Honório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Marquis of Paraná (1801–56) was a
politician of the Empire of Brazil, widely regarded by historians as one
of the most influential statesmen of his time. He was elected in 1830 to
represent Minas Gerais in the Chamber of Deputies. After Pedro I
abdicated in 1831, the regency created to govern Brazil during the
minority of Pedro II soon dissolved into chaos. Paraná formed a
political party in 1837, and he and his party provided a stalwart
defence of constitutional order. As president of Rio de Janeiro
Province, he helped put down a rebellion headed by the opposition
Liberal Party. In 1843, he became the de facto first president of the
Council of Ministers, but resigned after a quarrel with the Emperor.
After years in opposition, in 1849, Paraná was appointed as president
of Pernambuco Province and then helped to forge an successful alliance
in 1851 with Uruguay against the Argentine Confederation. In 1853
Paraná was again appointed president of the Council of Ministers. His
electoral reforms caused severe harm to the system of parliamentary
government and led to a virtual split in his party. He died unexpectedly
while still in office.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hon%C3%B3rio_Hermeto_Carneiro_Le%C3%A3o,_Marq…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1055:
Theodora (pictured on coin), the daughter of Constantine VIII
and Helena, daughter of Alypius, became Byzantine Empress.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_(11th_century)>
1693:
An intensity XI earthquake, the most powerful in Italian
history, struck the island of Sicily.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1693_Sicily_earthquake>
1879:
British forces under Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand without
authorisation from the British Government, beginning the Anglo-Zulu War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Zulu_War>
1964:
In a landmark report, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued
the warning that smoking may be hazardous for one's health, concluding
that it has a causative role in lung cancer, chronic bronchitis,
emphysema, and other illnesses.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_and_Health:_Report_of_the_Advisory_Co…>
1986:
The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, Australia, at the time the
longest prestressed concrete free-cantilever bridge in the world,
opened.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
superannuated:
Obsolete, antiquated.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/superannuated>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There is but one indefectibly certain truth, and that is the
truth that pyrrhonistic scepticism itself leaves standing, — the truth
that the present phenomenon of consciousness exists.
--William James
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_James>
A waveguide filter is an electronic filter that is constructed in
waveguide technology. Waveguides are hollow metal tubes inside which an
electromagnetic wave may be transmitted. Filters are a basic component
of electronic engineering designs and have numerous applications.
Waveguide filters are most useful in the microwave band of frequencies,
where they are a convenient size and have low loss. Examples are found
in satellite communications, telephone networks, and television
broadcasting. Waveguide filters were developed during World War II for
radar and electronic countermeasures, but afterwards soon found civilian
applications. Post-war development was concerned with reducing size,
first with new analysis techniques that eliminated unnecessary
components, then by innovations such as dual-mode cavities and ceramic
resonators. Waveguides can support a variety of electromagnetic wave
modes: both a disadvantage, spurious modes frequently cause problems,
and an advantage; dual-mode designs can be much smaller. The chief
advantages of waveguide filters are ability to handle high power and low
loss. The chief disadvantages are bulk and cost compared to technologies
like microstrip.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waveguide_filter>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
9:
The Western Han Dynasty of China ended after the throne was
usurped by Wang Mang (pictured), who founded the Xin Dynasty.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Dynasty>
236:
Pope Fabian, who is said to have been chosen by the Holy Spirit
by having a dove land on his head, began his papacy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Fabian>
1863:
Service began on the Metropolitan Railway between Paddington
and Farringdon Street, today the oldest segment of the London
Underground.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Railway>
1929:
The Adventures of Tintin, a series of popular comic books
created by Belgian artist Hergé, first appeared in a children's
supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tintin>
1954:
BOAC Flight 781 suffered an explosive decompression at altitude
and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, killing everyone on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOAC_Flight_781>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
zeptomole:
(chemistry, physics) A small amount of a substance, especially a
countable number of atoms or molecules.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zeptomole>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I think, here is your emblem To hang in the future sky; Not the
cross, not the hive, But this; bright power, dark peace; Fierce
consciousness joined with final Disinterestedness; Life with calm death;
the falcon’s Realist eyes and act Married to the massive Mysticism of
stone, Which failure cannot cast down Nor success make proud.
--Robinson Jeffers
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robinson_Jeffers>
John Adair (1757–1840) was an American pioneer, soldier and statesman.
He was the eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both
the U.S. House and Senate. Adair participated in the Revolutionary War
and the Northwest Indian War, and was elected to eight terms in the
Kentucky House of Representatives. He ascended to the U.S. Senate to
fill the seat vacated by John Breckinridge's resignation, but failed to
win the subsequent election due to his implication in the Burr
conspiracy. He was eventually acquitted of any wrongdoing, but the
negative publicity kept him out of politics for more than a decade.
Adair's participation in the War of 1812, and his defense of Kentucky's
soldiers against charges of cowardice at the Battle of New Orleans,
restored his reputation. He returned to the state House in 1817 and was
elected governor three years later on a platform of financial relief for
Kentuckians hit hard by the Panic of 1819. He created the Bank of the
Commonwealth, but other financial reforms were deemed unconstitutional
by the Kentucky Court of Appeals, touching off the Old Court – New
Court controversy. He later served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adair>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
475:
Basiliscus became Byzantine Emperor after Zeno was forced to
flee Constantinople.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basiliscus>
1816:
Inventor Humphry Davy first tested his Davy lamp, a safety lamp
containing a candle for use in coal mines.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_lamp>
1909:
Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition, planted the
British flag 97 nautical miles (180 km) from the South Pole, the
furthest anyone had ever reached at that time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farthest_South>
1972:
The Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association
lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a 33-game winning streak, the
longest of any team in American professional sports.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Lakers>
2004:
Twenty-eight illegal Albanian emigrants died when their
inflatable boat stalled near the Karaburun Peninsula while on the way to
Brindisi, Italy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaburun_tragedy>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
carpe diem:
Seize the day, make the most of today, enjoy the present.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/carpe_diem>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Self-knowledge is no guarantee of happiness, but it is on
the side of happiness and can supply the courage to fight for it.
--Simone de Beauvoir
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Simone_de_Beauvoir>
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (1864–92) was a
member of the British Royal Family. He was the eldest son of Albert
Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Alexandra, Princess
of Wales (later Queen Alexandra), and the grandson of the reigning
monarch, Queen Victoria. From the time of his birth, he was second in
the line of succession to the throne, but he did not become king because
he died before his father and his grandmother. He travelled the world
extensively as a naval cadet and joined the army, but did not undertake
any active military duties. After two unsuccessful courtships, he was
engaged to be married to Mary of Teck in late 1891. Just a few weeks
later, he died in an influenza pandemic. Mary later married his younger
brother, George, who became King George V in 1910. Albert Victor's
intellect, sexuality and sanity have been the subject of much
speculation. Rumours in 1889 linked him with the Cleveland Street
scandal, which involved a homosexual brothel, but there is no conclusive
evidence verifying or disproving them. Some authors have argued that he
was the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper but the claim is widely
dismissed.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Albert_Victor,_Duke_of_Clarence_and_Av…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1697:
Scottish student Thomas Aikenhead became the last person in
Britain to be executed for blasphemy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Aikenhead>
1790:
George Washington delivered the first State of the Union
address in New York City, then the provisional capital of the United
States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union_address>
1977:
Three bombs attributed to Armenian nationalists exploded across
Moscow, killing 37 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_Moscow_bombings>
1981:
A local farmer reported a UFO sighting in Trans-en-Provence,
France, claimed to be "perhaps the most completely and carefully
documented sighting of all time".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-en-Provence_Case>
2004:
RMS Queen Mary 2 (pictured), at the time the longest, widest
and tallest passenger ship ever built, was christened by her namesake's
granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary_2>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
factitious:
1. Created by humans; artificial.
2. Counterfeit, fabricated.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/factitious>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We cannot have peace if we are only concerned with peace. War is
not an accident. It is the logical outcome of a certain way of life. If
we want to attack war, we have to attack that way of life. Disarmament
cannot be achieved nor can the problem of war be resolved without being
accompanied by profound changes in the economic order and the structure
of society.
--A. J. Muste
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/A._J._Muste>
Cyclone Rewa affected six countries and killed 22 people on its 28-day
journey across the South Pacific Ocean in December 1993 and
January 1994. It developed from a tropical disturbance on 28 December
while situated south of Nauru. Crossing from the South Pacific basin
into the Australian region, the system strengthened steadily as it
paralleled the eastern Australian coast. Rewa initially peaked in
intensity as a Category 4 tropical cyclone on 2 January, then
weakened and returned to the South Pacific basin. Rewa re-entered the
Australian basin on 10 January and reintensified to Category 5 severe
tropical cyclone status by 17 January. Rewa transitioned into an
extratropical cyclone on 20 January, with its remnants bringing heavy
rain to New Zealand. Nine people in a banana dinghy en route to Rossel
Island were presumed drowned after wreckage from their boat was found.
In Queensland, three people were killed in traffic accidents caused by
the storm, and another fatality occurred when a boy became trapped in a
storm pipe. One death took place in New Caledonia, while flooding caused
eight drownings in Papua New Guinea. Following the storm, the name Rewa
was retired.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Rewa>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1558:
Francis, Duke of Guise, retook Calais, England's last
continental possession, for France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calais>
1610:
Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei made his first observation
of the four Galilean moons through his telescope: Ganymede, Callisto, Io
and Europa, although he was not able to distinguish the latter two until
the following day.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon)>
1797:
The first official Italian tricolour was adopted by the
government of the Cispadane Republic.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Italy>
1979:
The Vietnam People's Army captured the Cambodian capital city
Phnom Penh, deposing Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, which marked the end
of large-scale fighting in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian%E2%80%93Vietnamese_War>
1989:
Akihito (pictured), the current Emperor of Japan, took the
throne upon the death of his father Hirohito, who became known by the
posthumous name Emperor Shōwa.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihito>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
burgess:
1. An inhabitant of a borough with full rights; a citizen.
2. (historical) A town magistrate.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/burgess>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Until we consider animal life to be worthy of the
consideration and reverence we bestow upon old books and pictures and
historic monuments, there will always be the animal refugee living a
precarious life on the edge of extermination, dependent for existence on
the charity of a few human beings.
--Gerald Durrell
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gerald_Durrell>
Weather Machine is a lumino-kinetic bronze sculpture in the U.S. city of
Portland, Oregon that serves as a weather beacon, displaying a daily
weather prediction at noon. Designed and constructed at a cost of
$60,000 by Omen Design Group Inc., the approximately 30-foot (9 m) tall
sculpture was installed in 1988 in the northwest corner of Pioneer
Courthouse Square. Two thousand people attended its dedication, which
was broadcast live nationally from the square by Today weatherman
Willard Scott. During its daily two-minute sequence, which includes a
trumpet fanfare, mist and flashing lights, the machine displays one of
three metal symbols as a prediction of the weather for the following
24-hour period: a sun for clear and sunny weather, a blue heron for
drizzle and transitional weather, or a dragon and mist for rainy or
stormy weather. The sculpture includes two bronze wind scoops and
displays the temperature via vertical colored lights along its stem. The
air quality index is also displayed by a light system below the
stainless steel globe. Considered a tourist attraction, Weather Machine
has been called "bizarre", "playful", "unique" and "wacky".
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_Machine>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1449:
The last Byzantine-Roman Emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos,
was crowned, four years before the Fall of Constantinople.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_XI_Palaiologos>
1839:
The most damaging storm in 300 years swept across Ireland, with
100-knot winds damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in
Dublin.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Big_Wind>
1907:
Italian educator Maria Montessori opened her first school and
day care center for working class children in Rome, employing the
philosophy of education that now bears her name.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Montessori>
1941:
During his State of the Union Address, U.S. President Franklin
D. Roosevelt presented his Four Freedoms as fundamental freedoms humans
everywhere in the world ought to enjoy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Freedoms>
1994:
Two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist Nancy
Kerrigan was clubbed on the right leg by an assailant hired by Jeff
Gillooly, the ex-husband of her rival Tonya Harding.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonya_Harding>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
at first blush:
(idiomatic) Upon first impression or consideration; seemingly,
apparently, ostensibly.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/at_first_blush>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There is no formula for generating the authentic warmth of love.
It cannot be copied. You cannot talk yourself into it or rouse it by
straining at the emotions or by dedicating yourself solemnly to the
service of mankind. Everyone has love, but it can only come out when he
is convinced of the impossibility and the frustration of trying to love
himself. This conviction will not come through condemnations, through
hating oneself, through calling self love bad names in the universe. It
comes only in the awareness that one has no self to love. 
--Alan Watts
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alan_Watts>
Deepika Padukone (born 1986) is an Indian film actress and model. She
has established a successful career in Hindi (Bollywood) films, and is
cited in the media as one of the most popular and attractive Indian
celebrities. She made her acting debut in 2006 as the titular character
of the Kannada film Aishwarya. She then played dual roles in her first
Bollywood release—the 2007 blockbuster Om Shanti Om—and won a
Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Padukone received praise for
portraying the lead female role in the 2009 romance Love Aaj Kal, but
her performances in the 2008 romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno and the
2010 comedy Housefull met with negative reviews. The 2012 box office hit
Cocktail marked a significant turning point in her career, earning her
critical acclaim and Best Actress nominations at several award
ceremonies. In 2013, Padukone established herself as a leading actress
of Hindi cinema by playing primary roles in the comedies Yeh Jawaani Hai
Deewani and Chennai Express (both of which rank among the highest-
grossing Bollywood films of all time), and garnered critical acclaim for
her role in the tragic romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepika_Padukone>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1757:
Louis XV of France survived an assassination attempt by Robert-
François Damiens, who later became the last person to be executed in
the country by drawing and quartering.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert-Fran%C3%A7ois_Damiens>
1919:
The German Workers' Party, the forerunner to the Nazi Party,
was founded by Anton Drexler.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party>
1941:
Second World War: Australian and British troops defeated
Italian forces in Bardia, Libya, the first battle of the war in which an
Australian Army formation took part.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bardia>
1991:
Georgian troops attacked Tskhinvali, the capital of South
Ossetia, opening the 1991–92 South Ossetia War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_South_Ossetia_War>
2005:
Eris (pictured), the largest known dwarf planet in the Solar
System, was discovered by a team led by Michael E. Brown using images
originally taken on October 21, 2003, at the Palomar Observatory in San
Diego County, California.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eris_(dwarf_planet)>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Twelfth cake:
A decorative cake distributed among friends or visitors on the festival
of Twelfth Night (which is either the evening of January 5th or of
January 6th, depending on interpretation).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Twelfth_cake>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Devil is not the Prince of Matter; the Devil is the arrogance
of the spirit, faith without smile, truth that is never seized by doubt.
The Devil is grim because he knows where he is going, and, in moving, he
always returns whence he came.
--Umberto Eco
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Umberto_Eco>
"Weight Gain 4000" is the second episode of the American animated
television series South Park. In the episode, South Park residents
excitedly prepare for a visit by celebrity Kathie Lee Gifford, whom
teacher Mr. Garrison plans to assassinate because of a childhood grudge,
and Cartman becomes extremely obese after buying a bodybuilding
supplement called Weight Gain 4000. The episode was written and directed
by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (pictured). After the pilot episode drew
poor test audience results, Comedy Central requested a further script,
and "Weight Gain 4000" helped the network decide to pick up the show. It
was the first South Park episode created completely using computers
rather than construction paper. Although some reviewers criticized the
episode for its profanity and other material deemed offensive, others
felt "Weight Gain 4000" was a significant improvement over the pilot,
particularly for its satirical element regarding American consumerism.
The show's portrayal of Kathie Lee Gifford was the first time a
celebrity was spoofed in South Park. Cartman's line "Beefcake" became
one of the most popular catchphrases from the series.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_Gain_4000>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1698:
Most of London's Palace of Whitehall, the main residence of the
English monarchs dating from 1530, was destroyed by fire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Whitehall>
1884:
The Fabian Society, an intellectual movement whose purpose is
to advance the socialist cause by gradualist and reformist methods
rather than revolutionary means, was founded in London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Society>
1970:
A magnitude 7.5 Msd earthquake struck Tonghai County, China,
killing at least 15,000 people and spurring the creation of the nation's
largest earthquake monitoring system.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_Tonghai_earthquake>
1974:
Harry Schwarz and Mangosuthu Buthelezi signed the Mahlabatini
Declaration of Faith, the first declaration by black and white South
African leaders to commit to non-violence and a non-discriminatory
society.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahlabatini_Declaration_of_Faith>
2004:
Spirit (artist's impression pictured), the first of two rovers
of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission, landed successfully on Mars at
04:35 Ground UTC.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_(rover)>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
swage:
A tool, used by blacksmiths and other metalworkers, for cold shaping of
a metal item.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/swage>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Christ is called the righteous & by his righteousness we are
saved & except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes
and Pharisees we shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven.
Righteousness is the religion of the kingdom of heaven & even the
property of God himself towards man. Righteousness & Love are
inseparable for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
--Isaac Newton
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton>
The false potto is a lorisoid primate of uncertain taxonomic status
found in Africa. Anthropologist Jeffrey H. Schwartz named it in 1996 as
the only species of the genus Pseudopotto on the basis of two skeletal
specimens of uncertain provenance that had previously been identified as
pottos. Schwartz thought the false potto could represent a separate
family, but other researchers have argued that the supposed
distinguishing features of the animal do not actually distinguish it
from the potto; specifically, the false potto shares several features
with West African pottos. The false potto generally resembles a small
potto, but according to Schwartz it differs in having a longer tail,
shorter spines on its neck and chest vertebrae, a smaller, less complex
spine on the second neck vertebra, an entepicondylar foramen (an opening
in the humerus, or upper arm bone), a lacrimal fossa (a depression in
the skull) that is located inside the eye socket, a smaller upper third
premolar and molar, and higher-crowned cheekteeth. However, many of
these traits are variable among pottos; for example, one researcher
found entepicondylar foramina in almost half of the specimens in his
sample of pottos.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_potto>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1888:
The 36 in (91 cm) refracting telescope at the Lick
Observatory near San Jose, California, at the time the largest in the
world, was used for the first time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lick_Observatory>
1911:
A 7.7 Mw earthquake destroyed the city of Almaty in Russian
Turkestan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1911_Kebin_earthquake>
1949:
The first Central Bank of the Philippines was formally
inaugurated with Miguel Cuaderno, Sr. as the first governor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangko_Sentral_ng_Pilipinas>
1973:
American businessman George Steinbrenner and a group of
investors bought the New York Yankees professional baseball team for
US$8.7 million.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yankees>
2002:
Israeli forces seized the MV Karine A, which was carrying 50
tons of weapons being smuggled in on behalf of the Palestinian
Authority.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karine_A_Affair>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
cacophonous:
Containing, consisting of, or producing harsh, unpleasant or discordant
sounds.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cacophonous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to
do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set,
uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live
after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not
ours to rule.
--The Return of the King
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_King>
Gagak Item (Indonesian for Black Raven) is a 1939 film from the Dutch
East Indies (now Indonesia) written by Saeroen and directed by Joshua
and Othniel Wong for Tan's Film. Starring long-time screen couple Rd
Mochtar and Roekiah (pictured), with another role held by Eddy T.
Effendi, the black-and-white film followed a masked bandit known only as
"Gagak Item". The film was shot in rural Bogor (then known by the Dutch
name Buitenzorg). It featured the cast and crew from the 1937 hit Terang
Boelan, who were hired by Tan's so that the company could better imitate
the earlier film's success. Gagak Item was part of the recovery of a
domestic film industry which had been severely affected by the Great
Depression; in 1939 four domestic productions were released in the
Indies. Recorded as a commercial success and receiving positive reviews
for its kroncong music and the leading actress' "demure" performance,
the film was last shown sometime after 1951, and is now thought to be
likely lost.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagak_Item>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1777:
American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command
of George Washington repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the
Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Assunpink_Creek>
1941:
Second World War: Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales, was
severely damaged by German bombing during the Cardiff Blitz.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llandaff_Cathedral>
1963:
Vietnam War: The Viet Cong won its first major victory in the
Battle of Ap Bac.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ap_Bac>
1967:
Former actor Ronald Reagan began his career in government when
he was sworn in as the 33rd Governor of California.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan>
1976:
The Gale of January 1976 began, which resulted in coastal
flooding around the southern North Sea coasts, leading to at least 82
deaths and US$1.3 billion in damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_of_January_1976>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Silent Sam:
(informal) A person who seldom or never speaks; a taciturn or
unresponsive individual.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Silent_Sam>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
 There are no happy endings in history, only crisis points
that pass.
--Isaac Asimov
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov>