Danie Mellor (born 1971) is a contemporary Indigenous Australian artist
and the winner of the 2009 National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
Art Award for a mixed media work From Rite to Ritual. Born in Mackay,
Queensland, Mellor studied at North Adelaide School of Art, the
Australian National University and Birmingham Institute of Art and
Design. He then took up a post lecturing at Sydney College of the Arts.
He works in different media including printmaking, drawing, painting,
and sculpture. The dominant theme in Mellor's art is the relationship
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian cultures. Since 2000,
Mellor's works have been included regularly in National Aboriginal &
Torres Strait Islander Art Award exhibitions and in 2003 he was awarded
a "highly commended", for his print Cyathea cooperi. His other major
exhibitions have included the Primavera 2005 show at the Museum of
Contemporary Art, Sydney, and the National Indigenous Art Triennial at
the National Gallery of Australia in 2007. In 2012, his work was
included in the National Museum of Australia's exhibition Menagerie:
contemporary Indigenous sculpture and the second National Indigenous Art
Triennial.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danie_Mellor>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
868:
A copy of the Diamond Sutra was printed in China, making it the
world's oldest dated printed book.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Sutra>
1792:
Merchant sea captain Robert Gray became the first recorded
European to navigate the Columbia River in what is now the Pacific
Northwest United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gray%27s_Columbia_River_expedition>
1813:
William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth departed
westward from Sydney on an expedition to become the first Europeans
confirmed to cross the Blue Mountains.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales)>
1858:
Minnesota (flag pictured) was carved out of the eastern half of
the Minnesota Territory and admitted as the 32nd U.S. state.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota>
1946:
The United Malays National Organisation, today Malaysia's
largest political party, was founded, originally to oppose the
constitutional framework of the Malayan Union.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Malays_National_Organisation>
1996:
A severe blizzard on Mount Everest caused the deaths of eight
climbers, helping make that year the deadliest in the mountain's
history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Mount_Everest_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
atheophobia:
Fear or hatred of atheism or atheists.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/atheophobia>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The worthwhile problems are the ones you can really solve or help
solve, the ones you can really contribute something to. ... No problem
is too small or too trivial if we can really do something about it.
--Richard Feynman
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman>
Phallus indusiatus, commonly called the bamboo fungus, bamboo pith, long
net stinkhorn, crinoline stinkhorn or veiled lady, is a fungus in the
family Phallaceae, or stinkhorns. It has a cosmopolitan distribution in
tropical areas, and is found in southern Asia, Africa, the Americas, and
Australia, where it grows in woodlands and gardens in rich soil and
well-rotted woody material. The fruit body of the fungus is
characterised by a conical to bell-shaped cap on a stalk and a delicate
lacy "skirt", or indusium, that hangs from beneath the cap and reaches
nearly to the ground. It was first described scientifically in 1798 by
French botanist Étienne Pierre Ventenat. Mature fruit bodies are up to
25 cm (9.8 in) tall with a conical to bell-shaped cap that is
1.5–4 cm (0.6–1.6 in) wide. The edible mushroom, grown
commercially and commonly sold in Asian markets, is rich in protein,
carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. It also contains various bioactive
compounds, and has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Phallus
indusiatus has a recorded history of use in Chinese medicine extending
back to the 7th century AD, and features in Nigerian folklore.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallus_indusiatus>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1503:
Christopher Columbus and his crew became the first Europeans to
visit the Cayman Islands, naming them Las Tortugas after the numerous
sea turtles there.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayman_Islands>
1857:
The Sepoy Mutiny against the company rule by the British East
India Company began.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857>
1872:
Victoria Woodhull became the first woman to be nominated as a
candidate for President of the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Woodhull>
1916:
Ernest Shackleton and five companions completed one of
history's greatest small-boat journeys when they arrived at South
Georgia after an 800-nautical-mile (1,500 km) journey in a lifeboat.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyage_of_the_James_Caird>
1924:
J. Edgar Hoover became the director of the Bureau of
Investigation, which would later become the U.S. Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover>
1981:
François Mitterrand was elected to be the first socialist
President of the French Fifth Republic.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Mitterrand>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
cymotrichous:
(anthropology) Having wavy hair.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cymotrichous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It seemed — in 1968 — the possibilities of peace and
brotherhood could be realised that very year. We're still working on it.
