The search for planets beyond Neptune began following the discovery of
the planet Neptune in 1846, amid considerable speculation that another
planet might exist beyond its orbit. The search began in the mid-19th
century but culminated at the start of the 20th with Percival Lowell's
quest for Planet X. Lowell proposed the Planet X hypothesis to explain
apparent discrepancies in the orbits of the gas giants, particularly
Uranus and Neptune, speculating that the gravity of a large unseen
ninth planet could have perturbed Uranus enough to account for the
irregularities. Clyde Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto in 1930 appeared to
validate Lowell's hypothesis, and Pluto was officially considered the
ninth planet until 2006. In 1978, Pluto was found to be too small for
its gravity to affect the gas giants, resulting in a brief search for a
tenth planet. The search was largely abandoned in the early 1990s, when
a study of measurements made by the Voyager 2 spacecraft found that the
irregularities observed in Uranus's orbit were due to a slight
overestimation of Neptune's mass.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planets_beyond_Neptune>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1006:
SN 1006 , the brightest supernova in recorded history, first appeared
in the constellation Lupus, and was then seen by observers in
Switzerland, Egypt, China, Japan, and possibly North America within the
next day.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_1006>
1557:
Arauco War: Spanish forces of the Governor Francisco de Villagra
launched a dawn surprise attack against the Mapuche headed by their
toqui Lautaro in what is now Chile.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mataquito>
1894:
A crowd of workers unemployed due to the Panic of 1893 conducted the
first significant popular protest march on Washington, D.C.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coxey%27s_Army>
1943:
Second World War: The Royal Navy submarine HMS Seraph deposited the
body of a supposed British military intelligence officer with false
documents off the coast of Spain to deceive Germany about the upcoming
invasion of Sicily.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mincemeat>
1975:
North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon shortly after American forces
ended its helicopter evacuation of U.S. citizens, South Vietnamese
civilians and third country nationals from the city, ending the Vietnam
War with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnam.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Saigon>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
consonant (adj):
Characterized by harmony or agreement
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/consonant>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
11px
--Taisen Deshimaru
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Taisen_Deshimaru>
Rainilaiarivony (1828–1896) was the Prime Minister of Madagascar from
1864 to 1895. Named Commander-in-Chief of the Army by King Radama II
upon the death of Queen Ranavalona I in 1861, Rainilaiarivony played a
key role in transforming Madagascar's government from an absolute to a
constitutional monarchy. He was promoted to Prime Minister in 1864 and
remained in power for the next 31 years by marrying three queens in
succession: Rasoherina, Ranavalona II and Ranavalona III. As Prime
Minister, Rainilaiarivony modernized state administration and
legislated the Christianization of the monarchy. His diplomatic and
military acumen preserved Madagascar's sovereignty from colonial
interests until the French capture of the royal palace in September
1895. Although holding him in high esteem, the French colonial
authority deposed the prime minister and exiled him to French Algeria,
where he died less than a year later in August 1896.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainilaiarivony>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1770:
British explorer James Cook and the crew of HMS Endeavour became the
first European ship to land on Australia on the coast of Botany Bay
near present-day Sydney.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Endeavour>
1862:
American Civil War: Union forces under David Farragut captured New
Orleans, securing access into the Mississippi River.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_New_Orleans>
1968:
The controversial musical Hair, a product of the hippie counter-culture
and sexual revolution of the 1960s, opened at the Biltmore Theatre on
Broadway, with its songs becoming anthems of the anti-Vietnam War
movement.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_%28musical%29>
1970:
Vietnam War: The South Vietnamese Army launched incursions into
Cambodia to attack communist jungle bases.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_Campaign>
2011:
A worldwide television audience of 300 million people watched the
wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton at
Westminster Abbey in London.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of_Prince_William_and_Catherine_Middle…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bestride (v):
To be astride something, to sit on with legs on either side, especially
to sit on a horse
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bestride>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
144px
--Henri Poincaré
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henri_Poincar%C3%A9>
SMS König was the first of four König class dreadnought battleships of
the German Imperial Navy during World War I. König (Eng: "King") was
named in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Laid down in October
1911, the ship was launched on 1 March 1913. Construction on König
finished shortly after the outbreak of World War I; she was
commissioned into the High Seas Fleet on 9 August 1914. Along with her
three sister ships, Grosser Kurfürst, Markgraf, and Kronprinz, König
took part in most of the fleet actions during the war. As the leading
ship in the German line on 31 May 1916 in the Battle of Jutland, König
was heavily engaged by several British battleships and suffered ten
large-caliber shell hits. In October 1917, she forced the Russian
pre-dreadnought battleship Slava to scuttle itself during Operation
Albion. König was interned, along with the majority of the High Seas
Fleet, in Scapa Flow in November 1918 following the Armistice. On 21
June 1919, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter gave the order to scuttle
the fleet while the British guard ships were out of the harbor on
exercises. König slipped beneath the waters of Scapa Flow at 14:00.
Unlike most of the other scuttled ships, König was never raised for
scrapping; the wreck is still sitting on the bottom of the bay.
Read the rest of this article:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_K%C3%B6nig>
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1611:
The University of Santo Tomas in Manila, one of the oldest existing
universities in Asia and one of the world's largest Catholic
universities in terms of enrollment, was founded.
1789:
About 1,300 miles west of Tahiti, near Tonga, Fletcher Christian, the
master's mate on board the Royal Navy ship HMAV Bounty, led a mutiny
against the ship's commander William Bligh.
1910:
Frenchman Louis Paulhan won the London to Manchester air race, the
first long-distance aeroplane race in England.
1944:
World War II: During Exercise Tiger, a full-scale rehearsal for the
invasion of Normandy, German S-boats attacked an Allied convoy,
killing 946 American servicemen.
2008:
The Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, at the time the
world's highest residence above ground-level at 1,389 feet (423 m),
held its full service grand opening.
_______________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
kitchen supper (n)
An informal or semiformal meal served for guests, not necessarily one
served in the kitchen.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kitchen_supper>
______________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
“The secret is not to dream … The secret is to wake up. Waking up is
harder. I have woken up and I am real. I know where I come from and I
know where I'm going. You cannot fool me anymore. Or touch me. Or
anything that is mine.”
I'll never be like this again, she thought, as she saw the terror in
the Queen's face. I'll never again feel as tall as the sky and as old
as the hills and as strong as the sea. I've been given something for a
while, and the price of it is that I have to give it back.
And the reward is giving it back, too. No human could live like this.
You could spend a day looking at a flower to see how wonderful it is,
and that wouldn't get the milking done. No wonder we dream our way
through our lives. To be awake, and see it all as it really is … no
one could stand that for long.
-- Terry Pratchett
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett>
Rogers Hornsby (1896–1963) was an American baseball infielder,
manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball
(MLB). Hornsby was named the National League (NL)'s Most Valuable
Player (MVP) twice, and was a member of the 1926 World Series
champions. In 1915, he began his major league career with the St.
Louis Cardinals and remained with the team for 12 seasons, winning his
first MVP and his only World Series. He then played for the New York
Giants and Boston Braves before being traded to the Chicago Cubs. He
played with the Cubs for four years and won his second MVP before the
team released him in 1932. Hornsby re-signed with the Cardinals in
1933, but was released partway through the season and was picked up by
the St. Louis Browns. He remained there until his final season in
1937. From 1925 to 1937, Hornsby was intermittently a player-manager.
He later managed the Browns in 1952 and the Cincinnati Reds from 1952
to 1953. Sportswriters consider Hornsby to be one of the best hitters
of all time. His career batting average of .358 is second to Ty Cobb
in MLB history. He also won two Triple Crowns, and is the only player
to hit 40 home runs and bat .400 in the same year (1922). He was
elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1942.
Read the rest of this article:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Hornsby>
_________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1522:
Italian War of 1521–1526: The combined forces of Spain and the Papal
States defeated a French and Venetian army at the Battle of Bicocca.
1810:
Ludwig van Beethoven (pictured) composed his "Bagatelle No. 25 in A
minor", better known as "Für Elise", one of his most popular
compositions.
1904:
Chris Watson became the first Australian Prime Minister from the
Australian Labour Party, and the first Labour Party prime minister in
the world.
1911:
Following the resignation of William P. Frye, a compromise was reached
in the United States Senate to rotate the office of the President pro
tempore of the United States Senate.
1967:
The Expo 67 world's fair opened in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with over
50 million visitors and 62 nations participating.
_______________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
floordrobe (n)
(humorous) Clothing strewn on the floor.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/floordrobe>
______________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The same energy of character which renders a man a daring villain
would have rendered him useful to society, had that society been well
organized.
-- Mary Wollstonecraft
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mary_Wollstonecraft>
Richard Hakluyt (c. 1552 1616) was an English writer. He is principally
remembered for his efforts in promoting and supporting the settlement of
North America by the English through his works, notably Divers Voyages
Touching the Discoverie of America (1582) and The Principal Navigations,
Voiages, Traffiques and Discoueries of the English Nation (15891600).
Educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, between 1583 and
1588 Hakluyt was chaplain and secretary to Sir Edward Stafford, English
ambassador at the French court. An ordained priest, Hakluyt held important
positions at Bristol Cathedral and Westminster Abbey and was personal
chaplain to Sir Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, principal Secretary of
State to Elizabeth I and James I. He was the chief promoter of a petition to
James I for letters patent to colonize Virginia, which were granted to the
London Company and Plymouth Company (referred to collectively as the
Virginia Company) in 1606.
Read the rest of this article:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hakluyt>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1958:
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Royal Blue, one of the first major railway
electrification systems in the United States, made its final Washington,
D.C., to New York City run.
1981:
Dr. Michael R. Harrison of the University of California, San Francisco
performed the world's first human open fetal surgery.
1982:
In one of the deadliest spree killings in modern history, former South
Korean police officer Woo Bum-kon killed a total of 57 people in one night,
including himself.
1986:
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Chernobyl, Ukrainian SSR, suffered a
steam explosion (damage pictured), resulting in a fire, a nuclear meltdown,
and the evacuation and resettlement of over 336,000 people around Europe.
2007:
Controversy surrounding the relocation of the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn, a
Soviet Red Army World War II memorial in Tallinn, Estonia, erupted into mass
protests and riots.
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
paratransit (n)
An auxiliary transit <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/transit> service
without fixed routes or schedules, usually serving the disabled on-demand.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/paratransit>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Anybody who has been seriously engaged in scientific work of any kind
realizes that over the entrance to the gates of the temple of science are
written the words: Ye must have faith. It is a quality which the scientist
cannot dispense with.
-- Max Planck
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Max_Planck>
Broad-sweeping wage reforms were instituted in the Soviet Union during
the Khrushchev era, from 1956 through 1962. These were intended to move
Soviet industrial workers away from the mindset of overfulfilling
quotas that had characterised the Soviet economy during the preceding
Stalinist period, and toward a more efficient financial incentive.
Throughout the Stalinist period, most Soviet workers had been paid for
their work based on a piece-rate system. Thus their individual wages
were directly tied to the amount of work they achieved. This policy was
intended to encourage workers to toil and therefore increase production
as much as possible. The piece-rate system led to an enormous level of
bureaucracy and contributed to huge inefficiencies in Soviet industry.
Additionally, factory managers frequently manipulated the personal
production quotas given to workers to prevent workers' wages from
falling too low. The wage reforms sought to remove these wage practices
and offer an efficient financial incentive to Soviet workers by
standardising their wages and reducing their dependence on overtime or
bonus payments.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_reform_in_the_Soviet_Union%2C_1956%E2%80%…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1348:
The first-ever appointments to the Order of the Garter, an order of
chivalry founded by King Edward III of England and still bestowed on
recipients in the Commonwealth realms, were announced.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Garter>
1951:
American journalist William N. Oatis was arrested for espionage by the
Communist government of Czechoslovakia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_N._Oatis>
1967:
Soyuz 1 , the first mission of the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft, launched
from Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_1>
1979:
Activist Blair Peach suffered fatal head injuries after being knocked
unconscious during an Anti-Nazi League demonstration in Southall,
London, against a British National Front election meeting in the town
hall.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair_Peach>
1985:
The Coca-Cola Company introduced "New Coke" to replace its flagship
soft drink Coca-Cola, which generated so much negative response that
the company put the original formula back on the market less than three
months later.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Coke>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
handsy (adj):
1. (informal) Prone to touching other people with one's hands,
especially inappropriately.
2. (golf) Moving the hands and wrists excessively when making a stroke
or swing
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/handsy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
33px
The poet’s eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
Doth glance from heaven to
earth, from earth to heaven;
And, as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the
poet’s pen
Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and
a name.
