The killing of Muhammad al-Durrah took place in the Gaza Strip on
30 September 2000, during the widespread protests and riots of the
Second Intifada. Jamal al-Durrah and his 12-year-old son Muhammad were
filmed by Talal Abu Rahma, a Palestinian television cameraman
freelancing for France 2, as the two were caught in crossfire between
Israeli and Palestinian forces. The footage shows the pair crouching
behind a concrete cylinder, the boy crying and the father waving, then a
burst of gunfire and dust, with the boy slumping over. Some of the
footage was broadcast in France with a voiceover from Charles Enderlin,
who told viewers that the al-Durrahs had been the target of Israeli
fire, killing the boy. This interpretation has been questioned by
critics and by the Israel Defense Forces, which retracted an initial
apology. After an emotional public funeral, Muhammad was hailed
throughout the Muslim world as a martyr, with the scene appearing on
postage stamps.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Muhammad_al-Durrah>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1882:
The Vulcan Street Plant in Appleton, Wisconsin, the first
hydroelectric central station to serve a system of private and
commercial customers in North America, went online.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcan_Street_Plant>
1938:
Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Neville Chamberlain, and
Édouard Daladier signed the Munich Agreement, stipulating that
Czechoslovakia must cede the Sudetenland to Germany.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Agreement>
1975:
The Boeing AH-64 Apache (example pictured), the primary attack
helicopter for a number of countries, made its first flight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_AH-64_Apache>
2019:
President Martín Vizcarra dissolved the Congress of Peru,
resulting in a constitutional crisis.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%932020_Peruvian_constitutional_cri…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Plutonian:
1. (Greek mythology, Roman mythology) Of or relating to Pluto, the Greek
and Roman god of the underworld; demonic, infernal.
2. (by extension) Of, relating to, or having characteristics associated
with the underworld; dark, gloomy; mournful.
3. (by extension, geology) Synonym of plutonic (“of or pertaining to
rocks formed deep in the Earth's crust, rather than by volcanoes at the
surface of the Earth”)
4. (by extension, geology, historical) Synonym of plutonic (“of,
pertaining to, or supporting plutonism, the theory that the rocks of the
Earth were formed in fire by volcanic activity, with a continuing
gradual process of weathering and erosion, then deposited on the sea
bed, re-formed into layers of sedimentary rock by heat and pressure, and
raised again”) [...]
5. (astrology) Pertaining to the astrological influence of Pluto,
formerly regarded as a planet.
6. (astronomy) Of or relating to the dwarf planet Pluto.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Plutonian>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Terrorism must be outlawed by all civilized nations — not
explained or rationalized, but fought and eradicated. Nothing can,
nothing will justify the murder of innocent people and helpless
children.
--Elie Wiesel
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Elie_Wiesel>
The two submarines of the U-1 class, U-1 and U-2, were built for the
Austro-Hungarian Navy. Constructed according to an American design, they
were launched in 1909. A diving chamber, wheels for traveling along the
seabed, and other experimental features were tested extensively in sea
trials. Their gasoline engines were replaced around the start of World
War I over safety and efficiency concerns. The boats have been
described by naval historians as obsolete by the time they were
commissioned in 1911. Both submarines were mobilized briefly during the
Balkan Wars, and otherwise served as training boats before 1915. From
1915 to 1918 they conducted reconnaissance cruises out of Trieste and
Pola, though neither sank any enemy vessels during the war. Facing
defeat in October 1918, the Austro-Hungarian government transferred the
bulk of its fleet, including these submarines, to the newly formed State
of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs to avoid having to hand its ships over to
the Allied Powers.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-1-class_submarine_%28Austria-Hungary%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1829:
The Metropolitan Police (headquarters pictured) of Greater
London, originally headquartered in Great Scotland Yard, Westminster,
was founded.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Police>
1941:
The Holocaust: Nazi forces, aided by Ukrainian collaborators,
began a massacre of Jews in a ravine in Kyiv, killing more than 30,000
civilians in two days and thousands more in the following months.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babi_Yar>
1954:
Willie Mays of Major League Baseball's New York Giants made one
of the most famous defensive plays in baseball history, now known as The
Catch.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catch_%28baseball%29>
1991:
The award-winning Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast
premiered as an unfinished film at the New York Film Festival.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast_%281991_film%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Neptunian:
1. (Roman mythology) Of or pertaining to Neptune, the Roman god of fresh
water and the sea, the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon.
2. (by extension, rare) Of or pertaining to water or the sea.
3. (by extension, geology) Formed by the action of water.
4. (by extension, geology, historical) Of, pertaining to, or supporting
Neptunism (“a discredited theory that rocks were formed from the
crystallisation of minerals in the early Earth's oceans”). [...]
5. (astrology) Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet
Neptune.
6. (astronomy) Of or pertaining to the planet Neptune.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Neptunian>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The measure may be thought bold, but I am of the opinion the
boldest are the safest.
--Horatio Nelson
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Horatio_Nelson>
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the daisy family,
Asteraceae, often grown as a leaf vegetable, and sometimes for its stem
or seeds. Often used for salads, lettuce is also seen in other kinds of
food, such as soups, sandwiches and wraps. In addition to its use as a
leafy green, it has religious and medicinal significance. World
production of lettuce and chicory for 2017 was 27 million tonnes, 56
percent of which came from China. Generally grown as a hardy annual,
lettuce is easily cultivated, although it requires relatively low
temperatures to prevent it from flowering quickly. It can be plagued by
numerous nutrient deficiencies, as well as insect and mammal pests, and
fungal and bacterial diseases. Lettuce is a rich source of vitamin K
and vitamin A, and a moderate source of folate and iron. Contaminated
lettuce can be a source of bacterial, viral, and parasitic outbreaks in
humans, including E. coli and Salmonella.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettuce>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1821:
The Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire from
Spain was drafted in the National Palace in Mexico City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Independence_of_the_Mexican_Em…>
1928:
Scottish biologist and pharmacologist Alexander Fleming
discovered penicillin when he noticed a bacteria-killing mould growing
in his laboratory.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillin>
1978:
Pope John Paul I died only 33 days after his papal election due
to an apparent myocardial infarction, resulting in the first year of
three popes since 1605.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_I>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Uranian:
1. (comparable, literary, poetic) Celestial, heavenly; uranic.
2. (comparable, literary, archaic) Homosexual; (specifically) relating
to a man's erotic love for adolescent boys; pederastic; also, of poetry:
conveying appreciation for young men.
3. (not comparable, Greek mythology, Roman mythology) Of Aphrodite
Urania, the heavenly aspect of Greek goddess of beauty and love
Aphrodite and her Roman counterpart Venus: heavenly, spiritual, as
contrasted with the earthly aspect of Aphrodite Pandemos.
4. (not comparable, Greek mythology, dated) Relating to Urania, the Muse
of astronomy.
5. (not comparable, by extension, historical, rare) Of or pertaining to
astronomy; astronomical. [...]
6. (not comparable, astronomy) Of or pertaining to the planet Uranus.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Uranian>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get
knowledge, nor help out any one who is not anxious to explain himself.
When I have presented one corner of a subject to any one, and he cannot
from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson.
--Confucius (孔子 · Kongzi)
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Confucius>
Transandinomys is a genus of rodents in the tribe Oryzomyini of the
family Cricetidae—a grouping of medium-sized, soft-furred rice rats.
It includes two species—T. bolivaris and T. talamancae—found in
forests from Honduras in Central America to southwestern Ecuador and
northwestern Venezuela in South America. The upperparts—brownish in
T. bolivaris and reddish in T. talamancae—are much darker than the
whitish underparts. Both species are characterized by very long
vibrissae (whiskers), but those of T. bolivaris are particularly long.
In addition, several other morphological differences distinguish the
two, including wider first upper molars in T. bolivaris. Both species
live on the ground, are active during the night, eat both plant and
animal matter, and construct nests of vegetation. They are hosts to
various external parasites. They are in no apparent danger of extinction
and have been assessed as least-concern species on the IUCN Red List.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transandinomys>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1875:
The Ellen Southard was wrecked in a storm at Liverpool,
England; the U.S. Congress subsequently awarded 27 Gold Lifesaving
Medals to the men who rescued her crew.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Southard>
1916:
Lij Iyasu, the emperor-designate of Ethiopia, was deposed in
favor of his aunt Zewditu.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lij_Iyasu_of_Ethiopia>
1941:
SS Patrick Henry, the first of 2,710 Liberty ships built
during World War II by the United States, was launched.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_ship>
1983:
Software developer Richard Stallman announced plans for the
Unix-like GNU operating system, the first free software developed by the
GNU Project.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
saturnine:
1. (comparable) Of a person: having a tendency to be cold, bitter,
gloomy, sarcastic, and slow to change and react.
2. (comparable) Of a setting: depressing, dull, gloomy.
3. (comparable, chemistry, archaic) Of, pertaining to, or containing
lead (which was symbolically associated with the planet Saturn by
alchemists).
4. (not comparable, pathology) Of a disease: caused by lead poisoning
(saturnism); of a person: affected by lead poisoning.
5. (not comparable, astrology, obsolete) Pertaining to the astrological
influence of the planet Saturn; having the characteristics of a person
under such influence (see sense 1).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/saturnine>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Only great souls know the grandeur there is in charity.
--Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jacques-B%C3%A9nigne_Bossuet>
British nuclear tests were conducted at Maralinga in the Woomera
Prohibited Area in South Australia between 1956 and 1963. A total of
seven major nuclear tests took place at Maralinga, with explosive yields
ranging from approximately 1 to 27 kilotonnes of TNT (4 to 110
terajoules). Two major test series were conducted: Operation Buffalo
(final test pictured) in 1956 and Operation Antler the following year.
One bomb used cobalt pellets as a tracer for determining yield,
resulting in rumours that Britain was developing a cobalt bomb. The site
was also used for trials of neutron initiators and tests on the
compression of nuclear weapon cores and the effects of fire on atomic
weapons. It was left contaminated with radioactive waste, and a clean-up
was attempted in 1967. A further clean-up was completed in 2000. In
1994, the Australian government paid $13.5 million in compensation to
the traditional owners, the Maralinga Tjarutja people. The land was
restored to them in 2014.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_nuclear_tests_at_Maralinga>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1580:
Explorer Francis Drake's galleon Golden Hind (replica pictured)
sailed into Plymouth, England, completing his circumnavigation of the
globe.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Hind>
1917:
World War I: The Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of
Passchendaele, began near Ypres, Belgium.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Polygon_Wood>
1933:
As gangster Machine Gun Kelly surrendered to the FBI, he
supposedly shouted "Don't shoot, G-Men!", which became a nickname for
FBI agents.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Gun_Kelly>
1983:
Soviet lieutenant colonel Stanislav Petrov averted a potential
nuclear war by identifying as a false alarm signals that appeared to
indicate an impending U.S. missile attack.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Soviet_nuclear_false_alarm_incident>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
jovial:
1. (comparable) Cheerful and good-humoured; jolly, merry.
2. (not comparable, astrology, obsolete) Pertaining to the astrological
influence of the planet Jupiter; having the characteristics of a person
under such influence (see sense 1).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jovial>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers,
and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to
each. I do not think that they will sing to me. I have seen them
riding seaward on the waves Combing the white hair of the waves blown
back When the wind blows the water white and black. We have lingered
in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and
brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
--T. S. Eliot
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/T._S._Eliot>
Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots is an 1832 book
by Edward Lear containing 42 hand-coloured lithographs (example
pictured). Lear started painting parrots for the book in 1830 when he
was 18 years old, and to get material for his book he studied live birds
at the London Zoo and in private collections. Although the book was a
financial failure, Lear's paintings of parrots established his
reputation as one of the best natural history artists of his time. It
found him work with leading contemporary naturalists, and the young
Queen Victoria engaged him to help her with her painting technique.
Lear's works influenced children's illustrators such as Beatrix Potter
and Maurice Sendak. He continued with his nature painting for some
years, but from about 1835 he became concerned about his failing
eyesight, and increasingly concentrated on his nonsense works and
landscape painting. He may have contributed to the illustrations for
Charles Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illustrations_of_the_Family_of_Psittacidae,_o…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1396:
Ottoman wars in Europe: Ottoman forces under Bayezid I
defeated a Christian alliance led by Sigismund of Hungary near present-
day Nikopol, Bulgaria.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nicopolis>
1800:
French Revolutionary Wars: After U.S. ships became involved,
French forces abandoned their invasion of the Batavian island of
Curaçao.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Cura%C3%A7ao_%281800%29>
1944:
Second World War: British troops began their withdrawal from
the Battle of Arnhem in the Netherlands, ending the Allies' Operation
Market Garden in defeat.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Arnhem>
1981:
Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Day_O%27Connor>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
martial:
1. (comparable) Of, relating to, or suggestive of war; warlike.
2. (comparable) Connected with or relating to armed forces or the
profession of arms or military life.
3. (comparable) Characteristic of or befitting a warrior; having a
military bearing; soldierly.
4. (not comparable, astrology, obsolete) Pertaining to the astrological
influence of the planet Mars.
5. (not comparable, astronomy, obsolete) Of or relating to the planet
Mars; Martian.
6. (not comparable, chemistry, medicine, obsolete) Containing, or
relating to, iron (which was symbolically associated with the planet
Mars by alchemists); chalybeate, ferric, ferrous.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/martial>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don't
bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try
to be better than yourself.
--William Faulkner
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Faulkner>
Star Control 3 is an action-adventure game developed by Legend
Entertainment and published by Accolade. The third and final official
entry in the Star Control trilogy, the game was released for MS-DOS on
September 24, 1996, and Mac OS in 1998. It features a single-player
campaign combining space exploration, alien dialogue, and ship-to-ship
combat; the player engages in top-down battles between starships with
unique abilities. To create this sequel, Accolade hired Legend
(president pictured) after series creators Paul Reiche III and Fred
Ford decided to pursue other projects. Legend was selected for their
familiarity with Star Control and experience with interactive fiction
writing. They designed the game in consultation with fans, replacing
features from Star Control II that had received negative feedback. Star
Control 3 was considered a critical and commercial success upon
release, but later suffered from comparisons to the award-winning Star
Control II.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Control_3>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1841:
Raja Muda Hashim, the uncle of Bruneian sultan Omar Ali
Saifuddin II, conceded land to British adventurer James Brooke,
establishing the Raj of Sarawak.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raj_of_Sarawak>
1877:
At the Battle of Shiroyama (depicted), the decisive engagement
of the Satsuma Rebellion, the Imperial Japanese Army defeated rebel
samurai of the Satsuma Domain led by Saigō Takamori.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shiroyama>
2019:
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom unanimously ruled that
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's advice to Queen Elizabeth II that
Parliament should be prorogued was unlawful.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_British_prorogation_controversy>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tellurian:
1. (formal or literary) Of or relating to the earth; (specifically,
chiefly science fiction) inhabiting planet Earth as opposed to other
planets.
2. (mineralogy) Of a mineral: containing tellurium.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tellurian>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Men are often capable of greater things than they perform. They
are sent into the world with bills of credit, and seldom draw to their
full extent.
--Horace Walpole
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Horace_Walpole>
Turf Moor is an association football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire,
England, which has been the home of Burnley F.C. since 1883. This
unbroken service makes Turf Moor the second-longest continuously used
ground in English professional football. The stadium is situated on
Harry Potts Way, named after the manager who won the 1959–60 First
Division with the club, and has a capacity of 21,944. The Turf Moor site
has been used for sporting activities since at least 1843, when Burnley
Cricket Club moved to the area. In 1883, they invited Burnley F.C. to
use a pitch adjacent to the cricket field. A grandstand and terraces
were added in 1885. During the 1990s, the Longside and the Bee Hole End
terraces were replaced by all-seater stands following the
recommendations of the Taylor Report. The stadium's record attendance
was set in 1924, when 54,775 people attended an FA Cup third round game
between Burnley and Huddersfield Town.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turf_Moor>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1889:
Fusajiro Yamauchi founded Nintendo in Kyoto, Japan (original
headquarters pictured), to produce handmade hanafuda playing cards.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo>
2008:
A gunman shot and killed ten students at the Seinäjoki
University of Applied Sciences in Kauhajoki, Finland, before committing
suicide.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kauhajoki_school_shooting>
2019:
The British travel company Thomas Cook Group ceased operations
with immediate effect, leaving around 600,000 tourists stranded around
the world.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cook_Group>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
venereal:
1. Of or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse.
2. Of a disease: sexually transmitted; of or relating to, or adapted to
the cure of, a venereal disease.
3. (astrology, obsolete) Pertaining to the astrological influence of the
planet Venus; lascivious, lustful.
4. (chemistry, obsolete) Of or relating to copper (formerly called Venus
by alchemists).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/venereal>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
You better live every day like your last because one day you're
going to be right.
--Ray Charles
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ray_Charles>
The Triumph of Cleopatra is an oil painting by the English artist
William Etty, depicting a scene from Plutarch's Life of Antony and
Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, in which Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt,
voyages to Tarsus to cement an alliance with the Roman general Mark
Antony. The painting shows a large group of people in various states of
nudity, watching her ship's arrival. First exhibited at the Royal
Academy Summer Exhibition in 1821, the painting was an immediate success
and made the then-obscure Etty famous almost overnight. Although some
commentators considered it offensive and indecent, the painting's
success prompted Etty to spend the next decade painting further history
paintings containing nude figures, becoming well known for combining
these with moral messages.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Triumph_of_Cleopatra>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1857:
Lefort, a Russian ship of the line, sank in the Gulf of Finland
during a sudden squall with the loss of all 826 people on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_ship_of_the_line_Lefort>
1948:
Led by Gail Halvorsen, the U.S. Army Air Forces began Operation
"Little Vittles", delivering candy to children as part of the Berlin
Airlift.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gail_Halvorsen>
1957:
François "Papa Doc" Duvalier was elected President of Haiti as
a populist before consolidating power and ruling as a dictator for the
rest of his life.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Duvalier>
2014:
The NASA spacecraft MAVEN entered into orbit around Mars to
study the planet's atmosphere.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAVEN>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
mercurial:
1. (comparable) Having a lively or volatile character; animated,
changeable, quick-witted.
2. (not comparable, astrology) Pertaining to the astrological influence
of the planet Mercury; having the characteristics of a person under such
influence (see adjective sense 1).
3. (not comparable, astronomy) Pertaining to the planet Mercury.
4. (not comparable, chemistry) Of or pertaining to the element mercury
or quicksilver; containing mercury.
5. (not comparable, medicine) Caused by the action of mercury or a
mercury compound.
6. (not comparable, Roman mythology) Pertaining to Mercury, the Roman
god of, among other things, commerce, financial gain, communication, and
thieves and trickery; hence (comparable), money-making; crafty.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mercurial>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Advice is seldom welcome; and those who want it the most always
like it the least.
--Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Philip_Stanhope,_4th_Earl_of_Chesterfield>
Banksia sceptrum, the sceptre banksia, is a plant that grows in Western
Australia near the central west coast from Geraldton north through
Kalbarri to Hamelin Pool, extending inland almost to Mullewa. It is
generally a shrub up to 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and 2–4 m
(7–13 ft) high, sometimes reaching 5 m (16 ft). First collected and
grown by early settler James Drummond in Western Australia, it was
described by Swiss botanist Carl Meissner in 1855. In nature,
B. sceptrum grows in deep yellow or pale red sand in tall shrubland,
commonly on dunes. It is killed in bushfires and regenerates by seed,
the woody follicles opening with fire. B. sceptrum is one of the most
striking yellow-flowered banksias, with tall bright flower spikes
(inflorescences) that are well displayed on the ends of branches.
Flowering is in summer, mainly December and January, though flowers are
occasionally seen at other times.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_sceptrum>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1823:
According to Joseph Smith, he was first visited by the Angel
Moroni, who would guide him to the golden plates that became the basis
of the Book of Mormon.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Moroni>
1968:
The Soviet Zond 5 landed in the Indian Ocean, becoming the
first spacecraft to safely return to Earth after circling the Moon.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zond_5>
2001:
With racial tensions high after the September 11 attacks, a
gang of British Muslim youths in Peterborough, England, murdered 17
-year-old Ross Parker.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Ross_Parker>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
olive branch:
1. A branch of an olive tree offered as an emblem of peace.
2. (figuratively) Any symbol of peace, or a peace offering to an
adversary to show goodwill and in the hope of securing peace. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/olive_branch>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What it is to bathe every day, always to be clad beautifully, to
climb mountains for pleasure, to fly, to meet none but agreeable, well
mannered people, to conduct researches or make delightful things... a
time when all such good things will be for all men may be coming more
nearly than we think. Each one who believes that brings the good time
nearer; each heart that fails delays it.
--The Outline of History
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Outline_of_History>