Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (English: Oral Fixation, Vol. 1) is a Latin pop
album, the sixth studio album by Colombian recording artist Shakira
(pictured). It followed her first English-language record, Laundry
Service, an international success. It received generally favorable
reviews that complimented Shakira's evolving style. Released in June
2005, it debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200, and topped the
charts in Argentina, Germany, Mexico and Spain. Fijación Oral, Vol. 1
was the Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards, and
the Album of the Year and the Best Female Pop Vocal Album at the Latin
Grammy Awards. It became the highest selling Latin pop album of the
decade in the US. Four singles were released to promote the album,
although only the lead single ("La Tortura") reached the US Billboard
Hot 100. In November 2005 Shakira supplemented the album with her second
English-language record, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. The two were packaged
together and promoted with the Oral Fixation Tour.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fijaci%C3%B3n_Oral,_Vol._1>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1775:
American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Quebec, British
forces repulsed an attack by the Continental Army to capture Quebec City
and enlist French Canadian support.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Quebec_(1775)>
1857:
Queen Victoria selected Ottawa, then a small logging town, to
be the capital of the British colony of Canada.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa>
1907:
Times Square in New York City held its first New Year's Eve
celebrations with the ball drop.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square_Ball>
1986:
Three disgruntled employees set fire to the Dupont Plaza Hotel
in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which killed 98 people and injured 140 others,
making it the second deadliest hotel fire in United States history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dupont_Plaza_Hotel_arson>
2004:
Taipei 101 in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan, opened to the
public as the world's tallest skyscraper.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
reverie:
A state of dreaming while awake; a loose or irregular train of thought;
musing or meditation; daydream.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reverie>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If man does find the solution for world peace it will be the
most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known.
--George Marshall
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Marshall>
Thief II: The Metal Age is a 2000 stealth game developed by Looking
Glass Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. Like its predecessor
Thief: The Dark Project, the game follows Garrett, a master thief who
works in and around a steampunk metropolis called the City. The player
assumes the role of Garrett as he unravels a conspiracy related to a new
religious sect. In response to feedback from players of the original
Thief, the developers placed a heavy focus on urban stealth in the
sequel, and they minimized the use of monsters and maze-like levels.
Looking Glass neared bankruptcy as the game was created, and the company
was kept running by advances from Eidos. Thief II received positive
reviews from critics and its initial sales were stronger than those of
its predecessor, but the game's royalties were processed slowly, which
compounded Looking Glass's financial troubles. As a result, the company
closed in May 2000, with plans for Thief III canceled. The third game in
the series, entitled Thief: Deadly Shadows, was developed by Ion Storm
and published by Eidos in 2004. Thief 2X: Shadows of the Metal Age, an
expansion mod for Thief II, was released in 2005.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thief_II:_The_Metal_Age>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1460:
War of the Roses: Richard, Duke of York, was killed in the
Battle of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, and his army was
destroyed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wakefield>
1702:
Carolina colonial governor James Moore abandoned the siege
against the Castillo de San Marcos at St. Augustine, Spanish Florida,
and retreated to Charles Town in disgrace.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_St._Augustine_(1702)>
1896:
Philippine Revolution: Nationalist José Rizal was executed by
a firing squad in Manila after Spanish authorities convicted him of
rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Rizal>
1965:
Ferdinand Marcos, who went on to rule the Philippines for 21
years, took office, beginning his first term as President.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcos>
2006:
Basque nationalist group ETA detonated a van bomb at Madrid-
Barajas Airport in Spain, ending a nine-month ceasefire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Madrid-Barajas_Airport_bombing>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
peckled:
(now UK dialectal) Speckled, spotted.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/peckled>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
God was Life, the drop of light fallen into the darkness,
spreading out, reaching out, drinking up the night. But the night is
limitless, and the Divine struggle will never cease: and none can know
how it will end. It was a heroic symphony wherein the very discords
clashed together and mingled and grew into a serene whole!
--Romain Rolland
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Romain_Rolland>
Three Beauties of the Present Day is a nishiki-e colour woodblock print
of c. 1792–93 by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Kitagawa Utamaro
(c. 1753–1806). The triangular composition depicts the busts of
three celebrity beauties of the time: geisha Tomimoto Toyohina (middle),
and teahouse waitresses Takashima Hisa (left) and Naniwa Kita (right),
each adorned with an identifying family crest. Subtle differences can be
detected in the faces of the subjects—a level of individualized
realism at the time unusual in ukiyo-e, and a contrast with the
stereotyped beauties in earlier masters such as Harunobu and Kiyonaga.
The triangular positioning became a vogue in the 1790s. Utamaro produced
several other pictures with this arrangement of the same three beauties,
and each appeared in numerous other portraits by Utamaro and other
artists. Utamaro was the leading ukiyo-e artist in the 1790s in the
bijin-ga genre of pictures of female beauties, and was known in
particular for his ōkubi-e, which focus on the heads. The luxurious
print was published by Tsutaya Jūzaburō and made with multiple
woodblocks—one for each colour—and the background was dusted with
muscovite to produce a glimmering effect.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Beauties_of_the_Present_Day>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1835:
The United States signed the Treaty of New Echota with leaders
of a minority Cherokee faction, which became the legal basis for the
forcible removal known as the Trail of Tears.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_New_Echota>
1891:
Physical education teacher James Naismith introduced a game in
Springfield, Massachusetts, with thirteen rules and nine players on each
team that he called "Basket Ball".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball>
1911:
Sun Yat-sen was elected in Nanjing as the Provisional President
of the Republic of China.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Yat-sen>
1937:
The Constitution of Ireland, the founding legal document of the
state known today as the Republic of Ireland, came into force.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Ireland>
1992:
President of Brazil Fernando Collor de Mello resigned in an
attempt to stop his impeachment proceedings from continuing, but the
Senate of Brazil continued anyway, finding him guilty.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Collor_de_Mello>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
nobble:
1. (UK, Australia, slang) To injure or obstruct intently; batter.
2. (UK, slang) To gain influence by corrupt means or intimidation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nobble>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had
wonderful things happen to you.
--Mary Tyler Moore
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mary_Tyler_Moore>
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 American science fiction film.
The fourth film in the series, it completes the story arc from The Wrath
of Khan and The Search for Spock. Returning home to face trial for their
crimes, former crewmembers of the USS Enterprise find Earth in danger
from an alien probe attempting to contact now-extinct humpback whales.
They travel to Earth's past to find whales who can answer the probe.
After directing The Search for Spock, cast member Leonard Nimoy
(pictured) was asked to direct the next feature, and given greater
freedom regarding its content. He and producer Harve Bennett conceived a
story with an environmental message and no clear-cut villain.
Dissatisfied, Paramount Pictures hired The Wrath of Khan writer and
director Nicholas Meyer, who rewrote the story with Bennett. Unlike
previous Star Trek films, The Voyage Home was shot extensively on
location, for scenes set in and around San Francisco. The film's humor
and unconventional story were well received by critics, fans of the
series and the general audience. It was financially successful, and
received several awards and four Academy Award nominations for its
cinematography and audio.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek_IV:_The_Voyage_Home>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1836:
At the Old Gum Tree near present-day Adelaide, Royal Navy Rear-
Admiral John Hindmarsh read a proclamation establishing the British
province of South Australia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australia>
1879:
The Tay Rail Bridge, spanning the Firth of Tay in Scotland
between Dundee and the Wormit, collapsed during a violent storm while a
train was passing over it, killing all on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_Bridge_disaster>
1912:
The San Francisco Municipal Railway, operator of the city's
famed cable car system, opened its first line.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Municipal_Railway>
1989:
In one of Australia's most serious natural disasters, a 5.6 ML
earthquake struck Newcastle, New South Wales, killing 13 people and
injuring more than 160 others, and causing an estimated A$4 billion in
damages.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Newcastle_earthquake>
2011:
Acting on information that PKK militants were crossing the
border into Şırnak Province, two Turkish F-16 jets fired at a group of
villagers, killing 34 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roboski_airstrike>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
brawn:
Physical strength; muscularity.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brawn>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There probably is a God. Many things are easier to explain if
there is than if there isn't.
--John von Neumann
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann>
The Fifth Test of the 1948 Ashes series, held at The Oval in London from
14–18 August, was the final Test match in a cricket series between
Australia and England. Australia won the match by an innings and 149
runs to complete a 4–0 series win. It was the last Test in the career
of Australian captain Donald Bradman (pictured), generally regarded as
the best batsman in the history of the sport. After a delayed start due
to inclement weather, the Australian fast bowlers, led by Ray Lindwall,
took all of England's wickets within the first day of the match, England
scoring only 52 runs. When Bradman came out to bat, he received a
standing ovation from the crowd and three cheers from his opponents. He
needed only four runs from his final innings to have a Test batting
average of exactly 100, but he failed to score and was out to the second
ball he faced (bowled by leg spinner Eric Hollies). The match was
followed by speeches from both captains, after which the crowd sang "For
He's a Jolly Good Fellow" in Bradman's honour. Having been undefeated in
their matches up to this point, the Australians maintained their streak
in the remaining matches, gaining them the sobriquet of The Invincibles.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Test,_1948_Ashes_series>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
537:
The current Hagia Sophia building in Istanbul, originally built
as a church before it later became a mosque in 1453 and then a museum in
1935, was inaugurated.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia>
1831:
Aboard HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin left Plymouth, England, on
what became a historic expedition to South America that made his name as
a naturalist.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_voyage_of_HMS_Beagle>
1911:
"Jana Gana Mana", the national anthem of India, was first sung
in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jana_Gana_Mana>
1979:
Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet troops stormed Tajbeg Palace
outside of Kabul and killed Afghan President Hafizullah Amin and his 300
elite guards.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafizullah_Amin>
2002:
The company Clonaid announced the birth of a cloned human baby,
although it has yet to present any verifiable evidence.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonaid>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
hooey:
(slang) Silly talk or writing; nonsense.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hooey>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to
humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Science is the
highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain
the first which carries the furthest the works of thought and
intelligence.
--Louis Pasteur
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Louis_Pasteur>
The turkey vulture is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One
of three species in the genus Cathartes, in the family Cathartidae, it
ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America,
inhabiting subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts. Like
all New World vultures, it is not related to the Old World vultures of
Europe, Africa, and Asia, but looks nearly identical to them because of
convergent evolution, in which unrelated animals adapting to the same
conditions are similarly shaped by natural selection. The turkey vulture
is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its
food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect
the gases produced by decaying animal corpses. In flight, it uses
thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It
roosts in large community groups. Lacking a vocal organ, its only
vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It nests in caves, hollow trees,
or thickets. Each year it generally raises two chicks. It has very few
natural predators, and has legal protection in the United States under
the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_vulture>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1806:
War of the Fourth Coalition: French troops under Napoleon
engaged Russian forces in both the Battles of Pultusk and Golymin.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Golymin>
1825:
Imperial Russian Army officers led about 3,000 soldiers in a
protest against Nicholas I's assumption of the throne after his elder
brother Constantine removed himself from the line of succession.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decembrist_revolt>
1900:
A relief crew arrived at the lighthouse on the Flannan Isles of
Scotland and discovered that the previous crew had disappeared without a
trace.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannan_Isles>
1968:
The Communist Party of the Philippines, which is fighting an
insurgency, was established by Jose Maria Sison.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Maria_Sison>
1996:
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions called upon its 1.2
million members to walk off the job, beginning the largest organized
strike in the nation's history,
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996%E2%80%9397_strikes_in_South_Korea>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rebarbative:
Irritating, repellent.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rebarbative>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Political leaders are never leaders. For leaders we have to look
to the Awakeners! Lao Tse, Buddha, Socrates, Jesus, Milarepa, Gurdjiev,
Krishnamurti.
--Henry Miller
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_Miller>
The Nativity is a large oil-on-wood panel painting by the Early
Netherlandish artist Petrus Christus, completed between the early 1440s
and early 1460s. It shows a nativity scene bordered with grisaille
(monochrome) archways and faux sculpted reliefs. Christus was influenced
by the first generation of Netherlandish artists, especially Jan van
Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden, and in its sense of grace, simplicity
and naturalism, the devotional panel is characteristic of art of that
period. The unusually large panel – perhaps painted as a central
altarpiece panel for a triptych – is nuanced and visually complex. It
reflects the 14th-century Devotio Moderna movement and contains complex
Christian iconography, juxtaposing Old and New Testament saints and
figures with great subtlety. The sculpted archway reliefs depict Old
Testament ideas of sin and punishment, signaling the advent of Christ's
sacrifice. The composition employs geometric forms and a bold use of
color. In the 1930s, Andrew Mellon bequeathed it to the National Gallery
of Art in Washington, as one of several hundreds of works donated from
his personal collection. It was restored in the early 1990s.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_(Christus)>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1066:
Norman Conquest: William the Conqueror was crowned King of
England at Westminster Abbey, although he still faced rebellions over
the following years and was not secure on his throne until after 1072.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror>
1776:
American Revolutionary War: At night, George Washington and his
army crossed the Delaware River to launch a surprise attack against the
Hessian forces at the Battle of Trenton the next morning.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trenton>
1926:
Emperor Taishō died of a heart attack, and was succeeded by
his son, Hirohito, who ruled until his death in 1989, becoming the
longest-reigning Emperor of Japan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirohito>
1989:
Romanian Revolution: Dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife
Elena were condemned to death under a wide range of charges and
executed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Ceau%C8%99escu>
2007:
A tiger at the San Francisco Zoo escaped from its enclosure and
attacked three patrons before it was shot and killed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Zoo_tiger_attacks>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
wassail:
To go from house to house at Christmastime, singing carols.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wassail>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The earth has grown old with its burden of care But at Christmas
it always is young, The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair And
its soul full of music breaks the air, When the song of angels is sung.
--Phillips Brooks
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Phillips_Brooks>
The American paddlefish is one of the largest freshwater fish in North
America. Closely related to the sturgeon, it is one of only two extant
taxa in the paddlefish family (the other being the Chinese paddlefish).
Fossil records of paddlefish date back over 300 million years ago,
nearly 50 million years before dinosaurs appeared. The American
paddlefish is referred to as a relict species (because it retains some
morphological characteristics of its early ancestors) even though it is
highly derived with evolutionary adaptations specifically for filter
feeding. The rostrum and cranium of American paddlefish are covered with
tens of thousands of sensory receptors for locating swarms of
zooplankton, their primary food source. American paddlefish are native
to the Mississippi River Basin and once moved freely under the
relatively natural, unaltered conditions that existed prior to the early
1900s. Their numbers have declined dramatically primarily because of
overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution. They are currently
found in only twenty-two U.S. states, and their range has been reduced
to the Mississippi and Missouri river tributaries and Mobile Bay
drainage basin.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_paddlefish>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1777:
An expedition led by English explorer James Cook reached
Christmas Island (pictured), the largest coral atoll in the world.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiritimati>
1814:
The Treaty of Ghent was signed in Ghent, in present-day
Belgium, ending the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom and the
United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ghent>
1826:
More than one third of the cadets enrolled in the United States
Military Academy in West Point, New York, rioted over the smuggling of
whiskey to make eggnog for a Christmas Day party.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggnog_Riot>
1964:
The Viet Cong bombed the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, killing two US
Army officers, raising fears of an escalation in the Vietnam War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Brinks_Hotel_bombing>
1974:
Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin, Australia, eventually destroying
more than 70 percent of the city.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Tracy>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bullshot:
1. A cocktail made from vodka and beef bouillon.
2. (neologism, video games) A phony screenshot created for promotional
purposes.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bullshot>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I feel like a spinning top or a Dreidel The spinning don't stop
when you leave the cradle You just slow down Round and around this world
you go Spinning through the lives of the people you know We all slow
down.
--Don McLean
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Don_McLean>
The 1995 Pacific hurricane season, running roughly from May to November,
was the least active one since 1979. Of the eleven tropical cyclones
that formed, four affected land, all in Mexico: Hurricane Flossie killed
seven people around Baja California, Tropical Storm Gil dropped heavy
rainfall in Southern Mexico, Hurricane Henriette caused moderate damage
near Cabo San Lucas, and Ismael struck the state of Sinaloa as a minimal
hurricane, killing at least 116 people. The strongest hurricane of the
season was Hurricane Juliette, which reached peak winds of 150 mph
(240 km/h) but did not significantly affect land. Of eleven tropical
cyclones, including Tropical Depression Erick and Tropical Storm Flossie
(both pictured, with Erick to the left), ten became tropical storms.
Seven storms attained hurricane status, of which three acquired major
hurricane status. The number of tropical storms was much less than the
average of 16 storms, with a slightly below average number of hurricanes
and major hurricanes.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Pacific_hurricane_season>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1823:
A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as The Night Before
Christmas, was first published anonymously. Authorship was later
attributed to Clement Clarke Moore.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Visit_from_St._Nicholas>
1876:
The Great Powers convened the Constantinople Conference to
discuss political reforms both in Bosnia and in the Ottoman territories
with a majority Bulgarian population.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople_Conference>
1916:
First World War: Allied forces gained a strategic victory in
the Battle of Magdhaba, located in the Sinai Peninsula.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Magdhaba>
1958:
The Tokyo Tower (pictured), the tallest self-supporting steel
structure in the world at 332.5 metres (1,091 ft), opened.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Tower>
2010:
A monsoonal trough brought torrential rain to Queensland,
causing massive flooding that killed 38 people and caused A$2.38 billion
in damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_Queensland_floods>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
relict:
1. Something which, or someone who, survives or remains after the loss of
others (compare relic).
2. (archaic) The surviving member of a married couple; a widow or widower.
3. (biology, ecology) A species, organism or ecosystem which was once
widespread but which is now found only in a few areas: some think the
Loch Ness monster is a relict from the age of dinosaurs.
4. (geology) A structure or other feature which has survived from a
previous age: dark rims are a relict of a primary interaction between
basalt and seawater.
5. (linguistics) A word or language which survives as an archaicism.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/relict>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
All I'm saying is, if you celebrate Festivus, you may live a
little longer. You are getting back to the essentials, to the days of
gods on mountaintops and howling wolves. Because you are saying the
holidays are in the heart, a celebration of being alive with our fellow
humans. For that purpose, an aluminum pole will do just as well as
anything else — as long as it's not stuck in the wrong place.
--Jerry Stiller
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jerry_Stiller>
Sir Colin Hannah (1914–1978) was a senior commander in the Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF) and a Governor of Queensland. Born in
Western Australia, he joined the RAAF in 1935 and served as a pilot in
Nos. 22 and 23 Squadrons. During World War II, he was the RAAF's
Deputy Director of Armament, saw action in the South West Pacific as
commander of No. 6 Squadron and, later, No. 71 Wing, and ended the war
in charge of Western Area Command in Perth. During the Malayan
Emergency, he was senior air staff officer at RAF Far East Air Force
Headquarters, Singapore. His other post-war appointments included Deputy
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Operational
Command, and AOC Support Command. In January 1970, he was promoted to
air marshal and became Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), the RAAF's senior
position. Knighted in 1971, Hannah concluded his three-year appointment
as CAS a year early, in March 1972, to become Governor of Queensland,
where he attracted controversy by making comments critical of the
Federal government. The British government refused to agree to his term
being extended. He retired in March 1977, and died the following year.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Hannah>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1769:
Having been soundly defeated in battle, the Qing dynasty agreed
to terms of truce, ending the Sino-Burmese War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Burmese_War_(1765%E2%80%9369)>
1920:
The 8th Congress of Soviets approved the GOELRO plan, the first
Soviet plan for national economic recovery and development.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOELRO_plan>
1939:
Members of the All-India Muslim League observed a "Day of
Deliverance" to celebrate the resignations of members of the Indian
National Congress over the decision to enter the Second World War at the
request of the United Kingdom.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_Deliverance_(India)>
1964:
The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (pictured), the United States Air
Force's long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft and the
world's fastest air-breathing manned aircraft, made its first flight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird>
1984:
While riding a New York City Subway train, Bernhard Goetz shot
four African American youths who attempted to rob him, sparking a
nationwide debate on vigilantism, racism, and the legal limits of self-
defense.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernhard_Goetz>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rebirth:
1. Reincarnation, new birth subsequent to one's first: rebirth of the soul
in a new body.
2. Revival, reinvigoration: the rebirth of feminism, the rebirth of the
Handelian oratorio.
3. Spiritual renewal: rebirth in Christ, the doctrine of rebirth through
baptism.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rebirth>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I'm proof against that word failure. I've seen behind it. The
only failure a man ought to fear is failure of cleaving to the purpose
he sees to be best.
--George Eliot
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Eliot>