--Donovan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Donovan>
Hurricane Debbie was the most powerful cyclone on record to strike
Ireland in September. The fourth named storm of the 1961 Atlantic
hurricane season, Debbie originated from a well-defined tropical
disturbance that was first identified in late August over Central
Africa. Tracking generally westward, the system moved off the coast of
Senegal on September 5 into the Atlantic Ocean. On September 6, Debbie
passed through the southern Cape Verde Islands as a strong tropical
storm and resulted in a plane crash that killed 60 people. Thereafter
its location was uncertain until September 10 and on the following day,
Debbie attained its peak intensity as a Category 3 hurricane on the
Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale, with maximum winds of 120 mph
(195 km/h). Gradually weakening, it passed over the western Azores as a
minimal hurricane on September 15 and skirted the coast of Western
Ireland on September 16 as a powerful storm. It brought record winds to
much of the country, with a peak gust of 114 mph (183 km/h) measured
just offshore, causing widespread damage and disruption, killing
12 people (and a further 6 people in Northern Ireland) and caused
US$40–50 million in damage.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Debbie_(1961)>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1671:
Irish-born Colonel Thomas Blood was caught trying to steal the
English Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Blood>
1873:
Panic of 1873: The Vienna Stock Exchange crashed, following two
years of overexpansion in the German and Austro-Hungarian economies.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_of_1873>
1877:
Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Mihail Kogălniceanu made a
speech in the Parliament that declared Romania was discarding Ottoman
suzerainty.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihail_Kog%C4%83lniceanu>
1960:
The United States Food and Drug Administration announced it
would approve the use of Searle's Enovid for birth control, making it
the first oral contraceptive pill.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_oral_contraceptive_pill>
1979:
Prominent Iranian Jew Habib Elghanian was executed after having
been convicted by a revolutionary tribunal of various charges,
triggering a mass exodus of Jews from Iran.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Elghanian>
2005:
Pope Benedict XVI began the beatification process for his
predecessor Pope John Paul II, waiving the standard five years required
after the nominee's death.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatification_of_Pope_John_Paul_II>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
green gown:
(now archaic, historical) A dress that has been stained green from
rolling in the grass; generally with allusion to sexual activity,
especially a woman's loss of virginity.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/green_gown>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
When a new baby laughs for the first time a new fairy is born,
and as there are always new babies there are always new fairies.
--J. M. Barrie
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/J._M._Barrie>
Operation Teardrop was a United States Navy operation of World War II
conducted during April and May 1945 to sink German U-boats that were
believed to be approaching the U.S. east coast armed with V-1 flying
bombs. It was planned during late 1944 in response to intelligence
reports which indicated that Germany was preparing a force of missile-
armed submarines. The plan was executed in April 1945 after several
Type IX submarines put to sea from Norway bound for the United States.
While severe weather conditions in the North Atlantic Ocean greatly
reduced the effectiveness of the four U.S. Navy escort carriers
involved, long patrol lines of destroyer escorts successfully detected
and engaged most of the submarines. Four were sunk with the loss of
their entire crew. Most of the crew of the other submarine to be sunk
were captured, with the specialists among the prisoners being brutally
interrogated. USS Frederick C. Davis (pictured) was also sunk with the
loss of most of her crew. The surviving U-boats surrendered in early May
as part of the general German surrender. After the war the Allies
determined that the submarines were not carrying missiles.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Teardrop>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1794:
The Reign of Terror: Branded a traitor, French chemist Antoine
Lavoisier (pictured), a former royal tax collector with the Ferme
Générale, was tried, convicted, and guillotined on the same day.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Lavoisier>
1842:
A train derailed and caught fire in Paris, killing between 52
and 200 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versailles_rail_accident>
1945:
A parade to celebrate the end of World War II turned into a
riot, followed by widespread disturbances and killings in and around
Sétif, French Algeria.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9tif_and_Guelma_massacre>
1963:
In Huế, South Vietnam, soldiers of the Army of the Republic
of Vietnam opened fire into a crowd of Buddhist protestors against a
government ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Vesākha, killing
nine and sparking the Buddhist crisis.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hu%E1%BA%BF_Ph%E1%BA%ADt_%C4%90%E1%BA%A3n_sho…>
1970:
Construction workers in New York City attacked students and
others protesting the Kent State shootings.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Hat_Riot>
1987:
A British Army Special Air Service unit ambushed a Provisional
Irish Republican Army unit in Loughgall, Northern Ireland, killing eight
IRA members and a civilian.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loughgall_Ambush>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
adversity:
1. (uncountable) The state of adverse conditions; state of misfortune or
calamity.
2. (countable) An event that is adverse; calamity.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adversity>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If man is not to do more harm than good in his efforts to improve
the social order, he will have to learn that in this, as in all other
fields where essential complexity of an organized kind prevails, he
cannot acquire the full knowledge which would make mastery of the events
possible. He will therefore have to use what knowledge he can achieve,
not to shape the results as the craftsman shapes his handiwork, but
rather to cultivate a growth by providing the appropriate environment,
in the manner in which the gardener does this for his plants.
--Friedrich Hayek
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek>
A Journey is a 2010 memoir by Tony Blair (pictured) discussing his
tenure as leader of the British Labour Party (1994–2007), and Prime
Minister of the United Kingdom (1997–2007). Under Blair's stewardship
the party was rebranded as New Labour and secured a party record of
three successive terms in office. Two of the book's major themes concern
Blair's strained relationship with his Chancellor Gordon Brown, and his
controversial decision to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Blair discusses Labour's future after its defeat at the 2010 general
election, his relations with the Royal Family, and how he came to
respect President George W. Bush. A Journey received mixed reviews; some
criticised Blair's writing style, but others called it candid. Financial
Times editor Lionel Barber described it as "part psychodrama, part
treatise on the frustrations of leadership in a modern democracy". Blair
donated his £4.6 million advance, and all subsequent royalties, to the
British Armed Forces charity The Royal British Legion. It became the
fastest-selling autobiography of all time at the bookstore chain
Waterstones, but promotional events were marked by antiwar protests.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Journey>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1782:
Construction began on the Grand Palace of Bangkok, the official
residence of the King of Thailand.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Palace>
1801:
French Revolutionary Wars: The outmanned and outgunned
HMS Speedy captured the 32-gun Spanish frigate El Gamo.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_6_May_1801>
1882:
U.S. President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion
Act into law, implementing a ban on Chinese immigration to the United
States that eventually lasted for over 60 years until the 1943 Magnuson
Act.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act>
1937:
The German zeppelin Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed
while trying to land at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey,
killing over 30 people on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_129_Hindenburg>
1941:
American entertainer Bob Hope performed the first of his many
shows for the United Service Organizations.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Hope>
1984:
Pope John Paul II canonized 103 of the Korean Martyrs, who were
the subjects of religious persecution against Christians in 19th-century
Korea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Martyrs>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
softly softly:
(UK, idiomatic) In a very tactful, careful, or nondisruptive manner.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/softly_softly>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they
outvoted me.
--Nathaniel Lee
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Lee>
Elephants are large mammals found in sub-Saharan Africa, and South and
Southeast Asia. Traditionally, two species are recognised, the African
elephant (pictured) and the Asian elephant, although some evidence
suggests that African bush elephants and African forest elephants are
separate species. The largest living terrestrial animals, male African
elephants can reach a height of 4 m (13 ft) and weigh 7,000 kg
(15,000 lb). Distinctive features include the trunk, used for many
purposes, and tusks, which serve as tools and weapons. Females (or
"cows") tend to live in family groups; males (or "bulls") leave their
family groups when they reach puberty, and may live alone or with other
males. Adult bulls mostly interact with family groups when looking for a
mate. Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild, and their
intelligence has been compared to primates and cetaceans. African
elephants are classed as vulnerable, while the Asian elephant is classed
as endangered. Elephants are threatened by poaching for the ivory trade,
habitat destruction and conflicts with local people. They are highly
recognisable and have been featured in art, folklore, religion,
literature and popular culture.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1860:
Led by Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi (pictured), the
volunteer Expedition of the Thousand set sail from Genoa on a campaign
to conquer the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_of_the_Thousand>
1904:
Pitcher Cy Young of the Boston Americans threw the first
perfect game in the modern era of professional baseball.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cy_Young>
1940:
World War II: A squad of 250 Norwegian volunteers in Hegra
Fortress finally surrendered to a vastly superior Nazi force after a
25-day siege.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hegra_Fortress>
1961:
Project Mercury: Aboard the American spacecraft Freedom 7, Alan
Shepard made a sub-orbital flight, becoming the second person to travel
into outer space.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Shepard>
1980:
The British Special Air Service stormed the Iranian Embassy in
London, six days after Iranian Arab separatists had seized it.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Embassy_siege>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Stakhanovite:
An extremely productive or hard-working worker, especially in the former
USSR, who may earn special rewards; a workaholic.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Stakhanovite>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Sin is in itself separation from the good, but despair over sin
is separation a second time.
--Søren Kierkegaard
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard>
George Harrison (1943–2001) was an English musician, singer, and
songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the
Beatles. By 1965 Harrison had begun to lead the other Beatles into folk
rock through his interest in the Byrds and Bob Dylan, and towards Indian
classical music through his use of the sitar on "Norwegian Wood (This
Bird Has Flown)". He developed an interest in the Hare Krishna movement
and became an admirer of Indian culture and mysticism, introducing them
to the other Beatles and their Western audience. Following the band's
break-up in 1970, Harrison released several best-selling singles and
albums as a solo performer, and in 1988 co-founded the platinum-selling
supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. A prolific recording artist, he was
featured as a guest guitarist on tracks by Badfinger, Ronnie Wood and
Billy Preston, and collaborated on songs and music with Bob Dylan, Eric
Clapton and Tom Petty, among others. He also organized the 1971 Concert
for Bangladesh with Ravi Shankar, a precursor to later benefit concerts
such as Live Aid. Harrison was also a music and film producer, founding
Dark Horse Records in 1974 and co-founding HandMade Films in 1978.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Harrison>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1436:
Swedish rebel and later national hero Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson
was assassinated in the midst of the Engelbrekt rebellion.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engelbrekt_Engelbrektsson>
1836:
The Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish Catholic fraternal
organization, was founded in New York City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Order_of_Hibernians>
1959:
The inaugural Grammy Awards ceremony was held, recognizing
outstanding achievement in the American music industry.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Awards>
1974:
An all-female Japanese team reached the summit of Manaslu in
the Himalayas, becoming the first women to climb an 8,000-meter peak.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manaslu>
1982:
Falklands War: HMS Sheffield was struck by an Exocet missile,
killing 20 sailors and leading to its sinking six days later—the first
Royal Navy ship sunk in action since World War II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sheffield_(D80)>
1990:
The Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR declared the restoration
of independence of Latvia, stating that the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
and the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 were illegal.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Restoration_of_Independence_of_the_Rep…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
effrontery:
1. (uncountable) Insolent and shameless audacity.
2. (countable) An act of insolent and shameless audacity.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/effrontery>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The known is finite, the unknown infinite; intellectually we
stand on an islet in the midst of an illimitable ocean of
inexplicability. Our business in every generation is to reclaim a little
more land, to add something to the extent and the solidity of our
possessions.
--T. H. Huxley
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/T._H._Huxley>
Mother India is a 1957 Hindi epic melodrama film, directed by Mehboob
Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, and Raaj Kumar. A
remake of Khan's 1940 film Aurat, it is the story of a poverty-stricken
village woman named Radha (Nargis) who struggles to raise her sons
amidst many troubles. Despite her hardship, she sets a goddess-like
moral example of an ideal Hindu Indian woman. In the end, she kills her
criminal son for the greater good. Mother India metaphorically
represents India as a nation in the aftermath of independence, and
alludes to a strong sense of nationalism and nation-building. While some
authors treat Radha as the symbol of women empowerment, others see her
cast in female stereotypes. The film was the most expensive Hindi cinema
production and earned the highest revenue for any Hindi film at that
time. Mother India became a definitive cultural classic and is regarded
one of the best Indian films. It was India's first submission for the
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1958, where it made the
shortlist. The film won the Filmfare Best Film Award for 1957, and
Nargis and Khan won the Best Actress and Best Director awards
respectively.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_India>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1491:
Nkuwu Nzinga of the Kingdom of Kongo was baptised as João I
by Portuguese missionaries.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C3%A3o_I_of_Kongo>
1791:
The Polish Constitution of May 3, the oldest codified national
constitution in Europe, was adopted by the Sejm.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_May_3,_1791>
1913:
Raja Harishchandra (scene pictured), the first full-length
Indian feature film, was released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Harishchandra>
1915:
Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote "In
Flanders Fields", later considered one of the most notable poems written
during the First World War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields>
1951:
The Royal Festival Hall, the first post-war building to become
listed Grade I, opened as the venue for the Festival of Britain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Festival_Hall>
1963:
Police in Birmingham, Alabama, used high-pressure water hoses
and dogs on civil rights protesters, bringing intense scrutiny on racial
segregation in the Southern US.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_campaign>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
treeness:
1. The essence of what it means to be a tree; the qualities that make a
tree what it is.
2. (genetics) The suitability of an evolutionary tree for representing the
structure of a population; the degree to which a population structure
can be accurately described as a tree of descent, with different
branches evolving independently after they split.
3. (graph theory) The condition of being a tree; acyclicity and
connectedness.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/treeness>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It's up to you whether or not you want to do work with no
contract. I think artists do need to do work with no contract, because
what we're motivated by is not money. We're motivated by a need to
express ourselves and to get our ideas out. That's the motivation. It
turns out that when people like it they frequently will support you if
you give them a means, but this is not a contract.
--Nina Paley
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nina_Paley>
United States v. The Progressive was a 1979 lawsuit against The
Progressive magazine by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). A
temporary injunction was granted against The Progressive to prevent the
publication of an article by activist Howard Morland that purported to
reveal the "secret" of the hydrogen bomb. The case was brought before
Judge Robert W. Warren in the Eastern District of Wisconsin (Federal
courthouse pictured). Though the information had been compiled from
publicly available sources, the DOE claimed that it fell under the "born
secret" clause of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Because of the
sensitive nature of the information, two separate hearings were
conducted, one in public, and the other in camera. The defendants would
not accept security clearances, and so were not present at the in camera
hearings. The article was eventually published after the government
lawyers dropped their case during the appeals process, calling it moot
after other information was independently published. Despite its
indecisive conclusion, law students still study the case, which tested
the limits of the presumption of unconstitutionality attached to prior
restraints.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._The_Progressive>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1611:
Robert Barker, the King's Printer, made the first printing of
the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorized_King_James_Version>
1863:
American Civil War: Confederate general Stonewall Jackson was
wounded by friendly fire during the Battle of Chancellorsville, leading
to his death by pneumonia eight days later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville>
1969:
The British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 departed on her
maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_2>
1999:
Mireya Moscoso became the first woman to be elected President
of Panama.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mireya_Moscoso>
2003:
Spurred on by the Indian Union Muslim League, a mob of Indian
Muslims killed eight Hindu Arayan fishermen in Kerala.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marad_massacre>
2008:
The current ongoing Chaitén volcano eruption in Chile, the
first in 9,500 years, began.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chait%C3%A9n_(volcano)>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Penrose stairs:
An impossible loop of endlessly ascending and descending stairs, or an
optical illusion appearing to depict such a loop.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Penrose_stairs>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Moral Action is that great and only Experiment, in which all
riddles of the most manifold appearances explain themselves. Whoso
understands it, and in rigid sequence of Thought can lay it open, is
forever master of Nature.
--Novalis
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Novalis>
If Day was a simulated Nazi invasion of the Canadian city of Winnipeg,
Manitoba, and surrounding areas on February 19, 1942, during the Second
World War. It was an elaborate campaign to promote the purchase of
Victory Bonds, loans to the government to allow for increased war
spending, and over C$3 million was collected in Winnipeg on If Day. As
money came in from those selling Victory Bonds, the sections were
"reclaimed" from the Nazi invaders. The event was organized by the
Greater Winnipeg Victory Loan organization, led by prominent Winnipeg
businessman J. D. Perrin. The organizers believed that bringing the war
(or, rather, a simulation thereof) to people's homes would result in a
change of attitude among those not directly affected by the war. The
simulation included 3,500 Canadian Army members, representing all of
Winnipeg's units, making it the largest military exercise in Winnipeg to
that point. If Day included a staged firefight between Canadian troops
and volunteers dressed as German soldiers, the internment of prominent
politicians, the imposition of Nazi rule, and a parade. It was later the
subject of a 2006 documentary, and was included in Guy Maddin's film My
Winnipeg.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_Day>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
The Order of the Illuminati, a secret society, was founded by
Adam Weishaupt and Adolph von Knigge in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati>
1840:
The United Kingdom issued the Penny Black (pictured), the
world's first official adhesive postage stamp.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Black>
1851:
The Great Exhibition, the first ever world's fair, opened in
London's Hyde Park.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Exhibition>
1897:
The Hindu monastic order Sri Ramakrishna Math and Mission was
founded by Swami Vivekananda.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramakrishna_Mission>
1947:
Italian separatist Salvatore Giuliano and his gang fired into a
crowd of May Day marchers near Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily, killing 11
and wounding 33.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portella_della_Ginestra_massacre>
1956:
A doctor in Japan reported an "epidemic of an unknown disease
of the central nervous system", marking the official discovery of
Minamata disease.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata_disease>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tumpline:
A strap used to carry objects tied to its ends by placing the broadened
or cushioned middle of the strap over the head just behind the forehead.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tumpline>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Gǣð ā Wyrd swā hīo scel! Fate goes ever as it must.
--Beowulf
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Beowulf>