Ceres is the smallest identified dwarf planet in the Solar System and
the only one in the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 1 January 1801,
by Giuseppe Piazzi, and for half a century was classified as the eighth
planet. It is named after Ceres, a Roman goddess. With a diameter of
about 950 km (590 miles), Ceres is the largest and most massive body in
the asteroid belt and contains about a third of the belt's total mass.
It is spheroidal and its surface probably consists of a mixture of water
ice and various hydrated minerals like carbonates and clays. Ceres
appears to be differentiated into a rocky core and icy mantle, with
brines reaching the surface. From the Earth, the apparent magnitude of
Ceres ranges from 6.7 to 9.3; at its brightest it is generally too dim
to be seen with the naked eye. On 27 September 2007, NASA launched the
space probe Dawn to explore the asteroid Vesta from 2011 to 2012, and
Ceres from 2015 to 2018. (This article is part of a featured topic:
Solar System.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Solar_System>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1739:
War of Jenkins' Ear: A British naval force arrived at the
settlement of Portobello in the Spanish Main, capturing it the next day.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Porto_Bello_%281739%29>
1902:
While discussing how to promote the newspaper L'Auto, sports
journalist Géo Lefèvre came up with the idea of holding a cycling race
that later became known as the Tour de France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France>
1979:
A group of armed insurgents attacked and took over the Masjid
al-Haram in Mecca, declaring that one of their leaders was the Mahdi,
the prophesied redeemer of Islam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Mosque_seizure>
1991:
First Nagorno-Karabakh War: An Azerbaijani military helicopter
carrying a peacekeeping mission team was shot down in Nagorno-Karabakh,
disrupting ongoing peace talks.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Azerbaijani_Mil_Mi-8_shootdown>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
naughty step:
1. A place such as a particular step on a staircase or a stool, where a
child is sent to sit in silence as a punishment.
2. (figuratively) A state of disgrace, exclusion from a group, or
punishment as a result of a misdemeanour.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/naughty_step>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Democracy begins and will be preserved in we, the people's,
habits of heart, in our character: optimism that is tested yet endures,
courage that digs deep when we need it, empathy that fuels democracy,
the willingness to see each other not as enemies but as fellow
Americans. Look, our democracy is imperfect. It always has been. … But
history and common sense tell us that opportunity, liberty, and justice
for all are most likely to come to pass in a democracy.
--Joe Biden
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden>
"I Drink Wine" is a song by English singer Adele (pictured) from her
fourth studio album 30 (2021). Adele co-wrote the song with its producer
Greg Kurstin. It was released by Columbia Records as the album's seventh
track on 19 November 2021. "I Drink Wine" is a ballad with gospel
influences. It is reminiscent of church music and incorporates a piano
and an organ in its instrumentation. The song is about letting go of
one's ego and addresses Adele's divorce with Simon Konecki, comprising
arduous realisations about the condition of her marriage and life. It
received generally positive reviews from music critics, some of whom
viewed it as one of Adele's best songs and a career highlight. "I Drink
Wine" reached the top ten in the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand,
Australia, Canada, and Sweden. Joe Talbot directed the music video for
the song, in which Adele floats in a river and drinks wine. Adele
performed it for her television specials and at the Brit Awards 2022.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Drink_Wine>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1941:
World War II: The Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney and
the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran destroyed each other in the Indian
Ocean.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_HMAS_Sydney>
1969:
Playing for Santos against Vasco da Gama in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazilian footballer Pelé scored his thousandth goal.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pel%C3%A9>
1991:
Mexican singer Luis Miguel released the album Romance, which
led to a revival of interest in bolero music.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_%28Luis_Miguel_album%29>
2004:
During a NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit
Pistons, a brawl between players spilled into the crowd when Ron Artest
attacked a fan who threw a drink at him.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
thunderbox:
1. (slang) A chamber pot enclosed in a box; a portable commode.
2. (by extension, chiefly Australia, Britain, slang) Any lavatory or
toilet, especially a rudimentary outdoor latrine or toilet, or an
outhouse.
3. (theater) A box of metal balls which is shaken to create a thunder
sound effect. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/thunderbox>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The haste of a fool is the slowest thing in the world.
--Thomas Shadwell
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Shadwell>
The 2022 Welsh Open in snooker took place from 28 February to 6 March
2022 at the International Convention Centre Wales at the Celtic Manor
Resort in Newport, Wales. It was the 12th ranking event of the 2021–22
snooker season, and the 31st Welsh Open. The seventh of eight
tournaments in the season's European Series, it was the fourth and last
event of the Home Nations Series. It was broadcast by BBC Cymru Wales,
BBC Online, BBC Red Button, Quest and Eurosport domestically. Jordan
Brown was the defending champion, having defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan
9–8 in the 2021 event. However, Brown lost 3–4 in his held-over
qualifying match against Mitchell Mann. Joe Perry (pictured) defeated
Judd Trump 9–5 in the final to win his first Welsh Open title and his
second ranking title. Aged 47, Perry became the oldest to win a ranking
tournament since Ray Reardon in 1982. There were 58 century breaks made
during the main venue stage of the event; the highest was a 142 made by
Michael White in the second round.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Welsh_Open_%28snooker%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1865:
"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was
published, becoming the first great success of American author Mark
Twain (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celebrated_Jumping_Frog_of_Calaveras_Coun…>
1956:
At the Polish embassy in Moscow, Soviet leader Nikita
Khrushchev said "We will bury you" while addressing Western envoys,
prompting them to leave the room.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_will_bury_you>
1991:
Croatian War of Independence: The Yugoslav People's Army
captured the Croatian city of Vukovar, ending an 87-day siege.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vukovar>
2014:
Two Palestinian men attacked the praying congregants of a
synagogue in Jerusalem with axes, knives, and a gun, resulting in eight
deaths, including the attackers themselves.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Jerusalem_synagogue_attack>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
splutter:
1. (transitive)
2. To forcefully emit (something), especially in small drops or
particles; to sputter.
3. To soil or sprinkle (someone or something) with a substance, often a
liquid; to bespatter, to spatter.
4. (figuratively)
5. To direct angry words, criticism, insults, etc., at (someone or
something).
6. Sometimes followed by out: to speak (words) hurriedly, and confusedly
or unclearly.
7. (intransitive)
8. Of a thing: to forcefully emit something, especially in small drops
or particles.
9. To spray droplets of saliva from the mouth while eating or speaking.
10. Of a substance: to be emitted forcefully in small drops or
particles.
11. To make a sound or sounds of something forcefully emitting a
substance in small drops or particles.
12. Followed by out: to go out (as a flame) or stop functioning (as an
engine or machine) with a spluttering action or sound (senses 2.1 or
2.3).
13. (figuratively)
14. To speak hurriedly, and confusedly or unclearly.
15. To perform in an inconsistent manner to a substandard level. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/splutter>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I am in awe of the majestic miracle that is American democracy.
As we participate in a hallmark of our republic — the peaceful,
orderly transition from one Congress to the next — let us consider the
words of, again, President Lincoln, spoken during one of America’s
darkest hours. He called upon us to come together, to swell the chorus
of the union, when once again touched as surely they will be by the
better angels of our nature. That again is the task at hand. A new day
is dawning on the horizon, and I look forward, always forward, to the
unfolding story of our nation, a story of light and love, of patriotism
and progress, of many becoming one. And always an unfinished mission to
make the dreams of today the reality of tomorrow.
--Nancy Pelosi
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nancy_Pelosi>
The Battle of the Defile was fought over three days in July 731 in and
near the Takhtakaracha Pass (in modern Uzbekistan) between a large army
of the Umayyad Caliphate and forces of the Türgesh Khaganate. The
Türgesh had been besieging Samarkand; Samarkand's commander, Sawra ibn
al-Hurr al-Abani, sent a request for relief to the newly appointed
governor of Khurasan, Junayd ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Murri. Junayd's
28,000-strong army was attacked by the Türgesh in the pass, and
although the Umayyad army managed to extricate itself and reach
Samarkand, it suffered heavy casualties. Sawra's 12,000 men attacked the
Türgesh from the rear in a relief effort and were almost annihilated.
The battle halted and even reversed Muslim expansion into Central Asia
for a decade. In addition, it increased Khurasani disaffection for the
Umayyad regime, and drew away reinforcements from the metropolitan
regions of the Caliphate, helping to bring about its downfall twenty
years later.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Defile>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1592:
Sigismund III Vasa, who was already King of Poland, succeeded
his father John III as King of Sweden.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigismund_III_Vasa>
1796:
French Revolutionary Wars: French forces defeated the Austrians
at the Battle of Arcole in a manoeuvre to cut the latter's line of
retreat.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Arcole>
1968:
NBC controversially cut away from an American football game
between the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets to broadcast Heidi,
causing viewers in the Eastern United States to miss the game's dramatic
ending.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi_Game>
2009:
Administrators at the University of East Anglia's Climatic
Research Unit discovered that their servers had been hacked and
thousands of emails and files on climate change had been stolen.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climatic_Research_Unit_email_controversy>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
airs and graces:
(derogatory) Behaviour adopted (originally) to demonstrate one's good
upbringing; or (now) one's superiority; pretentious or snobbish
behaviour.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/airs_and_graces>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Puritans had accused the Quakers of "troubling the world by
preaching peace to it." They refused to pay church taxes; they refused
to bear arms; they refused to swear allegiance to any government. (In so
doing they were direct actionists, what we may call negative direct
actionists.) So the Puritans, being political actionists, passed laws to
keep them out, to deport, to fine, to imprison, to mutilate, and
finally, to hang them. And the Quakers just kept on coming (which was
positive direct action); and history records that after the hanging of
four Quakers, and the flogging of Margaret Brewster at the cart's tail
through the streets of Boston, "the Puritans gave up trying to silence
the new missionaries"; that "Quaker persistence and Quaker non-
resistance had won the day.
--Voltairine de Cleyre
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Voltairine_de_Cleyre>
Eadwig (c. 940 – 959) was King of England from 955 until his death.
He was the elder son of King Edmund I. Eadwig and his brother Edgar
were too young to rule when Edmund was killed in 946, so Edmund was
succeeded by his brother Eadred, who died unmarried in his early
thirties. Eadwig clashed at the start of his reign with Dunstan, the
future archbishop of Canterbury, and exiled him to Flanders. In 956 he
issued over sixty charters transferring land, perhaps as an attempt to
buy support or to reward his favourites. In 957 the kingdom was divided
between Eadwig, south of the Thames, and Edgar to its north. Historians
disagree whether this was an agreed settlement or the result of
dissatisfaction with Eadwig. The next year, Oda, Archbishop of
Canterbury, separated Eadwig from his wife Ælfgifu on the grounds of
consanguinity. Edgar succeeded to the whole kingdom when Eadwig died. He
was condemned by monastic chroniclers, and some historians see him as a
victim of unjust character assassination.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eadwig>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1632:
King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was killed at the Battle of
Lützen during the Thirty Years' War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_L%C3%BCtzen_%281632%29>
1885:
After a five-day trial following the North-West Rebellion, the
Canadian Métis leader and "Father of Manitoba" Louis Riel was hanged
for high treason.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Riel>
1973:
U.S. president Richard Nixon signed an act authorizing the
construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to transport oil from the
Beaufort Sea to the Gulf of Alaska.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Alaska_Pipeline_System>
1992:
In Suffolk, England, a local man found the largest hoard of
Roman silver and gold in Britain (sample pictured), including the
largest collection of 4th- and 5th-century gold and silver coins ever
discovered within the former Roman Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoxne_Hoard>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
vaporous:
1. Of or relating to vapour; also, having the characteristics or
consistency of vapour.
2. Breathing out or giving off vapour.
3. Of a place: filled with vapour; foggy, misty.
4. Of a thing: covered or hidden by vapour, fog, or mist.
5. (figuratively)
6. Lacking depth or substance; insubstantial, thoughtless, vague.
7. Of clothes or fabric: thin and translucent; filmy, gauzy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vaporous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Art thou pale for weariness Of climbing heaven and gazing on the
earth, Wandering companionless Among the stars that have a different
birth, — And ever changing, like a joyless eye That finds no object
worth its constancy?
--Percy Bysshe Shelley
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Percy_Bysshe_Shelley>
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an audiobook and soundtrack companion
album for the 1982 blockbuster film directed by Steven Spielberg.
Composed by John Williams, the album was narrated by Michael Jackson
(pictured), and distributed by MCA Records. The original song "Someone
in the Dark", sung by Jackson, bookends the album. The album was
released on November 15, 1982 – before Jackson's album Thriller was
released later that month – which led to a lawsuit by his label, Epic
Records, over the soundtrack being released first. The soundtrack album
was withdrawn, and the release of the single "Someone in the Dark" was
prohibited. The album also featured a poster of Jackson with an
animatronic model of E.T.; the image appeared on the cover of Ebony
magazine the following month. Despite its curtailed release, E.T. the
Extra-Terrestrial reached number 37 on the Billboard 200 and
number 82 on the UK Albums Chart. Well-received critically, it won
Jackson a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial_%28album%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1760:
The chapel of the newly constructed Castellania in Valletta,
Malta, was consecrated.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castellania_%28Valletta%29>
1864:
American Civil War: Union Army general William Tecumseh Sherman
began his March to the Sea, inflicting significant damage to property
and infrastructure using scorched-earth tactics on his way from Atlanta
to Savannah, Georgia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tecumseh_Sherman>
1922:
Fountain of Time (detail pictured), in Chicago's Washington
Park, was dedicated as a tribute to 100 years of peace between the
United States and Great Britain following the Treaty of Ghent.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_of_Time>
2012:
Xi Jinping replaced Hu Jintao as General Secretary of the
Chinese Communist Party, succeeding as the paramount leader of China.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bric-a-brac:
1. Small ornaments and other miscellaneous display items of little
value.
2. (by extension) Any collection containing a variety of miscellaneous
items; a hodgepodge, an olio.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bric-a-brac>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If freedom is to be saved and enlarged, poverty must be ended.
There is no other solution.
--Aneurin Bevan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aneurin_Bevan>
Roberta Williams (born 1953) is an American video game designer and
writer who co-founded Sierra On-Line with her game developer husband,
Ken Williams. Her first game, Mystery House, was released in 1980,
became a modest commercial success, and is credited as the first graphic
adventure game. She is also known for creating and maintaining the
King's Quest series, as well as designing the 1995 full motion video
game Phantasmagoria. After Sierra was acquired by CUC International in
1996, she grew increasingly frustrated with CUC's creative and business
decisions. She left the game industry and focused on her travels and
historical fiction writing. In 2021, she released the historical novel
Farewell to Tara. Several publications have named Roberta Williams as
one of the best or most influential creators in the video game industry.
She has received the Industry Icon Award from The Game Awards, and the
Pioneer Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberta_Williams>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1992:
In poor conditions caused by Cyclone Forrest, Vietnam Airlines
Flight 474 crashed near Nha Trang, killing 30 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Forrest>
1995:
As a result of budget conflicts between President Bill Clinton
and the United States Congress led by Newt Gingrich, the federal
government was forced to shut down non-essential services.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995%E2%80%931996_United_States_federal_gover…>
2003:
Astronomers Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L.
Rabinowitz discovered the trans-Neptunian object Sedna (artist's
impression pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/90377_Sedna>
2010:
Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers'
Championship after winning the final race of the season, becoming the
youngest Formula One champion.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Vettel>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
let bygones be bygones:
(intransitive, idiomatic) To disregard or ignore a past difficulty in a
relationship or an offence (when dealing with another individual).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/let_bygones_be_bygones>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The one and only test of a valid religious idea, doctrinal
statement, spiritual experience, or devotional practice was that it must
lead directly to practical compassion. If your understanding of the
divine made you kinder, more empathetic, and impelled you to express
this sympathy in concrete acts of loving-kindness, this was good
theology. But if your notion of God made you unkind, belligerent, cruel,
or self-righteous, or if it led you to kill in God's name, it was bad
theology. Compassion was the litmus test for the prophets of Israel, for
the rabbis of the Talmud, for Jesus, for Paul, and for Muhammad, not to
mention Confucius, Lao-tsu, the Buddha, or the sages of the Upanishads.
--Karen Armstrong
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Karen_Armstrong>
The black-shouldered kite (Elanus axillaris) is a small raptor found in
open habitat throughout Australia. It resembles similar species found in
Africa, Eurasia and North America, including the black-winged kite.
Measuring around 35 cm (14 in) in length with a wingspan of 80 to
100 cm (30 to 40 in), the adult has predominantly grey and white
plumage, prominent black markings above its red eyes, and black patches
on its wings. Monogamous pairs engage in aerial courtship displays and
breed between August and January. Three or four eggs are laid and
incubated for around 30 days. Chicks are fully fledged within five weeks
of hatching and can hunt for mice within a week of leaving the nest.
Juveniles disperse widely from the home territory. The black-shouldered
kite hunts in open fields and grasslands, searching for its prey while
hovering. It mainly eats small rodents, particularly the introduced
house mouse. The species is not threatened.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-shouldered_kite>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1940:
Walt Disney's Fantasia, the first commercial film shown with
stereophonic sound, premiered at the Broadway Theatre in New York City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasia_%281940_film%29>
1963:
A man wielding a dagger was subdued as he was about to attack
Sanzō Nosaka, the chairman of the Japanese Communist Party.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanz%C5%8D_Nosaka>
1985:
Nevado del Ruiz erupted, causing a volcanic mudslide that
buried the town of Armero, Colombia, killing approximately 23,000
people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armero_tragedy>
1992:
The High Court of Australia ruled in Dietrich v The Queen that,
although there is no absolute right to have publicly funded counsel, a
judge should grant any request for an adjournment or stay in most
circumstances in which an accused is unrepresented.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_v_The_Queen>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
wrangle:
1. (transitive)
2. To convince or influence (someone) by arguing or contending.
3. Followed by out of: to elicit (something) from a person by arguing or
bargaining.
4. (archaic, rare)
5. To speak or write (something) in an argumentative or contentious
manner.
6. To spend (time) arguing or quarrelling.
7. (Western US) To herd (horses or other livestock).
8. (by extension, humorous) To manage or supervise (people).
9. (figuratively) To gather and organize (data, facts, information,
etc.), especially in a way which requires sentience rather than
automated methods alone, as in data wrangling.
10. (obsolete)
11. Followed by out of: to compel or drive (someone or something) away
through arguing.
12. Followed by out: to put forward arguments on (a case, a matter
disagreed upon, etc.).
13. (reflexive) To cause (oneself) grief through arguing or quarrelling.
14. (intransitive)
15. (also figuratively) To quarrel angrily and noisily; to bicker.
16. To make harsh noises as if quarrelling.
17. (generally, also figuratively) To argue, to debate; also (dated), to
debate or discuss publicly, especially about a thesis at a university.
[...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wrangle>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The spiritual virtue of a sacrament is like light: although it
passes among the impure, it is not polluted.
--Augustine of Hippo
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo>
Wizards of Waverly Place is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by
Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between
October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo –
played by Selena Gomez (pictured) – a teenage wizard living in
Greenwich Village, Manhattan, who undertakes training alongside her
siblings, Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin). Wizards of
Waverly Place enjoyed high viewership in the United States; its series
finale was the most-watched final episode of any Disney Channel show. A
television film adaptation, Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, aired
in 2009 and was awarded a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding
Children's Program in 2010. The series Wizards of Waverly Place won two
Emmys, in 2009 and 2012. Television critics praised the show for its
humor and cast; Gomez's affiliation with the network led to a prominent
musical career apart from the program.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizards_of_Waverly_Place>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1942:
World War II: The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, the decisive
engagement in a series of sea battles between Allied and Japanese forces
during the months-long Guadalcanal campaign in the Solomon Islands,
began.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Battle_of_Guadalcanal>
1945:
Sudirman was elected the first commander-in-chief of the
Indonesian Armed Forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudirman>
2014:
The European Space Agency lander Philae touched down on
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, becoming the first spacecraft to land on a
comet.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/67P/Churyumov%E2%80%93Gerasimenko>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
in the cold light of day:
Viewed calmly and dispassionately after allowing emotions to cool.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/in_the_cold_light_of_day>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There are people that can't go to Fantastica. There are those who
can but never return. And there are just a few who go to Fantastica and
come back. And they make both worlds well again.
--The Neverending Story
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Neverending_Story>
The Cenotaph is a war memorial on Whitehall in London. Designed by Sir
Edwin Lutyens, it was unveiled in 1920 as the United Kingdom's national
memorial to the British and Commonwealth dead of the First World War. It
was rededicated in 1946 to also commemorate those who had fallen in the
Second World War, and has since come to represent British casualties
from later conflicts. The word cenotaph is derived from Greek, meaning
'empty tomb'; the monument symbolises the absence of the dead and is a
focal point for public mourning. The original temporary Cenotaph was
erected in 1919 for a parade celebrating the end of the First World War;
calls for it to be rebuilt in permanent form began almost immediately.
The permanent Cenotaph was unveiled by George V on 11 November 1920 in
a ceremony combined with the repatriation of the Unknown Warrior. The
National Service of Remembrance is held annually at the site on
Remembrance Sunday.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cenotaph>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1805:
War of the Third Coalition: French, Austrian and Russian units
suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Dürenstein.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_D%C3%BCrenstein>
1960:
A coup attempt by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam against
President Ngô Đình Diệm was crushed after he falsely promised
reform, allowing loyalists to rescue him.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_South_Vietnamese_coup_attempt>
1975:
During a constitutional crisis, Governor-General John Kerr
dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's government and dissolved the
Parliament of Australia for a double-dissolution election.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Australian_constitutional_crisis>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
witzchoura:
(historical) A woman's fur-lined cloak, mantle, or pelisse with large
sleeves, worn during the early 19th century.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/witzchoura>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I could not dig: I dared not rob: Therefore I lied to please the
mob. Now all my lies are proved untrue And I must face the men I slew.
What tale shall serve me here among Mine angry and defrauded young?
--Rudyard Kipling
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rudyard_Kipling>