The Battle of Dupplin Moor, the first major battle of the Second War of
Scottish Independence, was fought between supporters of King David II
of Scotland and English-backed invaders supporting Edward Balliol (seal
pictured) on 11 August 1332. Balliol and a largely English force of
1,500 landed in Fife and marched on Perth, the Scottish capital. The
Scots, estimated to have been between 15,000 and 40,000 strong, raced to
attack the English, disorganising their own formations. Unable to break
the line of English men-at-arms, the Scots became trapped in a valley
with fresh forces arriving from the rear pressing them forward and
giving them no room to manoeuvre, or even to use their weapons. English
longbowmen fired into both Scottish flanks. Many Scots died of
suffocation or were trampled underfoot. Eventually the Scots broke and
the English men-at-arms mounted and pursued the fugitives until
nightfall. Perth fell, the remaining Scottish forces dispersed, and
Balliol was crowned King of Scots.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dupplin_Moor>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1929:
The first Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic, the oldest and
largest African-American parade in the United States, was held in
Chicago.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Billiken_Parade_and_Picnic>
1945:
Amid rumors of kidnappings of children by Jews in Kraków, a
crowd of Poles took part in a pogrom, resulting in at least one death.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w_pogrom>
1973:
At a party in New York City, Jamaican musician DJ Kool Herc
began rapping during an extended break, laying the foundation for hip
hop music.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Kool_Herc>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
imaginary lat syndrome:
(derogatory, humorous) A tendency for one to adopt a posture as if one
had larger latissimus dorsi muscles than one actually has, especially a
posture where the arms are held away from the torso.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/imaginary_lat_syndrome>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Let go the lure The striving to unmake;Behold the truth
Whenever heart may ache There is a glory In a great mistake.
--Nathalia Crane
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nathalia_Crane>
Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication is a
collection of essays about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence
(SETI), edited by Douglas Vakoch and published by NASA in 2014. Each of
its four sections explores a different topic: (1) the history of SETI
as a field; (2) archaeological comparisons for human–alien
communication, such as the difficulties of translating ancient
languages; (3) the inferential gap between humans and aliens, and the
consequences this would have for communication and trade; and (4) the
potential nature of alien intelligences. Upon its release, the book
received widespread media coverage and generally positive reviews. It
was at the center of controversy when publications such as TheBlaze, The
Huffington Post, and Artnet misreported a quote about ancient stone
carvings from one of its essays, which rhetorically stated that the
carvings "might have been made by aliens" for all that they were
understood by modern anthropologists.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology,_Anthropology,_and_Interstellar_C…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1793:
The Louvre (pyramid pictured) in Paris, today the world's most-
visited museum, opened with an exhibition of 537 paintings and 184
objets d'art.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre>
1953:
First Indochina War: The French Union withdrew its forces from
Operation Camargue against the Việt Minh in central modern-day
Vietnam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Camargue>
1988:
The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 became law, authorizing
reparations to surviving Japanese Americans interned during World
War II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Liberties_Act_of_1988>
2019:
Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex
offender, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional
Center, New York.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Jeffrey_Epstein>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
unseldom:
(archaic) Not seldom; frequently, regularly.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unseldom>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Trump is not just a wacky politician of the far right, or a
riveting television spectacle, or a Twitter phenom and bizarre working-
class hero. He is not just another candidate to be parsed and analyzed
by TV pundits in the same breath as all the others. In terms of our
liberal democracy and constitutional order, Trump is an extinction-level
event. It’s long past time we started treating him as such.
--Andrew Sullivan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andrew_Sullivan>
Kingdom Two Crowns is a 2018 strategy video game developed by Thomas van
den Berg and Coatsink and published by Raw Fury. It is the third entry
in the Kingdom series. Players control a mounted monarch as they attempt
to defend their kingdom from a race of monsters. The monarch can build
defenses to fend off night attacks and recruit villagers to perform
certain jobs. The game features single-player and cooperative
multiplayer modes, with the latter allowing two people to play together
via a split screen. The developers originally designed Kingdom Two
Crowns as an expansion pack for Kingdom: New Lands (2016). As the
expansion grew, they decided to release it as a separate game. Kingdom
Two Crowns was released for Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo
Switch, and Xbox One on December 11, 2018, and for iOS and Android on
April 28, 2020. It received positive reviews, gaining praise for its
strategic gameplay, artwork, and cooperative multiplayer mode, though
its slow pace was criticized.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Two_Crowns>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1942:
Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 was premièred in
Leningrad while the city was under siege by Nazi German forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leningrad_premi%C3%A8re_of_Shostakovich%27s_S…>
1956:
About 20,000 women marched on Pretoria, South Africa, to
protest the introduction of pass laws for black women under apartheid.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_March_%28South_Africa%29>
1960:
Led by Albert Kalonji, South Kasai declared its unilateral
secession from the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Kasai>
1969:
Members of the Manson Family invaded a house and murdered
American actress Sharon Tate and four guests in Los Angeles, before
killing two more people the following night.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate%E2%80%93LaBianca_murders>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
heartland:
1. Synonym of heart (“the seat of the affections or love”)
2. Also in the plural form heartlands:
3. The interior part of a region, especially when contrasted with
coastal parts or when regarded as particularly powerful or significant.
4. (specifically) In the geopolitical theory of the English geographer
Halford John Mackinder (1861–1947): the interior of the world island
comprising north-central Eurasia regarded as politically powerful.
5. (specifically, Singapore, chiefly in the plural) Residential
districts and planning areas outside the city centre; the new towns of
Singapore collectively.
6. (specifically, US, often attributively) The states in the centre of
the United States, chiefly regarded as politically and socially
conservative; also, the people living in such states collectively.
7. A region or part of a region particularly associated with or
significant for a characteristic, such as an activity, a faith, support
for a political party or other organization, etc.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/heartland>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue.
--Izaak Walton
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Izaak_Walton>
Henry II (1133–1189) was King of England from 1154 until his death.
At various points in his life, he also controlled large parts of Wales,
Ireland and France. He was an energetic and ruthless ruler. During the
early years of his reign he restored the royal administration in England
and re-established hegemony over Wales. Henry's desire to control the
English Church led to conflict with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of
Canterbury, resulting in Becket's murder in 1170. Henry expanded his
lands at the expense of France. As his sons grew up there were tensions
over the future inheritance of Henry's domains. Henry was ultimately
succeeded by his son Richard I; Henry's son John would also rule as
king. Henry's territorial expansion quickly collapsed, but many of his
changes endured. Henry is generally considered to have laid the basis
for English common law, while his intervention in Brittany, Wales and
Scotland shaped the development of their societies and governmental
systems.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_II_of_England>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1576:
The cornerstone of Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe's observatory
Uraniborg was laid on the island of Hven.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uraniborg>
1914:
The Endurance departed Plymouth, England, on the Imperial
Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Trans-Antarctic_Expedition>
1969:
At a zebra crossing on Abbey Road in London, Iain Macmillan
took the photograph that was used for the cover of the Beatles' album
Abbey Road.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_Road>
1988:
Tropical Storm Beryl formed over southeastern Louisiana, making
it one of the few tropical cyclones to form over land.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Beryl_%281988%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
travois:
1. (originally and chiefly Canada, US, historical) A frame, often
consisting of two poles tied together at one end to form a V-shaped
structure with the vertex attached to a dog, horse, etc., or held by a
person and the other ends touching the ground, which was used by
indigenous peoples (notably the Plains Aboriginals of North America) to
drag loads over land.
2. (by extension)
3. A similar piece of equipment used to transport something by dragging;
especially a stretcher dragged by a horse, mule, etc., used to transport
an ill or injured person.
4. (Canada, US, forestry, archaic) A sled dragged by a horse or ox to
transport logs, with one end of each log on the sled and the other end
touching the ground.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/travois>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every
instinct in my body. But as President, I must put the interest of
America first. America needs a full-time President and a full-time
Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and
abroad. To continue to fight through the months ahead for my personal
vindication would almost totally absorb the time and attention of both
the President and the Congress in a period when our entire focus should
be on the great issues of peace abroad and prosperity without inflation
at home. Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon
tomorrow.
--Richard Nixon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon>
The 1980 World Snooker Championship was a ranking professional snooker
tournament played from 22 April to 5 May 1980 at the Crucible Theatre
in Sheffield, England. The total prize fund was £60,000, of which
£15,000 went to the winner. There were 53 entrants to the competition,
and the main stage featured 24 players: the 16 top-ranked players and 8
qualifiers. The defending champion Terry Griffiths lost in his first
match, to Steve Davis. Cliff Thorburn (pictured) won the final 18–16
against Alex Higgins, the champion in 1972. Both Kirk Stevens and Steve
Davis made breaks of 136, the highest of 11 century breaks compiled
during the main championship. The tournament was sponsored by the
cigarette manufacturer Embassy, and received 70 hours of television
coverage by the BBC in the United Kingdom. Coverage of the final was
interrupted by a live broadcast of the Iranian Embassy siege, which
caused numerous complaints to the broadcaster. The end of the final
attracted 14.5 million viewers.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_World_Snooker_Championship>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1782:
The Badge of Military Merit, the precursor to the U.S. Purple
Heart, was established as a military decoration of the Continental Army.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badge_of_Military_Merit>
1897:
Mahdist War: Anglo-Egyptian soldiers clashed with Mahdist
Sudanese rebels in the Battle of Abu Hamed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Abu_Hamed>
1955:
Hurricane Diane, the first Atlantic hurricane to cause more
than $1 billion in damages, formed between the Lesser Antilles and Cape
Verde.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Diane>
1987:
Lynne Cox became the first person to swim between the U.S. and
the Soviet Union, crossing from Little Diomede to Big Diomede in the
Bering Strait in 2 hours and 5 minutes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynne_Cox>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tall story:
(idiomatic) Synonym of tall tale (“a tale or story which is fantastic
and greatly exaggerated; also, an account of questionable veracity; a
lie, an untruth”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tall_story>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There can be no self-government without self-discipline. There
can be no self-government without self-control. There can be no liberty
unless it is grounded in moral discipline and the ability to do what is
right.
--Alan Keyes
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alan_Keyes>
The Hungarian nobility were initially a diverse body of people, but from
the late 12th century only high-ranking royal officials were regarded as
noble. Most claimed ancestry from chieftains of the period preceding the
establishment of the kingdom around the year 1000, or were descended
from western European knights who settled in Hungary. Only those who
owned lands free of obligations were regarded as true noblemen. Other
groups, known as conditional nobles, also existed. Under customary law,
only males inherited noble estates. The poorest nobles lost their tax
exemption from the mid–16th century. The ennoblement of whole groups
was not unusual in the 17th century. A group of 10,000 hajdúk received
nobility in 1605. After the Diet was divided into two chambers in 1608,
noblemen with a hereditary title had a seat in the upper house.
Reformist noblemen demanded the abolition of noble privileges from the
1790s. Noble titles were only abolished in 1947, after Hungary was
proclaimed a republic.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_nobility>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1100:
Henry I was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_England>
1689:
Beaver Wars: Aggravated by increased French incursions into
their territory, a large force of Mohawk warriors substantially
destroyed the settlement of Lachine in present-day Quebec.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachine_massacre>
1969:
Police raided a screening of the film Lonesome Cowboys in
Atlanta, Georgia, leading to the creation of the Gay Liberation Front.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonesome_Cowboys_police_raid>
1993:
Wizards of the Coast released Magic: The Gathering, the first
trading card game.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rootin' tootin':
1. (US, informal, traditionally associated with the Wild West) Loudly
exciting or impressive; boisterous, riotous.
2. (Lancashire, archaic, rare) Overly inquisitive about other's affairs;
interfering, nosy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rootin%27_tootin%27>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is very important that the world sees: a fair and honest end
to Russian aggression will benefit everyone in the world. Everyone!
Liberating Ukrainian land from the occupiers means restoring full
respect for international law and the UN Charter. Eliminating all
threats created by Russia to Ukrainian and global security means
returning peace to international relations and stability to global life.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>
Coccinellidae is a family of small beetles called ladybugs in North
America and ladybirds elsewhere. More than 6,000 species occur globally
in a variety of habitats. They are oval with a domed back. Adult females
are larger than males. Many species have warning colours and patterns
that warn predators that they are distasteful. Most are carnivorous,
preying on insects such as aphids. They are promiscuous breeders, and
may lay their eggs near prey colonies, so their larvae have a close food
source. They develop from larva to pupa to adult. Temperate species
hibernate during the winter; tropical species are dormant during the dry
season. Since they prey on pests, most coccinellids are beneficial
insects and some have been introduced outside their range as biological
control agents. A few are pests themselves, and invasive forms pose a
threat to native species. Threats to coccinellids include climate change
and habitat destruction. They feature in folklore, religion, poetry, and
nursery rhymes.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinellidae>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1783:
Mount Asama in Japan began a climactic eruption, which
exacerbated the Great Tenmei famine and led to thousands of deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenmei_eruption>
1892:
Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother were found murdered in
their home in Fall River, Massachusetts; she was later tried and
acquitted for the murders.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzie_Borden>
1972:
President Idi Amin announced the expulsion of Asians from
Uganda.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_of_Asians_from_Uganda>
1983:
Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo, the president of Upper Volta, was
ousted in a coup d'état led by Thomas Sankara.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Upper_Voltan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
hoity-toity:
1. (uncountable, archaic) Behaviour adopted to demonstrate one's
superiority; pretentious or snobbish behaviour; airs and graces.
2. (uncountable, obsolete) Flighty, giddy, or silly behaviour; also,
noisy merriment.
3. (countable, Britain, dialectal) A young woman regarded as flighty,
giddy, or silly.
4. Affected or pretentious, sometimes with the implication of displaying
an air of excessive fanciness or ostentation; pompous, self-important,
snobbish.
5. (obsolete) Flighty, giddy, silly; also, merry in a noisy manner.
6. Flightily, giddily.
7. Merrily, in a noisy manner.
8. (dated) Expressing disapprobation or surprise at acts or words that
are pompous or snobbish, or flighty.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hoity-toity>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
American leadership in this world really is indispensable. It's
up to us, through action and example, to sustain the international order
that's expanded steadily since the end of the Cold War, and upon which
our own wealth and safety depend. … we are just temporary occupants of
this office. That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions
and traditions — like rule of law, separation of powers, equal
protection and civil liberties — that our forebears fought and bled
for. Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it's up to us to
leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found
them.
--Barack Obama
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barack_Obama>
The 1995 Aigio earthquake struck Western Greece near the coastal city of
Aigio at 03:15:48 local time (00:15:48 UTC) on 15 June 1995. It
measured 6.4–6.5 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw). The horizontal
peak ground acceleration reached 0.54 g and ground velocity peaked at
52 cm/s (20 in/s), the strongest ground motion ever recorded in
Greece. Fifteen minutes later, a large aftershock caused further damage.
Faulting occurred on either the Aigion fault or one offshore. Other
faults in the region have the potential to produce earthquakes up to
Mw 6.9. The quake caused $660 million of damage. The collapse of
buildings left 26 dead and up to 200 injured. Several countries and
organizations provided disaster aid, including search and rescue and
refugee assistance, medical supplies, temporary shelter and water
treatment equipment. The Greek government issued loans for Aigio's
rebuilding. There was concern over the lack of a warning, as officials
had been told that a major earthquake would occur.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Aigio_earthquake>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1929:
Jiddu Krishnamurti, believed by some Theosophists to be a
likely candidate for the messianic "World Teacher", dissolved the Order
of the Star, the organisation established to support him.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Star_in_the_East>
1940:
World War II: Italian forces began a conquest of British
Somaliland, capturing the region in 16 days.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_invasion_of_British_Somaliland>
1977:
Tandy Corporation announced the TRS-80, one of the world's
first mass-produced personal computers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80>
2005:
Mauritanian president Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya was
overthrown in a military coup while he attended the funeral of King Fahd
of Saudi Arabia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Mauritanian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rinky-dink:
1. Of poor quality; amateurish, shoddy, small-time.
2. Old-fashioned, tired; also, shabby, worn-out.
3. Crooked, dishonest, underhanded.
4. (music) Alternative form of rinky-tink (“tinkling and tinny”)
5. (countable) A person regarded as contemptible or insignificant.
6. An amateur or someone who is underqualified.
7. Someone who operates unethically; specifically, a small-time conman
or crook.
8. (countable) Something that is not up to acceptable standards;
something regarded as being of low quality.
9. (countable) A miscellaneous object or thing; a thingy.
10. (archaic, uncountable) Deceptive or underhanded rigmarole;
deception, trickery; (countable) often preceded by the: an instance of
this; a deception, swindle, a trick.
11. (uncountable, music) Alternative form of rinky-tink (“a tinkling,
tinny style of music; honky-tonk”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rinky-dink>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Constitution is quite clear about the role of the vice
president in the counting of electoral votes. It essentially says the
vice president presides over a joint session of Congress where the
electoral votes that are certified by the states shall be opened and
shall be counted. And irrespective of the indictment, I want the
American people to know that I had no right to overturn the election.
And that on that day, President Trump asked me to put him over the
Constitution. But I chose the Constitution and I always will. … I
really do believe that anyone who puts themself over the Constitution
should never be president of the United States. And anyone who asks
someone else to put themselves over the Constitution should never be
president of the United States again.
--Mike Pence
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mike_Pence>
"My Man" is a song by American singer Tamar Braxton (pictured) for her
fifth studio album Bluebird of Happiness (2017). Braxton and Cory Rooney
wrote the song, which was produced by Bob Robinson. It was released as
the album's lead single on April 27, 2017, through Tamartian Land, an
independent record label Braxton created in partnership with eOne
Entertainment. An R&B; and soul song, it is about infidelity and was
based on Braxton's parents and their divorce after her father's affair.
Critics considered it a highlight of Bluebird of Happiness and praised
Braxton's vocals. It peaked at number three on Billboard's Adult R&B;
Songs chart and number twenty-one on their Hot R&B; Songs chart.
Laurieann Gibson directed the music video, portraying Braxton
confronting her lover with a mistress in a hotel room. Braxton's
performance of the song at the BET Awards 2017 was praised as one of the
event's highlights, although some critics believed that she was lip
syncing.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Man_%28Tamar_Braxton_song%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1100:
While on a hunting trip in the New Forest, King William II of
England was killed by an arrow through the lung loosed by one of his own
men.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_England>
1790:
The first United States census was officially completed, with
the nation's residential population enumerated to be 3,929,214.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1790_United_States_census>
1920:
Nepalese author Krishna Lal Adhikari was sentenced to nine
years in prison for publishing a book about the cultivation of corn.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makaiko_Kheti>
1973:
A flash fire killed 50 people at a leisure centre in Douglas,
Isle of Man.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summerland_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
roly-poly:
1. (countable)
2. A toy that rights itself when pushed over.
3. (informal) A short, plump person (especially a child).
4. (gymnastics) A forward roll or sideways roll.
5. (Australia) Synonym of tumbleweed (“any plant which habitually breaks
away from its roots once dry, forming a light, rolling mass which is
driven by the wind from place to place”); specifically, the prickly
Russian thistle (Kali tragus or Salsola tragus).
6. (Britain, also attributively) A baked or steamed pudding made from
suet pastry which is spread with fruit or jam (or occasionally other
fillings) and then rolled up.
7. (Canada, US) In full roly-poly bug: a small terrestrial invertebrate
which tends to roll into a ball when disturbed, such as a woodlouse
(suborder Oniscidea, especially a pill bug (family Armadillidiidae) or a
sowbug (family Porcellionidae)) or a pill millipede (superorder
Oniscomorpha).
8. (obsolete) A mischievous or worthless person; a scoundrel, a rascal.
9. (uncountable, historical) An activity or game involving rolling.
10. (games) A game involving people (usually children) rolling down a
slope.
11. (games) A game in which balls are rolled along the floor to knock
down pins, or bowled into holes, or thrown into hats placed on the
ground.
12. (gaming) Synonym of roulette (“a game of chance in which a small
ball is made to move round rapidly on a circle divided off into numbered
red and black spaces, the one on which it stops indicating the result of
a variety of wagers permitted by the game”) [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/roly-poly>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The attack on our nation's capital on January 6, 2021, was an
unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. As described in
the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant targeted at
obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government, the nation's
process of collecting, counting, and certifying the results of the
presidential election. The men and women of law enforcement who
defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6 are heroes. They're patriots, and
they are the very best of us. They did not just defend a building or the
people sheltering in it. They put their lives on the line to defend who
we are as a country and as a people. They defended the very institutions
and principles that define the United States. Since the attack on our
Capitol, the Department of Justice has remained committed to ensuring
accountability for those criminally responsible for what happened that
day. This case is brought consistent with that commitment, and our
investigation of other individuals continues.
--Jack Smith
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jack_Smith_%28lawyer%29>
Edward Dando (c. 1803 – 1832) was a thief who overate at food
stalls and inns, then revealed that he had no money to pay. He was
particularly fond of oysters, once eating 300 in a sitting (cartoon
pictured). Dando began his thefts in about 1826 and was arrested at
least as early as 1828. Most of his activity was in London or Kent. He
would often leave a house of correction, go on an eating spree the same
day, be arrested straight away, and be put back in prison. He was put in
solitary confinement at least once after he stole the rations of fellow
prisoners. In August 1832, Dando caught cholera in prison and died. His
death, like his exploits, was widely and sympathetically reported in the
press. His name entered the public argot as a term for one who eats
excessively and does not pay. He was the subject of numerous poems and
ballads. William Makepeace Thackeray wrote a short story loosely based
on Dando, which was made into a play. Charles Dickens also wrote about
Dando, comparing him to Alexander the Great.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Dando>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
902:
Arab–Byzantine wars: Led by Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya, Aghlabid
forces captured the Byzantine stronghold of Taormina, concluding the
Muslim conquest of Sicily.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Sicily>
1774:
British scientist Joseph Priestley liberated oxygen gas,
corroborating the discovery of the element by German-Swedish chemist
Carl Wilhelm Scheele.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen>
1892:
Belgian carillonneur Jef Denyn hosted the world's first
carillon concert at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon>
1911:
Harriet Quimby became the first woman to earn an Aero Club of
America aviator certificate.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Quimby>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
hither and thither:
1. To here and to there, one place after another; in different
directions.
2. (figuratively) In a disorderly manner.
3. (intransitive, archaic) To move here and then there; to move in
different directions.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hither_and_thither>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my
friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed
making art for you.
--Paul Reubens
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paul_Reubens>