Oberon is the outermost major moon of the planet Uranus. It is the
second largest and second most massive of Uranian moons, and the ninth
most massive moon in the Solar System. Discovered by William Herschel
in 1787, Oberon is named after a character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer
Night's Dream. Its orbit lies partially outside Uranus's magnetosphere.
Oberon consists of approximately equal amounts of ice and rock, and is
likely differentiated into a rocky core and an icy mantle. A layer of
liquid water may be present at the core/mantle boundary. The surface of
Oberon, which is dark and slightly red in color, appears to have been
primarily shaped by asteroid and comet impacts. It is covered by
numerous impact craters reaching 210 km in diameter. Oberon possesses a
system of canyons (scarps) formed as a result of the expansion of its
interior during its early evolution. This moon probably formed from the
accretion disk that surrounded Uranus just after the planet's
formation. As of 2010, the Uranian system has been studied up close
only once: by the spacecraft Voyager 2 in January 1986. It took several
images of Oberon, which allowed mapping of about 40% of the moon’s
surface.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberon_%28moon%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1422:
As the only heir to the throne, Henry VI became King of England at the
age of eight months following the death of his father Henry V.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VI_of_England>
1888:
Mary Ann Nichols' body was found on the ground in front of a gated
stable entrance in Buck's Row, London, allegedly the first victim of
the unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper>
1907:
The Great Game: Russia and the United Kingdom signed the Anglo-Russian
Entente, defining their respective spheres of interest in Persia,
Afghanistan, and Tibet.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Russian_Entente>
1958:
A parcel bomb sent by Ngo Dinh Nhu, younger brother and chief adviser
of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, failed to kill Sihanouk of
Cambodia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngo_Dinh_Nhu>
1986:
After a collision with a freighter, the Soviet ocean liner Admiral
Nakhimov sank in the Tsemes Bay area of the Black Sea within seven
minutes, killing more than 400 people on board.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Admiral_Nakhimov>
1997:
Princess Diana, her companion Dodi Fayed, and their driver Henri Paul
were killed in a high speed car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road
tunnel in Paris.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Diana%2C_Princess_of_Wales>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rhabdomyolysis (n):
(medicine) The rapid disintegration of striated muscle tissue
accompanied by the excretion of myoglobin in the urine
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rhabdomyolysis>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There's not a war between Muslims and non-Muslims, but between
extremists and moderates of all the religions. ... What is important is
not to live in fear. The most dangerous thing to do is to give up and
lose hope. The main enemy is not terrorism or extremism, but ignorance.
--Queen Rania of Jordan
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Queen_Rania_of_Jordan>
The bog turtle is a semiaquatic turtle that is endemic to the eastern
United States. It was discovered in Pennsylvania in the 18th century
and first scientifically described in 1801. It is the smallest North
American turtle, measuring about 10 centimeters (4 in) long when fully
grown. Although the bog turtle is similar in appearance to the painted
or spotted turtles, its closest relative is the somewhat larger wood
turtle. The bog turtle can be found from Vermont in the north, south to
Georgia and west to Ohio. Diurnal and secretive, it spends most of its
time buried in mud and, during the winter months, in hibernation. The
bog turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on small invertebrates. Adult
bog turtles weigh 110 grams (3.9 oz) on average. Their skins and shells
are typically dark brown, with a distinctive orange spot on each side
of the neck. Considered threatened at the federal level, the bog turtle
is protected under the United States' Endangered Species Act. Invasive
plants and urban development have eradicated much of the bog turtle's
habitat, substantially reducing its numbers. Demand for the bog turtle
is high in the black market pet trade, partly because of its small size
and unique characteristics. Various private projects have been
undertaken in an attempt to reverse the decline in the turtle's
population. The turtle has a low reproduction rate; females lay an
average of three eggs per clutch and lay one clutch per year. The young
tend to grow rapidly, reaching sexual maturity between the ages of 4
and 10 years old. Bog turtles live for an average of 20 to 30 years in
the wild. Since 1973, the Bronx Zoo has successfully bred bog turtles
in captivity.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bog_turtle>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1813:
Napoleonic Wars: Forces of the Sixth Coalition under Michael Andreas
Barclay de Tolly captured French General Dominique Vandamme and
thousands of his soldiers at the Battle of Kulm.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kulm>
1835:
European settlers landing on the north banks of the Yarra River in
Southern Australia founded the city of Melbourne.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne>
1862:
American Civil War: James Longstreet and Stonewall Jackson led their
Confederate troops to a decisive victory against John Pope's Union Army
at the Second Battle of Bull Run in Prince William County, Virginia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Bull_Run>
1918:
Fanny Kaplan shot and wounded Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, helping
to spark the Red Terror in the Soviet Union, a repression against
Socialist-Revolutionary Party members and other political opponents.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Terror>
1999:
The people of East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia in a
United Nations-supervised referendum.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Timor>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
nougat (n):
A confection of honey or sugar and roasted nuts, often with other
ingredients
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nougat>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The animals of the Burgess Shale are holy objects — in the
unconventional sense that this word conveys in some cultures. We do not
place them on pedestals and worship from afar. We climb mountains and
dynamite hillsides to find them. We quarry them, split them, carve
them, draw them, and dissect them, struggling to wrest their secrets.
We vilify and curse them for their damnable intransigence. They are
grubby little creatures of a sea floor 530 million years old, but we
greet them with awe because they are the Old Ones, and they are trying
to tell us something.
--Stephen Jay Gould
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stephen_Jay_Gould>
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke
broadcast since 1973 on BBC One. The longest-running sitcom in the
world, it premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse and having run
for 31 series, the last episode is airing on 29 August 2010. Set and
filmed in and around Holmfirth, West Yorkshire (pictured), the series
centres on a trio of old men whose line-up has changed over the years,
although most notably comprised Bill Owen as the scruffy and child-like
Compo, Peter Sallis as deep-thinking, meek Norman Clegg and Brian Wilde
as quirky war veteran Foggy. Other "third men" in the trio include
Michael Bates as authoritarian snob Blamire, Michael Aldridge as
eccentric inventor Seymour and Frank Thornton as former police officer
Truly. Gradually, the cast has grown to include a variety of supporting
characters, each contributing their own subplots to the show and often
becoming unwillingly involved in the schemes of the trio. Although
critics have noted a decline in the show's quality since Owen's death
in 1999, Last of the Summer Wine has been shown in 25 countries,
garnered large audiences for the BBC and has been praised for its
positive portrayal of older people and family-friendly humour.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_of_the_Summer_Wine>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1526:
Ottoman forces led by Suleiman the Magnificent defeated and killed
Louis II, the last Jagiellonian king of Hungary and Bohemia, at the
Battle of Mohács.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Moh%C3%A1cs>
1756:
As neighboring countries began conspiring against him, Frederick II of
Prussia launched a preemptive invasion of Saxony, starting the Seven
Years' War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_II_of_Prussia>
1842:
The Treaty of Nanking, an Unequal Treaty ending the First Opium War,
was signed, forcing the Chinese Qing Dynasty to give foreign trading
privileges, war reparations, control of Hong Kong Island, and other
concessions to the British.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Nanking>
2003:
Two car bombs exploded outside of the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, killing
Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the spiritual leader of the Supreme
Islamic Iraqi Council, and over eighty others.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imam_Ali_Mosque_bombing>
2005:
Storm surges of Hurricane Katrina caused multiple breaches in levees
around New Orleans, flooding about 80 percent of the city and many
neighboring areas for weeks.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
lopsided (adj):
Not even or balanced; not the same on one side as on the other
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lopsided>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in
is the dance of the Creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an
eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion when I am dancing, I
have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my
spirit soar and become one with everything that exists. I become the
stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the
victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become
the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on
dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation. The Creator and
the creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing — until
there is only ... the dance.
--Michael Jackson
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson>
Hurricane Bob was a weak hurricane that affected the southeast United
States in July 1985. The second tropical storm and first hurricane of
the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season, the system developed from a
tropical wave on July 21 in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Bob began
moving east, striking southwestern Florida as a weak tropical storm.
The storm then turned to the north and quickly intensified to hurricane
status on July 24. The next day, it made landfall near Beaufort, South
Carolina, becoming one of a record-tying six hurricanes to hit the
United States during a single season. Bob caused $20 million in damage
and five indirect deaths. In Florida, the storm produced heavy
rainfall, peaking at over 20 inches (500 mm) in Everglades City. In
most areas, the rainfall was beneficial due to dry conditions that had
persisted throughout the year. Damage was minimal in South Carolina,
where the hurricane made its final landfall. In Virginia, the storm
spawned three tornadoes, one of which destroyed two houses.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Bob_%281985%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1850:
German composer Richard Wagner's romantic opera Lohengrin, containing
the Bridal Chorus, was first performed under the direction of Hungarian
composer Franz Liszt in Weimar, present-day Germany.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lohengrin_%28opera%29>
1901:
Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines,
became the first American private school to be founded in the country.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silliman_University>
1914:
In the first naval battle of World War I, British ships defeated the
German fleet in the Heligoland Bight area of the North Sea.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Heligoland_Bight>
1955:
African-American teenager Emmett Till was murdered near Money,
Mississippi, for flirting with a white woman, energizing the nascent
American Civil Rights Movement.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Emmett_Till>
1963:
During a large political rally in Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King,
Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial, describing his desire for a future where blacks and
whites would coexist harmoniously as equals.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
exuberant (adj):
1. (of people) Very high-spirited; extremely energetic or enthusiastic.
2. (of things that grow) Abundant, luxuriant, profuse, superabundant
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/exuberant>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What is the use of being wise if we are not sometimes merry? The
merriment of wise men is not the uninformed, gross fun of ignorant men,
but it has more kinship with that than the pinched, frightened fun of
those who are neither learned nor ignorant, gentle nor simple, bound
nor free. The idea that a wise man must be solemn is bred and preserved
among people who have no idea what wisdom is, and can only respect
whatever makes them feel inferior.
--Robertson Davies
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robertson_Davies>
The Baltimore Steam Packet Company was an American steamship line from
1840 to 1962, providing overnight steamboat service on the Chesapeake
Bay, primarily between Baltimore, Maryland, and Norfolk, Virginia.
Called a "packet" for the mail packets carried on government mail
contracts, the term in the 19th century came to mean a steamer line
operating on a regular, fixed daily schedule between two or more
cities. By the time the venerable packet line ceased operation in 1962
after 122 years of existence, it was the last surviving overnight
steamship passenger service in the United States. In addition to
regularly calling on Baltimore and Norfolk, the Baltimore Steam Packet
Company also provided freight, passenger and vehicle transport to
Washington, D.C., Old Point Comfort, and Richmond, Virginia, at various
times during its history.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Steam_Packet_Company>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
British forces led by William Howe defeated the American Continental
Army under George Washington at the Battle of Long Island in Brooklyn,
New York, the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Long_Island>
1896:
The Anglo-Zanzibar War set the record for the shortest war in recorded
history when Zanzibar surrendered less than an hour after the conflict
broke out, with British forces destroying the Sultan's Palace and Harem
.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Zanzibar_War>
1964:
In the wake of a failed attempt to augment his personal power, South
Vietnamese junta leader Nguyen Khanh entered into a triumvirate
power-sharing arrangement with rival generals Tran Thien Khiem and
Duong Van Minh, who had been involved in plots to unseat Khanh.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tran_Thien_Khiem>
1991:
Dissolution of the Soviet Union: Moldova declared its independence
during the aftermath of the failure of the Soviet coup d'état attempt.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldova>
2003:
The planet Mars made its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000
years: 55,758,006 kilometres (34,646,419 mi).
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars>
2006:
Comair Flight 5191 crashed while inadvertently attempting to take off
from a shorter runaway at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky,
killing 49 of the 50 people on board, and causing the Federal Aviation
Administration to modify rules regarding air traffic controllers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comair_Flight_5191>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
best (v):
To beat in a contest; to surpass in skill or achievement
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/best>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those
whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures,
the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.
--Ted Kennedy
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ted_Kennedy>
Allosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to
145 million years ago, in the late Jurassic period. A large bipedal
predator, it averaged 8.5 meters (28 ft) in length, possibly reaching
over 12 meters (39 ft). Relative to the large and powerful hindlimbs,
its three-fingered forelimbs were small; the body was balanced by a
long, heavy tail. Allosaurus was at the top of the food chain;
potential prey included ornithopods, stegosaurids, and sauropods. Some
paleontologists believe Allosaurus had cooperative social behavior and
hunted in packs, while others think they worked individually. It may
have attacked large prey by ambush, using its upper jaws like a
hatchet. As one of the first well-known theropod dinosaurs, it has long
attracted attention outside paleontological circles, and has been a
lead dinosaur in several films and documentaries.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allosaurus>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1071:
Byzantine–Seljuk wars: Seljuk Turks led by Alp Arslan captured
Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV at the Battle of Manzikert .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manzikert>
1346:
Hundred Years' War: English forces established the military supremacy
of the English longbow over the French combination of crossbow and
armoured knights at the Battle of Crécy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cr%C3%A9cy>
1768:
HMS Endeavour departed Plymouth, England, marking the start of the
first voyage of explorer James Cook.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_voyage_of_James_Cook>
1966:
SWAPO guerrilla forces launched an attack against the South African
Defence Force at Omugulugwombashe, starting the Namibian War of
Independence.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omugulugwombashe>
2008:
More than a week after a ceasefire was reached in the South Ossetia
war, Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia, much to the displeasure of Georgia, the European Union,
NATO, and many other countries.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
kibitz (v):
1. To chat; to gossip; to make small talk or idle chatter.
2. To give unwanted advice or make unhelpful or idle comments
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kibitz>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If you can't see God in All, You can't see God at All.
--Harbhajan Singh Yogi
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harbhajan_Singh_Yogi>
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford,
Greater Manchester. The band, primarily consisting of Ian Curtis
(vocals and occasional guitar), Bernard Sumner (pictured) (guitar and
keyboards), Peter Hook (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Stephen
Morris (drums and percussion), rapidly evolved from their initial punk
rock influences to develop a sound and style that pioneered the
post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Their self-released 1978 debut
EP, An Ideal for Living, caught the attention of the Manchester
television personality Tony Wilson. Their debut album, Unknown
Pleasures, was released in 1979 on Wilson's independent record label
Factory Records and drew critical acclaim. Despite the band's growing
success, Curtis was beset with depression and personal difficulties,
including a dissolving marriage and his diagnosis with epilepsy. He
found it increasingly difficult to perform at live concerts, and often
had seizures during performances. On the eve of the band's first
American tour in 1980, Curtis, overwhelmed with depression, committed
suicide. Joy Division's posthumously released second album, Closer, and
the single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" became the band's highest charting
releases. After the death of Curtis, the remaining members reformed as
New Order, achieving critical and commercial success.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Division>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
79:
According to estimates based on the Codex Laurentianus Mediceus, the
volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the towns of Pompeii,
Herculaneum, and Stabiae in Italy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vesuvius>
1892:
Goodison Park in Liverpool, England, one of the world's first
purpose-built football grounds, opened.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodison_Park>
1942:
World War II: Bombers from the United States aircraft carrier Saratoga
sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō at the Battle of the Eastern
Solomons near Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands, helping to lead to an
Allied powers victory.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Eastern_Solomons>
1963:
Buddhist crisis: In response to the Xa Loi Pagoda raids three days
earlier, the U.S. State Department cabled Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., U.S.
Ambassador to South Vietnam, authorizing him to encourage Army of the
Republic of Vietnam officers to launch a coup against President Ngo
Dinh Nhu if he did not willingly remove his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu from
his unofficial position of power.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_243>
1992:
Hurricane Andrew made landfall in South Florida, the third most
powerful Category 5 hurricane to hit the United States during the 20th
century.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Andrew>
2006:
The International Astronomical Union redefined the term "planet",
reclassifying Pluto as a dwarf planet since it has not "cleared the
neighbourhood" around its orbit.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_definition_of_planet>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
scrutinize (v):
1. To examine something with great care.
2. To audit accounts in order to verify them
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scrutinize>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.
--Robert Herrick (poet)
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Herrick_%28poet%29>
The ANAK Society is the oldest known secret society and honor society
based at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta,
Georgia, US. Founded in 1908, ANAK's purpose is "to honor outstanding
juniors and seniors who have shown both exemplary leadership and a true
love for Georgia Tech". The society's name refers to Anak, a biblical
figure said to be the forefather of a race of giants. Although not
originally founded as a secret society, ANAK has kept its activities
and membership rosters confidential since 1961. Membership is made
public upon a student's graduation or a faculty member's retirement.
The ANAK Society's membership comprises at least 1,100 Georgia Tech
graduates, faculty members, and honorary members. Notable members
include Jimmy Carter, Bobby Dodd, Ivan Allen Jr., and most of Georgia
Tech's presidents. Membership in the ANAK Society has long been
considered the highest honor a Georgia Tech student can receive,
although the society's activities have been the object of suspicion and
controversy in recent years.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANAK_Society>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1514:
The Ottoman Empire defeated the Safavids at the Battle of Chaldiran,
gaining control of over eastern Anatolia and northern Iraq.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chaldiran>
1896:
The Cry of Pugad Lawin: Andrés Bonifacio and his comrades from the
Katipunan society tore their residence certificates in defiance of
Spanish rule during a meeting in present-day Quezon City, an event
regarded as the starting signal of the Philippine Revolution.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9s_Bonifacio>
1929:
Palestine riots: Arabs began attacking Jews in Hebron in the British
Mandate of Palestine, killing over sixty people in two days.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_Hebron_massacre>
1939:
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to the Molotov–Ribbentrop
Pact, a 10-year, mutual non-aggression treaty, which also included a
secret protocol dividing Northern and Eastern Europe into German and
Soviet spheres of influence.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov%E2%80%93Ribbentrop_Pact>
1989:
Singing Revolution: Approximately two million people joined their hands
to form an over 600 km (370 mi) long human chain across the Estonian,
Latvian and Lithuanian Soviet republics to demonstrate the desire for
independence for each of the three Baltic states.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Way>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
sarong (n):
A garment made of a length of printed cloth wrapped about the waist
that is commonly worn by men and women in southeast Asia and the
Pacific islands
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sarong>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
for my unconquerable soul.
--William Ernest Henley
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Ernest_Henley>
Norton Priory is an historic site in Norton, Runcorn, Cheshire, North
West England, comprising the remains of an abbey complex dating from
the 12th to 16th centuries, and an 18th-century country house. The
remains are a scheduled ancient monument and have been designated by
English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. They are considered to
be the most important monastic remains in Cheshire. In 1966 the site
was given in trust for the use of the general public. Excavation of the
site began in 1971, and became the largest to be carried out by modern
methods on any European monastic site. It revealed the foundations and
lower parts of the walls of the monastery buildings and the abbey
church. Important finds included: a Norman doorway; a finely carved
arcade; a floor of mosaic tiles, the largest floor area of this type to
be found in any modern excavation; the remains of the kiln where the
tiles were fired; a bell pit used for casting the bell; and a large
medieval statue of Saint Christopher. The site, including a museum, the
excavated ruins, and the surrounding garden and woodland, was opened to
the public in the 1970s. In 1984, a redesigned walled garden was also
opened. Norton Priory is now a visitor attraction, and the museum trust
organises a programme of events, exhibitions, educational courses, and
outreach projects.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_Priory>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1485:
Lancastrian forces under Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, defeated
Yorkist forces under Richard III of England at the Battle of Bosworth
Field , decisively ending the Wars of the Roses.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bosworth_Field>
1639:
The British East India Company bought a small strip of land on what is
today Chennai, the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, from
the King of the Vijayanagara Empire, Peda Venkata Raya.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai>
1791:
A slave rebellion erupted in the French colony of Saint-Domingue,
starting the Haitian Revolution.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution>
1864:
The Red Cross movement led by Henry Dunant officially began when twelve
European nations signed the First Geneva Convention, establishing the
International Committee of the Red Cross.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Dunant>
1910:
Korea was annexed by Japan with the signing of the Japan–Korea
Annexation Treaty, beginning a period of Japanese rule of Korea that
lasted until the end of World War II.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan%E2%80%93Korea_Annexation_Treaty>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
zoochory (n):
(biology) The dispersal of seeds, spores, or fruit by animals
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zoochory>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Works of art make rules but rules do not make works of art.
--Claude Debussy
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Claude_Debussy>
Edmund Evans (1826–1905) was a prominent English wood engraver and
colour printer during the Victorian era. Evans specialized in
full-colour printing, which became popular in the mid-19th century. He
employed and collaborated with illustrators such as Walter Crane,
Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, and Richard Doyle to produce what
are now considered to be classic children's books. Although little is
known about his life, he wrote a short autobiography before his death
in 1905 in which he described his life as a printer in Victorian
London. After finishing an apprenticeship, Evans went into business for
himself. By the early 1850s, he had made a reputation as a printer of
covers for cheap novels known as yellow-backs. In the early 1860s,
Evans began to print children's toy books and picture books in
association with the printing house Routledge and Warne. His intention
was to produce books for children that were beautiful and inexpensive.
For three decades he produced multiple volumes each year, first
illustrated by Crane, and later by Caldecott and Greenaway.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Evans>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1772:
A bloodless coup d'état led by Gustav III was completed with the
adoption of a new Swedish Constitution.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_III_of_Sweden>
1831:
Nat Turner led a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, US, but
it was suppressed about 48 hours later.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Turner%27s_slave_rebellion>
1963:
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces loyal to Ngo Dinh
Nhu, brother of President Ngo Dinh Diem, raided and vandalised Buddhist
pagodas across the country , arresting thousands and leaving an
estimated hundreds dead.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xa_Loi_Pagoda_raids>
1983:
Philippines opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr. was assassinated
moments after stepping off a plane at the Manila International Airport
from his self-imposed exile in the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Benigno_Aquino%2C_Jr.>
1986:
A limnic eruption from Lake Nyos in Cameroon killed up to 1,700 people
and 3,500 livestock in nearby villages.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nyos>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
icily (adv):
1. In the manner of ice; with a cold or chilling effect.
2. (figuratively) In an uncaring manner
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/icily>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
People ask me... "What do you still bring from Hawaii? How does it
affect your character, how does it affect your politics?" I try to
explain to them something about the Aloha Spirit. I try to explain to
them this basic idea that we all have obligations to each other, that
we're not alone, that if we see somebody who's in need we should
help... that we look out for one another, that we deal with each other
with courtesy and respect, and most importantly, that when you come
from Hawaii, you start understanding that what's on the surface, what
people look like — that doesn't determine who they are. And that the
power and strength of diversity, the ability of people from everywhere
... whether they're black or white, whether they're Japanese-Americans
or Korean-Americans or Filipino-Americans or whatever they are, they
are just Americans, that all of us can work together and all of us can
join together to create a better country. And it's that spirit, that
I'm absolutely convinced, is what America is looking for right now.
--Barack Obama
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barack_Obama>