The 1975 Australian constitutional crisis culminated on 11 November when
Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed Gough Whitlam (pictured, left)
of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) as prime minister and appointed
Opposition Leader Malcolm Fraser (pictured, right) as caretaker. The
Whitlam Government had been rocked by scandals and political
miscalculations. In October the Opposition blocked bills in the Senate
financing the government, and urged Kerr to dismiss Whitlam unless he
agreed to call an election for the House of Representatives. On 11
November, Whitlam intended to call a half-Senate election instead, but
when he met with Kerr to seek his approval, Kerr dismissed him as prime
minister. Before the ALP parliamentarians knew what had happened, Fraser
and his allies secured passage of the appropriation bills and Kerr
dissolved Parliament. Fraser and his government were returned with a
large majority in elections the following month. Widely vilified by ALP
supporters for his actions, Kerr resigned early as governor-general and
lived much of his remaining life abroad.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Australian_constitutional_crisis>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1202:
The first major action of the Fourth Crusade and the first
attack against a Catholic city by Catholic crusaders, the Siege of Zara,
began in Zadar, Croatia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Zara>
1775:
The United States Marine Corps was founded as the Continental
Marines by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress during the
American Revolutionary War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps>
1940:
A magnitude 7.7 ML earthquake struck the Vrancea region of
Romania, the country's strongest earthquake in the 20th century.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_Vrancea_earthquake>
1945:
Indonesian National Revolution: Following the killing of the
British officer Brigadier A. W. S. Mallaby a few weeks prior, British
forces began their retaliation by attacking Surabaya, Indonesia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Surabaya>
1975:
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the largest ship on North America's
Great Lakes, sank in Lake Superior with the loss of 29 lives.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
birdsmouth:
(carpentry) A notch cut into the underside of a rafter to ensure that it
does not move when resting on the wall plate running across the top of a
wall; a similar notch in other components.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/birdsmouth>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of
the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on
the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent,
wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them.
Thousands maybe.
--The Sandman
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Sandman#A_Game_of_You>
The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack
aircraft. A successor to the Harrier Jump Jet, it was designed in the
late 1970s at McDonnell Douglas for vertical or short takeoff and
landing. Primarily for light attack or multi-role missions, it is
deployed by the United States Marine Corps, the Spanish Navy, and the
Italian Navy. Development of the AV-8B started in the early 1970s. It
made its maiden flight in 1981 and entered service with the US Marines
in 1985. The UK rejoined the Harrier project as a partner in 1981; since
corporate mergers in the 1990s, Boeing and BAE Systems have jointly
supported the program. Around 340 aircraft, all powered by the Rolls-
Royce Pegasus engine, were produced over 22 years. Typically operated
from small aircraft carriers, large amphibious assault ships or forward
operating bases, AV-8Bs have participated in numerous military and
humanitarian operations. They have proved themselves versatile assets,
although their accident rate during takeoffs and landings has been
relatively high.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_AV-8B_Harrier_II>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1799:
The coup of 18 Brumaire led by Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès and
Napoleon deposed the French government, replacing the Directory with the
Consulate.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_of_18_Brumaire>
1867:
Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the last shogun of Japan, tendered his
resignation to the Emperor Meiji.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Yoshinobu>
1888:
Mary Jane Kelly was murdered in London; she was widely believed
to be the fifth and final victim of the notorious unidentified serial
killer Jack the Ripper.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jane_Kelly>
1967:
The first issue of Rolling Stone, the American-based magazine
devoted to music, liberal politics and popular culture, was published.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone>
1985:
At age 22, Garry Kasparov became the youngest-ever undisputed
World Chess Champion by defeating then-champion Anatoly Karpov.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_Kasparov>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
welfare trap:
(US) A situation where the welfare system keeps people on social
insurance because entering low-paid work does not result into a
significant income increase.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/welfare_trap>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A central lesson of science is that to understand complex issues
(or even simple ones), we must try to free our minds of dogma and to
guarantee the freedom to publish, to contradict, and to experiment.
Arguments from authority are unacceptable.
--Carl Sagan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan>
The St. Johns River, at 310 miles (500 km), is the longest river in the
U.S. state of Florida. From the headwaters to the mouth, its drop in
elevation is less than 30 feet (9 m) as it runs through or alongside
twelve counties, creating a very low flow rate. The river's widest point
is nearly 3 miles (5 km) across, and its narrowest point is in the
headwaters, a marsh in Indian River County. In all, 3.5 million people
live within the various watersheds that feed into the river. The entire
drainage basin of 8,840 square miles (22,900 km2) includes some of
Florida's major wetlands. Residents along or near the St. Johns have
included Paleo-Indians, Archaic people, Timucua, Mocama, French and
Spanish settlers, Seminoles, Colonial-era pioneer settlers, slaves and
freedmen. It has been the subject of William Bartram's journals,
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' books, and Harriet Beecher Stowe's letters. In
1998 the Environmental Protection Agency named the river one of 14
American Heritage Rivers.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Johns_River>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1602:
The Bodleian Library, one of Europe's oldest libraries, opened
at the University of Oxford.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodleian_Library>
1837:
In South Hadley, Massachusetts, US, Mary Lyon founded a
seminary for women that became Mount Holyoke College, the first of the
Seven Sisters group of colleges.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Holyoke_College>
1940:
The Italian invasion of Greece failed as outnumbered Greek
units repulsed the Italians in the Battle of Elaia–Kalamas.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Elaia%E2%80%93Kalamas>
1965:
Vietnam War: In the Battle of Gang Toi, one of the earliest
battles between the two sides, Viet Cong forces repelled an Australian
attack.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gang_Toi>
2013:
Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Visayas region of the
Philippines, killing at least 6,300 people, making it the deadliest
Philippine typhoon recorded in modern history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Haiyan>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
klecksography:
The art of making images from inkblots.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/klecksography>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I saw and understood that every Shewing is full of secret things.
--Julian of Norwich
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Julian_of_Norwich>
Perovskia atriplicifolia, commonly called Russian sage, is a flowering
herbaceous perennial plant and subshrub. Although not a member of the
genus of the common sage, it is closely related. It typically reaches
0.5–1.2 m (1 ft 8 in–3 ft 11 in) tall, with square stems and
gray-green leaves that yield a distinctive odor when crushed, but it is
best known for its blue or violet blossoms arranged in showy, branched
panicles. Native to the steppes and hills of southwestern and central
Asia, it was introduced to cultivation by Vasily Perovsky in the 19th
century. Several cultivars have been developed; 'Blue Spire' is the most
common. The species has a long history of use in its native range in
traditional medicine, for a variety of ailments. Its flowers can be
eaten in salads or crushed for dyemaking. P. atriplicifolia was the
Perennial Plant Association's 1995 Plant of the Year, and the 'Blue
Spire' cultivar received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal
Horticultural Society.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perovskia_atriplicifolia>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1665:
The London Gazette, the oldest surviving English-language
newspaper, was first published as the Oxford Gazette.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_London_Gazette>
1775:
Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of the British Colony of
Virginia, signed a proclamation promising freedom for slaves of Patriots
if they joined the British Armed Forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunmore%27s_Proclamation>
1917:
Vladimir Lenin led a Bolshevik insurrection against the
Provisional Government of Alexander Kerensky, starting the Bolshevik
Revolution.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Revolution>
1987:
Singapore's first Mass Rapid Transit line was opened, starting
with train services between Yio Chu Kang and Toa Payoh stations.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_Rapid_Transit_(Singapore)>
2000:
Hillary Clinton was elected as a Senator, becoming the first
First Lady to win public office in the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
addling:
Causing fertilised eggs to lose viability, by killing the developing
embryo within through shaking, piercing, freezing or oiling, without
breaking the shell.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/addling>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now
is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.
--Marie Curie
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Marie_Curie>
The Master System is a third-generation home video game console from
Sega, released in the late 1980s. The original models took game
cartridges as well as credit-card-sized Sega Cards; accessories included
a light gun and 3D glasses. The system's hardware was superior to that
of the competing Nintendo Entertainment System, and it boasted several
well-received game titles, but Nintendo's licensing practices prevented
Sega from acquiring many of the more popular titles. Sega failed to gain
a significant market share in Japan and North America, but was more
successful in Europe and Brazil. Sales of the console reached an
estimated 10 to 13 million units before the arrival of its successor,
the Sega Genesis, compared to 62 million Nintendo Entertainment System
units sold. The Master System has been sold for 26 years, longer than
any other game console, due to its continuing popularity in Brazil.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_System>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
Pope Pius VI appointed Father John Carroll as the first
Catholic bishop in the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carroll_(bishop)>
1865:
Months after the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse effectively
ended the American Civil War, the CSS Shenandoah became the last
Confederate combat unit to surrender after circumnavigating the globe on
a cruise on which it sank or captured 38 vessels.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_Shenandoah>
1935:
The Hawker Hurricane, the aircraft responsible for 60% of the
Royal Air Force's air victories in the Battle of Britain, made its first
flight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Hurricane>
1939:
As part of their plan to eradicate the Polish intellectual
elite, the Gestapo arrested 184 professors, students and employees of
Jagiellonian University in Kraków.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonderaktion_Krakau>
1995:
Madagascar's Rova of Antananarivo, which served as the royal
palace from the 17th to 19th centuries, was destroyed by fire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rova_of_Antananarivo>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tenacious:
1. Clinging to an object or surface; adhesive.
2. Unwilling to yield or give up; dogged.
3. Holding together; cohesive.
4. Having a good memory; retentive.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tenacious>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Go so far as you can see and when you get there you will always be
able to see farther. … as you head toward your goals, be prepared to
make some slight adjustments to your course. You don't change your
decision to go — you do change your direction to get there.
--Zig Ziglar
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Zig_Ziglar>
The four battlecruisers of the Mackensen class were the last to be built
by Germany in World War I, but they were never completed, to free up
wartime resources for more U-boats. The lead ship was named for Field
Marshal August von Mackensen; the others were Graf Spee, Prinz Eitel
Friedrich, and Fürst Bismarck. In response to these ships, the British
Royal Navy began construction on the Admiral-class battlecruisers, but
only one was completed, HMS Hood, after the war. The Mackensen class
was an improvement on the preceding Derfflinger class, and was followed
by the Ersatz Yorck class. That class was slated for larger guns than
the 35 cm (14 in) main-battery guns of Mackensen, after the Battle of
Jutland in 1916 demonstrated the need for them, but little progress was
made on those ships before they too were cancelled. The four Mackensen-
class ships were broken up for scrap metal in the early 1920s.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackensen-class_battlecruiser>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1138:
Lý Anh Tông was enthroned as emperor of Đại Việt at the
age of two, starting a 37-year reign.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BD_Anh_T%C3%B4ng>
1862:
American Civil War: Abraham Lincoln removed George B. McClellan
as commander of the Union Army for the second and final time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_B._McClellan>
1943:
World War II: An unknown aircraft dropped four bombs on Vatican
City, which maintained neutrality during the war.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_the_Vatican>
1990:
Ultra-Zionist rabbi Meir Kahane was assassinated in a New York
City hotel by an Arab gunman.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meir_Kahane>
1995:
André Dallaire was thwarted in his attempt to assassinate
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien when Chrétien's wife locked the
door.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Dallaire>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
acnestis:
The part of an animal's skin that it cannot reach to scratch itself,
usually the space between the shoulder blades.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/acnestis>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I, like God, do not play with dice, and do not believe in
coincidence.
--V for Vendetta
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta_(film)>
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (SV 325, The Return of Ulysses to his
Homeland) is an opera by Claudio Monteverdi using a libretto by Giacomo
Badoaro. The opera, first performed at the Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo
in Venice during the 1639–40 carnival, is based on the second half of
Homer's Odyssey. It tells how Ulisse (Odysseus) returns from the Trojan
Wars and recovers his kingdom. The loyal and virtuous characters are
ultimately rewarded, while treachery and deception are overcome. After
early performances in Venice and Bologna, the opera remained unperformed
until the 20th century. Since the 1970s it has become increasingly
popular, and has been widely performed and recorded. Monteverdi uses a
variety of musical styles to express the feelings and emotions of a
great range of characters, divine and human. In a division of critical
opinion, Il ritorno has been described as an "ugly duckling", and
conversely as the most tender and moving of Monteverdi's surviving
operas.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_ritorno_d%27Ulisse_in_patria>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1847:
Scottish physician James Young Simpson discovered the
anaesthetic qualities of chloroform.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloroform>
1890:
London's City and South London Railway (locomotive pictured),
the first deep-level underground railway in the world, opened, running a
distance of 5.1 km (3.2 mi) between the City of London and Stockwell.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_and_South_London_Railway>
1921:
After a speech by Adolf Hitler in the Hofbräuhaus in Munich,
members of the Sturmabteilung, known as "brownshirts", physically
assaulted his opposition, an event which assumed legendary proportions
over time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung>
1995:
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by Yigal
Amir while at a peace rally at the Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Yitzhak_Rabin>
2010:
In the first aviation occurrence for an Airbus A380, Qantas
Flight 32 suffered an uncontained engine failure and safely made an
emergency landing at Singapore Changi Airport with no casualties.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_32>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
entelechy:
1. (Aristotelian philosophy) The complete realisation and final form of
some potential concept or function; the conditions under which a
potential thing becomes actualized.
2. A particular type of motivation, need for self-determination, and inner
strength directing life and growth to become all one is capable of
being; the need to actualize one's beliefs; having a personal vision and
being able to actualize that vision from within.
3. Something complex that emerges when a large number of simple objects are
put together.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/entelechy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
With curious art the brain, too finely wrought, Preys on herself,
and is destroy'd by thought: Constant attention wears the active mind,
Blots out our powers, and leaves a blank behind.
--Charles Churchill
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Churchill_(satirist)>
In the United States presidential election of 1880, held on November 2,
Republican James A. Garfield was elected over Democrat Winfield Scott
Hancock. Garfield was an Ohio Congressman; Hancock was a Pennsylvania-
born career army officer. Both were Civil War generals, as was a third
candidate, Iowa Congressman James B. Weaver, nominated by the left-wing
Greenback Party in a challenge to the dominance of the two major
parties. In a campaign fought mainly over issues of Civil War loyalties,
tariffs, and Chinese immigration, Garfield and Hancock each took just
over 48 percent of the popular vote. Weaver and two other candidates
made up the remainder. The voter turnout percentage was among the
highest in the nation's history. In the end, the two main candidates'
popular vote totals were separated by fewer than 2,000 votes, the
smallest US presidential popular vote margin ever recorded. Garfield's
victory was decisive in the electoral college, as he won nearly all the
populous Northern states for a 214 to 155 victory.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1880>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
644:
Umar, the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death, was
fatally stabbed by Piruz Nahavandi, a Persian slave.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umar>
1812:
French invasion of Russia: As Napoleon's Grande Armée began
its retreat, its rear guard was defeated at the Battle of Vyazma.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vyazma>
1935:
Almost 98% of the reported votes in a Greek plebiscite
supported the restoration of George II as King of the Hellenes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_II_of_Greece>
1957:
The Soviet Union launched the Sputnik 2 spacecraft, carrying
Laika (pictured on stamp) the Russian space dog as the first living
creature from Earth to enter orbit.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika>
1979:
Five members of the U.S. Communist Workers' Party were shot and
killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party while
in a protest in Greensboro, North Carolina.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
prograde:
1. (astronomy) Describing motion in a forward direction, especially with
respect to other bodies in the same system.
