has a place to fill in the world, and is important, in
some respect, whether he chooses to be so or not.
--Nathaniel Hawthorne
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Hawthorne>
The Andean Condor is a species of South American bird in the New World
vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus vultur.
Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western
South America, it is the largest flying land bird in the Western
Hemisphere. It is a large black vulture with a ruff of white feathers
surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large
white patches on the wings. The head and neck are nearly featherless,
and are a dull red color, which may flush and therefore change color in
response to the bird's emotional state. In the male, there is a wattle
on the neck and a large, dark red comb or caruncle on the crown of the
head. Unlike most birds of prey, the male is larger than the female.
The condor is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It prefers
large carcasses, such as those of deer or cattle. It reaches sexual
maturity at five or six years of age and roosts at elevations of 3,000
to 5,000 m (9,800 to 16,000 ft), generally on inaccessible rock ledges.
One or two eggs are usually laid. It is one of the world’s
longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 50 years. The Andean
Condor is a national symbol of Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,
Colombia, and Ecuador, and plays an important role in the folklore and
mythology of the South American Andean regions. The Andean Condor is
considered near threatened by the IUCN. Captive breeding programs have
been instituted in several countries.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andean_Condor>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
987:
Hugh Capet was crowned King of France, becoming the first monarch of
the Capetian dynasty, which ruled France continuously until overthrown
during the French Revolution in 1792.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Capet>
1844:
The last known pair of Great Auks (illustration by John Gerrard
Keulemans shown), the only species in the genus Pinguinus, were killed
in Eldey off the coast of Iceland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Auk>
1863:
Pickett's Charge, a futile Confederate infantry assault against Union
Army positions, occurred during the final and bloodiest day of fighting
in the Battle of Gettysburg, marking a turning point in the American
Civil War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickett%27s_Charge>
1944:
World War II: During their second phase of Operation Bagration, Soviet
troops liberated Minsk, present-day Belarus, from Nazi Germany.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsk>
1988:
United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655
over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
wishy-washy (adj):
1. Wavering; lacking in commitment, certainty, or support.
2. Thin or watery
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wishy-washy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Beyond a certain point there is no return. This point has to be
reached.
--Franz Kafka
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka>
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky with a visual apparent
magnitude of −1.46, almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next
brightest star. The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris.
What the naked eye perceives as a single star is actually a binary star
system, consisting of a white main sequence star termed Sirius A, and a
faint white dwarf companion called Sirius B. At a distance of 2.6
parsecs (8.6 light years), the Sirius system is one of our near
neighbors. Sirius A is about twice as massive as the Sun and has an
absolute visual magnitude of 1.42. It is 25 times more luminous than
the Sun but has a significantly lower luminosity than other bright
stars such as Canopus or Rigel. The system is between 200 and 300
million years old. It was originally composed of two bright bluish
stars. The more massive of these, Sirius B, consumed its resources and
became a red giant before shedding its outer layers and collapsing into
its current state as a white dwarf around 120 million years ago. Sirius
is also known colloquially as the "Dog Star", reflecting its prominence
in its constellation, Canis Major. The heliacal rising of Sirius marked
the flooding of the Nile in Ancient Egypt and the 'Dog Days' of summer
for the Ancient Greeks, while to the Polynesians it marked winter and
was an important star for navigation around the Pacific Ocean.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1644:
The combined forces of the Scottish Covenanters and the English
Parliamentarians defeated the Royalists at the Battle of Marston Moor,
one of the decisive encounters of the English Civil War, near York.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Marston_Moor>
1937:
Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared
over the Pacific Ocean during an attempt to make a circumnavigational
flight.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart>
1964:
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law ,
outlawing segregation in schools, at the workplace, and other
facilities that served the general public.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964>
1976:
More than a year after the end of the Vietnam War, North and South
Vietnam officially united under communist rule to form the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam>
1997:
The Thai baht rapidly lost half of its value, marking the beginning of
the Asian Financial Crisis.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Asian_Financial_Crisis>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
avatar (n):
1. (Hinduism) The incarnation of a deity, particularly Vishnu.
2. The physical embodiment of an idea or concept; a
personification.
3. A digital representation or handle of a person or being
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/avatar>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little
different immediately they are expressed, a little distorted, a little
foolish. And yet it also pleases me and seems right that what is of
value and wisdom to one man seems nonsense to another.
--Hermann Hesse
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hermann_Hesse>