--William Shakespeare
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare>
Kathleen Ferrier (1912–1953) was an English contralto who achieved an
international reputation as a stage, concert and recording artist. Her
early death from cancer, at the height of her fame, was a considerable
shock to the music world. Ferrier began singing professionally in 1937,
after winning a singing competition. During the Second World War she
performed regularly with the Council for the Encouragement of the Arts
(CEMA); her career developed considerably after the conductor Malcolm
Sargent recommended her to the influential Ibbs and Tillett concert
management agency. In 1946 she made her stage debut as Lucretia in the
Glyndebourne Festival premiere of Benjamin Britten's opera The Rape of
Lucretia. A year later she sang Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice;
these were her only two operatic roles. As a recitalist she became
known internationally through her three tours of the United States and
her many visits to continental Europe. She continued to perform and
record after being diagnosed with breast cancer in March 1951. Her
final public appearance was as Orfeo, at the Royal Opera House in
February 1953; she died in October that year. Among her many memorials,
the Kathleen Ferrier Cancer Research Fund was launched in May 1954; the
Kathleen Ferrier Scholarship Fund, administered by the Royal
Philharmonic Society, makes annual awards to aspiring young
professional singers.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Ferrier>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1519:
Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés established a settlement in Mexico,
naming it "Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz" ("Rich village of the True
Cross").
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veracruz%2C_Veracruz>
1889:
Over 50,000 people rushed to claim a piece of the available two million
acres (8,000 km2) in the Unassigned Lands, the present-day U.S. state
of Oklahoma, entirely founding the brand-new Oklahoma City.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City>
1911:
Tsinghua University , one of the leading universities in mainland
China, was founded, funded by an unexpected surplus in indemnities paid
by the Qing Dynasty to the United States as a result of the Boxer
Rebellion.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsinghua_University>
1945:
About 600 prisoners of the Jasenovac concentration camp in the
Independent State of Croatia revolted, but only 80 managed to escape
while the other 520 were killed by the Croatian Ustaše regime.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasenovac_concentration_camp>
2004:
Flammable cargo exploded at Yongcheon Station in Ryongchon, North
Korea, killing 160 people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryongchon_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
crosswordese (n):
The jargon of crossword puzzle answers, classically consisting of rare,
archaic, or dialectal words
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crosswordese>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
11px
14px
--Vladimir Nabokov
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Vladimir_Nabokov>
The 2009 Orange Bowl game was the 75th edition of the annual college
football bowl game known as the Orange Bowl. It pitted the 2008
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champion Virginia Tech Hokies against
the Big East Conference champion Cincinnati Bearcats on January 1, 2009
at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Cincinnati scored first,
converting the game's opening possession into a touchdown and a 7–0
lead in the first quarter. Virginia Tech responded in the second
quarter, tying the game at seven before taking a 10–7 lead with a field
goal as time expired in the first half. In the third quarter, the two
teams battled defensively, with only the Hokies able to score any
points as Tech extended its lead to 13–7. During the final quarter,
Virginia Tech scored its second touchdown of the game, giving the
Hokies a 20–7 lead that lasted until time expired. In recognition of
his performance during the game, Virginia Tech running back Darren
Evans was named the game's most valuable player. Three months after the
game, players from each team entered the National Football League (NFL)
via the 2009 NFL Draft. Cincinnati had six players selected in the
draft, while Virginia Tech had one.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Orange_Bowl>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
900:
A debt was pardoned by the Datu of Tondo on the island of Luzon, as
inscribed on the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, the earliest known
written document found in the Philippines.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laguna_Copperplate_Inscription>
1918:
Manfred von Richthofen , known as "The Red Baron", was shot down and
killed near Vaux-sur-Somme in France, after a career as the most
successful fighter pilot of World War I with 80 confirmed air combat
victories.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen>
1934:
The "Surgeon's Photograph", the most famous photo purportedly showing
the Loch Ness Monster (later revealed to be a hoax) was published in
the Daily Mail.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness_Monster>
1962:
The Century 21 Exposition, the first world's fair in the United States
since World War II, opened in Seattle, Washington.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_21_Exposition>
1992:
Radio astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail announced the
discovery of two planets orbiting the pulsar PSR 1257+12, the first
definitive detection of extrasolar planets.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/extrasolar_planet>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
overawe (v):
(transitive) To restrain, subdue, or control by awe; to cow
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/overawe>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
14px 44px 14px
Therapy isn't curing somebody of something; it is a means of helping
a person explore himself, his life, his consciousness. My purpose as a
therapist is to find out what it means to be human. Every human being
must have a point at which he stands against the culture, where he
says, "This is me and the world be damned!" Leaders have always been
the ones to stand against the society — Socrates, Christ, Freud, all
the way down the line.
--Rollo May
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rollo_May>
The St Cuthbert Gospel is a 7th-century pocket gospel book, written in
Latin, placed in the tomb of Saint Cuthbert at Lindisfarne, probably a
few years after he died in 687. Its finely decorated leather binding is
the earliest known Western book-binding to survive, and the whole book
is in outstanding condition for its age. It was probably made as a gift
from Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey, where it was written, intended to be
placed in St Cuthbert's coffin when his remains were placed behind the
altar at Lindisfarne in 698. It presumably remained in the coffin
through its long travels after 875, forced by Viking invasions, ending
at Durham Cathedral. There the book was found inside the coffin and
removed in 1104, and kept with other relics, and important visitors
were able to wear the book in a leather bag around their necks until
the English Reformation. It has been on long-term loan to the British
Library, who today announced the purchase of the book for £9m ($14.3m)
from the British Jesuits. The library describe it as "the earliest
surviving intact European book and one of the world's most significant
books".
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Cuthbert_Gospel>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1080:
On the death of his brother Harald III, Canute IV, who would later be
the first Dane to be canonized, became King of Denmark.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canute_IV_of_Denmark>
1907:
Construction started on the first ship in the Minas Geraes class ,
making Brazil the third country in the world to build a dreadnought
battleship and sparking a South American naval arms race.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minas_Geraes_class_battleship>
1951:
The Peak District was designated the first national park in the British
Isles.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_District>
1969:
Sirhan Sirhan was convicted for the assassination of United States
Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirhan_Sirhan>
1982:
A new patriated Constitution of Canada, including the Canadian Charter
of Rights and Freedoms, a bill of rights intended to protect certain
political and civil rights of people in Canada, was signed into law by
Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_Act%2C_1982>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
kasha (n):
A porridge made from boiled buckwheat groats, or sometimes from other
cereal groats
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kasha>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
144px
Poetry is the supreme fiction, madame.
Take the moral law and make a
nave of it
And from the nave build haunted heaven. Thus,
The conscience is
converted into palms,
Like windy citherns hankering for hymns.
We agree in principle.
That's clear. But take
The opposing law and make a peristyle,
And from the peristyle
project a masque
Beyond the planets. Thus, our bawdiness,
Unpurged by epitaph,
indulged at last,
Is equally
--Wallace Stevens
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wallace_Stevens>
Lycoperdon echinatum, commonly known as the spiny puffball or the
spring puffball, is a type of puffball mushroom in the genus
Lycoperdon. The saprobic species has been found in Africa, Europe,
Central America and North America, where it grows on soil in deciduous
woods, glades, and pastures. Molecular analysis indicates that
Lycoperdon echinatum is closely related to the puffball genus Handkea.
Initially white in color, the puffballs turn a dark brown as they
mature, at the same time changing from nearly round to somewhat
flattened. The fruit bodies are edible when young, when the interior is
white and firm and before it has turned into a powdery brown mass of
spores. Young specimens of L. echinatum resemble another edible spiny
puffball, Lycoperdon pulcherrimum, but this latter species does not
turn brown as it ages. Laboratory tests have shown that extracts of the
fruit bodies can inhibit the growth of several bacteria that are
pathogenic to humans.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycoperdon_echinatum>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1520:
Citizens of Toledo, Castile, who were opposed to the rule of the
foreign-born Charles V, rose up in revolt when the royal government
attempted to unseat radical city councilors.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolt_of_the_Comuneros>
1853:
The first passenger line of what would become Indian Railways, the
state-owned railway company of India, opened between Bombay and Thane.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Railways>
1919:
Polish–Soviet War: The Polish army launched the Vilna offensive to
capture Vilnius in modern Lithuania.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilna_offensive>
2001:
India and Bangladesh began a five-day conflict over their disputed
border, which ended in a stalemate.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Indian%E2%80%93Bangladeshi_border_conflict>
2007:
In one of the deadliest shooting incidents in United States history, a
gunman killed 32 people and wounded over 20 more before committing
suicide at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in
Blacksburg, Virginia .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Tech_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
heir apparent (n):
(usually monarchy) Someone who will definitely inherit, assuming he
survives the one from whom he is inheriting
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/heir_apparent>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
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It is well for the heart to be naive and for the mind not to be.
--Anatole France
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anatole_France>