John Michael Wright (1617–1694) was a British portrait painter in the
Baroque style. Wright trained in Edinburgh under the Scots painter
George Jamesone, and acquired a considerable reputation as an artist
and scholar during a long sojourn in Rome. There he was admitted to the
Accademia di San Luca, and was associated with some of the leading
artists of his generation. He was engaged by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm
of Austria, the governor of the Spanish Netherlands, to acquire
artworks in Oliver Cromwell's England in 1655. He took up permanent
residence in England from 1656, and served as court painter before and
after the English Restoration. A convert to Roman Catholicism, he was a
favourite of the restored Stuart court, a client of both Charles II and
James II, and was a witness to many of the political manoeuvrings of
the era. In the final years of the Stuart monarchy he returned to Rome
as part of an embassy to Pope Innocent XI. Wright is currently rated as
one of the leading indigenous British painters of his generation and
largely for the distinctive realism in his portraiture. Perhaps due to
the unusually cosmopolitan nature of his experience, he was favoured by
patrons at the highest level of society in an age in which foreign
artists were usually preferred. Wright's paintings of royalty and
aristocracy are included amongst the collections of many leading
galleries today.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Michael_Wright>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1909:
The remains of the Báb, one of three central figures of the Bahá'í
Faith, were interred in Haifa, Israel, by `Abdu'l-Bahá, who had
retrieved them from Persia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1b>
1943:
World War II: Wermacht officer Rudolf Christoph von Gersdorff
attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler by suicide bombing, but had to
abort the plan and defuse the bombs at the last minute.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Christoph_Freiherr_von_Gersdorff>
1946:
The Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League signed Kenny
Washington, making him the first African American player in the league
since 1933.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Washington_%28American_football%29>
2002:
British schoolgirl Amanda Dowler was abducted on her way home from
Heathside School in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, resulting in nationwide
media attention and a police investigation involving over 100 officers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Amanda_Dowler>
2006:
A man using a hammer smashed the statue of Phra Phrom in the Erawan
Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, and was subsequently beaten to death by
bystanders.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erawan_Shrine>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
armigerous (adj):
Entitled to bear a coat of arms
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/armigerous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
In the scenery of spring,
nothing is better, nothing worse;
The flowering branches are
of
themselves, some short, some long.
--Ryōkan
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ry%C5%8Dkan>
William of Tyre (c. 1130–1186) was a medieval prelate and chronicler.
He grew up in Jerusalem at the height of the Kingdom of Jerusalem,
which had been established in 1099 after the First Crusade, and he
spent twenty years studying the liberal arts and canon law in the
universities of Europe. Following William's return to Jerusalem in
1165, King Amalric I made him an ambassador to the Byzantine Empire.
William became tutor to the king's son, the future King Baldwin IV,
whom William discovered to be a leper. After Amalric's death William
became chancellor and archbishop of Tyre, two of the highest offices in
the kingdom, and in 1179 William led the eastern delegation to the
Third Council of the Lateran. As he was involved in the dynastic
struggle that developed during Baldwin IV's reign, his importance waned
when a rival faction gained control of royal affairs. He was passed
over for the prestigious Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and died in
obscurity, probably in 1186. William wrote an account of the Lateran
Council and a history of the Islamic states from the time of Muhammad.
Neither work survives. He is famous today as the author of a history of
the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the only source for the history of
twelfth-century Jerusalem written by a native.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Tyre>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
235:
Maximinus Thrax succeeded to the throne of the Roman Empire, the first
of the so-called barracks emperors who gained power by virtue of his
command of the army.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximinus_Thrax>
1602:
The Dutch East India Company was established.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company>
1923:
Arts Club of Chicago hosted the opening of Pablo Picasso's first United
States showing, entitled Original Drawings by Pablo Picasso, becoming
an early proponent of modern art in the U.S.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_Club_of_Chicago>
1944:
World War II: Four thousand U.S. Marines made a landing on Emirau
Island in the Bismarck Archipelago to develop an airbase as part of
Operation Cartwheel.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_on_Emirau>
1987:
The antiretroviral drug zidovudine (AZT) became the first antiviral
medication approved for use against HIV and AIDS.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zidovudine>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
question the question (v):
To ask that a proposed question’s presuppositions be explicitly
justified, especially as a preliminary to answering it
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/question_the_question>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the
helm.
--Henrik Ibsen
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henrik_Ibsen>
Seattle Sounders FC is a Major League Soccer (MLS) team based in
Seattle, Washington, that plays its home matches at Qwest Field. It was
established in November 2007 as an MLS expansion team. The league's
15th team, Sounders FC played the first match of its inaugural season
on March 19, 2009. During their first two seasons every home game was
sold out, they set a new MLS record for average match attendance, and
they sold the most season tickets in the league. Seattle finished both
seasons with a winning record and qualified for the MLS playoffs. In
2009 Sounders FC became the second expansion team in MLS history to win
the U.S. Open Cup, and in 2010 became the first ever MLS team to repeat
as Open Cup champions. Fans selected the Sounders name for the club
through an online poll in 2008, making the Seattle Sounders FC the
third Seattle soccer team to bear the moniker.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Sounders_FC>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1279:
The Song Dynasty in Imperial China ended with a victory by the Yuan
Dynasty at the Battle of Yamen off the coast of Xinhui, Guangdong
Province.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Yamen>
1687:
The search for the mouth of the Mississippi River led by French
explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle ended with a mutiny
and his murder in present-day Texas.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9-Robert_Cavelier%2C_Sieur_de_La_Salle>
1915:
Pluto was photographed for the first time, 15 years before it was
officially discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto>
1945:
World War II: A single Japanese aircraft bombed the American aircraft
carrier USS Franklin , killing over 700 of her crew and crippling the
ship.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Franklin_%28CV-13%29>
1978:
In response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the United Nations
called on Israel to immediately withdraw its forces from Lebanon, and
established the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_425>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ruthlessly (adv):
In a ruthless manner; with cruelty; without pity or compassion
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ruthlessly>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Cease, Man, to mourn, to weep, to wail; enjoy thy shining hour of sun;
We dance along Death's icy brink, but is the dance less full of fun?
--Richard Francis Burton
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Francis_Burton>
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is a 2003 documentary centered on
the April 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt, which saw President Hugo
Chávez temporarily removed from office. Focusing on the role of
Venezuela's private media, the film examines several key incidents: the
protest march and violence that provided the impetus for Chávez's
ousting, the opposition's formation of an interim government, and
Chávez's dramatic return. Given direct access to the president, Irish
filmmakers Kim Bartley and Donnacha Ó Briain intended to make a
fly-on-the-wall biography; they spent seven months filming in
Venezuela, following Chávez and interviewing citizens. As the coup
unfolded, Bartley and Ó Briain captured footage of protesters and the
erupting violence on the streets of the capital, Caracas. Later, they
filmed many of the political upheavals in the presidential palace. The
film was positively received by mainstream critics and won several
awards. Reviewers cited the filmmakers' unprecedented proximity to key
events and praised the film for its "riveting narrative". Criticism
focused on its lack of context and pro-Chávez bias, a perception which
has led to disputes over its neutrality and accuracy; particular
attention is paid to its framing of the violence of 11–13 April, the
filmmakers' editing of the timeline, and the alleged omission of
incidents and personnel. The film is variously cited as an accurate
portrayal or a misrepresentation of the events of April 2002.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Revolution_Will_Not_Be_Televised_%28film%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1241:
Mongol invasion of Poland: Mongols overwhelmed the Polish armies of
Sandomierz and Kraków provinces in the Battle of Chmielnik and
plundered the abandoned city of Kraków.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chmielnik>
1913:
King George I of Greece was assassinated in Thessaloniki by Alexandros
Schinas, who had no apparent motive.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_I_of_Greece>
1925:
The Tri-State Tornado spawned in Missouri, traveled over 219 miles
(352 km) across Illinois and Indiana, and killed 695 along the way,
making it the tornado with the longest continuous track ever recorded
in the world and the deadliest in U.S. history.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-State_Tornado>
1970:
The National Assembly of Cambodia ousted Prince Norodom Sihanouk as
head of state, and Prime Minister Lon Nol invoked emergency powers to
take over.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_coup_of_1970>
1996:
The deadliest fire in Philippine history burned a nightclub in Quezon
City, Philippines, leaving 162 dead.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_Disco_Club_fire>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
friable (adj):
Easily broken into small fragments, crumbled, or reduced to powder
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/friable>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I am inventing a language which must necessarily burst forth from a
very new poetics, that could be defined in a couple of words: Paint,
not the thing, but the effect it produces.
--Stéphane Mallarmé
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phane_Mallarm%C3%A9>
Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S.
state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide
irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with
two powerplants. The Third Powerplant was built by 1974 to increase its
electric potential. It is the largest electric power-producing facility
in the United States. The dam's power plants fueled the growing
industries of the Northwest U.S. during World War II. Between 1967 and
1974, the Third Powerplant was constructed in conjunction with the dam
and in addition to the original two power houses. Through a series of
upgrades and the installation of pump-generators, the dam now supplies
four power stations with an installed capacity of 6,809 MW. The
reservoir is called Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake, named after the
United States President who presided over the authorization and
completion of the dam. The dam has also prevented the migration of
salmon and other fish upstream to spawn, interrupting their habitat and
reproductive cycle.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Coulee_Dam>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
44 BC:
Dictator Julius Caesar of the Roman Republic was stabbed to death by
Marcus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Julius_Caesar>
1776:
South Carolina became the first of England's North American colonies to
declare its independence.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_Carolina>
1917:
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia was forced to abdicate in the February
Revolution, ending three centuries of Romanov rule.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_II_of_Russia>
1943:
World War II: German forces recaptured Kharkov after four days of
house-to-house fighting against Soviet troops, ending the month-long
Third Battle of Kharkov.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Battle_of_Kharkov>
1985:
The company Symbolics became the first ever entity, individual or party
to register a .com top-level domain name: symbolics.com.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.com>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
misanthropic (adj):
Hating or disliking mankind
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/misanthropic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the
acts of government to their selfish purposes. Distinctions in society
will always exist under every just government. Equality of talents, of
education, or of wealth can not be produced by human institutions. In
the full enjoyment of the gifts of Heaven and the fruits of superior
industry, economy, and virtue, every man is equally entitled to
protection by law; but when the laws undertake to add to these natural
and just advantages artificial distinctions, to grant titles,
gratuities, and exclusive privileges, to make the rich richer and the
potent more powerful, the humble members of society — the farmers,
mechanics, and laborers — who have neither the time nor the means of
securing like favors to themselves, have a right to complain of the
injustice of their government.
--Andrew Jackson
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andrew_Jackson>
The Fox and the Hound is a 1967 novel written by Daniel P. Mannix and
illustrated by John Schoenherr. It follows the lives of Tod, a red fox
raised by a human for the first year of his life, and Copper, a
half-bloodhound dog owned by a local hunter, referred to as the Master.
After Tod causes the death of the man's favorite hound, man and dog
relentlessly hunt the fox, against the dual backdrops of a changing
human world and Tod's normal life in hunting for food, seeking a mate,
and defending his territory. As preparation for writing the novel,
Mannix studied foxes, both tame and wild, a wide variety of hunting
techniques, and the ways hounds appear to track foxes, seeking to
ensure his characters acted realistically. The novel won the Dutton
Animal Book Award in 1967, which resulted in its publication on
September 11 that year by E.P. Dutton. It was a 1967 Reader's Digest
Book Club selection and a winner of the Athenaeum Literary Award. It
was well received by critics, who praised its detail and Mannix's
writing style. Walt Disney Productions purchased the film rights for
the novel when it won the Dutton award, though did not begin production
on an adaptation until 1977. Heavily modified from the source material,
Disney's The Fox and the Hound was released to theaters in July 1981
and became a box office success.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fox_and_the_Hound_%28novel%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1757:
British Royal Navy Admiral John Byng was court-martialled and executed
by firing squad for breaching the Articles of War when he failed to "do
his utmost" during the Battle of Minorca at the start of the Seven
Years' War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Byng>
1794:
American inventor Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, the first ever
machine that quickly and easily separated cotton fibers from their
seedpods.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cotton_gin>
1885:
The Mikado , Gilbert and Sullivan's most frequently performed Savoy
Opera, debuted at the Savoy Theatre in London.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mikado>
1984:
Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Féin, was seriously wounded in an
assassination attempt by Ulster Freedom Fighters in central Belfast,
Northern Ireland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Adams>
2008:
A series of riots, protests, and demonstrations erupted in Lhasa and
elsewhere in Tibet.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Tibetan_unrest>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (proverb):
It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere
potential of a greater one
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/a_bird_in_the_hand_is_worth_two_in_the_bush>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams; —
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet
we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
--Arthur O'Shaughnessy
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arthur_O%27Shaughnessy>
L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986) was an American pulp fiction author turned
religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology. After
establishing a career as a writer of pulp fiction, becoming best known
for his science fiction and fantasy stories, he developed a self-help
system called Dianetics which was first published in 1950. He
subsequently developed his ideas into a wide-ranging set of doctrines
and rituals as part of a new religious movement that he called
Scientology. His writings became the guiding texts for the Church of
Scientology and a number of affiliated organizations that address such
diverse topics as business administration, literacy and drug
rehabilitation. The Church of Scientology depicts Hubbard in
hagiographic terms, drawing on his legacy as its ultimate source of
doctrine and legitimacy. His critics have characterized him as a liar,
a charlatan and a madman, and many of his autobiographical statements
have been proven to be fictitious.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Ron_Hubbard>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1781:
German-born British astronomer and composer William Herschel discovered
the planet Uranus while in the garden of his house in Bath, Somerset,
England, thinking it was a comet.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus>
1884:
Mahdist War: A combined Anglo-Egyptian force began a 319-day siege of
Khartoum, Sudan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Khartoum>
1920:
The Kapp Putsch briefly ousted the Weimar Republic government from
Berlin.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapp_Putsch>
1988:
The Seikan Tunnel, the longest and deepest tunnel in the world, opened
between the cities of Hakodate and Aomori, Japan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikan_Tunnel>
1997:
A series of unexplained lights appeared in the skies over the U.S.
states of Arizona and New Mexico, and the Mexican state of Sonora.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Lights>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
dissociate (v):
1. To make unrelated; to sever a connection; to separate.
2. To part; to stop associating.
3. (chemistry) To separate compounds
into simpler component parts, usually by applying heat or through
electrolysis
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dissociate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
For those to whom a stone reveals itself as sacred, its immediate
reality is transmuted into supernatural reality. In other words, for
those who have a religious experience all nature is capable of
revealing itself as cosmic sacrality.
--Mircea Eliade
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mircea_Eliade>
Joseph Szigeti (1892–1973) was a Hungarian virtuoso violinist. Born
into a musical family, he spent his early childhood in a small town in
Transylvania. He quickly proved himself to be a child prodigy on the
violin, and moved to Budapest with his father to study with the
renowned pedagogue Jenő Hubay. After completing his studies with Hubay
in his early teens, Szigeti began his international concert career. His
performances at that time were primarily limited to salon-style
recitals and the more overtly virtuosic repertoire; however, after
making the acquaintance of pianist Ferruccio Busoni, he began to
develop a much more thoughtful and intellectual approach to music that
eventually earned him the nickname "The Scholarly Virtuoso". From the
1920s until 1960, Szigeti performed regularly around the world and
recorded extensively. He also distinguished himself as a strong
advocate of new music, and was the dedicatee of many new works by
contemporary composers. Among the more notable pieces written for him
are Ernest Bloch's Violin Concerto, Bartók's Rhapsody No. 1, and Eugène
Ysaÿe's Solo Sonata No. 1. After retiring from the concert stage in
1960, he worked at teaching and writing until his death in 1973, at the
age of 80.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Szigeti>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
222:
Disgusted with Roman emperor Elagabalus's disregard for Roman religious
traditions and sexual taboos, the Praetorian Guard assassinated him and
his mother Julia Soaemias, mutilated their bodies, and threw them in
the Tiber River.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elagabalus>
1879:
Shō Tai , the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, abdicated when the
kingdom was annexed by Japan and converted to Okinawa Prefecture.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Tai>
1978:
After hijacking a bus north of Tel Aviv, members of Palestine
Liberation Organization faction Fatah engaged in a shootout with the
Israel Police, resulting in the deaths of 38 civilians and most of the
perpetrators.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_Road_massacre>
1983:
Pakistan successfully conducted a cold test of a nuclear weapon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project-706>
2006:
Michelle Bachelet was inaugurated as the first female President of
Chile.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Bachelet>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
hypernatremic (adj):
(medicine) Having an abnormally high concentration of sodium (or salt)
in blood plasma
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hypernatremic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Perhaps if only once you did enjoy
The thousandth part of all the happiness
A heart beloved enjoys,
returning love,
Repentant, you would surely sighing say,
"All time is truly lost
and gone
Which is not spent in serving love."
--Torquato Tasso
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Torquato_Tasso>
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse
racing. Considered a "hot-blooded" horse, and known for their agility,
speed and spirit, the Thoroughbred as it is known today was first
developed in 17th and 18th century England, when native mares were
crossbred with imported Arabian stallions. During the 18th century and
19th century, the breed spread throughout the world; they were imported
into North America starting in 1730 and into Australia, Europe, Japan
and South America during the 19th century. Millions of Thoroughbreds
exist worldwide today, with over 118,000 foals registered each year
worldwide. Thoroughbreds are used mainly for racing, but are also bred
for other riding disciplines, such as show jumping, combined training,
dressage, polo, and fox hunting. They are also commonly cross-bred with
other breeds to create new breeds or to improve existing ones, and have
been influential in the creation of many important breeds, such as the
Quarter Horse, the Standardbred, the Anglo-Arabian, and various
warmblood breeds. Thoroughbred racehorses perform with maximum
exertion, which has resulted in high rates of accidents and other
health problems.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoroughbred>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1607:
Susenyos defeated the combined armies of Yaqob and Abuna Petros II at
the Battle of Gol in Gojjam, making him Emperor of Ethiopia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susenyos_of_Ethiopia>
1830:
The Royal Dutch East Indies Army, the military force maintained by the
Netherlands in its colony of the Netherlands East Indies, was
established by royal decree.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Dutch_East_Indies_Army>
1952:
Forbidden by law to seek re-election, former President Fulgencio
Batista staged a coup d'état to resume control in Cuba.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgencio_Batista>
1965:
Thomas Playford, Premier of South Australia, left office after 27
years, the longest term of any democratically elected leader in the
history of Australia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Playford_IV>
2006:
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter attained orbit around Mars.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
opportunely (adv):
1. In a manner suitable for some particular purpose.
2. In a manner convenient or advantageous at some particular time
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/opportunely>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I don't believe in hatred anymore.
I hate to think of how it felt before
When anger overwhelms your
very soul
It's hard to realize you'll ever know
Love like we do.
--Edie Brickell
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edie_Brickell>
The 2006 Pacific hurricane season was the most active since 2000, which
also produced 19 tropical storms or hurricanes, of which six attained
major hurricane status. The strongest storm of the season was Hurricane
Ioke, which reached Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale in
the central Pacific Ocean; Ioke passed near Johnston Atoll and later
Wake Island, where it caused heavy damage but no deaths. The deadliest
storm of the season was Hurricane John, which killed six people after
striking the Baja California Peninsula, and the costliest storm was
Hurricane Lane, which caused $203 million in damage in southwestern
Mexico. Seasonal activity began on May 27 when Tropical Storm Aletta
formed off the southwest coast of Mexico. No storms formed in June,
though the season became active in July when five named storms
developed, including Hurricane Daniel which was the second strongest
storm of the season. During August, Hurricanes Ioke and John formed, as
well as four other storms. September was a relatively quiet month with
two storms, of which one was Hurricane Lane. Three storms developed in
October and two formed in November; this marked the first time on
record when more than one tropical storm developed in the basin during
the month of November.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Pacific_hurricane_season>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1009:
The first known record of the name of Lithuania appeared in an entry in
the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg (in modern Germany).
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/name_of_Lithuania>
1842:
The first documented discovery of gold in California occurred at Rancho
San Francisco, six years before the California Gold Rush.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_San_Francisco>
1862:
American Civil War: In the world's first major battle between two
powered ironclad warships , the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia,
fought to a draw near the mouth of Hampton Roads in Virginia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hampton_Roads>
1944:
World War II: As part of the Battle of Narva, the Soviet Air Forces
inflicted heaving bombing on Tallinn, Estonia, killing up to 800
people, mostly civilians.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Tallinn_in_World_War_II>
1946:
Thirty-three people were killed in a stampede at Burnden Park, a
football stadium in Bolton, England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnden_Park_disaster>
1956:
Soviet military troops suppressed mass demonstrations in Tbilisi,
Georgia, against Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's de-Stalinization
policy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Georgian_demonstrations>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
filigree (n):
1. A delicate and intricate ornamentation made from gold or silver
twisted wire.
2. A design resembling such intricate ornamentation
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/filigree>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is.
People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it!
--Yuri Gagarin
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin>