The Chandler's Ford shooting was an attempted robbery on
13 September 2007 in which two men were shot dead by officers of
London's Metropolitan Police while robbing a cash-in-transit van. The
Met had been tracking a gang who had stolen an estimated £500,000 from
security vans and learned that the gang intended to rob the HSBC bank in
Chandler's Ford. Armed officers hid nearby early in the morning, with
snipers in overlooking buildings. Shortly after the G4S van's arrival, a
masked Mark Nunes demanded at gunpoint that the guard hand over the cash
box. A police sniper shot Nunes in the chest. A second gangster, Andrew
Markland, picked up Nunes's gun and was shot twice by another sniper.
Officers gave first aid but both men died. An IPCC investigation
concluded that the snipers had acted properly, though it found flaws in
the planning. An inquest reached a verdict of lawful killing, after
which the IPCC recommended that an independent firearms commander be
appointed to lead future operations.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandler%27s_Ford_shooting>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1821:
The Treaty of Córdoba was signed, ratifying the Plan of Iguala
and concluding the Mexican War of Independence with Spain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_C%C3%B3rdoba>
1921:
The Royal Navy's R.38, the world's largest airship at the time,
was destroyed by a structural failure over Hull, killing 44 of the 49
crew aboard.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R38-class_airship>
1941:
Adolf Hitler ordered the suspension of the T4 euthanasia
program of the mentally ill and disabled, although killings continued in
secret for the remainder of World War II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktion_T4>
2006:
The International Astronomical Union redefined the term planet,
thus reclassifying Pluto as a dwarf planet due to not having "cleared
the neighbourhood" around its orbit.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_definition_of_planet>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bandura:
(music) A Ukrainian plucked stringed instrument with a tear-shaped body,
like an asymmetrical lute or a vertical zither, which is played with
both hands while held upright on the lap.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bandura>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 As I think of the many myths, there is one that is very harmful,
and that is the myth of countries. Â
--Jorge Luis Borges
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges>
Edvard August Vainio (1853–1929) was a Finnish lichenologist. His
early works on the lichens of Lapland, his three-volume monograph on the
lichen genus Cladonia, and, in particular, his study of the
classification and form and structure of lichens in Brazil made Vainio
renowned internationally. Vainio's earliest works dealt with
phytogeography—elucidating and enumerating flora and its
distribution—in the Finnish language. In these publications he
demonstrated an attention to detail and thoroughness that became
characteristic of his later work. Vainio described about 1700 new taxa,
and published more than 100 scientific works. He made significant
scientific collections of lichens, and while a herbarium curator at the
University of Helsinki and the University of Turku he catalogued and
processed other collections from all over the world. He has been called
the Father of Brazilian Lichenology and the Grand Old Man of
Lichenology.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_August_Vainio>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1898:
The Southern Cross Expedition (dogsled team pictured), the
first British venture of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration,
departed London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_Expedition>
1929:
Palestine riots: Arabs began attacking Jews in Hebron, killing
more than sixty people in two days.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_Hebron_massacre>
1944:
King Michael dismissed the pro-Axis government of General Ion
Antonescu, placing Romania on the side of the Allies for the remainder
of World War II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Antonescu>
2011:
A 5.8Â MW earthquake struck the Piedmont region of Virginia,
and was felt by more people than any other quake in U.S. history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Virginia_earthquake>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
limn:
1. (transitive, also figuratively) To draw or paint; to delineate.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To illuminate, as a manuscript; to decorate
with gold or some other bright colour.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/limn>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 It would be well if, in studying the past, we could always bear
in mind the problems of the present, and go to that past to seek large
views of what is of lasting importance to the human race. Â
--Arnold Toynbee
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arnold_Toynbee>
Arsenal Women and Bristol City Women played an association football
match on 1 December 2019 that ended with a scoreline of 11–1. It was
part of the 2019–20 Football Association Women's Super League
(FAÂ WSL) and became the highest-scoring game in the league's history.
At the time Arsenal were the reigning champions and third in the league;
Bristol City were in tenth position. Dutch international striker
Vivianne Miedema scored six of the eleven Arsenal goals, a league
record, surpassing South Korean Ji So-yun to become the highest-scoring
non-British player in FA WSL history. Miedema was also involved in four
of the other five Arsenal goals, which were scored by Lisa Evans
(twice), Leah Williamson, Jordan Nobbs, and Emma Mitchell. Yana Daniëls
scored the only goal for Bristol City. The result put Arsenal top of the
league and left Bristol City in eleventh place out of twelve clubs. The
return match was never played, as the season was suspended because of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_Women_11%E2%80%931_Bristol_City_Women>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1711:
Queen Anne's War: A British attempt to attack Quebec failed
when eight ships wrecked on the St. Lawrence River.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Expedition>
1851:
The yacht America won the Cup of One Hundred Sovereigns race,
later renamed the America's Cup, near the Isle of Wight, England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1851_America%27s_Cup>
1961:
Ida Siekmann jumped from a window in her tenement building
trying to flee to West Berlin, becoming the first person to die at the
Berlin Wall.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Siekmann>
1985:
A fire broke out on British Airtours Flight 28M, causing 55
deaths mostly due to smoke inhalation and bringing about changes to make
aircraft evacuation more effective.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airtours_Flight_28M>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
lorry:
1. (road transport, Britain) A motor vehicle for transporting goods, and
in some cases people; a truck.
2. (dated) A barrow or truck for shifting baggage, as at railway
stations.
3. (dated) A small cart or wagon used on the tramways in mines to carry
coal or rubbish.
4. (obsolete) A large, low, horse-drawn, four-wheeled wagon without
sides; also, a similar wagon modified for use on railways.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lorry>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is
prevent it. Better yet, build it. Predicting the future is much too
easy, anyway. You look at the people around you, the street you stand
on, the visible air you breathe, and predict more of the same. To hell
with more. I want better. Â
--Ray Bradbury
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury>
"Candy" is a song by American rapper Foxy Brown (pictured) featuring
Kelis, released by Def Jam on August 21, 2001, as the third single from
her third studio album Broken Silence (2001). A dance-pop and R&B;
track, it was produced by the Neptunes duo Chad Hugo and Pharrell
Williams, who co-wrote the song alongside Brown and Juan Manuel Cordova.
Brown raps on the verses while Kelis, a frequent collaborator with the
Neptunes, performs the hook. The lyrics are about cunnilingus. "Candy"
received a positive response from critics upon release and in
retrospective reviews. Music critics compared it to music by other
artists, including Lil' Kim, while scholars analyzed its representation
of black female sexuality. In the US, the song appeared on Billboard
charts, reaching the top ten on the Hot Rap Songs chart. "Candy"
appeared on several soundtracks in the early 2000s; it featured in the
television series Dark Angel and the films Friday After Next and The 40
-Year-Old Virgin.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_%28Foxy_Brown_song%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1808:
Peninsular War: British–Portuguese forces put an end to the
first French invasion of Portugal at the Battle of Vimeiro.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vimeiro>
1911:
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre by
museum employee Vincenzo Peruggia and was not recovered until two years
later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa>
1971:
Six people were killed during an escape attempt and riot at
California's San Quentin State Prison; the subsequent trial of six
inmates was the longest in state history at the time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Quentin_Six>
1986:
A limnic eruption of Lake Nyos in Cameroon released a cloud of
carbon dioxide, suffocating 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nyos_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
anhedonic:
(psychiatry, also figuratively) Showing anhedonia; having no capacity to
feel pleasure.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anhedonic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Friend, I haven't a dollar in the world, but if thee knows a
fugitive who needs a breakfast, send him to me. Â
--Thomas Garrett
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Garrett>
Shuttle-Centaur was a version of the Centaur upper stage rocket that
could be carried aloft inside the Space Shuttle and used to launch
satellites into high Earth orbits or probes into deep space. Two
variants were produced: Centaur G-Prime, to launch robotic probes to
Jupiter; and Centaur G, for use with US Department of Defense Milstar
satellites and the Magellan Venus probe. Its power allowed for heavier
deep space probes, prolonging the operational life of the spacecraft.
The US Air Force agreed to pay half the cost of Centaur G. The Space
Shuttles Challenger and Atlantis were modified to carry the Centaur.
After the Challenger accident, NASA concluded it was too risky to fly
the Centaur on the Shuttle, just months before its first scheduled
flight. The Galileo and Ulysses probes were ultimately launched using
the less powerful Inertial Upper Stage. A variant of the Centaur G-Prime
was mated with the Titan rocket to produce the Titan IV, which placed
16 military satellites in orbit.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle-Centaur>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1794:
American troops defeated the Northwestern Confederacy, a Native
American alliance, at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the decisive battle
of the Northwest Indian War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fallen_Timbers>
1905:
Sun Yat-sen, Song Jiaoren, and others founded the Tongmenghui,
a secret society dedicated to overthrowing the Qing dynasty of China.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongmenghui>
1971:
The Stanford prison experiment, one of the most infamous
psychological studies, was ended after six days, when the simulation
became too abusive.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment>
1989:
After colliding with a dredger on the River Thames in London,
the pleasure steamer Marchioness sank in just thirty seconds, killing 51
people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchioness_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
gamin:
(dated, also attributively) A homeless boy; a male street urchin; also
(more generally), a cheeky, street-smart boy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gamin>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Memories and possibilities are ever more hideous than realities.
Â
--H. P. Lovecraft
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft>
Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Borneo and
Sumatra. Three species in the genus Pongo are recognised. The most
arboreal of the great apes, orangutans spend most of their time in
trees. They have proportionally long arms and short legs and their hair
is reddish-brown. Adult males may develop distinctive cheek pads or
flanges and make long calls that attract females and intimidate rivals.
Orangutans are generally solitary, with most social bonds occurring
between mothers and their dependent offspring. The apes eat mainly
fruit, but also vegetation, bark, honey, insects and bird eggs. Among
the most intelligent primates, orangutans use a variety of sophisticated
tools and construct elaborate sleeping nests each night from branches
and foliage. The illegal pet trade, poaching, and habitat destruction
for palm oil cultivation have caused severe declines in the populations
and ranges of all three species.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangutan>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1759:
Seven Years' War: At the Battle of Lagos, British ships, having
damaged several French vessels the previous day, pursued the remainder
of the fleet to Lagos, Portugal, and continued the battle there in
violation of Portuguese neutrality.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lagos>
1934:
A referendum supported the recent merging of the posts of
Chancellor and President of Germany, consolidating Adolf Hitler's
assumption of supreme power.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1934_German_referendum>
1981:
Two U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats shot down two Libyan Su-22 Fitters
during military exercises over the Gulf of Sidra.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Sidra_incident_%281981%29>
2005:
Thunderstorms in southern Ontario, Canada, spawned at least
three tornadoes that caused over C$500Â million in damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ontario_tornado_outbreak_of_2005>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
humanitarian:
Concerned with people's welfare, and the alleviation of suffering;
compassionate, humane.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/humanitarian>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Great wits are sure to madness near allied, And thin partitions
do their bounds divide. Â
--John Dryden
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Dryden>
The Gurian Republic was an insurrection and protest movement in the
western Georgian region of Guria between 1902 and 1906, against the
Russian Empire. It arose from a revolt over land grazing rights;
taxation, land ownership and economic factors were also concerns. The
Republic established its own system of government, although it was not
anti-Russian, desiring to remain within the Empire. The 1905 Russian
Revolution led to uprisings throughout the Empire, including Georgia,
and in reaction the imperial authorities deployed the military to end
the rebellions. The peasants were able to fend off a small force of
Cossacks, but overwhelming military force was used to re-assert control
in 1906. Some of the Republic's leaders were executed, imprisoned or
exiled, but others later played prominent roles in the 1918–1921
Democratic Republic of Georgia. The Gurian Republic demonstrated that
peasants could participate in the socialist movement, an idea previously
downplayed by leading Marxists.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurian_Republic>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1891:
A hurricane struck the Caribbean island of Martinique, killing
about 700 people, injuring at least 1,000 others, and causing severe
damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1891_Martinique_hurricane>
1920:
The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
(authors pictured) was ratified, guaranteeing women's suffrage in the
country.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Con…>
1966:
Vietnam War: Members of the 6th Battalion of the Royal
Australian Regiment were surrounded by a much larger Viet Cong unit at
the Battle of Long Tan, but held them off for several hours until
reinforcements arrived.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Long_Tan>
2008:
Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf resigned under pressure
from a movement to impeach him.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_Pervez_Musharraf>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
disquisition:
1. (archaic) A methodical inquiry or investigation.
2. A lengthy, formal discourse that analyses or explains some topic;
(loosely) a dissertation or treatise.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disquisition>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 I feel that the end of my days is drawing near; my senses are
failing me; my delight and strength in creating songs are gone; he, who
was once honored by half of Europe, is forgotten; others have come and
are the objects of admiration; one must give place to another. Nothing
remains for me but trust in God, and the hope of an unclouded existence
in the Land of Peace. Â
--Antonio Salieri
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Antonio_Salieri>
William de Cantilupe was killed by multiple stab wounds in Scotton,
Lincolnshire, in March 1375. The de Cantilupes were a wealthy English
family and had a history of service to the crown. They were major
landholders in the Midlands, with estates in Greasley, Ilkeston, and
Withcall. William de Cantilupe's ancestors included royal councillors
and, distantly, Saint Thomas de Cantilupe. Among the suspects in the
murder were his wife Maud and the sheriff Thomas Kydale. Maud may have
had an affair with Kydale during her husband's frequent absences on
service during the war in France. Fifteen members of the household were
also accused. De Cantilupe's murder was the first to come within the
purview of the Treason Act 1351, a statute which declared the murder of
a man by his wife or servants to be petty treason. Maud was tried and
acquitted. She then married Kydale. Two members of the household staff
were convicted and executed. Others who were indicted did not appear for
trial and were outlawed. One of the outlaws, de Cantilupe's steward,
John Tailour of Barneby, was pardoned by Richard II.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_William_de_Cantilupe>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1676:
Scanian War: Swedish forces defeated Danish troops at the
Battle of Halmstad, the last battle in Halland between the two
countries.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Halmstad>
1907:
Pike Place Market, one of the oldest continuously operated
public farmers' markets in the U.S. and a popular tourist attraction,
opened in Seattle, Washington.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pike_Place_Market>
1945:
Animal Farm, George Orwell's satirical allegory of Soviet
totalitarianism, was first published.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farm>
2009:
A hydroelectric turbine at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam in
Russia catastrophically failed, flooding the turbine hall, killing 75
people and causing widespread power outages.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayano-Shushenskaya_power_station_accident>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
fatberg:
A large accumulation of fat and discarded toiletries which clogs sewers.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fatberg>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Life is a play acted by dying men, Where, if its heroes seem to
foot it well And go light-tongued without grimace of pain, Death will
be found anon. And who shall tell Which part was saddest, or in youth
or age, When the tired actor stops and leaves the stage? Â
--Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wilfrid_Scawen_Blunt>
Dimple Kapadia (born 1957) is an Indian actress of Hindi films. She was
discovered at age 14 by Raj Kapoor, who cast her in the title role of
Bobby, a major success in 1973. The same year, she married and then quit
acting until 1984. Both Bobby and her comeback film Saagar (1985) won
her Filmfare Awards for Best Actress. She established herself as a
leading lady in both mainstream and parallel Hindi cinema and won
acclaim for Kaash (1987), Drishti (1990) and Lekin (1991). Her portrayal
of a professional mourner in Rudaali (1993) won her a Filmfare Critics
Award and the National Film Award for Best Actress; a supporting role in
Krantiveer (1994) earned her a fourth Filmfare Award. Less active in
later decades, Kapadia played troubled middle-aged women in Dil Chahta
Hai (2001) and Leela (2002). She followed with several leading roles,
but character parts in films including Luck by Chance (2009), Finding
Fanny (2014) and the Hollywood thriller Tenet (2020) brought her more
success.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimple_Kapadia>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1896:
A group including George Carmack and Skookum Jim Mason
discovered gold near Dawson City, Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold
Rush.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Gold_Rush>
1906:
An earthquake registering approximately 8.2Â Mw struck
ValparaÃso, Chile, killing 3,882 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_Valpara%C3%ADso_earthquake>
1946:
Widespread riots between Hindus and Muslims took place in
Calcutta following the All-India Muslim League's call for an independent
Pakistan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Action_Day>
2015:
Suicide bombers assassinated Pakistani politician Shuja
Khanzada and killed at least 21 others at his home in Attock District.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuja_Khanzada>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
pie-eyed:
1. (informal, originally US) With one's eyes wide open and staring in an
expressionless manner; wide-eyed.
2. (informal, by extension) (Extremely) drunk or intoxicated.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pie-eyed>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 An intelligent man neither allows himself to be controlled nor
attempts to control others; he wishes reason alone to rule, and that
always. Â
--Les Caractères
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Les_Caract%C3%A8res>
Shaw and Crompton is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of
Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, containing the town of Shaw.
Formerly known as Crompton, the parish lies at the edge of the South
Pennines, 9Â miles (14Â km) northeast of Manchester. There is evidence
of ancient British and Anglian activity in the area, and by the Middle
Ages it was a small township, although lacking a lord's manor. Farming
was the main industry with some hand-loom woollen weaving until textile
manufacture during the British Industrial Revolution initiated rapid
urbanisation. By the late 19th century Crompton had emerged as a densely
populated mill town. Imports of foreign cotton led to a decline in
textiles in the mid–20th century and the last mill closed in 1989. The
borough is mainly suburban, with a population of 21,065 as of 2011. Of
the 48 cotton mills, some very large, that have existed in the area, six
now serve as home to large distribution companies, among them Yodel's
Shaw National Distribution Centre.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaw_and_Crompton>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1018:
Byzantine general Eustathios Daphnomeles captured and blinded
Ibatzes of Bulgaria by means of a ruse, ending the last resistance
against Emperor Basil II's conquest of Bulgaria.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustathios_Daphnomeles>
1941:
Corporal Josef Jakobs became the last person executed at the
Tower of London, having been convicted of espionage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Jakobs>
1963:
President Fulbert Youlou was overthrown in the Republic of
Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trois_Glorieuses_%281963%29>
1977:
The Big Ear radio telescope in Ohio received a strong,
apparently extraterrestrial radio signal, which became known as the
"Wow! signal" (printout pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow!_signal>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
neroli:
More fully neroli oil or oil of neroli: an essential oil distilled from
the blossoms of the bitter orange or Seville orange (Citrus × aurantium
subsp. amara) used to make perfumes.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/neroli>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 It is the nature of human institutions to degenerate, to lose
their vitality, and decay, and the first sign of decay is the loss of
flexibility and oblivion of the essential spirit in which they were
conceived. The spirit is permanent, the body changes; and a body which
refuses to change must die. The spirit expresses itself in many ways
while itself remaining essentially the same but the body must change to
suit its changing environments if it wishes to live. Â
--Sri Aurobindo
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sri_Aurobindo>