The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse took
place from 15 December 1942 to 23 January 1943 and was primarily an
engagement between United States and Imperial Japanese forces in the
hills near the Matanikau River on Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal
campaign. The U.S. forces were under the overall command of Major
General Alexander Patch (pictured), and the Japanese under the overall
command of Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake. U.S. soldiers and
Marines, assisted by native Solomon Islanders, attacked Imperial
Japanese Army forces defending well-entrenched positions on several
hills and ridges. With difficulty the U.S. succeeded in taking Mount
Austen, in the process reducing a strongly defended position called the
Gifu, as well as the Galloping Horse and the Sea Horse. In the meantime,
the Japanese decided to abandon Guadalcanal and withdrew; most of the
surviving Japanese troops were successfully evacuated. (This article is
part of a featured topic: Guadalcanal Campaign.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Guadalcanal_Campaign>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1813:
Napoleonic Wars: Two evenly matched frigates, the French
Aréthuse and the British Amelia, battled to a stalemate (depicted) at
the Îles de Los off the Guinean coast.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_7_February_1813>
1865:
The trustees of Seattle enacted an ordinance that expelled
Native Americans from the newly incorporated town.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_of_Seattle_Ordinance_No._5>
1900:
Second Boer War: British troops made a third unsuccessful
attempt to lift the siege of Ladysmith in the Battle of Vaal Krantz.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vaal_Krantz>
2014:
Researchers announced the discovery of the Happisburgh
footprints in Norfolk, England, the oldest known hominid footprints
outside Africa, at more than 800,000 years old.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happisburgh_footprints>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
Godzone:
(New Zealand, informal) New Zealand.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Godzone>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I must say that, as I hope for mercy, I can have no other notion
of all the other governments that I see or know, than that they are a
conspiracy of the rich, who, on pretence of managing the public, only
pursue their private ends, and devise all the ways and arts they can
find out; first, that they may, without danger, preserve all that they
have so ill-acquired, and then, that they may engage the poor to toil
and labour for them at as low rates as possible, and oppress them as
much as they please; and if they can but prevail to get these
contrivances established by the show of public authority, which is
considered as the representative of the whole people, then they are
accounted laws.
--Thomas More
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_More>
John Silva Meehan (February 6, 1790 – April 24, 1863) was an
American publisher, printer, and newspaper editor. Born in New York
City, he served in the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812. He then moved
to Philadelphia, publishing a Baptist religious journal. When the firm
moved to Washington, D.C., in 1822, Meehan edited and published a
Baptist weekly newspaper. In late 1825 he purchased the City of
Washington Gazette, renaming it the United States' Telegraph and taking
a partisan stance. He was appointed as Librarian of Congress in 1828. A
large fire in December 1851 destroyed much of the Library of Congress's
collection; Meehan oversaw its reconstruction. The election of Abraham
Lincoln prompted Meehan's removal in 1861, and he died suddenly in 1863.
Historians were critical of Meehan's tenure, noting that he deferred to
the Joint Committee on the Library for policy, did not change the
library's catalog system, and failed to make progress in transforming
the institution into a true national library.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Silva_Meehan>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1579 – Domingo de Salazar, a Spanish Dominican friar, was appointed
the first bishop of Manila.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domingo_de_Salazar>
1865 – Finland established its modern system of secular
municipalities, separate from church parishes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Finland>
1922:
Representatives from France, Italy, Japan, the United States,
and the United Kingdom signed the Washington Naval Treaty, agreeing to
limits on naval construction in the hopes of preventing an arms race.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Naval_Treaty>
1987:
Mary Gaudron became the first woman to be appointed a justice
of the High Court of Australia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Gaudron>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
F in the chat:
(idiomatic, Internet slang, figurative) An expression of condolences,
regret, or sympathy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/F_in_the_chat>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We are a nation that has a government — not the other way
around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our
Government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time
to check and reverse the growth of government which shows signs of
having grown beyond the consent of the governed.
--Ronald Reagan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan>
During the 2009–10 English football season, Notts County F.C. competed
in Football League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league
system. Shortly before the season began, Notts County was subject to a
high-profile takeover by Munto Finance, which was controlled by a
convicted fraudster. The club had been acquired as part of an elaborate
scheme to list a fake mining company on the stock exchange. The scheme
collapsed and Notts County was left deeply in debt. A further takeover
prevented bankruptcy and saw the team winning the League Two
championship (reception pictured) and being promoted to Football League
One. The team also fared well in the FA Cup, reaching the last sixteen
of the competition. The season saw four different owners, three
permanent first-team managers and two spells of interim management. In
total, the team played 54 competitive matches, winning 31, drawing 14
and losing 9. Notts County continued to experience off-field problems
and the team were relegated to non-League football in 2019.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009%E2%80%9310_Notts_County_F.C._season>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1597 – As part of enforcing Toyotomi Hideyoshi's ban on Christianity
in Japan, twenty-six Catholics, a mix of European missionaries and
Japanese converts, were executed (depicted) near Nagasaki by crucifixion
and impalement.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/26_Martyrs_of_Japan>
1861:
In a speech before the U.S. Congress, Representative John
Edward Bouligny refused to join his fellow Louisiana congressmen in
heeding the state's secession convention and resigning.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edward_Bouligny>
1967:
Cultural Revolution: The January Storm revolt in Shanghai
reached its apogee as Maoist rebels proclaimed the establishment of the
Shanghai People's Commune, a move the previously supportive Mao Zedong
criticized.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_Storm>
2000:
Second Chechen War: As the Battle of Grozny came to a close,
Russian forces summarily executed at least 60 civilians in Grozny's
Novye Aldi suburb.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novye_Aldi_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
electrolier:
(dated) A fixture, usually hanging from a ceiling, for holding electric
lamps; specifically, a chandelier lit by electricity rather than with
candles or gas.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/electrolier>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The whole notion of loyalty inquisitions is a national
characteristic of the police state, not of democracy. The history of
Soviet Russia is a modern example of this ancient practice. I must, in
good conscience, protest against any unnecessary suppression of our
rights as free men. We must not burn down the house to kill the rats.
--Adlai Stevenson II
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Adlai_Stevenson_II>
Prostate cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate. It
is often detected through blood tests for prostate-specific antigen,
followed by a biopsy. Most prostate tumors (diagram pictured) cause no
health problems, and are managed with surveillance. Dangerous tumors can
be surgically removed or destroyed with radiation therapy. Those whose
cancer spreads receive hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and eventually
chemotherapy. Most tumors are confined to the prostate, and 99% of men
survive ten years post-diagnosis. Those whose tumors have metastasized
to distant body sites have a poorer prognosis; 30% to 40% are still
alive five years after diagnosis. Each year 1.2 million men are
diagnosed with prostate cancer and 350,000 die of the disease, making it
the second-leading cause of cancer in men. Prostate tumors were first
described in the mid-19th century. Hormone therapies were developed in
the mid–20th century, resulting in Nobel Prizes for their developers
Charles Huggins and Andrzej Schally.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostate_cancer>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1555 – Marian Restoration: Because he opposed Catholicism, John
Rogers was burned at the stake as the first English Protestant executed
for heresy under the reign of Mary I.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rogers_%28Bible_editor_and_martyr%29>
1945:
World War II: American forces liberated the Santo Tomas
Internment Camp in Manila, the largest enemy-civilian internment camp
run by the Empire of Japan in the Philippines.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Tomas_Internment_Camp>
1999:
The Panamanian-flagged freighter New Carissa ran aground near
Coos Bay, Oregon, causing one of the worst oil spills in the state's
history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Carissa>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
daisy-chain:
1. (transitive)
2. (business) To artificially increase (the price of a commodity;
originally crude oil, especially in a single shipment) by a group of
dealers buying and selling it among themselves before it is sold to a
party outside the group.
3. (chiefly computing, electronics) To connect (several computer devices
or peripherals, or other components) in sequence with each other,
usually such that the output of one component forms the input of
another; also (followed by to), to connect (a computer device or
peripheral, or other component) to another component in such a sequence.
4. (intransitive)
5. Of people, animals, etc.: to position in a line and move like a
chain.
6. (business) To artificially increase the price of a commodity
(originally crude oil, especially in a single shipment) by a group of
dealers buying and selling it among themselves before it is sold to a
party outside the group.
7. (chiefly computing, electronics) Especially of a computer device or
peripheral, or other component: to be capable of being connected with
other components in sequence. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/daisy-chain>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It's so funny that people think I actually ran for President. I
am maybe the most un-political person you're ever going to meet. When I
put "Elected" out, it was definitely a satire ... "Alice Cooper for
President" ... When everybody realized I was running against Nixon, you
know — even on a joke level — I think I got a lot of write-in votes.
--Alice Cooper
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alice_Cooper>
Untitled Goose Game is a 2019 indie puzzle stealth video game developed
by House House and published by Panic Inc. Players control a goose which
bothers the inhabitants of an English village. Players must use the
goose's abilities to manipulate objects and non-player characters to
complete objectives. Inspired by Super Mario 64 and the Hitman series,
the game combines stealth mechanics with a lack of violence to create
humorous scenarios. It was released for macOS, the Nintendo Switch,
Windows, the PlayStation 4, and the Xbox One. The game's unusual name
came from a last-minute decision during preparation for entry to a games
festival. The music uses short clips from six of Claude Debussy's
Préludes. Untitled Goose Game received positive reviews, with critics
praising its gameplay and humour. The game received the D.I.C.E. Award
for Game of the Year and the Game Developers Choice Award for Game of
the Year, among other accolades. Dan Golding, who curated the game
music, was nominated for an ARIA award. By the end of 2019, Untitled
Goose Game had sold more than a million copies.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untitled_Goose_Game>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1862 – Moldavia and Wallachia formally united, creating the Romanian
United Principalities.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Principalities_of_Moldavia_and_Wallach…>
1870 – Reconstruction era: The Fifteenth Amendment to the United
States Constitution was ratified, formally prohibiting race-based
disenfranchisement in the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Cons…>
1930:
The Communist Party of Indochina, the Communist Party of Annam
and the Communist League of Indochina merged to form the Communist Party
of Vietnam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Vietnam>
1995 – In mission STS-63, astronaut Eileen Collins became the first
woman to pilot the Space Shuttle.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eileen_Collins>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
camel case:
(typography, often programming) Especially in computer programming, and
in the names of brands and organizations: a style of typography in which
several words are concatenated together without any spaces between them,
with the first letter of each word (sometimes excluding the first word)
capitalized.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/camel_case>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The struggle between the opponents and defenders of capitalism is
a struggle between innovators who do not know what innovation to make
and conservatives who do not know what to conserve.
--Simone Weil
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Simone_Weil>
James Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish
novelist, poet and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist
avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and
important writers of the 20th century. He is best known for his short
story collection Dubliners, and for his novels A Portrait of the Artist
as a Young Man, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. Together with Virginia Woolf
and Dorothy Richardson, he is credited with the development of the
stream of consciousness technique in which the same weight is given to
both the internal world of the mind and the external world of events and
circumstances as factors shaping the actions and views of fictional
characters. His fictional universe is firmly rooted in Dublin and
reflects his family life and the events and friends and enemies from his
school and college days. In this, he became both one of the most
cosmopolitan and local of all the prominent English-language modernists.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Joyce>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1725:
J. S. Bach led the first performance of his chorale cantata Mit
Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125, based on Luther's paraphrase of
the Nunc dimittis.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mit_Fried_und_Freud_ich_fahr_dahin,_BWV_125>
1848:
Mexican–American War: During the American occupation of
Mexico City, diplomats signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which
ended the war and had Mexico cede 1.36 million square kilometres
(530,000 sq mi) of territory and the United States pay US$15 million.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Guadalupe_Hidalgo>
1913:
New York City's Grand Central Terminal, the world's largest
train station by number of platforms, opened immediately after midnight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Central_Terminal>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
Boaty McBoatface:
1. (transitive, humorous, neologism) To hijack or troll (a vote,
especially one held online; or an organization conducting such a vote),
by supporting a joke option.
2. An autonomous underwater vehicle launched in 2017, currently in
service with the British Antarctic Survey to study the polar oceans.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Boaty_McBoatface>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Groundhog Day, apart from everything else, is a demonstration of
the way time can sometimes give us a break. Just because we're born as
SOBs doesn't mean we have to live that way.
--Roger Ebert
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert>