The Cat and the Canary is a 1927 American silent horror film directed by
German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni. An adaptation of John
Willard's 1922 black-comedy play of the same name, the film stars Laura
La Plante, Forrest Stanley and Creighton Hale. The plot revolves around
the death of a man, and the reading of his will 20 years later. A woman
inherits her uncle's fortune, but when she and her family spend the
night in his mansion they are stalked by a mysterious figure (scene
pictured). They have also been told that a lunatic has escaped from an
asylum and is hiding in the mansion. The film is part of the genre of
comedy horror films inspired by 1920s Broadway plays. The Cat and the
Canary blends expressionism with humor, a style for which Leni was
notable. It was influential in the "old dark house" genre of films
popular from the 1930s through the 1950s. The film was one of
Universal's early horror productions, and is considered to be the
"cornerstone of Universal's school of horror".
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_and_the_Canary_%281927_film%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1952:
An earthquake registering 7.3 Mw struck the southern San
Joaquin Valley in California, causing 12 deaths and an estimated
$60 million in property damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_Kern_County_earthquake>
1959:
The inaugural International Mathematical Olympiad, the leading
mathematical competition for pre-university students, began in Romania.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mathematical_Olympiad>
1960:
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was elected the prime minister of Ceylon,
becoming the world's first democratically elected female head of
government.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirimavo_Bandaranaike>
1977:
Libyan forces carried out a raid at Sallum, sparking a four-day
war with Egypt.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian%E2%80%93Libyan_War>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
kouign-amann:
A traditional Breton cake made of layers of butter, dough, and sugar.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kouign-amann>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
All words, in every language, are metaphors.
--Marshall McLuhan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan>
Maurice Leyland (20 July 1900 – 1 January 1967) was an English
international cricketer who played 41 Test matches between 1928 and 1938
and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929. In first-class cricket,
he represented Yorkshire between 1920 and 1946, scoring over 1,000 runs
in 17 consecutive seasons. He made his Test début in 1928 against West
Indies, and was a member of the English team that toured Australia that
winter, scoring a century in his only Test of the series. He held his
place most of the time until 1938 when he was replaced for the series
against Australia. Recalled to play in the final match, he scored 187,
his personal best Test score, in his last ever Test match. Leyland had a
reputation for batting well under pressure. He performed most
effectively against the best teams and bowlers; his Test batting record
is better than his first-class figures, and against Australia his
average is even higher. Leyland had a reputation as a humorist, with
many stories told about him.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Leyland>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1950:
Korean War: After a month-long campaign, much of the North
Korean air force was destroyed by United Nations forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Battle_of_South_Korea>
1982:
Members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated two
bombs in Hyde Park and Regent's Park in London, killing eleven British
Army personnel and seven horses.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyde_Park_and_Regent%27s_Park_bombings>
1997:
USS Constitution, one of the United States Navy's original six
frigates, sailed for the first time in 116 years after a full
restoration.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Constitution>
2012:
A gunman carried out a mass shooting at a movie theater in
Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Aurora,_Colorado_shooting>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
fancied:
1. Existing only in the fancy (“imagination”); imaginary, imagined.
2. Organized, or (especially of attire) designed, to suit one's fancy or
whim.
3. Having a fancy (“inclination, liking, or love”) for; desired,
favourite.
4. (obsolete) Designed in an artistic manner.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fancied>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I cannot seek paths so harsh or so savage that Love does not
always come along discoursing with me and I with him.
--Petrarch
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Petrarch>
The Battle of Halidon Hill took place on 19 July 1333 when a Scottish
army under Sir Archibald Douglas attacked an English army commanded by
King Edward III (reigned 1327 to 1377) and was heavily defeated. In
early 1333 Edward invaded Scotland and laid siege to the strategically
important border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. A large Scottish army
advanced to relieve the town. Knowing Berwick was on the verge of
surrender and aware they were much stronger than the English, the Scots
attacked (depicted). The English had taken up a favourable defensive
position and their longbowmen caused heavy Scottish casualties during
their approach. When the Scots came into contact with the English
infantry the fight was short. The Scottish formations collapsed and the
Scots fled. The English men-at-arms mounted their horses and pursued the
Scots for 8 miles (13 km) causing further heavy casualties. The
Scottish commander and many of the Scots' senior nobility were killed.
Berwick surrendered on terms the next day.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Halidon_Hill>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1848:
The two-day Seneca Falls Convention, the first women's-rights
and feminist convention held in the United States, opened in Seneca
Falls, New York.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Falls_Convention>
1957:
The largely autobiographical novel The Ordeal of Gilbert
Pinfold by Evelyn Waugh was published.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ordeal_of_Gilbert_Pinfold>
1992:
A car bomb killed the anti-Mafia judge Paolo Borsellino and
five policemen in Palermo, Italy, less than two months after the murder
of Borsellino's friend and colleague Giovanni Falcone.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Borsellino>
1997:
The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army announced
that it would resume its ceasefire, ending its 28-year campaign against
British rule in Northern Ireland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisional_Irish_Republican_Army_campaign>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
musette:
1. (music)
2. (historical) Any of various small bagpipes having a soft sound,
especially with a bellows, which were popular in France in the 17th and
early 18th century.
3. (by extension) A pastoral air or tune that has a drone imitating such
an instrument; also, a dance performed to this music.
4. (historical) An organ stop using reed pipes with cone-shaped
resonators, found in organs in France in the 17th and 18th centuries.
5. A small oboe without a cap for its reed, which evolved from the
chanter or pipe of bagpipes; a piccolo oboe.
6. (chiefly US, originally military) In full musette bag: a small bag or
knapsack with a shoulder strap, formerly used by soldiers, and now
(cycling) chiefly by cyclists to hold food and beverages or other items.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/musette>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There's no chance for us It's all decided for us This world has
only one sweet moment Set aside for us.Who wants to live forever? Who
wants to live forever? Who dares to love forever Oh, when love must
die?
--Brian May
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Brian_May>
Khalid ibn al-Walid (died 642) was a commander under the Islamic prophet
Muhammad and the first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar. Before his
conversion to Islam, Khalid helped defeat the Muslims at the Battle of
Uhud in 625. After Khalid converted, Muhammad bestowed on him the title
Sayf Allah ('the Sword of God'). In 632, Khalid was appointed by Abu
Bakr to suppress or subjugate the tribes of central Arabia opposed to
the nascent Muslim state in the Ridda wars. He led the initial campaigns
in Sasanian Iraq in 633–634, before being deployed to lead the Muslim
conquest of Byzantine Syria. He reached Syria after a famed desert march
and led the decisive Muslim victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of
Yarmouk. Umar demoted Khalid around 636, but he continued military
service in Syria for about two more years. Though the Islamic tradition
lauds his command of the early conquests, Khalid's military fame
disturbed some early Muslims, including Umar, who feared it could
develop into a personality cult.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalid_ibn_al-Walid>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1936:
Nationalist rebels attempted a coup against the Second Spanish
Republic, sparking the Spanish Civil War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_coup_of_July_1936>
1995:
Selena's album Dreaming of You, instrumental in popularizing
Tejano music, was released posthumously.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreaming_of_You_%28Selena_album%29>
2012:
A suicide bomber attacked an Israeli tour bus at Burgas
Airport, Bulgaria, resulting in the military branch of Hezbollah being
designated a terrorist organization by the European Union.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Burgas_bus_bombing>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
on fleek:
1. Flawless; perfect; spot on.
2. Of an article of clothing or outfit: stylish and perfectly chosen or
put together.
3. Of eyebrows or hair: sleek and perfectly groomed or styled; well-
groomed.
4. (African-American Vernacular, slang) In a sleek or stylish manner;
sleekly, stylishly.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/on_fleek>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Democracy is based on the majority principle. This is especially
true in a country such as ours where the vast majority have been
systematically denied their rights. At the same time, democracy also
requires that the rights of political and other minorities be
safeguarded. In the political order we have established there will
regular, open and free elections, at all levels of government —
central, provincial and municipal. There shall also be a social order
which respects completely the culture, language and religious rights of
all sections of our society and the fundamental rights of the
individual. The task at hand on will not be easy. But you have
mandated us to change South Africa from a country in which the majority
lived with little hope, to one in which they can live and work with
dignity, with a sense of self-esteem and confidence in the future.
--Nelson Mandela
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela>
Paper Mario: Color Splash is a 2016 video game developed by Intelligent
Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii U console. It is the
fifth game in the Paper Mario series. The story follows Mario and a
paint bucket named Huey as they work to save Prisma Island and rescue
Princess Peach from Bowser. The game world is made up of crafting
materials. Along the way, Mario and Huey encounter places that lack
color, and Mario must fill them in with his paint hammer. The developers
focused on color-themed puzzles and comedy, and implemented card-based
combat to use the gamepad's touchscreen to sort, paint, and flick cards.
Color Splash was initially criticized for its focus on turn-based
action-adventure elements, continuing the trend started by its
predecessor to move the series away from its role-playing game roots.
However, it received generally positive reviews upon release, gaining
praise for its writing, graphics, and gameplay elements.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Mario:_Color_Splash>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1850:
The first astrophotograph of a star other than the Sun, a
daguerreotype of Vega, was taken by William Cranch Bond and John Adams
Whipple.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega>
1944:
Laden with munitions for World War II, two ships exploded at
the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California, killing 320 people and
injuring more than 400 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Chicago_disaster>
1992:
Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Manchester Metrolink,
the first modern street-running light-rail system in the United Kingdom.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Metrolink>
2014:
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern
Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_17>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rouleur:
(cycle racing) A cyclist who performs well on flat and undulating roads.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rouleur>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We have an obligation to one another, responsibilities and
trusts. That does not mean we must be pigeons, that we must be
exploited. But it does mean that we should look out for one another when
and as much as we can; and that we have a personal responsibility for
our behavior; and that our behavior has consequences of a very real and
profound nature. We are not powerless. We have tremendous potential for
good or ill. How we choose to use that power is up to us; but first we
must choose to use it. We're told every day, "You can't change the
world." But the world is changing every day. Only question is … who's
doing it? You or somebody else?
--J. Michael Straczynski
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/J._Michael_Straczynski>
The Danzig Street shooting occurred on the evening of 16 July 2012
during a crowded block party at Morningside Coronation (pictured), a
social-housing complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Threats and
confrontations between members of rival gangs escalated into the city's
worst mass shooting, a gunfight which killed two and injured twenty-four
others. Those convicted in relation to the shooting were teenagers
during the fight. The Ontario provincial government enacted social
programs aimed at curbing youth violence, while Rob Ford, Mayor of
Toronto, called for the shooters to be expelled from the city. Jason
Kenney, the immigration minister, cited the shooting in debate of the
Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act which came into effect in 2013.
The Toronto Police Service developed new crime-prevention strategies,
producing intelligence about crime in the city. This allowed a targeted
crackdown on the Galloway Boys gang and other gang activity in the city,
and a dramatic reduction in shootings and other crimes.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danzig_Street_shooting>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1377:
The ten-year-old Richard II was crowned King of England at
Westminster Abbey.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_II_of_England>
1950:
Korean War: A Korean People's Army unit massacred 31 prisoners
of war of the U.S. Army on a mountain near the village of Tuman.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplain%E2%80%93Medic_massacre>
1994:
Fragments of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 began colliding with the
planet Jupiter (impact site pictured), with the first impact causing a
fireball that reached a peak temperature of 24,000 kelvin.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Shoemaker%E2%80%93Levy_9>
2004:
Millennium Park, a public park in Chicago, Illinois, and the
world's largest rooftop garden, opened to the public.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
gilet:
1. (historical)
2. A waistcoat worn by a man.
3. A bodice worn by a woman similar to a man's waistcoat; also, a
decorative panel at the front of such a bodice, or worn separately.
4. (by extension) A sleeveless jacket resembling a waistcoat but
generally closed at the neck; specifically, one which is padded to
provide warmth.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gilet>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The song the carrousel was playing was "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."
It was playing it very jazzy and funny. All the kids kept trying to grab
for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she'd
fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The
thing with kids is, if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let
them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off they fall off, but
it's bad if you say anything to them.
--The Catcher in the Rye
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye>
Pennatomys nivalis is an extinct oryzomyine rodent from the islands of
Sint Eustatius, Saint Kitts, and Nevis in the Lesser Antilles (range
pictured). It is known from skeletal remains found in Amerindian
archeological sites on all three islands, with dates ranging from
790–520 BCE to 900–1200 CE. No live specimens are known, but there
are several historical records of rodents from Saint Kitts and Nevis
that could conceivably refer to Pennatomys. The animal apparently
belongs to a group within the tribe Oryzomyini that includes many other
island-dwelling species. Pennatomys nivalis was a medium-sized species
without many distinctive adaptations. The nasal bones were short and
blunt-ended. The zygomatic plate, a bony plate at the side of the skull,
was broad. The bony palate was long and flat. The root of the lower
incisor was housed in a bony protuberance, the capsular process. The
molars were low-crowned and possessed accessory crests such as
mesolophs. The upper molars all had three roots.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennatomys_nivalis>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1799:
French soldiers at Fort Julien, near the Egyptian port city of
Rashid, uncovered the Rosetta Stone, an essential key in the
decipherment of ancient Egyptian scripts.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone>
1870:
Manitoba and the Northwest Territories were established
following the transfer of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory
from the Hudson's Bay Company to Canada.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoba>
2016:
The Peace at Home Council, a faction of the Turkish Armed
Forces, staged a coup d'état attempt against the government and
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Turkish_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_attempt>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
artful:
1. Characterized by, or performed with, cleverness or contrivance;
clever, ingenious.
2. Not naturally produced; artificial; imitative.
3. Exhibiting or using much art or skill; dexterous; skilful.
4. (by extension) Skilful at using dishonest or unfair means to achieve
a purpose; crafty, cunning.
5. (obsolete) Knowledgeable about the liberal arts; learned, wise.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/artful>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A painting is finished when the artist says it is finished.
--Rembrandt
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rembrandt>
Year Zero is the fifth studio album by American industrial rock act Nine
Inch Nails (pictured), released on April 17, 2007, by Interscope
Records. Frontman Trent Reznor wrote the music and lyrics while touring
for the group's previous release, With Teeth (2005). Contrasting
Reznor's previously introverted style of songwriting, Year Zero is a
concept album that criticizes contemporary policies of the U.S.
government by presenting a dystopian vision of the year 2022. It is part
of a project which includes a remix album and an alternate reality game
(ARG). The Year Zero ARG expanded upon the album's fictional storyline
by using media such as websites, pre-recorded phone messages, and
murals. Year Zero received very positive reviews, many favorable toward
the ARG. The album produced two singles, "Survivalism" and
"Capital G", the latter released as a promotional single. Disputes
arose between Reznor and Universal Music Group, parent company of
Interscope, over the overseas pricing of the album.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Zero_%28album%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1791:
The Priestley Riots (depicted), targeting religious dissenters
such as Joseph Priestley, began in Birmingham, England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestley_Riots>
1902:
The medieval St Mark's Campanile in Venice collapsed, also
demolishing the Loggetta del Sansovino.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s_Campanile>
1950:
Early in the Korean War, North Korean troops began attacking
the headquarters of the American 24th Infantry Division in Taejon, South
Korea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Taejon>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
climber:
1. Someone or something that climbs (such as a mountain climber).
2. (figuratively, derogatory) A person who is constantly trying to get
ahead socially.
3. (botany) A plant such as a vine that climbs upwards as it grows by
attaching itself to some support.
4. (cycle racing) A cyclist who specializes in riding especially well on
steep hills or roads.
5. (ornithology) A bird that climbs, such as a parrot or woodpecker;
specifically (archaic), a bird having two toes pointing forward, and two
pointing backward, formerly regarded as being from the order Scansores
or Zygodactyli (now obsolete as the birds formerly in this order have
been reclassified into different orders); a zygodactyl.
6. Something that is used for climbing.
7. (climbing) Synonym of climbing iron (“a kind of crampon attached to
the shoe to aid with climbing”)
8. (intransitive, obsolete) To ascend or mount with effort; to clamber,
to climb.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/climber>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What the world thought made little difference. Rembrandt had to
paint. Whether he painted well or badly didn’t matter; painting was
the stuff that held him together as a man. The chief value of art,
Vincent, lies in the expression it gives to the artist. Rembrandt
fulfilled what he knew to be his life purpose; that justified him. Even
if his work had been worthless, he would have been a thousand times more
successful than if he had put down his desire and become the richest
merchant in Amsterdam.
--Irving Stone
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Irving_Stone>
Tyler Skaggs (July 13, 1991 – July 1, 2019) was an American left-
handed starting pitcher in professional baseball. He played in Major
League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles
Angels from 2012 until his death. Born in Woodland Hills, California,
Skaggs was a supplemental first-round selection for the Angels in the
2009 MLB draft. Traded to the Diamondbacks in 2010, he made his MLB
debut in 2012. Traded back to the Angels in December 2013, he was fifth
in the team's rotation until an ulnar collateral ligament injury in 2014
and subsequent Tommy John surgery derailed his career. After a
visiting game in 2019, Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room
in Southlake, Texas, and was pronounced dead the same day. An autopsy
concluded that he had accidentally died of asphyxia after aspirating
his own vomit while under the influence of fentanyl, oxycodone, and
alcohol. His team wore patches with No. 45, his uniform number, for the
rest of the season in his memory.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Skaggs>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1863:
Four days of rioting began in New York City in response to laws
passed by the U.S. Congress to draft men to fight in the American Civil
War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_draft_riots>
1942:
World War II: The 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment was converted
from a battalion to accommodate a larger number of volunteers spurred on
by the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Filipino_Infantry_Regiment>
1962:
In an unprecedented reshuffle, British prime minister Harold
Macmillan dismissed seven members of his Cabinet.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Long_Knives_%281962%29>
2008:
War in Afghanistan: Taliban guerrillas attacked U.S. troops at
the Battle of Wanat in Nuristan Province.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wanat>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
autobus:
1. (road transport, dated) A bus that is a motor vehicle, as opposed to
earlier horse-drawn buses.
2. (by extension, cycle racing) A large group of cyclists who have
fallen behind the peloton (“main group of riders”) in a race.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/autobus>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
At the very outset of our hearings, we described several elements
of President Trump's multipart plan to overturn the 2020 election. Our
hearings have now covered all but one of those elements, an organized
campaign to persuade millions of Americans of a falsehood that the 2020
election was stolen by widespread fraud; a corrupt effort to pressure
Vice President Pence to refuse to count electoral votes; an effort to
corrupt the US Department of Justice; efforts to pressure state election
officials and legislators to change state election results; a scheme to
create and submit fake electoral slates from multiple states. And today,
you saw how President Trump summoned a mob to Washington for January
6th, and then knowing that that mob was armed, directed that mob to the
United States Capitol. Every one of these elements of the planning for
January 6th is an independently serious matter. They were all ultimately
focused on overturning the election, and they all have one other thing
in common. Donald Trump participated in each, substantially and
personally. He oversaw or directed the activity of those involved.
--Liz Cheney
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Liz_Cheney>
Mount Melbourne is a 2,733-metre-high (8,967 ft) ice-covered
stratovolcano in Victoria Land, Antarctica. It is an elongated mountain
with a snow-filled summit caldera and numerous parasitic vents; a
volcanic field surrounds the edifice. Mount Melbourne has a volume of
about 180 cubic kilometres (43 cu mi) and last erupted between 1862
and 1922. Its volcanism is related both to the West Antarctic Rift and
to local tectonic structures such as faults and grabens. Mount Melbourne
has mainly erupted trachyandesite and trachyte, which formed within a
magma chamber; basaltic rocks are less common. Geothermal heat flow on
Mount Melbourne has created an unusual ecosystem formed by mosses and
liverworts that grow between fumaroles, ice towers, and ice hummocks.
This type of vegetation is found at other volcanoes of Antarctica and
develops when volcanic heat generates meltwater from snow and ice, thus
allowing plants to grow in the cold Antarctic environment.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Melbourne>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1488:
Choe Bu, an official of the Joseon dynasty, returned to Korea
after months of shipwrecked travel in China.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choe_Bu>
1943:
World War II: German and Soviet forces engaged each other at
the Battle of Prokhorovka (tanks pictured), one of the largest tank
battles in military history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Prokhorovka>
1962:
The English rock band the Rolling Stones played their first
concert, at the Marquee Club in London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
unutterable:
1. Not utterable; incapable of being physically spoken or voiced;
unpronounceable.
2. Incapable of being articulated or expressed; indescribable,
inexpressible.
3. Not allowed to be spoken; taboo, unspeakable.
4. (figuratively) Extremely bad or objectionable; unspeakable.
5. Something which is unutterable (incapable of being physically spoken,
incapable of being articulated or expressed, etc.).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unutterable>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There’s a built-in resistance to letting humanity be a success.
Each one claims that their system is the best one for coping with
inadequacy. We have to make them all obsolete. We need to find within
technology that there is something we can do which is capable of taking
care of everybody, and to demonstrate that this is so. That’s what
geodesic domes are about and that’s what my whole life has been about.
--Buckminster Fuller
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller>