The European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), is a crepuscular and
nocturnal insect-eating bird that breeds across Europe and temperate
Asia. All six subspecies of this nightjar are migratory, wintering in
sub-Saharan Africa. Their densely patterned grey and brown plumage makes
them difficult to see in the daytime when they rest on the ground or
perch motionless along a branch, although the male shows white patches
in the wings and tail in flight. The preferred habitat is dry, open
country with some trees and small bushes. The breeding male has a
churring trill, and patrols his territory with wings held in a V-shape.
The female lays two eggs directly on the ground; they hatch after about
17–21 days and the chicks fledge in another 16–17 days. Both
"Caprimulgus" and the old name "goatsucker" refer to the myth that
nightjars suckled she-goats, causing them to cease to give milk. Its
large numbers and huge breeding range mean that it is classed by the
IUCN as being of least concern.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_nightjar>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
George Washington took the oath of office as the first
president of the United States at Federal Hall in New York City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_George_Washington>
1945:
World War II: As Allied forces closed in on Berlin, Nazi
leader Adolf Hitler committed suicide in the Führerbunker with Eva
Braun one day after their marriage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Adolf_Hitler>
1982:
Sixteen monks and a nun of the Hindu organisation Ananda Marga
were beaten to death and set on fire in Calcutta, India.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bijon_Setu_massacre>
1997:
In "The Puppy Episode", the lead character of the TV series
Ellen, played by Ellen DeGeneres, came out as lesbian.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Puppy_Episode>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
desiccate:
1. (transitive) To remove moisture from; to dry.
2. (transitive) To preserve by drying.
3. (intransitive, rare) To become dry; to dry up.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/desiccate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Now we are at ground zero as regards the world we need to build.
A world of respect for international law, the UN Charter, and the power
of multilateralism. A world where civilians have protection. Where human
rights are a priority. Where leaders live up to the declared values they
have committed to. It is also a struggle, but we must win it for the
sake of every country, community and person around the world.
--António Guterres
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B3nio_Guterres>
The Battle of Oroscopa was fought in late 151 BC between a Carthaginian
army commanded by the general Hasdrubal and a Numidian force under its
king, Masinissa, in what is now north western Tunisia. A peace treaty
with Rome prohibited Carthage from waging war. Masinissa, an ally of
Rome, exploited this to repeatedly raid Carthaginian territory. In
151 BC Carthage assembled an army under Hasdrubal and attempted to
deter Masinissa's aggression against the town of Oroscopa. Masinissa
lured the Carthaginians into an area of rough terrain and surrounded
them. The Carthaginians expected their opponents to disperse, but
Masinissa had forged a well-disciplined army and it was able to starve
the Carthaginians into surrender. The Carthaginians were then
treacherously attacked and many, perhaps most, were killed. Hasdrubal
survived and returned to Carthage, where he was condemned to death in an
attempt to placate Rome. But Rome launched a punitive expedition,
starting the Third Punic War which ended in the complete destruction of
Carthage in 146 BC.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Oroscopa>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1760:
Seven Years' War: France began an unsuccessful attempt to
retake Quebec City, which had been captured by Britain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Quebec_%281760%29>
1910:
Parliament passed the People's Budget, the first budget in
British history with the express intent of redistributing wealth.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Budget>
1992:
The acquittal of policemen who had beaten African-American
motorist Rodney King sparked six days of civil unrest in Los Angeles
(damage pictured), during which 63 people were killed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots>
1997:
The Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force, outlawing
the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons in the 87
countries that had ratified the convention.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_Weapons_Convention>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
curate's egg:
(idiomatic) A thing which has good and bad parts, but is overall spoilt
by the bad.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/curate%27s_egg>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Despite the disturbing rhetoric coming out of the Kremlin, the
facts are plain for everybody to see. We’re not attacking Russia;
we’re helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. And
just as Putin chose to launch this brutal invasion, he could make the
choice to end this brutal invasion. Russia is the aggressor. No if,
ands, or buts about it. Russia is the aggressor. And the world must and
will hold Russia accountable.
--Joe Biden
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden>
Paige Bueckers (born 2001) is an American college basketball player for
the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies in the NCAA Division I. A
5-foot-11-inch (1.80 m) point guard, she became the first freshman to
win a major national college player of the year award. She led UConn to
the Final Four as a freshman and to the national championship game as a
sophomore. Bueckers played varsity basketball for Hopkins High School in
Minnetonka, Minnesota, from eighth grade and helped the team win the
state title as a junior. She was considered the number one high school
player in her class by ESPN, earned national high school player of the
year honors in her senior season and graduated from Hopkins as one of
Minnesota's most distinguished high school players. A three-time gold
medalist for the United States in youth basketball, Bueckers was named
Most Valuable Player of the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, and USA
Basketball Female Athlete of the Year in the same year.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paige_Bueckers>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1887:
A week after being arrested by the Prussian Secret Police,
French police inspector Guillaume Schnaebelé was released on the order
of William I, the German Emperor, defusing a possible war.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_Schnaebel%C3%A9>
1910:
Flying from London to Manchester, French aviator Louis Paulhan
won the first long-distance aeroplane race in England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1910_London_to_Manchester_air_race>
1952:
Japan and the Republic of China signed the Treaty of Taipei to
officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War, seven years after fighting
in that conflict ended due to World War II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Taipei>
1983:
The West German news magazine Stern published excerpts from
what purported to be the diaries of Adolf Hitler, which were
subsequently revealed to be forgeries.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Diaries>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bounty:
1. (uncountable) Generosity; also (countable) an act of generosity.
2. (countable) Something given liberally; a gift.
3. (countable) A reward for some specific act, especially one given by
an authority or a government.
4. (specifically) A monetary reward for capturing (or, in the past,
killing) a person accused or convicted of a crime and who is at large;
also, a similar reward for capturing or killing an animal which is
dangerous or causing a nuisance.
5. (military, historical) Money paid to a person when becoming a member
of the armed forces, or as a reward for some service therein.
6. (countable, figuratively) An abundance or wealth.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bounty>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Russia’s invasion is indefensible. And so are Russian
atrocities. We all start today from a position of moral clarity. Russia
is waging a war of choice to indulge the ambitions of one man. Ukraine
is fighting a war of necessity to defend its democracy, its sovereignty,
and its citizens. But the stakes stretch beyond Ukraine — and even
beyond Europe. Russia’s invasion is baseless, reckless, and lawless.
It is an affront to the rules-based international order. It is a
challenge to free people everywhere. As we see this morning, nations of
goodwill from around the world stand united in our resolve to support
Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s imperial aggression. And
that’s the way it should be.
--Lloyd Austin
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lloyd_Austin>
Uroš Drenović (1911–1944) was a Bosnian Serb officer of the Royal
Yugoslav Army who became a Chetnik commander during World War II. He
was one of the leaders of the popular uprising in mid-1941 against the
Ustaše, a fascist organization that governed the Independent State of
Croatia, a puppet state of the Axis powers. However, he eventually
betrayed the communist-led Partisans and sided with the royalist and
Serbian nationalist Chetniks, whose ideology more closely matched his
own. He was defeated by the Partisans and fled to Ustaše-held territory
where, out of military and political necessity, he concluded a
collaboration agreement with them on 27 April 1942. He later
collaborated with the Italian and German occupiers against the
Partisans. Drenović was killed in an Allied air raid in May 1944.
Despite his extensive collaboration, he and his Chetniks are celebrated
in Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
creating significant controversy.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uro%C5%A1_Drenovi%C4%87>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1865:
An explosion (depicted) destroyed the steamboat Sultana on the
Mississippi River, killing an estimated 1,700 of her 2,400 passengers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultana_%28steamboat%29>
1961:
Prime Minister Milton Margai led the Sierra Leone Colony and
Protectorate to independence from the United Kingdom.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Margai>
1985:
The World Snooker Championship final, one of the most famous
snooker matches in history, began between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor,
helping to fuel a surge in the sport's popularity.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_World_Snooker_Championship_final>
2012:
Unknown perpetrators carried out a series of four bombings in
Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Dnipropetrovsk_explosions>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
recrudescence:
1. The condition or state being recrudescent; the condition of something
(often undesirable) breaking out again, or re-emerging after temporary
abatement or suppression.
2. (medicine, by extension) The acute recurrence of a disease, or its
symptoms, after a period of improvement.
3. (botany) The production of a fresh shoot from a ripened spike.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/recrudescence>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We want to see Ukraine remain a sovereign country, a democratic
country able to protect its sovereign territory. We want to see Russia
weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it
has done in invading Ukraine … it has already lost a lot of military
capability, and a lot of its troops, quite frankly. And we want to see
them not have the capability to very quickly reproduce that capability.
--Lloyd Austin
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lloyd_Austin>
The 1921–22 season was Cardiff City's first in the First Division of
the Football League following election from the Southern Football League
to the Second Division for the 1920–21 season. They had won promotion
last season, finishing as runners-up behind Birmingham on goal average
and becoming the first Welsh team to reach the top tier of English
football. They reached the fourth round of the FA Cup. Fred Stewart
remained manager and new signings included full back Tommy Brown and
forward Willie Page. Cardiff were investigated by the FA and the FAW
over an illegal approach for Wolverhampton's defender Dickie Baugh and
club and player were both fined. John Pritchard was elected chairman,
but was replaced in November by Walter Empsall. Cardiff made significant
investments in the club's ground, Ninian Park, laying a new pitch and
improving viewing for spectators. During the latter work, refuse dumped
by Cardiff Corporation caught alight, but the blaze was doused with the
aid of local supporters.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1921%E2%80%9322_Cardiff_City_F.C._season>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1865:
U.S. Army soldiers cornered and fatally shot John Wilkes Booth,
the assassin of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln, ending a twelve-day
manhunt.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes_Booth>
1941:
Boris Kidrič and Edvard Kardelj founded the Liberation Front
of the Slovene Nation, the main anti-fascist Slovene civil-resistance
and political organization during World War II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Front_of_the_Slovene_Nation>
1958:
Service ended on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Royal Blue
Line, one of the first major electrified train lines in the U.S. (train
pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Blue_%28train%29>
1970:
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) came into
being when the WIPO Convention entered into force.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Intellectual_Property_Organization>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
prozymite:
(Roman Catholicism, historical, derogatory) One who administers the
Eucharist with leavened bread, in particular a member of the Eastern
Orthodox Church.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prozymite>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Russia has sought as its principal aim to totally subjugate
Ukraine — to take away its sovereignty, to take away its independence.
That has failed. It’s sought to assert the power of its military and
its economy. We of course are seeing just the opposite — a military
that is dramatically underperforming; an economy, as a result of
sanctions, as a result of a mass exodus from Russia, that is in
shambles. And it’s sought to divide the West and NATO; of course,
we’re seeing exactly the opposite … We don’t know how the rest of
this war will unfold, but we do know that a sovereign, independent
Ukraine will be around a lot longer than Vladimir Putin is on the scene.
And our support for Ukraine going forward will continue.
--Antony Blinken
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken>
No. 79 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flight training
squadron that has been formed on four occasions. Established in April
1943 as a fighter unit equipped with Supermarine Spitfires, it saw
combat in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. The squadron
disbanded in November 1945 but re-formed in 1962 to operate CAC Sabres
(pictured) to help defend Thailand against a feared attack from
neighbouring states. No. 79 Squadron was active again in Malaysia
between 1986 and 1988, operating Mirage III fighters and a single DHC-4
Caribou transport. Re-formed in its present incarnation in 1998, it is
stationed at RAAF Base Pearce, where it has operated Hawk 127 jet
training aircraft since 2000. The unit's main role is to provide
introductory jet aircraft training to RAAF pilots and refresher training
on the Hawk for experienced pilots. No. 79 Squadron also supports
Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy training exercises in Western
Australia and the Northern Territory.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._79_Squadron_RAAF>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1644:
Ming–Qing transition: The Ming dynasty of China fell when the
Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide during a peasant rebellion led by Li
Zicheng.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_dynasty>
1932:
Gladys Elinor Watkins consecrated the carillon of the National
War Memorial in New Zealand (dedication pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_Elinor_Watkins>
1946:
Two passenger trains collided in Naperville, Illinois, leaving
45 people dead and some 125 injured.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naperville_train_disaster>
1990:
Violeta Chamorro took office as president of Nicaragua,
becoming the first female head of state in the Americas to have been
elected in her own right.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violeta_Chamorro>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
chur:
1. (New Zealand, informal) A strong voicing of agreement, approval, or
thanks: awesome!, cheers!, ta!, thanks!.
2. (New Zealand, informal) A parting salutation: bye, see you later.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chur>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I'm not the candidate of one faction anymore, but the president
for all of us. … I know full well that many in this country voted for
me not because they support my ideas but to block the far-right. I want
to thank them tonight, and know I owe them a debt in the years to come.
… We have so much to do, and the war in Ukraine reminds us that we are
going through tragic times, times where France must be heard, France
must clearly make its choices, and France must anchor its strength in
all fields, and we will do just that. … We also need to be careful and
respectful because our country is full of division and doubt. Therefore
we must be strong and no one will be left by the wayside. Together we
must work towards that unity which is the only way through which we can
live happier in France, and can overcome the challenges of the coming
years. The coming years won't be easy for sure, but they will be
historic, and together, we will write that story for the coming
generations.
--Emmanuel Macron
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Macron>
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian
people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. At the
orders of Talaat Pasha, an estimated 800,000 to 1,200,000 Armenian
women, children, and elderly or infirm people were sent on death marches
to the Syrian Desert in 1915 and 1916. Driven forward by paramilitary
escorts, the deportees were deprived of food and water and subjected to
robberies, rapes, and massacres. In the desert, the survivors were
dispersed into concentration camps. In 1916 another wave of massacres
was ordered, leaving about 200,000 deportees alive by the end of 1916.
Around 100,000 to 200,000 Armenian women and children were forcibly
converted to Islam and integrated into Muslim households. The Turkish
nationalist movement carried out massacres and ethnic cleansing of
survivors during the Turkish War of Independence after World War I.
The Armenian genocide destroyed more than two millennia of Armenian
civilization in eastern Anatolia.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_genocide>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1866:
German composer Max Bruch conducted the premiere of his first
violin concerto, which later became his most famous work.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_No._1_%28Bruch%29>
1922:
The first portion of the Imperial Wireless Chain, a strategic
international wireless telegraphy communications network created to link
the countries of the British Empire, opened.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Wireless_Chain>
1932:
An estimated 400 ramblers committed a wilful mass trespass of
Kinder Scout in the Peak District to highlight the denial of access to
areas of open country in England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_trespass_of_Kinder_Scout>
1965:
Cold War: The Dominican Civil War broke out due to tensions
following a military coup against the democratically elected government
of President Juan Bosch two years earlier.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Civil_War>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
loath:
1. Averse, disinclined; reluctant, unwilling.
2. (obsolete) Angry, hostile.
3. (obsolete) Loathsome, unpleasant.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/loath>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same
is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such
little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of
these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a
millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the
depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must
needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence
cometh!
--Gospel of Matthew
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Matthew>
The American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) is a smooth-skinned ray-
finned freshwater fish that is the only living species of the paddlefish
family. The fish is often considered a relict species as it retains some
morphological traits of its early ancestors, including a mostly
cartilaginous skeleton and a paddle-shaped rostrum extending from its
cranium for roughly one-third its body length. It is also considered a
highly derived fish due to its novel adaptations, such as filter
feeding. The planktivorous fish averages 5 ft (1.5 m) in length, and
has a heterocercal tail fin resembling that of sharks. It is native to
the Mississippi River basin, with a range extending to the Great Lakes,
but is now considered vulnerable due to overfishing, poaching, habitat
destruction, and pollution, and its naturally occurring populations have
died off in most of its peripheral range, including New York and
Pennsylvania.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_paddlefish>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1891:
Chilean Civil War: The armored frigate Blanco Encalada was sunk
at the Battle of Caldera Bay, the first ironclad warship lost to a self-
propelled torpedo.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Caldera_Bay>
1927:
Cardiff City defeated Arsenal 1–0 in the FA Cup Final (match
programme pictured), the only time the FA Cup has been won by a non-
English team.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1927_FA_Cup_Final>
1942:
Second World War: In retaliation for the Royal Air Force's
bombing of Lübeck, the Luftwaffe began a series of air raids across
England, beginning with Exeter.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baedeker_Blitz>
2019:
A landslide triggered the collapse of a jade mine in Hpakant,
Myanmar, resulting in six confirmed deaths and presumed dozens more.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2019_Hpakant_jade_mine_collapse>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Gramarye:
(literary, Arthurian, rare) The island of Britain.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Gramarye>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Our work to date has detailed a horror story of violations
perpetrated against civilians. First and foremost, this senseless war
must stop. But as the fighting shows no sign of abating, it is vital
that all parties to the conflict give clear instructions to their
combatants to strictly respect international humanitarian law and
international human rights law. … This means distinguishing between
civilian and military objects. It means not targeting or deliberately
killing civilians. It means not committing sexual violence. People,
including prisoners of war, must not be tortured. Civilians, prisoners
and others hors de combat must be treated humanely. … Those in command
of armed forces must make it clear to their fighters that anyone found
to have been involved in such violations will be prosecuted and held
accountable.
--Michelle Bachelet
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Michelle_Bachelet>
Regine Velasquez (born April 22, 1970) is a Filipino singer and
actress. Her career began with wins in the television talent show Ang
Bagong Kampeon in 1984 and the Asia Pacific Singing Contest in 1989. Her
1987 debut album Regine was guided by Viva Records executive Vic del
Rosario and producer Ronnie Henares. With PolyGram Records, she achieved
commercial success in Asia with her albums Listen Without Prejudice
(1994), My Love Emotion (1995), and Retro (1997). Velasquez played the
female lead in the romantic comedies Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw (2000), Till I
Met You (2006), and Paano Kita Iibigin (2007), and in the primetime
television series Forever in My Heart (2004), Diva (2010), I Heart You,
Pare! (2011), and Poor Señorita (2016). She won a Star Award for
playing an intellectually disabled woman in the anthology series
Maalaala Mo Kaya (2001) and a Golden Screen Award for playing a
document forger in the comedy Of All the Things (2012). (This article
is part of a featured topic: Overview of Regine Velasquez.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Overview_of_Regine_…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1622:
Anglo-Persian forces combined to capture the Portuguese
garrison at Hormuz Island in the Persian Gulf.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Persian_capture_of_Ormuz>
1864:
The U.S. Congress authorized the creation of a two-cent coin,
the first U.S. currency to bear the phrase "In God We Trust".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust>
1945:
About 600 prisoners of the Jasenovac concentration camp in the
Independent State of Croatia revolted, but only 80 managed to escape
while the remainder were killed by the Ustaše regime.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasenovac_concentration_camp>
2004:
Flammable cargo exploded at a railway station in Ryongchon,
North Korea, killing at least 54 people and injuring more than a
thousand others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryongchon_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
agrology:
1. (rare) A subdiscipline of agronomy (the science of utilizing animals,
plants, and soils) and of soil science which addresses the influence of
edaphic (soil-related) conditions on crop production for optimizing it.
2. (chiefly Canada) The science and art of agriculture.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/agrology>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Further escalation of the war, whether by accident or design,
threatens all of humanity. Raising the alert of Russian nuclear forces
is a bone-chilling development. The prospect of nuclear conflict, once
unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility. … It’s
time to stop the horror unleashed on the people of Ukraine and get on
the path of diplomacy and peace. I have been in close contact with a
number of countries — including China, France, Germany, India, Israel
and Turkey — on mediation efforts to bring an end to this war. The
appeals for peace must be heard. This tragedy must stop. It is never
too late for diplomacy and dialogue. We need an immediate cessation of
hostilities and serious negotiations based on the principles of the UN
Charter and international law. We need peace. Peace for the people of
Ukraine. Peace for the world. We need peace now.
--António Guterres
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B3nio_Guterres>
John Watts Young (1930–2018) was an American astronaut, naval officer
and aviator, test pilot, and aeronautical engineer. On April 21, 1972,
he became the ninth person to walk on the Moon as commander of
Apollo 16. He flew on four different classes of spacecraft: the Gemini
capsule, the Apollo command and service module, the Apollo lunar module,
and the Space Shuttle. Young served in the U.S. Navy as an aviator, and
graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. He set multiple world
time-to-climb records, and was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut
Group 2 in 1962. He flew on Gemini 3 in 1965, and commanded
Gemini 10 in 1966. He flew as the command module pilot on Apollo 10 in
1969. After that, he commanded Apollo 16, and spent three days on the
lunar surface exploring the Descartes Highlands with Charles Duke. Young
also commanded STS-1, the Space Shuttle program's first launch, in 1981,
and STS-9 in 1983. He retired from NASA in 2004. (This article is part
of a featured topic: NASA Astronaut Group 2.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/NASA_Astronaut_Grou…>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1509:
Henry VIII became King of England, following the death of his
father Henry VII, eventually becoming a significant figure in the
history of the English monarchy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII>
1925 or 1926:
Al-Baqi Cemetery in Medina, the site of the mausoleum
of four of the Twelve Imams of Shia Islam, was demolished by Wahhabis.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition_of_al-Baqi>
1962:
The Century 21 Exposition, the first world's fair in the
United States since World War II, opened in Seattle.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_21_Exposition>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
hector:
1. (transitive) To dominate or intimidate in a blustering way; to bully,
to domineer.
2. (intransitive) To behave like a hector or bully; to bluster, to
swagger; to bully.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hector>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I made a decision to carry out a special military operation. The
purpose of this operation is to protect people who, for eight years now,
have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kiev
regime. To this end, we will seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine,
as well as bring to trial those who perpetrated numerous bloody crimes
against civilians, including against citizens of the Russian Federation.
It is not our plan to occupy the Ukrainian territory. We do not intend
to impose anything on anyone by force. … The current events have
nothing to do with a desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and
the Ukrainian people. … I would now like to say something very
important for those who may be tempted to interfere in these
developments from the outside. No matter who tries to stand in our way
or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they
must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences
will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.
--Vladimir Putin
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin>