Master Chief is a major character in the Halo multimedia franchise.
First appearing in the 2001 video game Halo: Combat Evolved, he is the
playable character and protagonist of many of the games in the
franchise, and makes additional appearances in spin-offs, novels, and
comics. In the story, Master Chief is abducted as a child and raised by
the military to fight against human rebels. He and his fellow Spartan
supersoldiers instead become humanity's best weapon in the fight against
a genocidal collective of alien races known as the Covenant. The
character is voiced by Steve Downes. Master Chief was originally
designed to be a faceless avatar whom players could inhabit while
playing the games, but the relationship between him and his artificial
intelligence companion Cortana has become a central part of the
franchise. Master Chief serves as a mascot for the Xbox brand, and is an
iconic character in gaming culture.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Chief_%28Halo%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1917:
Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari was executed by a firing squad
for spying for Germany.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_Hari>
1982:
Ata'ollah Ashrafi Esfahani was assassinated by the People's
Mujahedin of Iran during Friday prayers in Kermanshah.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ata%27ollah_Ashrafi_Esfahani>
2006:
An earthquake registering 6.7 Mw occurred off the northwestern
coast of the island of Hawaii.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Kiholo_Bay_earthquake>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
beg to differ:
1. (idiomatic) To offer an opposing opinion humbly.
2. (idiomatic) To differ (strongly) in interpretation or opinion.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beg_to_differ>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction
rather than surrender any material part of their advantage. Intellectual
myopia, often called stupidity, is no doubt a reason. But the privileged
also feel that their privileges, however egregious they may seem to
others, are a solemn, basic, God-given right.
--John Kenneth Galbraith
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Kenneth_Galbraith>
The eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) is a highly venomous
snake native to the coastal regions of southern East Africa. First
described by Scottish surgeon and zoologist Andrew Smith in 1849, the
mamba has a slender build with bright green upperparts and yellow-green
underparts. The adult female averages around 2.0 metres (6.6 ft) in
length, and the male is slightly smaller. A shy and elusive species, it
is rarely seen; its green colouration blends with its arboreal
environment. It has been observed to lie in wait like many vipers
instead of actively foraging. The eastern green mamba preys on birds,
eggs, bats, and rodents such as mice, rats, and gerbils. Its venom
consists of both neurotoxins and cardiotoxins. Symptoms in humans can
include swelling of the bite site, dizziness and nausea, accompanied by
difficulty breathing and swallowing, irregular heartbeat and
convulsions. The most severe bites can quickly be fatal.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_green_mamba>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1940:
Second World War: During the Blitz, a semi-armour-piercing
fragmentation bomb fell on the road above Balham station in London,
which was being used as an air raid shelter, killing at least 64 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balham_station>
1957:
After three days of heavy rain, the Turia overflowed and
flooded the city of Valencia, Spain, causing at least 81 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957_Valencia_flood>
2014:
A snowstorm and series of avalanches occurred on and around the
Himalayan peaks of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, resulting in the deaths of
at least 43 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Nepal_snowstorm_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Woozle effect:
The phenomenon whereby frequent citation of earlier publications leads
to a mistaken public belief in something for which there is no evidence,
giving rise to an urban myth.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Woozle_effect>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The supreme quality for a leader is unquestionably integrity.
Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a
section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office. If a man's
associates find him guilty of being phony, if they find that he lacks
forthright integrity, he will fail. His teachings and actions must
square with each other. The first great need, therefore, is integrity
and high purpose.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower>
Mike Capel (born October 13, 1961) is a former Major League Baseball
right-handed pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers,
and Houston Astros. In 49 career games, Capel pitched 62.1 innings,
struck out 43 batters, and had a career win–loss record of 3–4 with
a 4.62 earned run average. A starting pitcher in college and parts of
his Minor League Baseball career, he converted to relief pitching while
in Chicago's minor league system. The Philadelphia Phillies chose Capel
in the 24th round of the 1980 Major League Baseball draft, but instead
of signing with the team, he opted to attend the University of Texas. He
played on the 1982 USA College All-Star Team, which placed third in the
Amateur World Series in Seoul. The next year, Capel and the Texas
Longhorns won the College World Series. After he was drafted by the
Cubs, Capel left Texas and played in six seasons of the minor leagues
before he made his major league debut in 1988.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Capel>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1814:
War of 1812: After three days of fighting, the beached U.S.
Revenue Cutter Service vessel Eagle was captured by the Royal Navy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_of_the_cutter_Eagle>
1972:
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed into a remote area in
the Andes mountains near the border of Chile and Argentina; the 16
remaining survivors were not rescued until more than two months later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguayan_Air_Force_Flight_571>
2013:
During the Hindu festival of Navaratri at a temple in Madhya
Pradesh, India, rumours about an impending bridge collapse caused a
stampede that resulted in 115 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Madhya_Pradesh_stampede>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
hogshead:
1. (Britain) An English measure of capacity for liquids, containing 63
wine gallons, or about 52½ imperial gallons; a half pipe.
2. A large barrel or cask of indefinite contents, especially one
containing from 100 to 140 gallons.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hogshead>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational
media so citizens can be informed about global events. More important,
we need to provide a platform for Arab voices. We suffer from poverty,
mismanagement and poor education. Through the creation of an independent
international forum, isolated from the influence of nationalist
governments spreading hate through propaganda, ordinary people in the
Arab world would be able to address the structural problems their
societies face.
--Jamal Khashoggi
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jamal_Khashoggi>
Hurricane Gonzalo formed on October 12, 2014, and became the first
Category 4 Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Ophelia in 2011. It made
landfall on Antigua, Saint Martin, and Anguilla as a Category 1
hurricane. Antigua and Barbuda sustained US$40 million in losses, and
three people died on Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. Gonzalo
intensified into a major hurricane, peaking on October 16 with maximum
sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h). It struck Bermuda less than a
week after the surprisingly fierce Hurricane Fay; the 2014 Atlantic
hurricane season was the first in recorded history with two hurricane
landfalls in Bermuda. Gonzalo battered the island with wind gusts as
high as 144 mph (232 km/h), downing hundreds of trees and causing
widespread roof damage and power outages, but no deaths or serious
injuries were reported. A large storm system from the remnants of
Gonzalo battered the British Isles and central Europe on October 21,
killing three people in the United Kingdom.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Gonzalo>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1798:
The Peasants' War began in Overmere, Southern Netherlands, with
peasants taking up arms against the French occupiers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peasants%27_War_%281798%29>
1960:
Japan Socialist Party leader Inejirō Asanuma was assassinated
during a live television recording by a man using a samurai sword.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inejir%C5%8D_Asanuma>
1992:
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 or 5.9 struck south of
Cairo, Egypt, killing 545 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Cairo_earthquake>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
mantilla:
1. A lace veil of Spanish origin worn over a woman's hair and shoulders.
2. A woman's light cloak or cape made of silk, velvet, lace, or other
material.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mantilla>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To practice black magic you have to violate every principle of
science, decency, and intelligence. You must be obsessed with an insane
idea of the importance of the petty object of your wretched and selfish
desires. I have been accused of being a "black magician." No more
foolish statement was ever made about me. I despise the thing to such an
extent that I can hardly believe in the existence of people so debased
and idiotic as to practice it.
--Aleister Crowley
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley>
The Battle of Cape Ecnomus was a naval battle fought off the coast of
Sicily in 256 BC between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic
during the First Punic War (264–241 BC). The Carthaginian fleet was
commanded by Hanno the Great and Hamilcar; the Roman fleet was led by
the consuls for the year, Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius
Vulso Longus. The Roman fleet of 330 warships sailed with approximately
140,000 men on board. The Romans' plan was to cross to Africa and invade
the Carthaginian homeland, in what is now Tunisia. The Carthaginians
were apparently aware of the Romans' intentions and mustered 350
warships off the south coast of Sicily to intercept them. With a
combined total of about 680 warships carrying up to 290,000 crew and
marines, the battle was possibly the largest naval battle in history by
the number of combatants involved. After a prolonged and confused day of
fighting the Carthaginians were decisively defeated.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Ecnomus>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1846:
English astronomer William Lassell discovered Triton, the
largest moon of Neptune.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triton_%28moon%29>
1911:
The Xinhai Revolution began with the Wuchang Uprising, marking
the beginning of the collapse of the Qing dynasty and the establishment
of the Republic of China.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuchang_Uprising>
1963:
The Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits all test
detonations of nuclear weapons except for those conducted underground,
came into effect.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial_Nuclear_Test_Ban_Treaty>
1973:
U.S. vice president Spiro Agnew resigned after being charged
with tax evasion.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiro_Agnew>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
nide:
(archaic) A nest of pheasants.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nide>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The need for international solidarity and multilateral
cooperation is more conspicuous than ever. The Norwegian Nobel Committee
has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 to the World Food
Programme for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to
bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting
as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon
of war and conflict.
--Norwegian Nobel Committee
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Norwegian_Nobel_Committee>
Hassium is a highly radioactive chemical element with symbol Hs and
atomic number 108. The most stable known isotopes have half-lives of
around 10 seconds. Natural occurrences of this superheavy element have
been hypothesised, but none has ever been found. The first attempts to
artificially prepare element 108 by nuclear fusion began in 1978 at the
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in the Soviet Union; though likely
successful by 1984, these experiments did not prove conclusively that
the element had been synthesised. For this reason, the discovery is
principally credited to a team led by Peter Armbruster and Gottfried
Münzenberg at the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung who bombarded
lead-208 with iron-58 and produced hassium-265. The name hassium was
selected as a reference to the German state of Hesse, where the research
was conducted. The observed chemical properties of hassium are
consistent with its expected placement as the group 8 element in
period 7 of the periodic table.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassium>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1780:
The deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record began to impact the
Caribbean, killing at least 20,000 people across the Antilles over the
subsequent days.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hurricane_of_1780>
1914:
World War I: The civilian authorities of Antwerp surrendered,
allowing the German army to capture the city.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Antwerp_%281914%29>
2012:
Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was severely injured by a
Taliban gunman in a failed assassination attempt.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malala_Yousafzai>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
style:
1. (transitive) To call or give a name or title to.
2. (transitive) To create for, or give to, someone a style, fashion, or
image, particularly one which is regarded as attractive, tasteful, or
trendy.
3. (intransitive, US, informal) To act in a way which seeks to show that
one possesses style.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/style>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Instant Karma's gonna get you Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers Everyone you meet
--John Lennon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Lennon>
The British florin, or two-shilling coin, was issued from 1849 until
1967, with a final issue for collectors dated 1970. Valued at one tenth
of a pound (24 old pence), it was introduced in 1849 as part of an
experiment in decimalisation that went no further at that time. The
original florins attracted controversy for omitting a reference to God
from Queen Victoria's titles; that type is accordingly known as the
"godless florin", and was in 1851 succeeded by the "Gothic florin", for
its design and style of lettering. Throughout most of its existence, the
florin bore some variation of either the shields of the United Kingdom
or the emblems of its constituent nations. In 1968, prior to Decimal
Day, the Royal Mint began issuing the ten-pence piece, identical to the
florin in specifications and value. Both coins remained in circulation
until 1993, when the ten pence piece was made smaller, and the florin
was demonetised.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florin_%28British_coin%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1862:
The Battle of Perryville, one of the bloodiest battles of the
American Civil War, was fought west of Perryville, Kentucky.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Perryville>
1956:
Major League Baseball pitcher Don Larsen threw the only perfect
game in World Series history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Larsen>
2019:
Anti-government protests calling for free and fair elections
began in Baku, Azerbaijan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Baku_protests>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
dojo:
1. (martial arts) A training facility, usually led by one or more
sensei; a hall or room used for such training.
2. (by extension) A room or other facility used for other activities,
such as meditation or software development.
3. (sumo) Synonym of dohyo (“the ring in which a sumo wrestling match is
held”) [...]
4. The dojo loach, Japanese weather loach, or pond loach (Misgurnus
anguillicaudatus), a freshwater fish native to East Asia.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dojo>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The thing we must do intensely is be human together. People are
more important than things. We must get together. The best thing humans
can have going for them is each other. We have each other. We must
reject everything which humiliates us. Humans are not objects of
consumption. We must develop an absolute priority of humans ahead of
profit — any humans ahead of any profit. Then we will survive. …
Together.
--Frank Herbert
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Frank_Herbert>
"Cape Feare" is the second episode in the fifth season of the American
animated television series The Simpsons. Originally aired on the Fox
network on October 7, 1993, it features the return of guest star Kelsey
Grammer (pictured) as Sideshow Bob, who tries to kill Bart Simpson after
getting out of jail. "Cape Feare" is a spoof of the 1962 film Cape Fear
and its 1991 remake, which in turn are based on John D. MacDonald's 1957
novel The Executioners. The episode was written by Jon Vitti and
directed by Rich Moore. The production crew added several scenes after
finding it difficult to fill the half-hour slot. In one sequence,
Sideshow Bob is hit in the face repeatedly by rakes that he steps on;
this scene has been cited as one of the show's most memorable moments.
Cast member Hank Azaria called this episode his favorite in the series.
The musical score earned composer Alf Clausen an Emmy Award nomination.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Feare>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1800:
French privateer Robert Surcouf led a 150-man crew to capture
the 40-gun, 437-man East Indiaman Kent.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Surcouf>
1985:
During severe floods in Puerto Rico, about 130 people died as a
result of the deadliest single landslide on record in North America.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Puerto_Rico_floods>
2008:
2008 TC3 exploded above the Nubian Desert in Sudan, in the
first time that an asteroid impact had been predicted prior to
atmospheric entry.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_TC3>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
machicolation:
1. (architecture) An opening between corbels that support a projecting
parapet, or in the floor of a gallery or the roof of a portal, of a
fortified building from which missiles can be shot or heated items
dropped upon assailants attacking the base of the walls.
2. (architecture) A projecting parapet with a series of such openings.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/machicolation>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons.
--Desmond Tutu
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu>
Banksia petiolaris is a species of flowering plant of the family
Proteaceae native to Western Australia, where it is found in sandy soils
in the south coastal regions from Munglinup east to Israelite Bay. It
was first described by the botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1864.
B. petiolaris grows as a prostrate shrub, with horizontal stems and
thick, leathery upright leaves. The leaves can be viable for up to
13 years—the longest-lived of any flowering plant recorded. Yellow
cylindrical flower spikes (pictured), up to 16 cm (6 1⁄4 in) high,
appear in spring. As the spikes age, they turn grey and develop up to 20
woody seed pods each, known as follicles. Insects such as bees, wasps
and ants pollinate the flowers. B. petiolaris regenerates by seed after
bushfire. The species adapts readily to cultivation, growing in well-
drained sandy soils in sunny locations. It is suitable for rockeries and
as a groundcover.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_petiolaris>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1777:
American Revolutionary War: British forces under Sir Henry
Clinton captured Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery, and dismantled the
Hudson River Chain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Forts_Clinton_and_Montgomery>
1934:
Catalonia's autonomous government declared a general strike, an
armed insurgency, and the establishment of the Catalan State in reaction
to the inclusion of conservatives in the Spanish republican regime.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalan_State_%281934%29>
2000:
Denouncing corruption in Argentine president Fernando de la
Rúa's administration and the Senate, Vice President Carlos Álvarez
resigned.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_%C3%81lvarez_%28Argentine_politician%29>
2010:
The first version of the Instagram mobile application was
released for iOS devices.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
evert:
1. (transitive, often biology, physiology) To turn inside out (like a
pocket being emptied) or outwards.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To move (someone or something) out of the way.
3. (transitive, obsolete, also figurative) To turn upside down; to
overturn.
4. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete, also figurative) To disrupt; to
overthrow.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/evert>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it
dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration,
some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years
ago!
--Donald Trump
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Donald_Trump>
SMS Dresden was a German light cruiser, armed with ten 10.5 cm
(4.1 in) SK L/40 guns and two torpedo tubes, launched in
October 1907. Dresden visited the United States in 1909 during the
Hudson–Fulton Celebration, before serving in the High Seas Fleet. In
1913, she was assigned to the Mediterranean Division, then sent to the
Caribbean. At the onset of World War I, Dresden operated as a commerce
raider in South American waters in the Atlantic, then moved to the
Pacific Ocean and joined the German East Asia Squadron. Dresden saw
action in the Battle of Coronel in November 1914, and at the Battle of
the Falkland Islands in December, where she was the only German warship
to elude the British. In March 1915, when she was almost out of coal
and her engines were worn out, her captain attempted to have the ship
interned by Chile at Robinson Crusoe Island. British cruisers violated
Chilean neutrality and opened fire on the ship in the Battle of Más a
Tierra and the Germans scuttled Dresden.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Dresden_%281907%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
French Revolution: Upset about the high price and scarcity of
bread, thousands of Parisian women and various allies marched on the
royal palace at Versailles.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_March_on_Versailles>
1930:
The British airship R101 crashed in France en route to India on
its maiden overseas flight, killing 48 passengers and crew.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R101>
1975:
Dirty War: The Argentine guerrilla group Montoneros carried out
Operation Primicia, a terrorist attack in which they hijacked an
Aerolíneas Argentinas flight, captured Formosa International Airport,
and attacked a military regiment.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Primicia>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
wh-question:
(chiefly linguistics) A question that is introduced by a wh-word (what,
where, why, etc.) and cannot be answered by yes or no.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wh-question>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Without free, self-respecting, and autonomous citizens there can
be no free and independent nations. Without internal peace, that is,
peace among citizens and between the citizens and the state, there can
be no guarantee of external peace.
--Václav Havel
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Havel>