2. (geology) Describing a metamorphic change resulting from a higher
pressure or temperature.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prograde>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Democracy has to be judged not just by the institutions that
formally exist but by the extent to which different voices from diverse
sections of the people can actually be heard.
--Amartya Sen
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Amartya_Sen>
Shah Rukh Khan (born 1965) is an Indian film actor, producer and
television personality. Often referred to as the "King of Bollywood", he
has appeared in more than 80 Bollywood films. Described by the Los
Angeles Times as perhaps "the world's biggest movie star", he has a
significant following in Asia and the Indian diaspora. Khan started his
career with appearances in several television series in the late 1980s.
Early in his film career, he was recognised for his portrayal of
villainous roles in Darr (1993), Baazigar (1993) and Anjaam (1994). He
rose to prominence after starring in a series of romantic films,
including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). He later earned critical acclaim for his
portrayal of more serious roles, including an alcoholic in Devdas (2002)
and a man with Asperger syndrome in My Name Is Khan (2010). His work in
Bollywood has earned him numerous accolades, including 14 Filmfare
Awards. Khan is co-chairman of Red Chillies Entertainment and a co-owner
of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Rukh_Khan>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
619:
Emperor Gaozu allowed the assassination of a khagan of the
Western Turkic Khaganate by Eastern Turkic rivals, one of the earliest
events in the Tang campaigns against the Western Turks.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_campaigns_against_the_Western_Turks>
1917:
British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued the Balfour
Declaration, proclaiming British support for the establishment of a
Jewish homeland in Palestine.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Declaration>
1965:
American Quaker Norman Morrison set himself on fire in front of
the Pentagon to protest the United States' involvement in the Vietnam
War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Morrison>
1990:
Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting merged to
form BSkyB, the largest pay-TV broadcaster in the United Kingdom and
Ireland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_plc>
1995:
Former South African Minister of Defence Magnus Malan and 10
other former senior military officers were arrested and charged with 13
murders in the KwaMakhutha massacre of 1987.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_Malan>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
in articulo mortis:
At the moment of death.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/in_articulo_mortis>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach. And those who can't
teach, go into administration.
--Lois McMaster Bujold
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lois_McMaster_Bujold>
Barbara L (1947–1977) was an American Quarter Horse that raced during
the early 1950s. A bay daughter of a Thoroughbred stallion named
Patriotic and a Quarter Horse broodmare named Big Bess, she often
defeated some of the best racehorses of the time. She earned $32,836
(about $290,000 in 2015 dollars) on the race track in 81 starts and
21 wins, including six wins in stakes races, and set two track records
during her racing career. After retiring from racing in 1955, she went
on to become a broodmare and had 14 foals, including 11 who earned
their Race Register of Merit with the American Quarter Horse Association
(AQHA). Her offspring earned more than $200,000 in race money. A stakes
race was named in her honor and run at Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico, in
1956. She earned a Dam of Distinction award from the AQHA in 2006, and
was inducted the next year into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_L>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1141:
The Anarchy: Matilda's brief reign as the first female ruler of
England ended when Stephen of Blois regained the throne.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen,_King_of_England>
1876:
The Colony of New Zealand dissolved its nine provinces and
replaced them with 63 counties.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_New_Zealand>
1928:
The current 29-letter Turkish alphabet was introduced,
replacing the Ottoman Turkish alphabet as the official writing system of
the Turkish language.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_alphabet>
1948:
Athenagoras I was elected as the 268th Ecumenical Patriarch of
Constantinople.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenagoras_I_of_Constantinople>
1998:
The European Court of Human Rights was instituted as a
permanent court with full-time judges to monitor compliance by the
signatory parties of the European Convention on Human Rights.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Court_of_Human_Rights>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
xenocide:
1. (science fiction) The genocide of an entire alien species.
2. (US, colloquial) The intentional killing of an entire foreign (plant or
animal) species.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/xenocide>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Virtue alone is the unerring sign of a noble soul.
--Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nicolas_Boileau-Despr%C3%A9aux>