The initial campaign of the Breton Civil War took place in 1341. John,
Duke of Brittany, had died on 30 April 1341 and the Duchy of Brittany
was claimed by both his younger half-brother, John of Montfort; and his
niece's husband, Charles of Blois, a nephew of the king of France,
Philip VI. John quickly installed friendly garrisons in most of the
towns and castles of Brittany. Rumours of John's discussions with
English emissaries reached Philip, causing him to recognise Charles as
the new duke. John refused to give way and Philip sent an army to
Brittany to impose Charles. Within a month John had been defeated and
was a prisoner. His wife, Joanna, took command of her husband's army,
stormed the town of Redon and moved to the small but strongly walled
port of Hennebont. There she set up her two-year-old son, also named
John, as the faction's figurehead. The Hundred Years' War between France
and England had been ongoing since 1337, so she despatched a senior
counsellor to encourage English military intervention.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial_campaign_of_the_Breton_Civil_War>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1943:
Second World War: The Royal Navy submarine HMS Seraph began
Operation Mincemeat to deceive Germany about the upcoming invasion of
Sicily.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mincemeat>
1963:
A refusal by the Bristol Omnibus Company and the Transport and
General Workers' Union to permit the employment of black bus crews led
to a bus boycott in Bristol, England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Bus_Boycott>
1975:
American forces completed a helicopter evacuation (aircraft and
evacuees pictured) of U.S. citizens, South Vietnamese civilians and
others from Saigon, just before North Vietnamese troops captured the
city and ended the Vietnam War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Saigon>
2021:
A crowd crush killed 45 people during the annual pilgrimage to
the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Israel.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Meron_crowd_crush>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Franciscan:
1. A friar of the religious order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in
1209, now known as the Order of the Friars Minor.
2. A friar or nun of a religious order based on the rule of Francis of
Assisi's original order, such as (Roman Catholicism) the Order of Friars
Minor Capuchin (for men), Order of Friars Minor Conventual (men), Order
of Saint Clare (women), or the Third Order of Saint Francis (men and
women); or (Protestantism) certain orders in some Protestant churches,
especially the Anglican Church and the Lutheran Church.
3. Of or pertaining to Saint Francis of Assisi.
4. Of or pertaining to (Roman Catholicism) the Order of the Friars
Minor, or (Protestantism, Roman Catholicism) to another religious order
based on the rule of Francis of Assisi's original order.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Franciscan>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Less depends upon the choice of words than upon this, that their
introduction shall be justified by pregnant theorems.
--Carl Friedrich Gauss
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_Friedrich_Gauss>
The Portland spy ring was an espionage group active in the United
Kingdom between 1953 and 1961. It comprised five people who obtained
classified research documents from the Admiralty Underwater Weapons
Establishment (AUWE) on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, and passed them to
the Soviet Union. Two of the group, Harry Houghton and Ethel Gee worked
at the AUWE and had access to classified information. They passed this
to their handler, Konon Molody (pictured), a KGB agent acting under a
Canadian passport in the name Gordon Lonsdale. Lonsdale would pass the
documents to Lona and Morris Cohen, American communists living under the
names Helen and Peter Kroger; they passed the information to Moscow. The
ring was exposed in 1960 after a tip-off from the Polish spy Michael
Goleniewski. The information he supplied was enough to identify
Houghton. MI5 surveillance uncovered the rest of the group, who were
arrested in January 1961 and tried that March. Sentences for the group
ranged from 15 to 25 years.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_spy_ring>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1770:
On his first voyage, British explorer James Cook and the crew
of HMS Endeavour landed at Botany Bay, making the first recorded
European landfall on the eastern coast of Australia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Endeavour>
1945:
World War II: The U.S. Army liberated Dachau, the first Nazi
concentration camp, and killed German prisoners of war.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachau_liberation_reprisals>
1995:
Before a crowd of about 165,000 at the Rungrado 1st of May
Stadium, Ric Flair and Antonio Inoki competed in the main event of
Collision in Korea, the highest attended professional wrestling event of
all time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collision_in_Korea>
2015:
The ringleaders of the Bali Nine were executed in Indonesia for
attempting to smuggle 8.3 kg (18 lb) of heroin to Australia in 2005.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bali_Nine>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bento box:
1. A partitioned, traditionally lacquered, lunchbox in which a bento
(“Japanese takeaway lunch”) is served.
2. Synonym of bento (“a Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bento_box>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A scientist worthy of the name, above all a mathematician,
experiences in his work the same impression as an artist; his pleasure
is as great and of the same nature.
--Henri Poincaré
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henri_Poincar%C3%A9>
Lemurs of Madagascar is a 2010 reference work and field guide on the
lemurs of Madagascar, giving descriptions and biogeographic data for the
known species. The primary contributor is Russell Mittermeier, president
of Conservation International, and the cover art and illustrations are
by Stephen D. Nash. Currently in its third edition, the book provides
details about all known lemur species, general information about lemurs
and their history, and tips for identifying species. Four related
pocket field guides have also been released, containing color
illustrations of each species, miniature range maps, and species
checklists. The first edition was reviewed favorably. The first edition
identified 50 lemur species and subspecies, increased to 71 in the
second edition and 101 in the third. The taxonomy promoted by these
books has been questioned by researchers, such as Ian Tattersall, who
view these growing numbers of lemur species as insufficiently justified
inflation of species numbers.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemurs_of_Madagascar_%28book%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
Fletcher Christian, the acting lieutenant on board the Royal
Navy ship Bounty, led a mutiny against the commander William Bligh in
the South Pacific.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiny_on_the_Bounty>
1923:
The FA Cup final (crowd and police pictured) between Bolton
Wanderers and West Ham United was held on the opening day of the Empire
Stadium in London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1923_FA_Cup_final>
1945:
World War II: Benito Mussolini, the deposed fascist dictator
of Italy, was executed by partisans in Giulino.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Benito_Mussolini>
1983:
The West German news magazine Stern published excerpts from the
purported diaries of Adolf Hitler, later revealed to be forgeries.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Diaries>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
flimsy:
1. Likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail,
unsubstantial.
2. Of clothing: very light and thin.
3. (figurative)
4. Of an argument, explanation, etc.: ill-founded, unconvincing, weak;
also, unimportant; paltry, trivial.
5. Of a person: lacking depth of character or understanding; frivolous,
superficial.
6. (obsolete) Of a person, their physical makeup, or their health:
delicate, frail.
7. A thing which is ill-founded, unconvincing, or weak.
8. (also attributive, uncountable) Thin typing paper used together with
carbon paper in a typewriter to make multiple copies of a document;
(countable) a sheet of such paper.
9. (by extension) A document printed or typed on such paper.
10. (naval slang, countable) A service certificate.
11. (slang, countable) A banknote; (uncountable) paper money.
12. (newspapers, uncountable) The text to be set into pages of
magazines, newspapers, etc.; copy.
13. (UK, military slang) A hexahedral metal container with a capacity of
four imperial gallons (about 18 litres) used by the British Army during
World War II to hold fuel.
14. To make (something) likely to be easily damaged.
15. (dated or historical) To type or write (text) on a flimsy (“sheet of
thin typing paper used together with carbon paper in a typewriter to
make multiple copies of a document”) (noun sense 2).
16. (figurative) To treat (someone or something) as paltry or
unimportant; to demean, to underestimate.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/flimsy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is better not to express what one means than to express what
one does not mean.
--Karl Kraus
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Karl_Kraus_%28writer%29>
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a 2000 action-adventure game
developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It makes use
of enhanced 3D graphics and features several gameplay changes, but
reuses elements and character models from Ocarina of Time (1998). It
follows Link, who arrives in a parallel world, Termina, and becomes
embroiled in a quest to prevent the moon from crashing in three days'
time. The game introduces gameplay concepts revolving around a
perpetually repeating three-day cycle and the use of various masks that
transform Link into different forms, and requires the Expansion Pak add-
on for the Nintendo 64, which provides additional memory for more
refined graphics. Majora's Mask was acclaimed by critics, and generated
a cult following. It was rereleased for the GameCube in 2003, and for
the online services of the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch. An enhanced
remake for the Nintendo 3DS was released in 2015.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Majora%27s_Mask>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1650:
Wars of the Three Kingdoms: Covenanter forces defeated the
Royalists at the Battle of Carbisdale near the village of Culrain,
Scotland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carbisdale>
1945:
World War II: The photograph Raising the Flag on the Three-
Country Cairn was taken after German troops withdrew to Norway at the
end of the Lapland War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_the_Three-Country_Cairn>
1965:
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation: British forces repelled a
surprise Indonesian attack on a base at Plaman Mapu in Sarawak.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Plaman_Mapu>
2005:
The Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger airliner, made
its maiden flight from Toulouse, France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A380>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
phylactery:
1. (Judaism)
2. Either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages
from the Torah, traditionally worn by a Jewish man (one on the arm
(usually the left) and one on the forehead) and now sometimes by a woman
at certain morning prayers as a reminder to obey the law as set out in
the Bible; a tefilla.
3. (figurative, chiefly derogatory) A profession of faith, or religious
or traditional observance; also, a reminder.
4. (archaic) A fringe which an Israelite was required to wear as a
reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; (by extension) any
fringe or border.
5. (archaic) Synonym of amulet (“a protective charm or ornament”)
6. (by extension, fantasy, roleplaying games) An enchanted object used
(for example, by a lich) to contain and protect the owner's soul.
7. (art, historical) A scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from
a person's mouth or held in their hands, indicating what they are
singing or speaking; a banderole, a speech scroll.
8. (figurative) A list or record.
9. (Christianity, historical, obsolete) Synonym of reliquary (“a
container to display or hold religious relics”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/phylactery>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Those who cavalierly reject the Theory of Evolution, as not
adequately supported by facts, seem quite to forget that their own
theory is supported by no facts at all. Like the majority of men who are
born to a given belief, they demand the most rigorous proof of any
adverse belief, but assume that their own needs none.
--Herbert Spencer
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Herbert_Spencer>
Black Slave's Cry to Heaven was a 1907 stage play performed by the
Spring Willow Society, a Chinese student troupe, in Tokyo, Japan.
Adapted by Zeng Xiaogu from a translation of Harriet Beecher Stowe's
novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, the play focused on the experiences and
eventual escape of two slaves, Eliza and George, after killing several
of their pursuers. Modified to allegorically call attention to the
experiences of Chinese migrants in the United States, Black Slave's Cry
to Heaven was innovative in its use of spoken dialogue and realistic set
designs. Performed twice at the Hongō-za Theatre, the show was well
received by critics and audiences. Although its script has been lost,
the play has inspired subsequent works. Due to its technical innovations
and nationalist themes, Black Slave's Cry to Heaven has been canonized
as the first modern, Western-style Chinese drama.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Slave%27s_Cry_to_Heaven>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1915:
First World War: Britain, France and Russia signed a secret
treaty promising territory to Italy if it joined the war on their side.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_London_%281915%29>
1933:
The Gestapo, the official secret police force of Nazi Germany,
was established.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestapo>
1989:
A tornado struck the Manikganj District of Bangladesh and
killed an estimated 1,300 people, making it the deadliest tornado in
history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daulatpur%E2%80%93Saturia_tornado>
1994:
Just before landing at Nagoya Airport, Japan, the copilot of
China Airlines Flight 140 inadvertently triggered the takeoff/go-around
switch, causing the aircraft to crash and killing 264 of the 271 people
on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Airlines_Flight_140>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
visualize:
1. (transitive)
2. To perceive (something) visually; to see.
3. To depict (something) in a way which can be seen.
4. To form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in
the mind; to envisage.
5. (chiefly medicine) To make (a hidden or unclear body part, process,
or object) visible by optical methods (such as endoscopy, magnetic
resonance imaging, ultrasound, or X-rays), or other techniques.
6. (intransitive)
7. To perceive something visually.
8. To form a mental picture of something; to picture something in the
mind.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/visualize>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
People are deeply imbedded in philosophical, i.e., grammatical
confusions. And to free them presupposes pulling them out of the
immensely manifold connections they are caught up in.
--Ludwig Wittgenstein
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ludwig_Wittgenstein>
The 1925 FA Cup final was an association football match contested by
Sheffield United and Cardiff City on 25 April 1925 at Wembley Stadium
in London, England. The final was the showpiece match of English
football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge
Cup (FA Cup), organised by the Football Association. Both teams entered
the competition in the first round and progressed through five stages to
reach the final. Both clubs conceded only two goals each en route to the
final. This was the second time a team from outside England had reached
an FA Cup final. It was also the first time a Welsh team had reached the
final of the competition. Nearly 92,000 spectators attended the final.
The only goal of the game was scored by Sheffield United's Fred Tunstall
after 30 minutes and the match finished 1–0. The match remains the
last time Sheffield United won the FA Cup. Cardiff later played in and
won the 1927 final.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_FA_Cup_final>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1915:
First World War: The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
landed at Anzac Cove while British and French troops landed at Cape
Helles to begin the Allied invasion of the Gallipoli peninsula in the
Ottoman Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_campaign>
1960:
The U.S. Navy submarine Triton completed the first submerged
circumnavigation of the world.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sandblast>
1983:
The first issue of The Jakarta Post was published in Indonesia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jakarta_Post>
2015:
Nepal was struck by a magnitude-7.8 earthquake, killing more
than 8,000 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2015_Nepal_earthquake>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Gallipoli:
1. A peninsula in Turkey, north of the Dardanelles, between the Aegean
and Marmara seas.
2. (by ellipsis, historical) The Gallipoli Campaign (1915–1916) in World
War I.
3. (dated) Synonym of Gelibolu, a town and municipality of Turkey
located on the Gallipoli peninsula (sense 1).
4. (also attributive) A town in Lecce, Apulia, Italy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Gallipoli>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
All things will be in danger of being taken in a sense different
from their own proper sense, and, whilst taken in that different sense,
of losing their proper one, if they are called by a name which differs
from their natural designation. Fidelity in names secures the safe
appreciation of properties.
--Tertullian
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tertullian>
"I'm God" is an instrumental song by the American producer Michael
Volpe, known professionally as Clams Casino, and the British singer
Imogen Heap (pictured). Volpe created "I'm God" in 2009 by sampling
Heap's 2005 song "Just for Now". Volpe sent the track to the rapper
Lil B; the instrumental is featured on a song of the same name on
Lil B's 2009 mixtape, 6 Kiss. Volpe self-released "I'm God" in 2011
and, in 2012, it appeared on his mixtape Instrumentals 2. It was
officially released on streaming on April 24, 2020, appearing on
Volpe's Instrumental Relics compilation. A cloud rap song, "I'm God" is
noted for its ethereal and dream-like aspects. It received a cult
following on the Internet, being unofficially reuploaded by fans to
social media, including in the form of a music video that incorporates
clips from the 1989 French film Perdues dans New York. "I'm God" went on
to be influential in the genre of cloud rap. It was certified gold in
the US by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_God>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1914:
The Franck–Hertz experiment, the first electrical measurement
to clearly demonstrate quantum mechanics, was presented to the German
Physical Society.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franck%E2%80%93Hertz_experiment>
1916:
Irish republicans led by Patrick Pearse began the Easter Rising
against British rule in Ireland, and proclaimed the Irish Republic an
independent state.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising>
1980:
Eight U.S. servicemen died in Operation Eagle Claw, a failed
attempt to rescue the captives in the Iran hostage crisis.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Claw>
1990:
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched aboard STS-31 by Space
Shuttle Discovery.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope>
1993:
The Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated a truck bomb in
London's financial district in Bishopsgate, killing one person, injuring
forty-four others, and causing damage that cost £350 million to repair.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Bishopsgate_bombing>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tabloid:
1. (archaic) A small, compressed portion of a chemical, drug, food
substance, etc.; a pill, a tablet.
2. (figurative) A compact or compressed version of something; especially
something having a popular or sensational nature.
3. (aviation, historical) A small biplane manufactured by the Sopwith
Aviation Company and used during World War I (1914–1918).
4. (nautical) In full tabloid cruiser: a small yacht used for cruising.
5. (newspapers) A newspaper having pages half the dimensions of a
broadsheet, especially characterized as favouring stories of a popular
or sensational nature over serious news.
6. (Canada, US, printing) A paper size 11 × 17 inches (279 × 432
millimetres) in dimensions.
7. In the form of a tabloid (noun sense 2 and sense 2.3): compressed or
compact in size.
8. (figurative) Resembling the style of journalism generally associated
with a tabloid newspaper: appealing to unsophisticated people,
sensational, etc.
9. (transitive) To express (something) in a compact or condensed manner,
especially in the style of journalism generally associated with a
tabloid newspaper (appealing to unsophisticated people, sensational,
etc.).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tabloid>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Charity is certainly greater than any rule. Moreover, all rules
must lead to charity.
--Vincent de Paul
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Vincent_de_Paul>
The Aineta aryballos is an Ancient Greek aryballos (a small, spherical
flask or vase), made between approximately 625 and 570 BCE in the city
of Corinth in southern Greece. Approximately 6.35 centimetres (2.50 in)
in both height and diameter, it was intended to contain perfumed oil or
unguent, and is likely to have been owned by a high-class courtesan
(hetaira) by the name of Aineta. The vase's illegal sale to the British
Museum in 1865 led to the prosecution of its seller, the Athenian
professor and art dealer Athanasios Rhousopoulos, and exposed his
widespread involvement in antiquities crime. The vase is inscribed with
a portrait, probably that of Aineta, who is named in the inscription on
the vase. The aryballos is likely to have been found in a grave,
probably that of Aineta. In 1877, Rhousopoulos was fined for selling the
vase in contravention of Greek law. The case represented a relatively
rare successful use of state power against the illegal trade in Ancient
Greek artefacts.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aineta_aryballos>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1945:
World War II: The US Army's 90th Infantry Division liberated
Flossenbürg concentration camp in Germany, freeing 1,500 prisoners.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flossenb%C3%BCrg_concentration_camp>
1976:
The American band the Ramones released their debut album, which
became highly influential on the emerging punk rock movement.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramones_%28album%29>
1979:
Blair Peach, a New Zealand teacher, was fatally injured after
being knocked unconscious during an Anti-Nazi League demonstration
against a National Front election meeting in Southall, London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Blair_Peach>
2018:
A man intentionally struck pedestrians with a van on Yonge
Street in Toronto, Canada, leading to 11 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Toronto_van_attack>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
King's English:
(chiefly England) Often preceded by the: spoken or written English
regarded as used and safeguarded by the King of England; standard
English characterized by correct grammar and what is thought of as
proper usage of words and expressions, and (when spoken) formal British
pronunciation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/King%27s_English>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the
moral law is written on the tablets of eternity. For every false word or
unrighteous deed, for cruelty and oppression, for lust or vanity, the
price has to be paid at last.
--James Anthony Froude
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_Anthony_Froude>
Terry Fox (1958–1981) was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete and
fundraiser. He was a distance runner and basketball player, and
continued both pursuits after his right leg was amputated upon being
diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 1977. His chemotherapy inspired him to
attempt the Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada run, to raise funds for
cancer research. He began on April 12, 1980, at St. John's,
Newfoundland, and ran west for 143 days and 5,373 kilometres
(3,339 mi) – the equivalent of a marathon a day – until forced to
stop near Thunder Bay, Ontario, after cancer returned in his lungs. Fox
captivated the country; he was named Newsmaker of the Year in both 1980
and 1981 and appointed Companion of the Order of Canada. His run led to
millions of dollars in donations. He inspired the Terry Fox Run, held in
more than 60 countries and the world's largest one-day fundraiser for
cancer research. Considered a national hero, buildings, roads and parks
across Canada have been named in his honour.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Fox>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1885:
The first meeting of the Colonial Defence Committee, a standing
committee of the British Colonial Office, was held to discuss the
defence of Barbados.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Defence_Committee>
1918:
The short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
was established on territory formerly part of the Russian Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcaucasian_Democratic_Federative_Republic>
1951:
Korean War: The Chinese People's Volunteer Army attacked
positions occupied mainly by Australian and Canadian forces, starting
the Battle of Kapyong.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kapyong>
2016:
The Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change,
opened for signature and was signed by 175 parties.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Agreement>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
GOOS:
Of paper: blank and usable on one side but not the other; also, of a
container: intended for holding such paper.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/GOOS>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Jubilee invites us to renew the gift of hope within us, to
surrender our sufferings and our concerns to hope, to share it with
those whom we meet along our journey and to entrust to hope the future
of our lives and the destiny of the human family. And so we cannot
settle for the fleeting things of this world or give in to sadness; we
must run, filled with joy. Let us run towards Jesus, let us rediscover
the inestimable grace of being his friends. Let us allow his Word of
life and truth to shine in our life.
--Pope Francis
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pope_Francis>
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a play written by Thomas Russell Sullivan
in collaboration with the actor Richard Mansfield (pictured). It is an
adaptation of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, an 1886 novella
by Robert Louis Stevenson. The story focuses on the respected London
doctor Henry Jekyll, who uses a potion to transform into Edward Hyde, a
loathsome criminal. Intrigued by the opportunity to play a dual role,
Mansfield secured the stage rights and asked Sullivan to write the
adaptation. The play debuted in Boston on May 9, 1887, and opened on
Broadway that September. Mansfield's performance was acclaimed by
critics. The play opened in London in August 1888, just before the
first Jack the Ripper murders. The press compared the murderer to the
Jekyll character, and Mansfield was suggested as a suspect. Mansfield
performed the play until shortly before his death in 1907. Sullivan made
changes from Stevenson's story that have been adopted by subsequent
adaptations, including film versions.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Jekyll_and_Mr._Hyde_%281887_play%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1615:
The Wignacourt Aqueduct in Malta was inaugurated, and was used
to carry water to Valletta for about 300 years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wignacourt_Aqueduct>
1725:
J. S. Bach's cantata Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden,
was first performed on Easter Monday.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleib_bei_uns,_denn_es_will_Abend_werden,_BWV…>
1925 or 1926:
Al-Baqi Cemetery in Medina, the site of the mausoleum
of four of the Twelve Imams of Shia Islam, was demolished by Wahhabis.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition_of_al-Baqi>
1975:
South Vietnamese president Nguyễn Văn Thiệu resigned on
hearing of the fall of Xuân Lộc, the last battle of the Vietnam War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Xu%C3%A2n_L%E1%BB%99c>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
astrognosy:
(astronomy, archaic) Knowledge of the stars, especially the fixed stars;
the branch of astronomy dealing with the fixed stars.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/astrognosy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.
--Catherine II of Russia
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Catherine_II_of_Russia>