Drymoreomys is a genus of rodents in the tribe Oryzomyini, from the
Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The single species, D. albimaculatus, is
known only from the states of São Paulo and Santa Catarina and was not
named until 2011. It lives in the humid forest on the eastern slopes of
the Serra do Mar and perhaps reproduces year-round. Although its range
is relatively large and includes some protected areas, it is patchy and
threatened, and the discoverers recommend that the animal be considered
"Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red List. Within Oryzomyini, Drymoreomys
appears to be most closely related to Eremoryzomys from the Andes of
Peru, a biogeographically unusual relationship. With a body mass of
44–64 g (1.6–2.3 oz), Drymoreomys is a medium-sized rodent with
long fur that is orange to reddish-buff above and grayish with several
white patches below. The pads on the hindfeet are very well developed
and there is brown fur on the upper sides of the feet. The tail is brown
above and below. The front part of the skull is relatively long and the
ridges on the braincase are weak. The palate is short, with its back
margin between the third molars. Several traits of the genitals are not
seen in any other oryzomyine.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drymoreomys>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1801:
John Marshall became the fourth Chief Justice of the United
States; his court opinions would help lay the basis for American
constitutional law and made the Supreme Court a coequal branch of
government.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Marshall>
1900:
Datu Muhammad Salleh, leader of a series of major disturbances
in North Borneo, was shot dead in Tambunan, but his followers did not
give up for five more years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat_Salleh_Rebellion>
1943:
World War II: American and Australian forces stopped a Japanese
advance in the Battle of Wau during the New Guinea campaign.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wau>
1958:
Explorer 1 (pictured), the United States' first satellite, was
launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and became the first spacecraft
to detect the Van Allen radiation belt.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_1>
2007:
Suspects were arrested in Birmingham, UK, accused of plotting
to kidnap, and eventually behead, a Muslim British soldier serving in
Iraq.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_plot_to_behead_a_British_Muslim_soldier>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
smaragdine:
Having the colour of emeralds.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/smaragdine>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Everything is literally entangled, it can all be communicated with and
affected "at a distance" because there is no distance, only a simulation
of apparent separation which our limited consciousness feeds us second
by second at 11 bits. The "telepathy" which brings people together is no
more or less supernatural or unlikely than the "telepathy" which brings
two of your fingers together when you think about it. Patience,
participation and constant close observation of what's going on, on the
inside and on the outside will soon make you a fine sorcerer, if that's
what you want to be.
--Grant Morrison
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Grant_Morrison>
Bastion is an action role-playing video game produced by independent
developer Supergiant Games. In the game, the player controls "the Kid"
as he moves through floating, fantasy-themed environments collecting
special shards of rock to power a structure, the Bastion, in the wake of
an apocalyptic event. It features a dynamic voiceover from a narrator,
and is presented as a two-dimensional game with an isometric camera and
a hand-painted, colorful art style. The game debuted at the September
2010 Penny Arcade Expo, and it went on to be nominated for awards at the
2011 Independent Games Festival and win awards at the Electronic
Entertainment Expo prior to release in July 2011. During 2011, the game
sold more than 500,000 copies, 200,000 of which were for the Xbox Live
Arcade. It was widely praised by reviewers, primarily for its story, art
direction, narration, and music, although opinions were mixed on the
depth of the gameplay. Bastion has won many nominations and awards since
its release, including several for best downloadable game and best
music. The soundtrack was produced and composed by Darren Korb, and a
soundtrack album was made available for sale in August 2011.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastion_(video_game)>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1018:
The German–Polish War ended with the signing of the Peace of
Bautzen between Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor and the Piast ruler of
Poland Bolesław I.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Bautzen>
1858:
The Hallé, the United Kingdom's oldest extant symphony
orchestra, and the fourth oldest in the world, held their first concert
in Manchester.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hall%C3%A9>
1945:
World War II: In one of the largest losses of life in a single
sinking in maritime history, the Soviet submarine S-13 sank the Wilhelm
Gustloff carrying German soldiers and refugees evacuating from East
Prussia, killing at least 9,400 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wilhelm_Gustloff>
1948:
Nathuram Godse fatally shot Mahatma Gandhi (pictured), the
political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence
movement, at Birla House in Delhi.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohandas_Karamchand_Gandhi>
1982:
Richard Skrenta's "Elk Cloner" became the first known computer
virus found "in the wild". It infected Apple II computers via floppy
disk.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_Cloner>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
mignon:
Small and cute; pretty in a delicate way; dainty.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mignon>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Science is like literature, a continuing dialog among diverse and
conflicting voices, no one ever wholly right or wholly wrong, but a
steady conversation forever provisional and personal and living.
--Gregory Benford
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gregory_Benford>
The dreadnought was the predominant type of battleship in the early 20th
century. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's Dreadnought, had such
an impact when launched in 1906 that similar subsequent battleships were
referred to as "dreadnoughts". Her design had two revolutionary
features: an "all-big-gun" armament scheme and steam turbine propulsion.
As dreadnoughts became a crucial symbol of national power, the arrival
of these new warships renewed the naval arms race, principally between
the United Kingdom and Germany but reflected worldwide, including South
America (a Brazilian Minas Geraes-class battleship pictured). The
concept of an all-big-gun ship had been in development for several years
before Dreadnought's construction. The Imperial Japanese Navy had begun
work on an all-big-gun battleship in 1904, but finished the ship as a
semi-dreadnought; the United States Navy was also building all-big-gun
battleships. Technical development continued rapidly through the
dreadnought era and within ten years, new battleships outclassed
Dreadnought herself. Most of the original dreadnoughts were scrapped
after the end of World War I under the terms of the Washington Naval
Treaty. Large dreadnought fleets only fought once, at the Battle of
Jutland.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadnought>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
904:
Sergius III (pictured), whose pontificate was marked with feudal
violence and disorder in central Italy, came out of retirement to take
over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Sergius_III>
1863:
Indian Wars in North America: The United States Army led by
Patrick Edward Connor massacred Chief Bear Hunter and forces of the
Shoshone at the Bear River Massacre in present day Franklin County,
Idaho.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_River_Massacre>
1943:
World War II: The Battle of Rennell Island, the last major
naval engagement between the United States Navy and the Imperial
Japanese Navy during the Guadalcanal Campaign, began.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rennell_Island>
1991:
Gulf War: The Battle of Khafji, the first major ground
engagement of the war, as well as its deadliest, began.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khafji>
2009:
The Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt ruled that people who
did not adhere to one of the three government-recognised religions are
also eligible to receive government identity documents.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_identification_card_controversy>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
obviate:
(transitive) To bypass a requirement or make it unnecessary.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/obviate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Angels never attack, as infernal spirits do. Angels only ward off and
defend.
--Emanuel Swedenborg
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Emanuel_Swedenborg>
The reception history of Jane Austen follows a path from modest fame to
wild popularity; her novels are both the subject of intense scholarly
study and the centre of a diverse fan culture. Austen, the author of
such works as Pride and Prejudice (1813) and Emma (1815), is one of the
best-known and widely read novelists in the English language. During her
lifetime, Austen's novels brought her little personal fame; like many
women writers, she published anonymously. At the time they were
published, her works were considered fashionable by members of high
society but received few positive reviews. By the mid-19th century, her
novels were admired by members of the literary elite, but it was not
until the 1940s that Austen was widely accepted in academia as a "great
English novelist". The second half of the 20th century saw a
proliferation of scholarship exploring artistic, ideological and
historical aspects of her works. As of the early 21st century, Austen
fandom supports an industry of printed sequels and prequels as well as
television and film adaptations, which started with the 1940 Pride and
Prejudice and includes the 2004 Bollywood-style production Bride and
Prejudice.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reception_history_of_Jane_Austen>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1547:
Nine-year-old Edward VI became the first Protestant ruler of
England, during whose reign Protestantism was established for the first
time in the country with reforms that included the abolition of clerical
celibacy and the mass.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VI_of_England>
1821:
Alexander Island, the largest island of Antarctica, was
discovered by Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Island>
1922:
Snowfall from the biggest recorded snowstorm in Washington,
D.C. history caused the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre to collapse,
killing 98 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knickerbocker_Theatre_(Washington,_D.C.)>
1933:
Choudhry Rahmat Ali published a pamphlet entitled "Now or
Never" in which he called for the creation of a Muslim state in
northwest India that he termed "Pakstan".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Declaration>
1982:
After having been kidnapped by the Italian Red Brigade 42 days
earlier, General James L. Dozier of the United States Army was freed by
the anti-terrorist force NOCS.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_L._Dozier>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
penumbra:
A partially shaded area around the edges of a shadow, especially an
eclipse.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/penumbra>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To a poet, silence is an acceptable response, even a flattering one.
--Colette
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Colette>
Aldfrith was king of Northumbria from 685 until his death on
14 December 704 or 705. He is described by early writers such as Bede,
Alcuin and Stephen of Ripon as a man of great learning, and some of his
works, as well as letters written to him, survive. His reign was
relatively peaceful, marred only by disputes with Bishop Wilfrid, a
major figure in the early Northumbrian church. Aldfrith was born on an
uncertain date to Oswiu of Northumbria and an Irish princess named Fín.
Oswiu later became King of Northumbria; he died in 670 and was succeeded
by his son Ecgfrith. Aldfrith was educated for a career in the church
and became a scholar. However, in 685, when Ecgfrith was killed at the
battle of Nechtansmere, Aldfrith was recalled to Northumbria, reportedly
from the Hebridean island of Iona, and became king (coin pictured). In
his early-eighth-century account of Aldfrith's reign, Bede states that
he "ably restored the shattered fortunes of the kingdom, though within
smaller boundaries". His reign saw the creation of works of Hiberno-
Saxon art such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Codex Amiatinus, and
is often seen as the start of Northumbria's Golden Age.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldfrith_of_Northumbria>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1142:
Despite having saved the Southern Song Dynasty from attempts by
the northern Jin Dynasty to conquer it, Chinese general Yue Fei was
executed by the Song government.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yue_Fei>
1888:
The National Geographic Society, publisher of National
Geographic magazine, was incorporated in Washington, D.C., as "a society
for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Geographic_Society>
1945:
The Soviet Red Army liberated over 7,500 prisoners left behind
by Nazi personnel in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Oświęcim,
Poland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp>
1993:
American-born sumo wrestler Akebono Tarō became the first
foreigner to reach the rank of yokozuna (grand champion).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akebono_Tar%C5%8D>
2003:
The first selections for the National Recording Registry were
announced by the U.S. Library of Congress.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Recording_Registry>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
cop on:
(Ireland, informal, idiomatic) Common sense.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cop_on>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Be sure the safest rule is that we should not dare to live in any scene
in which we dare not die. But, once realise what the true object is in
life — that it is not pleasure, not knowledge, not even fame itself,
'that last infirmity of noble minds' — but that it is the development
of character, the rising to a higher, nobler, purer standard, the
building-up of the perfect Man — and then, so long as we feel that
this is going on, and will (we trust) go on for evermore, death has for
us no terror; it is not a shadow, but a light; not an end, but a
beginning!
--Lewis Carroll
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll>
Bronwyn Oliver (1959–2006) was an Australian sculptor, whose works
were primarily made in metal. Raised in country New South Wales, she
trained at Sydney's College of Fine Arts (COFA) and London's Chelsea
School of Art. She settled in Sydney, where she practised and taught
until her death by suicide in 2006. Oliver's sculptures are admired for
their tactile nature, their aesthetics, and the technical skills
demonstrated in their production. In her later career, most of her
pieces were commissions, both public and private. Her major works
include Vine, a 16.5-metre high (54 ft) sculpture in the Sydney Hilton,
Palm (pictured) and Magnolia in the Sydney Botanical Gardens, and Big
Feathers in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall. Recognition of her work
included selection as a finalist in the inaugural Helen Lempriere
National Sculpture Award in 2000, inclusion in the National Gallery of
Australia's 2002 National Sculpture Prize exhibition, and being
shortlisted for the 2006 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award. Her works
are held in major Australian collections, including the National Gallery
of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of
New South Wales.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronwyn_Oliver>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1699:
The signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz to conclude the Austro-
Ottoman War marked the end of Ottoman control in much of Central Europe
and the rise of the Habsburg Monarchy as the dominant power in the
region.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Karlowitz>
1808:
Governor of New South Wales William Bligh was deposed by the
New South Wales Corps in the only successful armed takeover of
government in Australia's recorded history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum_Rebellion>
1918:
A group of Red Guards hung a red lantern atop the tower of
Helsinki Workers' Hall to symbolically mark the start of the Finnish
Civil War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Civil_War>
1949:
The Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory in California, the
largest aperture optical telescope in the world for 28 years, saw first
light.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hale_telescope>
1952:
Spontaneous anti-British riots erupted in Cairo following the
killings of 50 Egyptian auxiliary police the day before.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Fire>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
monoousian:
(theology) Having one and the same nature or essence, especially with
regard to the persons of the Trinity.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/monoousian>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Beauty in this Iron Age must turn From fluid living rainbow shapes to
torn And sootened fragments, ashes in an urn On whose gray surface runes
are traced by a Norn Who hopes to wake the Future to arise In Phoenix-
fashion, and to shine with rays To blast the sight of modern men whose
dyes Of selfishness and lust have stained our days.
--Philip José Farmer
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Philip_Jos%C3%A9_Farmer>
Pinguicula moranensis is a perennial rosette-forming insectivorous herb
native to Mexico and Guatemala. A species of butterwort, it forms summer
rosettes of flat, succulent leaves up to 10 centimeters (4 in) long,
which are covered in mucilaginous (sticky) glands that attract, trap,
and digest arthropod prey. Nutrients derived from the prey are used to
supplement the nutrient-poor substrate in which the plant grows. In the
winter the plant forms a non-carnivorous rosette of small, fleshy leaves
that conserves energy while food and moisture supplies are low. Single
pink, purple, or violet flowers appear twice a year on upright stalks up
to 25 centimeters (10 in) long. The species was first collected by
Humboldt and Bonpland on the outskirts of Mina de Morán in the Sierra
de Pachuca of the modern-day Mexican state of Hidalgo on their Latin
American expedition of 1799–1804. Based on these collections,
Humboldt, Bonpland and Carl Sigismund Kunth described this species in
Nova Genera et Species Plantarum in 1817. It remains the most common and
most widely distributed member of the Section Orcheosanthus, and has
long been cultivated for its carnivorous nature and attractive flowers.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinguicula_moranensis>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1576:
Portuguese explorer Paulo Dias de Novais founded the settlement
of São Paulo da Assumpção de Loanda on the western coast of Africa,
now known as Luanda.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luanda>
1704:
English colonists from the Province of Carolina and their
native allies began a series of brutal raids against a largely pacific
population of Apalachee in Spanish Florida.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apalachee_massacre>
1949:
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presented the first
Emmy Awards to honor excellence in the American television industry.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Award>
1993:
Five people were shot outside the Central Intelligence Agency
headquarters in Langley, Virginia, resulting in two deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_shootings_at_CIA_Headquarters>
2010:
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409, en route to Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after takeoff from
Beirut, Lebanon, killing all 90 people aboard.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Airlines_Flight_409>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
lose face:
(idiomatic) To lose the respect of others; to be humiliated or
experience public disgrace.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lose_face>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord, Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word, He's but a coof for a' that: For a'
that, an' a' that, His ribband, star, an' a' that: The man o'
independent mind He looks an' laughs at a' that. A prince can mak a
belted knight, A marquis, duke, an' a' that; But an honest man's abon
his might, Gude faith, he maunna fa' that! For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities an' a' that; The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth, Are
higher rank than a' that. Then let us pray that come it may, (As come it
will for a' that,) That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth, Shall bear
the gree, an' a' that. For a' that, an' a' that, It's coming yet for a'
that, That Man to Man, the world o'er, Shall brothers be for a' that.
--Robert Burns
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Burns>
Ranavalona III (1861–1917) was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of
Madagascar. Her reign from 1883 to 1897 was marked by ultimately futile
efforts to resist the colonial designs of the government of France. She
entered into a political marriage with Rainilaiarivony who, in his role
as Prime Minister of Madagascar, largely oversaw the day-to-day
governance of the kingdom and managed its foreign affairs. Throughout
her reign, Ranavalona tried to stave off colonization by strengthening
trade and diplomatic relations with the United States and Great Britain.
However, French attacks ultimately led to the capture of the royal
palace in 1895, ending Madagascar's autonomy. The newly installed French
colonial government initially permitted Ranavalona and her court to
remain as symbolic figureheads until the outbreak of a popular
resistance movement led the French to send her into exile. The queen,
her family and the servants accompanying her were provided an allowance
and enjoyed a comfortable standard of living, but she was never
permitted to return to Madagascar despite her requests. She died at her
villa in Algiers at the age of 55; her remains were returned to
Madagascar in 1938.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranavalona_III>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
41:
Cassius Chaerea and the disgruntled Praetorian Guards murdered
Roman emperor Caligula, replacing him with his uncle Claudius.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula>
1848:
James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill
(reconstruction pictured) in Coloma, California, leading to the
California Gold Rush.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush>
1978:
The Soviet satellite Kosmos 954, which used nuclear power for
propulsion, burned up during reentry, scattering radioactive debris
across Canada's Northwest Territories.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954>
1993:
Turkish journalist and writer Uğur Mumcu was assassinated by a
car bomb outside his home in Ankara.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U%C4%9Fur_Mumcu>
2011:
A suicide bomber killed at least 37 people at Domodedovo
International Airport in Moscow.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domodedovo_International_Airport_bombing>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
alicorn:
(now historical) The horn of a unicorn considered as a medical or
pharmacological ingredient.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alicorn>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I'm searching for a heart, Searching everyone. They say love conquers
all. You can't start it like a car, You can't stop it with a gun.
--Warren Zevon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Warren_Zevon>
Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Its
peninsulas radiate from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillins,
the rocky slopes of which provide some of the most dramatic mountain
scenery in the country. The island has been occupied since the
Mesolithic period and its history includes a time of Norse rule and a
long period of domination by Clan MacLeod (Dunvegan Castle, the clan's
seat, pictured) and Clan Donald. The 18th-century Jacobite risings led
to the breaking up of the clan system and subsequent Clearances that
replaced entire communities with sheep farms. Resident numbers declined
from over 20,000 in the early 19th century to just under 9,000 by the
closing decade of the 20th century. The main industries are tourism,
agriculture, fishing and whisky-distilling, and the largest settlement
is Portree, known for its picturesque harbour. There are links to
various nearby islands by ferry and, since 1995, to the mainland by a
road bridge. The abundant wildlife includes the golden eagle, red deer
and Atlantic salmon. Skye has provided the locations for various novels
and feature films and is celebrated in poetry and song.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skye>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1556:
The deadliest earthquake in history killed about 830,000 people
in Shaanxi Province, China.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1556_Shaanxi_earthquake>
1793:
The Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia partitioned the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth for the second time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Partition_of_Poland>
1899:
Pursuant to the adoption of the Malolos Constitution and the
establishment of the First Philippine Republic, Emilio Aguinaldo was
sworn in as the first President of the Philippines.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilio_Aguinaldo>
1968:
USS Pueblo was seized by North Korean forces, who claimed that
it had violated their territorial waters while spying.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pueblo_(AGER-2)>
2002:
American journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and later
murdered by Al Qaeda agents.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Pearl>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
blueberrying:
The act of gathering blueberries.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blueberrying>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I no longer find such pleasure in that preeminently good society, of
which I was once so fond. It seems to me that beneath a cloak of clever
talk it proscribes all energy, all originality. If you are not a copy,
people accuse you of being ill-mannered. And besides, good society
usurps its privileges. It had in the past the privilege of judging what
was proper, but now that it supposes itself to be attacked, it condemns
not what is coarse and disagreeable without compensation, but what it
thinks harmful to its interest.
--Stendhal
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stendhal>
Typhoon Rusa, the 10th typhoon of the 2002 Pacific typhoon season, was
the most powerful to strike South Korea in 43 years. It developed on
August 22 from the monsoon trough in the northwestern Pacific Ocean,
then moved to the northwest, intensifying into a powerful typhoon. On
August 26, the storm moved across the Amami Islands of Japan, causing
two fatalities. Across Japan, the typhoon dropped torrential rainfall
peaking at 902 mm (35.5 in) in Tokushima Prefecture. After weakening
slightly, Rusa made landfall on Goheung, South Korea with winds of
140 km/h (85 mph). It weakened while moving through the country,
dropping heavy rainfall that peaked at 897.5 mm (35.33 in) in
Gangneung. A 24 hour total of 880 mm (35 in) in the city broke the
record for the highest daily precipitation in the country. Over
17,000 houses were damaged, and large areas of crop fields were
flooded. In South Korea, Rusa killed at least 233 people. The typhoon
also dropped heavy rainfall in neighboring North Korea, leaving
26,000 people homeless and killing three. Rusa also destroyed large
areas of crops in the country already affected by ongoing famine
conditions.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Rusa>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1879:
Anglo-Zulu War: Zulu forces of King Cetshwayo fought to a
decisive victory at the Battle of Isandlwana.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Isandlwana>
1957:
New York City police arrested George Metesky, better known as
the "Mad Bomber", for planting over 30 bombs over 16 years throughout
the city.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Metesky>
1971:
The Singapore Declaration, one of the two most important
documents to the uncodified constitution of the Commonwealth of Nations,
was issued.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations>
1984:
Apple Computer introduced the Macintosh computer during Super
Bowl XVIII with its groundbreaking "1984" television commercial.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_(advertisement)>
2006:
Aymaran Evo Morales was inaugurated as President of Bolivia,
the country's first democratically elected, fully Amerindian leader.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evo_Morales>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
enthesis:
(anatomy) The point at which a tendon, ligament, or muscle inserts into
a bone.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/enthesis>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Human knowledge and human power meet in one; for where the cause is not
known the effect cannot be produced. Nature to be commanded must be
obeyed; and that which in contemplation is as the cause is in operation
as the rule.
--Francis Bacon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon>