Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh
president of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. He was a
frontier lawyer and briefly served in the House of Representatives and
the Senate, representing Tennessee. He became a wealthy planter who
owned hundreds of African-American slaves during his lifetime. In 1801,
he was appointed colonel of the Tennessee militia and was elected its
commander. In the War of 1812 against the British, Jackson's victory at
the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 made him a national hero. He later
commanded U.S. forces in the First Seminole War, which led to the
annexation of Florida from Spain. He was elected president in 1828,
defeating John Quincy Adams in a landslide. In 1830, he signed the
Indian Removal Act. This act displaced tens of thousands of Native
Americans from their ancestral homelands east of the Mississippi and
resulted in thousands of deaths. Jackson's legacy remains controversial,
and opinions on his legacy are frequently polarized.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Jackson>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1840:
William II became King of the Netherlands after his father
William I abdicated the throne.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_the_Netherlands>
1885:
LaMarcus Adna Thompson, sometimes called the "Father of
Gravity", patented the roller coaster (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_coaster>
1945:
World War II: In an operation that took nearly two months to
complete, Germany began the evacuation of at least 1.8 million people
from East Prussia in anticipation of the advancing Soviet Red Army.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evacuation_of_East_Prussia>
2018:
A group of Taliban gunmen attacked and took hostages at the
Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, sparking a 12-hour battle
that left at least 21 people dead.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Inter-Continental_Hotel_Kabul_attack>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
inaugurate:
1. To induct (someone) into a dignity or office with a formal ceremony.
2. To dedicate (something, as a building or a monument) for public
access or use with a formal ceremony.
3. To initiate or usher in (something, as a (significant) course of
action, development, organization, or period of time) with a formal
ceremony or in a ceremonious manner; also (loosely), to begin or
commence (something); to start.
4. (archaic, rare) To cause (something) to be auspicious or good-omened;
also, to declare or make (something) holy; to consecrate, to sanctify.
5. (obsolete) Inducted into a dignity or office with a formal ceremony
or in a ceremonious manner; inaugurated.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inaugurate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We will make America powerful again. We will make America
wealthy again. We will make America strong again. We will make
America proud again. We will make America safe again. We will make
America great again!
--Donald Trump
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Donald_Trump>
Freston is a Neolithic causewayed enclosure at an archaeological site
near the village of Freston in Suffolk, England. The Neolithic enclosure
was first identified in 1969 from cropmarks in aerial photographs. At
8.55 hectares (21.1 acres), it is one of the largest causewayed
enclosures in Britain, and would have required thousands of person-days
to construct. The cropmarks show an enclosure with two circuits of
ditches, and a palisade that ran between the two circuits. There is also
evidence of a rectangular structure in the northeastern part of the
site, which may be a Neolithic long house or an Anglo-Saxon hall.
Excavation in 2019 indicated that the site was constructed in the
mid–4th millennium BC. Other finds included oak charcoal fragments
believed to come from the palisade, and evidence of a long ditch to the
southeast that probably predated the enclosure, and which may have
accompanied a long barrow, a form of Neolithic burial mound. The site
has been protected as a scheduled monument since 1976.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freston_causewayed_enclosure>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1951:
Construction began in Busan, South Korea, on the United Nations
Military Cemetery, the only United Nations cemetery in the world.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Memorial_Cemetery>
1956:
Navvab Safavi, an Iranian Shia cleric and the founder of the
fundamentalist group Fada'iyan-e Islam, was executed with three of his
followers for attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Hossein Ala'.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navvab_Safavi>
1969:
Thousands of Japanese police stormed the University of Tokyo
after six months of nationwide leftist university student protests and
occupations.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968%E2%80%931969_Japanese_university_protests>
1983:
Thirty years after his death, the International Olympic
Committee presented commemorative medals to the family of American
athlete Jim Thorpe, who had been stripped of his gold medals for playing
semi-professional baseball before the 1912 Summer Olympics.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
adorkable:
(informal) Adorable in a dorky, socially awkward manner.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adorkable>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I'm not always good with words. Some people are poets and have a
beautiful way of saying things with words. But cinema is its own
language. And with it you can say so many things, because you've got
time and sequences. You've got dialogue. You've got music. You've got
sound effects. You have so many tools. And so you can express a feeling
and a thought that can't be conveyed any other way. It's a magical
medium.
--David Lynch
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Lynch>
William Robinson Brown (January 17, 1875 – August 4, 1955) was a
corporate officer of the Brown Company and a breeder of Arabian horses.
He advocated for sustainable forest management practices and his
innovations became industry standards. He was influenced by the
progressive movement, instituting employee benefits at the Brown Company
that predated modern workers' compensation laws. He founded the
Maynesboro Stud in 1912 with bloodstock from American breeders of
Arabian horses, also importing horses from England, France, and Egypt.
At its peak, Maynesboro was the largest Arabian horse farm in the United
States. To prove the abilities of Arabians, he organized several
endurance races, which his horses won three times. He served as the
president of the Arabian Horse Club of America from 1918 until 1939. His
1929 book The Horse of the Desert is an authoritative work on Arabians.
A Republican, he served as a presidential elector for New Hampshire in
1924.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Robinson_Brown>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1893:
Lorrin A. Thurston and the Citizens' Committee of Public Safety
led the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the government of Queen
Liliʻuokalani (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overthrow_of_the_Hawaiian_Kingdom>
1945:
World War II: Australian troops advanced along the northern
part of Bougainville Island (in present-day Papua New Guinea) and began
fighting Japanese forces in the Battle of Tsimba Ridge.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tsimba_Ridge>
1948:
Indonesian National Revolution: The Renville Agreement between
the Netherlands and Indonesian republicans was ratified, in an
ultimately unsuccessful attempt to resolve disputes arising from the
Linggadjati Agreement of 1946.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renville_Agreement>
1999:
In Little Saigon, California, a series of protests began when
the owner of a video rental store displayed an image of Ho Chi Minh.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-Tek_incident>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
sun dog:
A bright spot in the sky, usually one of two on a parhelic circle on
both sides of the sun (or occasionally above and below it), caused by
the refraction of the sun's image through ice crystals.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sun_dog>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase
power.
--Benjamin Franklin
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin>
Night of January 16th is a play by Ayn Rand inspired by the death of
Ivar Kreuger, an industrialist and accused swindler known as the Match
King. The play is set in a courtroom during a murder trial and audience
members are chosen to play the jury. The court hears the case of Karen
Andre, a former secretary and lover of businessman Bjorn Faulkner, of
whose murder she is accused. The jury must rely on character testimony
to decide whether Andre is guilty; the play's ending depends on their
verdict. Rand wanted to dramatize a conflict between individualism and
conformity. The play was first produced in 1934 in Los Angeles under the
title Woman on Trial. Producer A. H. Woods took it to Broadway for the
1935–36 season and re-titled it Night of January 16th (flyer
pictured). It became a hit and ran for seven months. The play has been
adapted as a film, as well as for television and radio. Rand had many
disputes with Woods over the play, and in 1968 re-edited it for
publication as her "definitive" version.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_January_16th>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1809:
Peninsular War: French forces under Jean-de-Dieu Soult attacked
the British's amphibious evacuation under Sir John Moore at Corunna in
Galicia, Spain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Corunna>
1862:
A pumping engine at a colliery in New Hartley, England, broke
and fell down the shaft, trapping miners below and resulting in 204
deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartley_Colliery_disaster>
1942:
World War II: During the Battle of Bataan, U.S. Army sergeant
Jose Calugas organized a squad of volunteers to man an artillery
position under heavy fire, an action that later earned him the Medal of
Honor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Calugas>
2018:
In Mrauk U, Myanmar, police fired into a crowd protesting the
ban of an event to mark the anniversary of the end of the Kingdom of
Mrauk U, resulting in seven deaths and twelve injuries.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrauk_U_riot>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rid:
1. (transitive)
2. (also reflexive) Followed by of: to free (oneself or someone, or a
place) from an annoyance or hindrance.
3. (also reflexive) Followed by away, from, or out of: to remove
(oneself or someone, or something, that is annoying, troublesome, or
unwanted).
4. (now only reflexive) Often followed by from, of, or out of: to free
or release, or to rescue or save, (oneself or someone, or something).
5. (archaic)
6. To clear (a place or way); especially, to clear (land) of trees,
undergrowth, etc.
7. Sometimes followed by away: to destroy or kill (someone).
8. Sometimes followed by up: to remove obstacles or refuse from (a
place); to clean, to clear out; specifically, to clear or empty (the
stomach).
9. (Cheshire) Followed by up: to eradicate (something); to root out, to
uproot.
10. (Shropshire) Sometimes followed by away or off: to complete or get
through (a task, or work).
11. (chiefly US, regional, rare) Often followed by up: to put (a place,
such as a room or a table) in order; to clear, to tidy.
12. (obsolete)
13. To dismiss (someone) who has attended on a person; (reflexive) to
remove (oneself) from a person's presence after attending to them.
14. To settle (a disagreement).
15. (also reflexive) Followed by of: to deprive (oneself or someone) of
something; to strip.
16. (rare) To get away from or get out of (a place); to escape.
17. (intransitive)
18. (archaic)
19. To clear land or some other place.
20. (West Midlands) To clear or empty the stomach; also, to clear the
throat.
21. (obsolete, Northern England) Of work: to be completed. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rid>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Early in life, as a witness to the limitless tragedy of World War
I, I felt grow in me a determination to act, to work with others to
influence the course of history and not supinely to accept what, in the
absence of will and action, might be the world's fate. … For almost
five decades I have played some role in the affairs of state, working
with others to bend what otherwise might have been called the
"inevitable trends of history." Some of the outcomes were wholly
satisfactory, some marginally successful, and some were failures —
but, on the whole, they were better, I think, than would otherwise have
come about.
--Paul Nitze
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paul_Nitze>
The cherry-throated tanager (Nemosia rourei) is a critically endangered
bird native to the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Since its description in
1870, there had been no confirmed sightings for more than 100 years, and
it was feared that the species was extinct. It was rediscovered in 1998
in the state of Espírito Santo. By the end of 2023, 20 individuals were
known and the total population was estimated to be less than 50 birds.
The main threat to its survival is the large-scale destruction of the
old-growth rainforest that it requires, and in 2018 it was estimated
that the species was restricted to a total area of just 31 km2
(12 sq mi). It has a striking gray, black and white plumage, with a
distinctive red throat patch. The yellow or dark amber eyes contrast
with a black face mask. Its call is clear and far-carrying. A social
species, it lives in flocks of up to eight birds. The birds breed once a
year, building a cup nest of beard lichen and spider web; nests contain
two or three eggs.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry-throated_tanager>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1934:
At least 10,700 people died when a magnitude-8.0 earthquake
struck Nepal and the Indian state of Bihar.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1934_Nepal%E2%80%93India_earthquake>
1974:
American serial killer Dennis Rader, also known as the "BTK
killer", murdered his first four victims.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Rader>
1991:
The Victoria Cross for Australia was instituted, making
Australia the first Commonwealth realm with a separate Victoria Cross
award in its honours system.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross_for_Australia>
2009:
US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese during
its climb out from New York City and made an emergency landing in the
Hudson River (featured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airways_Flight_1549>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
quillon:
1. Synonym of crossguard (“a metal bar fixed between, and at right
angles to, the blade and the handle of a sword or other bladed weapon
that stops an opponent's similar weapon from sliding along the blade and
injuring the hand of the person wielding the sword”)
2. (chiefly in the plural) Either of the two arms of a crossguard.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quillon>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
In 2020, then-President Donald J. Trump ran for reelection
against Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Mr. Trump lost. As alleged in the original
and superseding indictments, substantial evidence demonstrates that Mr.
Trump then engaged in an unprecedented criminal effort to overturn the
legitimate results of the election in order to retain power.
--Jack Smith
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jack_Smith_%28lawyer%29>
Volcanism of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex in British Columbia,
Canada, spans more than 7 million years. The first magmatic cycle took
place between 7.5 and 6 million years ago and is represented by the
Raspberry, Little Iskut and Armadillo geological formations. Volcanism
has taken place during five cycles of magmatic activity, each producing
less volcanic material than the previous one. During these cycles
volcanism has created several types of volcanoes, including cinder
cones, stratovolcanoes, subglacial volcanoes, shield volcanoes and lava
domes. The roughly 1,000-square-kilometre (400-square-mile) volcanic
plateau of the MEVC originated from the successive eruptions of highly
mobile lava flows. Several types of volcanic rocks were deposited by
multiple eruptions of the MEVC. At least 10 distinct flows of obsidian
were produced by volcanism of the MEVC, some of which were exploited by
indigenous peoples in prehistoric times to make tools and weapons.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanism_of_the_Mount_Edziza_volcanic_complex>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1953:
Nine Moscow doctors were accused of a plot to poison members of
the Soviet political and military leadership.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors%27_plot>
1968:
American singer Johnny Cash recorded his landmark album At
Folsom Prison live at Folsom State Prison in California.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_Folsom_Prison>
1972:
Ghanaian military officer Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a coup
to overthrow Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia and President Edward
Akufo-Addo.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_Kutu_Acheampong>
2000:
Steve Ballmer replaced Bill Gates as the chief executive
officer of Microsoft.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Ballmer>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bumper crop:
(idiomatic) An excess of something; a large yield.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bumper_crop>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
And as she lookt about, she did behold, How over that same dore
was likewise writ, Be bold, be bold, and every where Be bold, That
much she muz'd, yet could not construe it By any ridling skill, or
commune wit. At last she spyde at that same roomes upper end, Another
yron dore, on which was writ, Be not too bold.
--Edmund Spenser
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edmund_Spenser>
The tomb of Kha and Merit is the funerary chapel and burial place of the
ancient Egyptian foreman Kha and his wife Merit, in the northern
cemetery of the workmen's village of Deir el-Medina. Kha supervised the
workforce who constructed royal tombs during the reigns of the pharaohs
Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III (r. 1425 – 1353 BC)
in the mid–Eighteenth Dynasty of the early New Kingdom of Egypt. He
died in his 60s, while Merit died before him in her 20s or 30s. The
couple's pyramid-shaped chapel has been known since at least 1818. The
tomb was cut into the base of the cliffs. This position allowed the
entrance to be quickly buried by debris deposited by landslides and
later tomb construction, hiding its location from ancient robbers.
Almost all of the contents of the tomb were awarded to the excavators
and were shipped to Italy soon after the discovery. They have been
displayed in the Museo Egizio in Turin since their arrival, and an
entire gallery is devoted to them.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Kha_and_Merit>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1693:
The most powerful earthquake recorded in Italy struck the
island of Sicily, causing 60,000 deaths and prompting a period of
architectural revival.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Baroque>
1914:
The Karluk, the flagship of the Canadian Arctic Expedition,
sank after being crushed by ice.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_voyage_of_the_Karluk>
1964:
In a landmark report (cover pictured), U.S. surgeon general
Luther Terry issued a warning that tobacco smoking may be hazardous to
health, concluding that it has a causative role in lung cancer, chronic
bronchitis, and other illnesses.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_and_Health>
2003:
After Chicago police detective Jon Burge was discovered to have
extracted forced confessions from more than 200 suspects, the governor
of Illinois commuted the death sentences of 167 prisoners and pardoned
four others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Burge>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
fascine knife:
(military, weaponry, historical) A large, heavy knife or short sword
used by 17th- to 19th-century artillery and infantry soldiers as a
sidearm and a tool for cutting fascines (“cylindrical bundles of small
sticks of wood, used for strengthening purposes”) and other things.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fascine_knife>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle,
firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand
to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with
bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity.
--Jimmy Carter
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter>
The Ferrari FF is a grand touring car made by the Italian carmaker
Ferrari. Succeeding the 612 Scaglietti, the FF—whose name is an
acronym for "Ferrari Four"—was produced between 2011 and 2016 in
Ferrari's manufacturing facility in Maranello, Italy. Featuring the body
style of a shooting brake, the vehicle made its first public appearance
at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2011. Upon its release, the FF
was the world's fastest four-seater car and Ferrari's second-fastest
grand tourer after the 599 GTO. The FF features a 6.3 L V12 engine,
producing a power output of 485 kW (660 PS; 651 hp) and a torque
output of 683 N⋅m (504 lb⋅ft) to give the car a top speed of
335 km/h (208 mph) and a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration of 3.7
seconds. The car has been praised by critics, who call it a "Ferrari for
the whole family" and appreciate its design. The FF has received several
awards, including Top Gear's Estate Car of the Year in 2011.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_FF>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1812:
New Orleans, the first steamship on the Mississippi River,
arrived at New Orleans to complete its maiden voyage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_%28steamboat%29>
1929:
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the first volume of The
Adventures of Tintin by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé, began
serialisation.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herg%C3%A9>
1993:
The Braer Storm, the strongest extratropical cyclone ever
recorded in the North Atlantic, reached peak intensity.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braer_Storm>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
unravel:
1. (transitive)
2. To cause (something) to no longer be ravelled or tangled; to
disentangle, to untangle.
3. To separate the threads of (something knitted or woven, such as
clothing or fabric).
4. (figurative)
5. To separate the connected or united parts of (something); to throw
(something) into disorder; to confound, to confuse, to disintegrate.
6. (also reflexive) To clear (something) from complication or
difficulty; to investigate and solve (a mystery, a problem, etc.); to
unfold, to work out.
7. (obsolete) To reverse or undo (something); to annul, to negate.
8. (intransitive)
9. To become no longer ravelled or tangled.
10. Of threads: to become separated from something knitted or woven,
such as clothing or fabric; also, of something knitted or woven: to
separate into threads; to come apart.
11. (figurative) Of a thing: to have its connected or united parts
separated; to be thrown into disorder; to become confused or undone; to
collapse.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unravel>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Honesty and truth-teller were synonymous with the name Jimmy
Carter. Those traits were instilled in him by his loving parents
Lillian and Earl Carter and the strength of his honesty was was
reinforced by his upbringing in the rural South poised on the brink of
social transformation. He displayed that honesty throughout his life as
a naval officer, state legislator, governor, president, and world
leader. For Jimmy Carter, honesty was was not a aspirational goal —
it was part of his very soul.
--Gerald Ford
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford>
Title is the debut major-label studio album by American singer-
songwriter Meghan Trainor (pictured), released on January 9, 2015.
Initially a songwriter for other artists in 2013, Trainor signed with
Epic Records the following year and began recording material she co-
wrote with Kevin Kadish. They drew influence from retro-styled music as
they were tired of chasing radio trends. Title includes "All About That
Bass", which reached number one in 58 countries, and two other US
Billboard Hot 100 top-10 singles: "Lips Are Movin" and "Like I'm Gonna
Lose You". Reviewers criticized the album's repetitiveness and doubted
Trainor's longevity, though some appreciated her wit and audacious
attitude. It debuted at number one on charts in the US, Canada and the
UK, and spent multiple weeks at the summit in Australia and New Zealand.
Title was the ninth-best-selling album of 2015 worldwide. It was
supported by the 2015 That Bass Tour and MTrain Tour. (This article is
part of two featured topics: Title and Meghan Trainor albums.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Meghan_Trainor_albu…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1917:
First World War: Troops of the British Empire defeated Ottoman
forces at the Battle of Rafa on the Sinai–Palestine border.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rafa>
1972:
The Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association
lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a 33-game winning streak, the
longest in major American professional team sports.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Lakers>
1975:
The Great Storm spawned the first of 45 tornadoes over a three-
day period in the Southeastern United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Storm_of_1975>
2011:
In poor weather conditions, Iran Air Flight 277 (aircraft
pictured) crashed near Urmia Airport, Iran, killing 78 of the 105 people
on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_277>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bitcoin:
1. (uncountable, computing, finance) A decentralized cryptocurrency
using blockchain technology.
2. (countable, computing, finance) A unit of the bitcoin (proper noun
sense 1) cryptocurrency.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bitcoin>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The only way to achieve a practical, liveable peace in a world of
competing nations is to take the profit out of war.
--Richard Nixon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon>
Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American
singer and one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular
culture. Often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", Presley began
his career in 1954 and became the leading figure of the newly popular
sound of rock and roll in the late 1950s. Conscripted in 1958, he
relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most
commercially successful work. In 1968, he returned to live performance
in a television special that led to an extended Las Vegas residency and
a string of tours. In 1973, he staged the first concert broadcast
globally via satellite, seen by around 1.5 billion viewers.
Prescription drug abuse severely affected his health, and he died
suddenly in 1977. With wide success in many musical genres, Presley is
one of the best-selling solo artists in the history of popular music. He
won three Grammys, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at
the age of 36.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1904:
Blackstone Library, the first branch of the Chicago Public
Library system, was dedicated.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstone_Library>
1977:
Three bombs attributed to Armenian nationalists exploded across
Moscow, killing seven people and injuring 37 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_Moscow_bombings>
1981:
In Trans-en-Provence, France, a local farmer reported a UFO
sighting claimed to be "perhaps the most completely and carefully
documented sighting of all time".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-en-Provence_case>
2011:
Jared Lee Loughner opened fire at a public meeting held by U.S.
representative Gabby Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, killing six people and
injuring twelve others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tucson_shooting>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
shoop:
1. (music) Used as a scat word in song lyrics.
2. (slang, chiefly humorous) Used as a singular form of sheep: an
individual sheep.
3. (Internet slang) An image that has been modified using Adobe
Photoshop or similar image-manipulation software to produce a misleading
impression; an instance of amateur, petty fauxtography.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shoop>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
We are defined by how we use our power. Power often stands in
the way of learning. Wisdom revealed by simple lessons is hard to see
for leaders wearing the blinders of power. But we, too, have choices. We
can relieve much of the suffering in this world and promote the
potential of the species, or we can horde our power and exercise it for
our own aggrandizement.
--Gerry Spence
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gerry_Spence>