110px|McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink
McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink is a multi-purpose venue within
Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, US. On
December 20, 2001, it became the first attraction in Millennium Park to
open. The $3.2 million plaza was funded by a donation from the
McCormick Tribune Foundation. It has served as an ice skating rink, a
dining facility and briefly as an open-air exhibition space. The plaza
operates as McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, a free public outdoor ice
skating rink that is generally open four months a year, from
mid-November until mid-March, when it hosts over 100,000 skaters
annually. It is known as one of Chicago's better outdoor
people-watching locations during the winter months. For the rest of the
year, it serves as "Plaza at Park Grill" or "Park Grill Plaza",
Chicago's largest outdoor dining facility. The 150-seat park grill
hosts various culinary events as well as music during its months of
outdoor operation, and it is affiliated with the 300-seat indoor Park
Grill restaurant located beneath AT&T Plaza and Cloud Gate. The outdoor
restaurant offers scenic views of the park. (more...)
Recently featured: Egbert of Wessex – Star Wars: Episode I: Battle
for Naboo – David Lewis
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCormick_Tribune_Plaza_%26_Ice_Rink>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1941:
World War II: The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air
Force, popularly known as the Flying Tigers, engaged in its first
combat missions.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers>
1973:
Spanish Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco was assassinated by a bomb
planted by members of the Basque nationalist and separatist
organisation ETA.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Carrero_Blanco>
1988:
The United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances, a treaty mostly devoted to fighting
organized crime by mandating cooperation in tracing and seizing
drug-related assets, was signed in Vienna.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_Against_Illicit_Traf…>
1999:
Portugal transferred sovereignty of Macau to the People's Republic of
China .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau>
2005:
US district court Judge John E. Jones III ruled against mandating the
teaching of "intelligent design" in his ruling of Kitzmiller v. Dover
Area School District.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitzmiller_v._Dover_Area_School_District>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
pesher (n):
An interpretive commentary on scripture, especially one in Hebrew
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pesher>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We have reversed the usual classical notion that the independent
"elementary parts" of the world are the fundamental reality, and that
the various systems are merely particular contingent forms and
arrangements of these parts. Rather, we say that inseparable quantum
interconnectedness of the whole universe is the fundamental reality,
and that relatively independent behaving parts are merely particular
and contingent forms within this whole.
--David Bohm
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Bohm>
100px|Egbert's name from a 9th-century manuscript
Egbert (ca. 769 or 771 – 839) was King of Wessex from 802 until his
death in 839. Little is known of the first 20 years of Egbert's reign,
but it is thought that he was able to maintain Wessex's independence
against the kingdom of Mercia, which at that time dominated the other
southern English kingdoms. In 825 Egbert defeated Beornwulf of Mercia
and ended Mercia's supremacy at the Battle of Ellandun, and proceeded
to take control of the Mercian dependencies in southeastern England. In
829 Egbert defeated Wiglaf of Mercia and drove him out of his kingdom,
temporarily ruling Mercia directly. Later that year Egbert received the
submission of the Northumbrian king at Dore, near Sheffield. The
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle subsequently described Egbert as a bretwalda, or
"Ruler of Britain". Egbert was unable to maintain this dominant
position, and within a year Wiglaf regained the throne of Mercia.
However, Wessex did retain control of Kent, Sussex and Surrey; these
territories were given to Egbert's son Æthelwulf to rule as a subking
under Egbert. When Egbert died in 839, Æthelwulf succeeded him; the
southeastern kingdoms were finally absorbed into the kingdom of Wessex
after Æthelwulf's death in 858. (more...)
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Lewis – True at First Light
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egbert_of_Wessex>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1843:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, a novella about the miser
Ebenezer Scrooge and his conversion after being visited by three
Christmas ghosts, was first published.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol>
1941:
World War II: Three Italian Royal Navy manned torpedoes detonated
limpet mines on British Royal Navy ships, sinking two battleships.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_Alexandria_%281941%29>
1946:
The First Indochina War began when Viet Minh operatives attacked French
military positions and homes in Hanoi.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War>
1986:
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev released dissident Andrei Sakharov
after six years of internal exile in Gorky.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Sakharov>
1998:
The U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton
following the Lewinsky scandal.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Bill_Clinton>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
furbelow (n):
A {{l
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/furbelow>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
And I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone
Can't live proud
enough to die when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here.
--Phil Ochs
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Phil_Ochs>
Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for Naboo is an arcade-style action game
co-developed by Factor 5 and LucasArts. It is a spiritual sequel to the
successful Star Wars: Rogue Squadron released two years earlier.
Despite the similarities between the two games, the development team
designed a new game engine for Battle for Naboo and included land- and
water-based combat in addition to aerial combat. Set in the fictional
Star Wars galaxy, the game takes place during the events depicted in
the film Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Players control Gavyn
Sykes, a lieutenant in Naboo's Royal Security Forces. As the game
progresses, Sykes and the Royal Security Forces fight the Trade
Federation in 15 missions that take place on Naboo or in the space
immediately surrounding it. The game concludes after the player
completes a mission that recreates the film's climactic assault on the
Trade Federation's Droid Control Ship. Battle for Naboo was published
by LucasArts and THQ and released for the Nintendo 64 in December 2000.
A Windows port was released three months later in March 2001. The
Nintendo 64 version received generally positive reviews; critics
praised the game's tight and responsive controls, but expressed dislike
for the game's Episode I setting. (more...)
Recently featured: David Lewis – True at First Light – Andalusian
horse
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars%3A_Episode_I%3A_Battle_for_Naboo>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1892:
The first performance of the fairy tale-ballet The Nutcracker, composed
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and based on the story by E. T. A.
Hoffmann, was held at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg,
Russia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nutcracker>
1912:
Amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson announced the discovery of
fossilised remains of a previously unknown early human, known as
Piltdown Man, which later turned out to be a hoax.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piltdown_Man>
1972:
Vietnam War: A few days after peace talks collapsed, the United States
began Operation Linebacker II against North Vietnam, the largest heavy
bomber strikes launched by the U.S. Air Force since the end of World
War II.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Linebacker_II>
1987:
Programmer Larry Wall released the first version of the programming
language Perl via the comp.sources.misc newsgroup.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perl>
2006:
The first of a series of floods struck Malaysia, which would
eventually kill 118 people and leave over 400,000 others homeless.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006%E2%80%932007_Malaysian_floods>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
impeccably (adv):
In an perfect or flawless manner
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/impeccably>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and
sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise.
Join the triumph of the skies.
With
th'angelic hosts proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
--Charles Wesley
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Wesley>
100px|David Lewis in September 1944
David Lewis (1909–1981) was a Russian-born Canadian Rhodes Scholar,
labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national
secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to
1950. As the United Steelworkers of America’s legal counsel in Canada,
he played a central role in the creation of the Canadian Labour
Congress in 1956 and in the New Democratic Party (NDP)'s formation in
1961. In 1962, he was elected as a Member of Parliament. He was the
NDP's leader from 1971 to 1975. After his defeat in the 1974 Canadian
election, he retired from politics. He spent his last years as an
university professor and a newspaper travel correspondent. In
retirement, he was named to the highest level of the Order of Canada
for his political service. After a lengthy battle with cancer, he died
in 1981. (more...)
Recently featured: True at First Light – Andalusian horse –
Amundsen's South Pole expedition
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_at_First_Light>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1862:
American Civil War: Union General Ulysses S. Grant issued General
Order No. 11, expelling Jews from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Order_No._11_%281862%29>
1918:
About 1,000 demonstrators marched on Government House in Darwin,
Australia, where they burnt an effigy of Administrator John Gilruth and
demanded his resignation.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_Rebellion>
1935:
The Douglas DC-3, one of the most significant transport aircraft ever
built, made its maiden voyage to coincide with the anniversary of the
Wright Flyer's first flight.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3>
1970:
Soldiers fired at workers emerging from trains in Gdynia, Poland,
beginning the government's brutal crackdown on mass anti-communist
protests across the country.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_1970_protests>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
manger (n):
A trough for animals to eat from
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/manger>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Those who have served the cause of the revolution have plowed the sea.
--Simón Bolívar
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sim%C3%B3n_Bol%C3%ADvar>
100px|Hemingway on safari in 1954
True at First Light is a book by American novelist Ernest Hemingway
about his 1953–54 East African safari with his fourth wife Mary,
released posthumously in his centennial year in 1999. The book received
mostly negative or lukewarm reviews from the popular press and sparked
a literary controversy regarding how, and whether, an author's work
should be reworked and published after his death. Unlike critics of the
popular press, Hemingway scholars generally consider True at First
Light to be complex and a worthy addition in his canon of later
fiction. In January 1954, Hemingway and Mary were in two successive
plane crashes in the African bush in a two-day period. He was reported
dead by the international press, arriving in Entebbe to face questions
from reporters. The severity of his injuries was not completely
diagnosed until months later when he returned to Europe. Hemingway
spent much of the next two years in Havana, recuperating and writing
the manuscript of what he called the Africa book, which remained
unfinished at the time of his suicide in July 1961. In the 1970s, Mary
donated his manuscripts to the John F. Kennedy Library, including the
Africa book. The manuscript was released to Hemingway's son Patrick in
the mid-1990s. Patrick edited the work to half its original length to
strengthen the underlying storyline and emphasize the fictional
aspects. The result is a blend of memoir and fiction. (more...)
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expedition – Cogan House Covered Bridge
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_at_First_Light>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1707:
The last recorded eruption of Japan's Mount Fuji released some 800
million m³ of volcanic ash.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji>
1811:
The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes struck the
Midwestern United States and made the Mississippi River appear to run
backward.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1812_New_Madrid_earthquake>
1893:
Czech composer Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony premiered at
Carnegie Hall in New York City.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._9_%28Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k%29>
1944:
World War II: The Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany launched its final
offensive in the western front, the Battle of the Bulge.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge>
1986:
Dinmukhamed Konayev was dismissed from the post of First Secretary of
the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, sparking riots throughout the
country.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeltoqsan>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
cut off one's nose to spite one's face (v):
(idiomatic) To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an
adversary
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cut_off_one%27s_nose_to_spite_one%27s_face>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When
change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction
is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained,
as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the
past are condemned to repeat it.
--George Santayana
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Santayana>
100px|Kristina Harrison-Naness riding Rociero at the 2007 FEI World Cup
Finals
The Andalusian horse is a horse breed developed in the Iberian
Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for
thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual
breed since the 15th century, and its conformation has changed very
little over the centuries. Throughout its history, it has been known
for its prowess as a war horse, and was prized by the nobility. During
the 19th century, warfare, disease and crossbreeding reduced herd
numbers dramatically, and despite some recovery in the late 19th
century, the trend continued into the early 20th century. Exports of
Andalusians were restricted until the 1960s, but the breed has since
spread throughout the world, despite still-low population numbers.
Strongly built, and compact yet elegant, Andalusians have long, thick
manes and tails. Their most common coat color is gray, although they
can be found in many other colors. They are known for their
intelligence, sensitivity and docility. The Andalusian is closely
related to the Lusitano of Portugal, and has been used to develop many
other breeds, especially in Europe and the Americas. Modern Andalusians
are used for many equestrian activities, including dressage, show
jumping and driving. The breed is also used extensively in movies,
especially historical pictures and fantasy epics. (more...)
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Covered Bridge – Gillingham Football Club
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusian_horse>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1467:
Troops under Stephen III of Moldavia defeated the forces of Matthias
Corvinus of Hungary in present-day Baia, Romania.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Baia>
1864:
American Civil War: Union troops defeated the Army of Tennessee, one of
the largest Confederate forces, at the Battle of Nashville.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nashville>
1942:
World War II: The Americans engaged Imperial Japanese forces at the
Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse in the
hills near the Matanikau River area on Guadalcanal during the
Guadalcanal Campaign.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mount_Austen%2C_the_Galloping_Horse%…>
1946:
US-backed Iranian troops brought an end to the Iran crisis when they
marched upon the breakaway Republic of Mahabad and recaptured the
territory.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_crisis_of_1946>
2005:
The F-22 Raptor , a Stealth fighter aircraft that the United States Air
Force claimed is unmatched by any known or projected fighter, entered
into service despite a protracted and costly development period.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-22_Raptor>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
nee (adj):
1. Used when giving the maiden name of a woman.
2. Used when giving a former name. Originally known as
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nee>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Universe is made of stories, not of atoms.
--Muriel Rukeyser
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Muriel_Rukeyser>
120px|At the South Pole, December 1911
The first expedition to reach the geographic South Pole was led by
the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. His party arrived at the pole on
14 December 1911, five weeks ahead of a British team led by Robert
Falcon Scott. Amundsen and his companions returned safely to their
base, and later learned that Scott and his four companions had died on
their return journey. Amundsen's initial plans had been to explore the
Arctic, but he decided to go south on hearing that both Frederick Cook
and Robert E. Peary were claiming to have reached the North Pole.
However, he kept this revised objective secret until after his
departure. The expedition arrived in Antarctica in January 1911 and
after months of preparation the five-man polar party set out in October
1911. The route from their base at the Bay of Whales took them across
the Great Ice Barrier and up the Axel Heiberg Glacier. The party's
mastery of the use of skis and their expertise with sledge dogs ensured
rapid and relatively trouble-free travel. Although the expedition's
success was widely applauded, the story of Scott's heroic failure and
tragic death overshadowed its achievements. For his decision to keep
his true plans secret until the last moment, Amundsen was criticised
for what some considered deception on his part. (more...)
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amundsen%27s_South_Pole_expedition>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
557:
A large earthquake severely damaged the city of Constantinople.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/557_Constantinople_earthquake>
1782:
In Avignon, France, the Montgolfier brothers conducted their first test
of their hot air balloon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgolfier_brothers>
1994:
Construction on the Three Gorges Dam began on the Yangtze River in
China.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Gorges_Dam>
1999:
Torrential rains caused flash floods in Vargas, Venezuela, resulting in
tens of thousands of deaths, the destruction of thousands of homes, and
the complete collapse of the state's infrastructure.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vargas_tragedy>
2009:
The Tino Rangatiratanga flag representing the Māori people was
recognized officially by the government of New Zealand.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tino_rangatiratanga>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
pine (v):
<span class="qualifier-brac">(</span><span
class="qualifier-content">intransitive</span><span
class="qualifier-brac">)</span> To long, to yearn so much that it
causes suffering
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pine>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The project of organizing a democratic political movement entails the
hope that one's ideas and beliefs are not merely idiosyncratic but
speak to vital human needs, interests and desires, and therefore will
be persuasive to many and ultimately most people. But this is a very
different matter from deciding to put forward only those ideas presumed
(accurately or not) to be compatible with what most people already
believe.
--Ellen Willis
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ellen_Willis>
110px|The Cogan House Covered Bridge
The Cogan House Covered Bridge is a Burr arch truss covered bridge
over Larrys Creek in Cogan House Township, Lycoming County, in the U.S.
state of Pennsylvania. It was built in 1877 and is 94 feet 2 inches
(28.7 m) long. The bridge was placed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1980, and had a major restoration in 1998. The Cogan
House bridge is named for the township and village of Cogan House. The
covered bridge was constructed by a millwright who assembled the timber
framework in a field next to the sawmill, before it was reassembled at
the bridge site. It was the only bridge on Larrys Creek that survived
the flood of June 1889, and one of only a handful that were left intact
in the county. Although the bridge used to carry a steady flow of
tannery and sawmill traffic, the clearcutting of the surrounding
forests meant the end of those industries by the early 20th century.
Since then much of the surrounding area has reverted to second growth
forest, and the one-lane bridge is now on a dead end road in a remote
valley with little traffic. (more...)
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Norwich Market
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogan_House_Covered_Bridge>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1643:
First English Civil War: Parliamentary forces serving under Sir William
Waller led a successful surprise attack on a winter garrison of
Royalist infantry and cavalry.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alton>
1809:
American physician Ephraim McDowell performed the world's first removal
of an ovarian tumor.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephraim_McDowell>
1937:
Second Sino-Japanese War: Japanese forces captured Nanjing in China and
then began to commit numerous atrocities over the next several weeks,
such as looting, rape and the execution of prisoners of war and
civilians.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanking_Massacre>
1960:
With Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie out of the country, four
conspirators staged a coup attempt and installed Crown Prince Asfaw
Wossen as the new Emperor.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Ethiopian_coup_attempt>
1981:
Polish Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski declared martial law,
suspended Solidarity and imprisoned many union leaders.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojciech_Jaruzelski>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
quonk (n):
1. Unwanted noise picked up by a microphone in a broadcasting studio.
2. Audience chatter which disturbs the performer
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quonk>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The best of ideas is hurt by uncritical acceptance and thrives on
critical examination.
--George Pólya
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_P%C3%B3lya>
100px|Gillingham F.C. players warm up before a match at Crabble Stadium
in 2008
Gillingham F.C. is an English professional football club based in the
town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football
League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium. In the
2008–09 season, the club was promoted to Football League One after
victory over Shrewsbury Town in the League Two play-off final; however,
they were relegated back into the basement division the following
season. The club was founded in 1893 and joined the Football League in
1920. They were voted out of the league in favour of Ipswich Town at
the end of the 1937–38 season, but returned to it 12 years later after
it was expanded from 88 to 92 clubs. Twice in the late 1980s they came
close to winning promotion to the second tier of English football, but
a decline then set in and in 1993 they narrowly avoided relegation to
the Football Conference. Between 2000 and 2005, Gillingham were in the
second tier of the English football league system for the only time in
their history, achieving a club record highest league finish of
eleventh place in 2002–03. (more...)
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syrup
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
627:
A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeated Emperor Khosrau II's
Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh, near present-day Mosul,
Iraq.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nineveh_%28627%29>
1531:
The Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe: According to traditional
Catholic accounts, the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary miraculously
appeared imprinted on Juan Diego's tilma.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe>
1901:
Guglielmo Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic radio signal, from
Poldhu Wireless Station in Cornwall, England, to Signal Hill in St.
John's, Newfoundland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi>
1956:
The Irish Republican Army began its Border Campaign, a guerrilla
campaign to overthrow British rule in Northern Ireland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Campaign_%28Irish_Republican_Army%29>
1985:
Arrow Air Flight 1285 crashed after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland and
Labrador, killing 256, including 248 members of the U.S. Army's 101st
Airborne Division.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_Air_Flight_1285>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
devil's advocate (n):
1. One who debates from a view which he may not actually hold, usually
to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
2. {{context
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/devil%27s_advocate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
An author in his book must be like God in the universe, present
everywhere and visible nowhere.
--Gustave Flaubert
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gustave_Flaubert>
100px|The Red Hot Hili Peppers at Pinkpop Festival in 2006
Californication is the seventh studio album by American rock band Red
Hot Chili Peppers, released on June 8, 1999, on Warner Bros. Records.
Produced by Rick Rubin, Californication saw the return of John
Frusciante, who had previously appeared on Mother's Milk and Blood
Sugar Sex Magik, to replace Dave Navarro as the band's guitarist.
Frusciante's return was credited with changing the band's sound. The
record marked a shift in style from the Navarro era. The album's
lyric's incorporates various sexual innuendos often associated with the
band, but contains more varied themes than previous releases, such as
lust, death, suicide, California, drugs, globalization and travel. The
Chili Peppers' most commercially successful studio release,
Californication has sold over 16 million copies worldwide. The record
produced several hits for the band, including "Otherside",
"Californication" and the Grammy Award-winning "Scar Tissue".
Californication peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200.
(more...)
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Californication_%28album%29>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
The North Carolina General Assembly chartered the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, one of the oldest public universities in the
United States and the only one to award degrees in the 18th century.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill>
1886:
Dial Square, a football club from Woolwich, London, that would
eventually become known as Arsenal, played their first match, winning
6–0 against Eastern Wanderers on an open field in the Isle of Dogs.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Arsenal_F.C._%281886%E2%80%931966%29>
1962:
Convicted murderers Ronald Turpin and Arthur Lucas were the last two
persons to be executed in Canada.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Canada>
2005:
A demonstration by Australians in Cronulla, New South Wales, against
recent violence towards locals turned into a race riot.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots>
2006:
The first action in the Mexican Drug War took place as President Felipe
Calderón ordered Mexican military and Federal Police units into the
state of Michoacán.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Drug_War>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
matronly (adj):
1. In the way of a matron.
2. Exuding authority, wisdom, power, and intelligence of an
experienced woman.
3. Having the appearance of an mature woman, often of larger physical
stature and somewhat unkempt or dowdy
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/matronly>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Our All is at Stake, and the little Conveniencys and Comforts of Life,
when set in Competition with our Liberty, ought to be rejected not with
Reluctance but with Pleasure.
--George Mason
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Mason>