Landis's Missouri Battery was an artillery battery that served in the
Confederate States Army during the early stages of the American Civil
War. The battery was formed in late 1861 and early 1862, and was crewed
by a maximum of 62 men. It fielded two 12-pounder Napoleon cannons
(example pictured) and two 24-pounder howitzers. The battery saw limited
action at the Battle of Iuka before providing artillery support at the
Second Battle of Corinth, both in 1862. It formed part of Confederate
defenses at the battles of Port Gibson and Champion Hill in May 1863.
The unit may have suffered the capture of two cannons during the Battle
of Big Black River Bridge. Landis's Battery next saw action during the
Siege of Vicksburg, but was captured when the Confederate garrison there
surrendered on July 4. Although the surviving men of the battery were
exchanged, the battery was not reorganized; instead, it was absorbed
into Guibor's Missouri Battery along with Wade's Missouri Battery.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landis%27s_Missouri_Battery>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1803:
An expedition led by Francisco Javier de Balmis departed A
Coruña, Spain, with the aim of vaccinating millions in South America
and Asia against smallpox.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balmis_Expedition>
1942:
World War II: Japanese warships defeated the U.S. Navy in a
nighttime naval battle off Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tassafaronga>
1962:
Following the death of Dag Hammarskjöld, Burmese diplomat U
Thant was elected secretary-general of the United Nations.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Thant>
1999:
Protests by anti-globalization activists against the World
Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Seattle forced the
cancellation of its opening ceremonies.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Seattle_WTO_protests>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
laird:
1. (chiefly Scotland) The owner of a Scottish estate; a member of the
landed gentry, a landowner.
2. (chiefly Scotland, historical) Often in the form Laird of, followed
by a patronymic: a Scottish clan chief.
3. (transitive, Scotland) Chiefly as laird it over: to behave like a
laird, particularly to act haughtily or to domineer; to lord (it over).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/laird>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Reasoning will never make a man correct an ill opinion, which by
reasoning he never acquired…
--Jonathan Swift
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jonathan_Swift>
The Okęcie Airport incident was a dispute between the players and staff
of the Poland national football team on 29 November 1980, climaxing at
Okęcie Airport (pictured). It occurred at a time when civil resistance
was intensifying in communist Poland and led to the suspension of
several prominent players and the resignation of the team manager,
Ryszard Kulesza. Kulesza had initially angered the team by deciding to
prevent a hung-over player, Józef Młynarczyk, from flying with the
team, but eventually relented. Polish media attacked the rebellious
players over the following days. Another player, Stanisław Terlecki,
defied the communist authorities by arranging for the players to meet
Pope John Paul II. The Polish Football Association sent Terlecki and
others home and imposed various bans. Kulesza resigned in protest over
the harshness of the sanctions imposed on the players. Most of the
banned players were reinstated within a year, but Terlecki never played
for Poland again.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ok%C4%99cie_Airport_incident>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1854:
An estimated crowd of more than 10,000 demonstrators swore
allegiance to the Eureka Flag as a symbol of defiance, in advance of the
Eureka Rebellion in Ballarat, Australia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Flag>
1899:
FC Barcelona, one of the most successful clubs in Spanish
football, was founded by Swiss football pioneer Joan Gamper.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Barcelona>
1972:
Atari announced the release of Pong, one of the first video
games to achieve widespread popularity in both the arcade and home-
console markets.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong>
1987:
A time bomb planted by North Korean agents on Korean Air
Flight 858 detonated over the Andaman Sea, killing all 115 people on
board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Flight_858>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
endow:
1. (transitive, archaic or obsolete) To provide with a dower (“the
portion that a widow receives from her deceased husband's property”) or
a dowry (“property given to a bride”).
2. (transitive) To give property to (someone) as a gift; specifically,
to provide (a person or institution) with support in the form of a
permanent fund of money or other benefits.
3. (transitive) Followed by with, or rarely by of: to enrich or furnish
with some faculty or quality.
4. (transitive) Usually in the passive: to naturally furnish (with
something).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/endow>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting
worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often
go on getting better.
--The Magician's Nephew
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia#The_Magician's_Nephew_%281955%29>
Hurricane Lane was a tropical cyclone that brought torrential rainfall
and strong winds to Hawaii during late August 2018. The storm was the
wettest on record in Hawaii, with peak rainfall accumulations of 58
inches (1,473 mm) along the eastern slopes of Mauna Loa. Lane was the
first of three Category 5 hurricanes of the record-breaking 2018
Pacific hurricane season, and the season's twelfth named storm, sixth
hurricane, and fourth major hurricane. It became a Category 4 hurricane
on August 18 and reached Category 5 status on August 22 to the south
of Hawaii with sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a barometric
pressure of 926 mbar (hPa; 27.34 inHg). The hurricane then turned
north and slowed, battering the Hawaiian Islands from August 22 to 26
with heavy rain that caused flash flooding and mudslides. Across the
Big Island, 159 structures were damaged or destroyed. One person died
on Kauai. (This article is part of a featured topic: Category 5
Pacific hurricanes.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Category_5_Pacific_…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1895:
The Chicago Times-Herald race (winner pictured), the first
automobile race in the U.S., was held in Chicago.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Times-Herald_race>
1903:
SS Petriana struck a reef near Point Nepean, leading to
Australia's first major oil spill and a debate over the White Australia
policy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Petriana>
1966:
Michel Micombero abolished the Burundian monarchy and declared
the country a republic with himself as president.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Micombero>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
turducken:
(US, cooking) A dish, usually roasted, consisting of a deboned turkey
stuffed with a deboned duck that has been stuffed with a small deboned
chicken, and also containing stuffing.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/turducken>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I never had, and still do not have, the perception of feeling my
personal identity. I appear to myself as the place where something is
going on, but there is no "I", no "me". Each of us is a kind of
crossroads where things happen. The crossroads is purely passive;
something happens there. A different thing, equally valid, happens
elsewhere. There is no choice, it is just a matter of chance.
--Claude Lévi-Strauss
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Claude_L%C3%A9vi-Strauss>
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is a 1993 American biographical drama film
directed and co-written by Rob Cohen, and starring Jason Scott Lee
(pictured), Lauren Holly, Nancy Kwan and Robert Wagner. The film follows
the life of Bruce Lee (Jason) from his relocation to the United States
from Hong Kong to his career as a martial arts teacher, and then
television and film actor. It also focuses on the relationship between
Bruce and his wife Linda Lee (Holly), and the racism to which Bruce was
subjected. Rather than making a traditional biographical film, Cohen
decided to include elements of mysticism and to dramatise fight scenes
to give it the same tone as the films in which Bruce starred. Dragon:
The Bruce Lee Story received positive reviews, with Jason widely praised
for his performance. The film's commercial success, exceeding box office
averages for biographical films, was attributed to its romantic themes
and its appeal to people outside the traditional kung fu film audience.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon:_The_Bruce_Lee_Story>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1815:
As specified by the Congress of Vienna, the Constitution of the
Kingdom of Poland was signed for the newly recreated Polish state that
was under Russian control.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Kingdom_of_Poland>
1895:
Swedish chemist and industrialist Alfred Nobel signed his last
will and testament, setting aside the bulk of his estate to establish
the Nobel Prize after his death.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel>
1978:
San Francisco mayor George Moscone and openly gay supervisor
Harvey Milk were assassinated by supervisor Dan White.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscone%E2%80%93Milk_assassinations>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
potluck:
1. (dated) A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of
whatever food is available.
2. (by extension) Whatever is available in a particular situation.
3. (originally Canada, US) A shared meal consisting of whatever guests
have brought (sometimes without prior arrangement); a potlatch; also, a
dish of food brought to such a meal.
4. (obsolete) The last draft or portion of an alcoholic beverage in a
pot or other drinking vessel.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/potluck>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Perfect Way is only difficult for those who pick and choose;
Do not like, do not dislike; all will then be clear. Make a hairbreadth
difference, and Heaven and Earth are set apart; If you want the truth
to stand clear before you, never be for or against. The struggle
between "for" and "against" is the mind's worst disease; While the deep
meaning is misunderstood, it is useless to meditate on Rest.
--Sengcan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sengcan>
The western yellow robin (Eopsaltria griseogularis) is a species of bird
in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae. Described by John Gould in
1838, the western yellow robin and its Australian relatives are not
closely related to either the European or American robins, but appear to
be an early offshoot of the Passerida group of songbirds. Ranging
between 13.5 and 15.5 cm (5 1⁄4 and 6 in) long, both sexes have
grey upperparts and a grey breast and head, broken by whitish streaks
near the bill and below the eye, with a conspicuous yellow belly. The
species inhabits open eucalypt forest, woodland and scrub, generally
favouring habitats with significant understory. Its range comprises the
Southwest of Western Australia, the state's southern coastline, and the
Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. Predominantly insectivorous, the
western yellow robin pounces on prey from a low branch, or forages on
the ground. The species has declined in parts of its range, but is not
threatened.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_yellow_robin>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1914:
A large internal explosion destroyed HMS Bulwark near
Sheerness, killing 741 people on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Bulwark_%281899%29>
1940:
The Iron Guard killed 64 political detainees at a penitentiary
near Bucharest and followed up with several high-profile assassinations,
including that of former Romanian prime minister Nicolae Iorga.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Iorga>
1977:
A speaker claiming to represent the "Intergalactic Association"
interrupted a Southern Television broadcast in South East England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Television_broadcast_interruption>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
double life:
1. An existence or life that has two aspects, particularly when one of
them is regarded as embarrassing, immoral, or unlawful and thus kept
hidden from a person's family, friends, and work colleagues.
2. The hidden, or more unusual, aspect of a person's life.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/double_life>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn
those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be
patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but
always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice
always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not
despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain
from every form of evil.
--First Epistle to the Thessalonians
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/First_Epistle_to_the_Thessalonians>
Marwan I (c. 625 – 685) was the fourth Umayyad caliph, ruling for
less than a year in 684–685. He was the secretary of his cousin Caliph
Uthman (r. 644–656). During the rebel siege of Uthman's house, Marwan
was wounded and the caliph was slain. Marwan considered Talha ibn Ubayd
Allah, a companion of the prophet Muhammad, culpable in the death of
Uthman, and killed him in the Battle of the Camel in 656. Marwan later
served as governor of Medina under his distant kinsman Caliph
Mu'awiya I (r. 661–680), founder of the Umayyad Caliphate. After the
reigns of Yazid I (r. 680–683) and Mu'awiya II (r. 683–684), the
tribal nobility of Syria, led by Ibn Bahdal of the Banu Kalb, elected
Marwan caliph. He reasserted Umayyad rule over Egypt, Palestine and
northern Syria, and dispatched an expedition to reconquer Iraq, but died
while it was underway. His son Abd al-Malik was his designated
successor, and the Umayyads continued to rule until 750.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marwan_I>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1795:
Stanisław II Augustus, the last king of Poland, was forced to
abdicate after the Third Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian
Commonwealth.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_August_Poniatowski>
1940:
The de Havilland Mosquito (examples pictured), one of the most
successful military aircraft in the Second World War, made its first
flight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Mosquito>
1960:
Three of the four Mirabal sisters, who opposed the dictatorship
of military strongman Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, were
beaten and strangled to death.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirabal_sisters>
1984:
Band Aid, a supergroup consisting of more than 30 leading
British and Irish pop musicians, recorded the song "Do They Know It's
Christmas?" to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_They_Know_It%27s_Christmas%3F>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
vinous:
1. Pertaining to or having the characteristics of wine.
2. Involving the use of wine.
3. Having the colour of red wine; vinaceous.
4. Tending to drink wine excessively.
5. Affected by the drinking of wine.
6. Induced by the drinking of wine.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vinous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is not a simple life to be a single cell, although I have no
right to say so, having been a single cell so long ago myself that I
have no memory at all of that stage in my life.
--Lewis Thomas
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lewis_Thomas>
"A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding" is the seventh episode of the second
season of the American television comedy-drama Ugly Betty and the
series's 30th episode overall. It was written by Silvio Horta and Marco
Pennette, and directed by James Hayman. The episode was originally
broadcast on ABC in the United States on November 8, 2007. Ugly Betty
centers on Betty Suarez's job at the fashion magazine MODE, and in this
episode MODE's creative director Wilhelmina Slater attempts to marry the
magazine's publisher Bradford Meade. Victoria Beckham (pictured) guest-
stars as herself in the episode, appearing as Wilhelmina's maid of honor
who steals attention from the wedding. Vanessa Williams's ex-husband
Rick Fox appears as Wilhelmina's bodyguard and lover. Vera Wang makes a
cameo appearance, and designed Wilhelmina's wedding dress and Beckham's
bridesmaid dress. The episode received nominations for a Primetime Emmy
Award and an NAACP Image Award.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Nice_Day_for_a_Posh_Wedding>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1750:
Tarabai, the former regent of the Maratha Empire, had
Rajaram II, whom she had previously claimed to be her grandson,
arrested as an impostor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarabai>
1963:
During a live television broadcast, businessman Jack Ruby shot
and fatally wounded Lee Harvey Oswald (shooting pictured), who
assassinated U.S. president John F. Kennedy, fueling numerous conspiracy
theories.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Harvey_Oswald>
2015:
A Turkish fighter jet shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24M after
the latter had allegedly strayed into Turkish airspace and ignored
warnings to change course.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Russian_Sukhoi_Su-24_shootdown>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
slimeball:
1. (biology) A round lump made up of or coated with slime or a slime-
like substance such as mucus.
2. (helminthology, specifically) A mucus-coated lump containing the
cercariae (“parasitic larvae”) of a liver fluke (of the phylum
Platyhelminthes).
3. (originally US, colloquial, derogatory) A person who is regarded as
slimy (that is, sneaky or underhanded) or otherwise undesirable.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/slimeball>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The mind has greater power over the emotions and is less subject
thereto, in so far as it understands all things as necessary.
--Ethica
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ethics_%28Spinoza_book%29>
Iéna was a pre-dreadnought battleship built for the French Navy (Marine
Nationale). Laid down at Brest in January 1898, the vessel was launched
on 1 September and completed on 14 April 1902. The ship was assigned
to the Mediterranean Squadron and remained there for the duration of her
career. Iéna frequently served as a flagship, participated in the
annual fleet manoeuvres and made many visits to French ports in the
Mediterranean. On 4 March 1907, while docked for repairs in Toulon,
the battleship was badly damaged and 120 people were killed by a
magazine explosion that was probably caused by the decomposition of old
propellant, known as Poudre B. Multiple investigations were launched
and the ensuing scandal forced the naval minister to resign. While
repairs were possible, Iéna was not considered worth the expense. The
salvaged hulk was used as a gunnery target in 1909 before it was sold
for scrap in 1912.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_battleship_I%C3%A9na>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1876:
William "Boss" Tweed, a New York City politician who had been
arrested for embezzlement, was handed over to US authorities after
having escaped from prison and fled to Spain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._Tweed>
1963:
The first episode of Doctor Who, the world's longest-running
science fiction television show, was broadcast on BBC One, starring
William Hartnell as the first incarnation of the title role.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Unearthly_Child>
1980:
An earthquake struck the Irpinia region of Italy, killing at
least 2,483 people, injuring more than 7,700 and leaving 250,000
homeless.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Irpinia_earthquake>
2007:
MS Explorer became the first cruise ship to sink in the
Southern Ocean.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Explorer_%281969%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
intraordinary:
(rare, nonstandard) Falling within normal parameters; normal, ordinary.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/intraordinary>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
You have summoned me in my weakness. You must sustain me by your
strength.
--Franklin Pierce
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Franklin_Pierce>
James Humphreys (1930–2003) was an English businessman and criminal
who owned a chain of adult book shops and strip clubs in London in the
1960s and 1970s. In March 1958 he was sentenced to six years'
imprisonment after using explosives to open a safe and steal £8,260 in
money and postal orders. On his release he opened a strip club in Soho
(pictured in 2008), the centre of London's sex industry. When Humphreys
expanded his business and opened sex shops and book shops selling
obscene material, he could only operate by paying large bribes to
policemen, particularly those from the Obscene Publications Branch of
the Metropolitan Police. In the late 1970s his diaries detailing his
meetings with police officers and the bribes he paid were used as
evidence against twelve policemen imprisoned for corruption. The
character Benny Barrett, played by Malcolm McDowell in the 1996 BBC
television series Our Friends in the North, was based on Humphreys.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Humphreys_%28pornographer%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1873:
The French steamship Ville du Havre collided with a Scottish
iron clipper in the North Atlantic and sank with the loss of 226 lives.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Ville_du_Havre>
1986:
Mike Tyson defeated Trevor Berbick to win the World Boxing
Council title, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Tyson>
1995:
Toy Story, the first feature film created using only computer-
generated imagery, was released in theaters in the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Story>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
grace note:
1. (music) A musical note, indicated on a score in smaller type with or
without a slash through it, played to ornament the melody rather than as
part of it. Its note value does not count as part of the total time
value of the measure it appears in.
2. (figurative) Something that decorates, embellishes, or ornaments; a
finishing touch.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/grace_note>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Give me no light, great heaven, but such as turns To energy of
human fellowship; No powers save the growing heritage That makes
complete manhood.
--George Eliot
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Eliot>
Super Mario World is a 1990 platform game developed and published by
Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The story
follows Mario's quest to save Princess Toadstool from the series
antagonist Bowser and his minions. The gameplay is similar to that of
earlier Super Mario games: players control Mario or his brother Luigi
through a series of levels in which the goal is to reach the flagpole at
the end. Super Mario World introduced Yoshi, a dinosaur character.
Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development developed the game, led by
director Takashi Tezuka and producer and series creator Shigeru Miyamoto
(pictured). It is the first Mario game for the SNES and was designed to
make the most of the console's technical features. Super Mario World is
often considered one of the greatest video games of all time. It sold
over 20 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling SNES game.
It also led to a highly acclaimed prequel, Yoshi's Island, released in
1995.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_World>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1920:
Irish War of Independence: On Bloody Sunday in Dublin, the IRA
assassinated a group of British intelligence agents, and British forces
killed 14 civilians at a Gaelic football match at Croke Park.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281920%29>
1950:
Two trains collided near Valemount, Canada, killing 21 people;
the subsequent trial brought future prime minister John Diefenbaker to
greater political attention.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canoe_River_train_crash>
1970:
Vietnam War: American forces raided the North Vietnamese Sơn
Tây prison camp in an attempt to rescue 61 American POWs who were
thought to be held there.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ivory_Coast>
2015:
The Belgian government imposed a four-day security lockdown in
Brussels based on information about potential terrorist attacks.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Brussels_lockdown>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
well-boat:
(nautical) a fishing vessel designed to carry live fish in a tank or
well.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/well-boat>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all
formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's
folly — that is the first law of nature.
--Voltaire
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Voltaire>