Thomas F. Bayard (1828–1898) was a lawyer, politician, and diplomat
from Wilmington, Delaware. He served three terms as a US Senator from
Delaware and made three unsuccessful bids for the Democratic nomination
for President of the United States. In 1885, President Grover Cleveland
appointed him Secretary of State. Bayard worked with Cleveland to
promote American trade in the Pacific while avoiding the acquisition of
colonies at a time when many Americans clamored for them. He worked to
resolve disputes over fishing and seal-hunting rights in the waters
around the Canada–United States border. After four years in private
life, he returned to the diplomatic arena as Ambassador to the United
Kingdom, where he continued to strive for Anglo-American friendship.
This brought him into conflict with his successor at the State
Department, Richard Olney, when Olney and Cleveland were demanding more
aggressive diplomatic overtures in the Venezuelan crisis of 1895.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_F._Bayard>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1920:
A bomb in a horse wagon exploded (aftermath pictured) in front
of the J. P. Morgan building in New York City, killing 38 people and
injuring several hundred others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_bombing>
1961:
Typhoon Nancy, with possibly the strongest winds ever measured
in a tropical cyclone, made initial landfall in Muroto, Kōchi, Japan,
having decreased in intensity.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Nancy_%281961%29>
1982:
A Lebanese militia under the direct command of Elie Hobeika
carried out a massacre in the Palestinian refugee camp of Sabra and
Shatila, killing at least 460 civilians.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre>
1990:
Construction of the Northern Xinjiang railway was completed
between Ürümqi South and Alashankou stations, linking the railway
lines of China and Kazakhstan, and adding a sizable portion to the
Eurasian Land Bridge.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Land_Bridge>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
cummerbund:
(fashion) A broad sash, especially one that is pleated lengthwise and
worn as an article of formal dress, as around a man's waist together
with a tuxedo or dinner jacket.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cummerbund>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The shortest and surest way of arriving at real knowledge is to
unlearn the lessons we have been taught, to mount the first principles,
and take nobody's word about them.
--Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_St_John,_1st_Viscount_Bolingbroke>
The Bayern-class battleships were four super-dreadnoughts, laid down
from 1913 to 1915 by the Imperial German Navy. Sachsen and Württemberg
were never completed, after U-boats were found to be more valuable to
the war effort. Bayern (pictured) and Baden, the last German battleships
completed during World War I, were commissioned into the fleet too late
to take part in the Battle of Jutland (31 May – 1 June 1916). Bayern
was assigned to the naval force that drove the Imperial Russian Navy
from the Gulf of Riga during Operation Albion in October 1917, though
the ship was severely damaged by a mine and had to be withdrawn to Kiel
for repairs. Baden replaced Friedrich der Grosse as the flagship of the
High Seas Fleet, but saw no combat. Bayern and Baden were interned in
Scapa Flow, Scotland, following the Armistice in November 1918; in June
1919, Bayern was scuttled along with other fleet ships at the command of
Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayern-class_battleship>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1821:
The Province of Guatemala proclaimed the independence of
Central America from the Spanish Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Independence_of_Central_America>
1916:
Tanks, the "secret weapons" of the British Army during the
First World War (Mark I tank pictured), were first used in combat at the
Battle of the Somme in Somme, Picardy, France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Somme>
1944:
World War II: Following the Greek People's Liberation Army
victory in the Battle of Meligalas, more than 700 prisoners of war and
about 50 civilians were massacred.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Meligalas>
2008:
Late-2000s financial crisis: The global financial services firm
Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy while holding over $600 billion in
assets, the largest such filing in U.S. history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_of_Lehman_Brothers>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
jumbo:
Especially large or powerful.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jumbo>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Party is known to encourage prejudice, and to lead men astray in
the judgment of character. Thus it is we see one half the nation
extolling those that the other half condemns, and condemning those that
the other half extols. Both cannot be right, and as passions, interests
and prejudices are all enlisted on such occasions, it would be nearer
the truth to say that both are wrong. Party is an instrument of error,
by pledging men to support its policy, instead of supporting the policy
of the state. Thus we see party measures almost always in extremes, the
resistance of opponents inducing the leaders to ask for more than is
necessary. Party leads to vicious, corrupt and unprofitable
legislation, for the sole purpose of defeating party. Thus have we seen
those territorial divisions and regulations which ought to be permanent,
as well as other useful laws, altered, for no other end than to
influence an election. Party, has been a means of entirely destroying
that local independence, which elsewhere has given rise to a
representation that acts solely for the nation, and which, under other
systems is called the country party, every legislator being virtually
pledged to support one of two opinions; or, if a shade of opinion
between them, a shade that is equally fettered, though the truth be with
neither.
--The American Democrat
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_American_Democrat>
William McKinley (1843–1901) was the 25th President of the United
States, serving from March 4, 1897, until his death. McKinley served in
the Civil War and rose from private to brevet major. In 1876, he was
elected to Congress, where he advocated a protective tariff, which he
promised would bring prosperity. His controversial 1890 McKinley Tariff,
together with a Democratic redistricting effort aimed at gerrymandering
him out of office, led to his defeat in the Democratic landslide of
1890. He then served four years as Governor of Ohio. In 1896, running a
front porch campaign, he defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan, and
won a rematch four years later. McKinley led the nation to victory in
the Spanish–American War, raised protective tariffs to promote
American industry, and maintained the nation on the gold standard in a
rejection of free silver. His administration ended with his
assassination in September 1901, but his presidency began a period
dominated by the Republican Party. .
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_%28United_States%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1752:
In adopting the Gregorian calendar under the terms of the
Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, the British Empire skipped eleven days,
with September 2 being followed directly by September 14.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_%28New_Style%29_Act_1750>
1914:
HMAS AE1, the Royal Australian Navy's first submarine, was
lost at sea; its wreck was not found until 2017.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_AE1>
1940:
The Hungarian Army indiscriminately killed at least 150 ethnic
Romanians in Ipp, Transylvania, after rumors spread that Romanians were
responsible for the recent deaths of two soldiers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ip_massacre>
2015:
Physicists of the LIGO and Virgo projects first observed
gravitational waves, the existence of which was predicted by Henri
Poincaré in 1905.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_observation_of_gravitational_waves>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rantistirion:
(Eastern Orthodoxy) A ritual sprinkler used in some Christian rites.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rantistirion>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Patriotism or any other version of the herd instinct seems to me
an entirely inadequate basis of virtue. Christianity is from that point
of view an explanation of and a support for an essential ingredient in
man's nature — far the best, though necessarily imperfect.
--Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Cecil,_1st_Viscount_Cecil_of_Chelwood>
The Burke and Hare murders were a series of 16 killings committed over a
period of about ten months in 1828 in Edinburgh, Scotland. They were
undertaken by William Burke (pictured, left) and William Hare (pictured,
right), who sold the corpses to Doctor Robert Knox for dissection at his
anatomy lectures. Edinburgh was a leading European centre of anatomical
study in the early 19th century, in a time when the demand for cadavers
exceeded the legal supply. When a lodger in Hare's house died, he
turned to his friend Burke for advice and they sold the body to Knox.
They then began their murder spree, which was uncovered after other
lodgers discovered their last victim, Margaret Docherty, and called the
police. Hare provided the details of Docherty's murder and confessed to
all 16 deaths. Burke was found guilty of one murder, sentenced to death
and hanged. His corpse was dissected and his skeleton displayed at the
Anatomical Museum of Edinburgh Medical School, where it remains.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Hare_murders>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1893:
On the opening day of the first Parliament of the World's
Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda introduced Hinduism to the
United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda>
1914:
During the First World War, the Australian Naval and Military
Expeditionary Force invaded German New Guinea, winning the Battle of
Bita Paka.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bita_Paka>
1978:
Janet Parker, a British medical photographer, became the last
recorded person to die from smallpox, leading to a debate on whether the
virus should be preserved.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_smallpox_outbreak_in_the_United_Kingdom>
2001:
Al-Qaeda used four hijacked passenger airliners to carry out a
series of suicide attacks against targets in New York City and the
Washington, D.C., area.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ostrichism:
1. The act of hiding, often unsuccessfully, by ducking one's head out of
view.
2. (derogatory) A policy of burying one's head in the sand, that is,
ignoring the reality of a situation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ostrichism>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Since September 11, an entire generation of young Americans has
gained new understanding of the value of freedom and its cost and duty
and its sacrifice. The battle is now joined on many fronts. We will not
waiver, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.
Peace and freedom will prevail. Thank you. May God continue to bless
America.
--George W. Bush
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_W._Bush>
Djadoeg Djajakusuma (1918–1987) was an Indonesian film director and
promoter of traditional art forms. During the Japanese occupation from
1943 to 1945 he was a translator and actor. In the national revolution
which followed, he worked for the military's educational division and
several news agencies, as well as in drama. In 1951 he joined the
National Film Corporation (Perfini) at the invitation of Usmar Ismail.
After his directorial debut with Embun, he released a further eleven
films with the company before leaving in 1964. He then returned to
traditional Indonesian theatre, including wayang. Although he continued
to direct movies, most of his energies were dedicated to promoting
traditional art forms and teaching cinematography. His theatrical
performances attempted to modernise traditional forms. He is credited
with revitalising the Betawi theatre form lenong and received numerous
awards for his filmmaking, including a lifetime achievement award at the
Indonesian Film Festival.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._Djajakusuma>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1897:
A sheriff's posse fired upon a peaceful labor demonstration
made up of mostly Polish and Slovak anthracite coal miners in Luzerne
County, Pennsylvania, U.S., killing 19 people and wounding many others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lattimer_massacre>
1945:
Mike the Headless Chicken was decapitated in a farm in
Colorado; he survived another 18 months as part of sideshows before
choking to death in Phoenix, Arizona.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken>
1961:
At the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, German driver Wolfgang von
Trips's car collided with another, causing it to become airborne and
crash into a side barrier, killing him and 15 spectators.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_von_Trips>
2008:
CERN's Large Hadron Collider (section pictured), the world's
largest and highest-energy particle accelerator, was first powered up
beneath the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
necessitate:
(transitive) To make necessary; to require (something) to be brought
about.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/necessitate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Magnify the divine mystery and the holiness of mankind.
--Franz Werfel
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Franz_Werfel>
The Vermont Sesquicentennial half dollar is a commemorative fifty-cent
piece struck by the United States Mint in 1927. Designed by Charles
Keck, its obverse depicts early Vermont leader Ira Allen, brother of
Ethan Allen. The reverse design of a catamount has been criticized as
irrelevant to Vermont. On January 9, 1925, U.S. Senator Frank L. Greene
of Vermont introduced legislation for commemorative coins to mark the
150th anniversary of Vermont independence in 1777 and of the American
victory at the Battle of Bennington the same year. His bill passed the
Senate without difficulty, but the House of Representatives added two
more special half dollars. The Senate agreed to the changes, and
President Calvin Coolidge signed the authorizing act on February 24,
1925. The coins did not sell out; over a fourth of the issue was
returned for redemption and melting. Today, they can sell for hundreds
of dollars, depending on condition.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Sesquicentennial_half_dollar>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1493:
Ottoman wars in Europe: At the Battle of Krbava Field, a large
Croatian army intercepted an Ottoman force returning to the Sanjak of
Bosnia, but was defeated.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Krbava_Field>
1739:
The Stono Rebellion, at the time the largest slave rebellion in
the Thirteen Colonies of British America, erupted near Charleston, South
Carolina.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stono_Rebellion>
1954:
The 6.7 Mw Chlef earthquake struck Algeria, leaving at least
1,243 people dead and 5,000 injured, and forced the government to
implement comprehensive reforms in building codes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_Chlef_earthquake>
2001:
Ahmad Shah Massoud, leader of the Northern Alliance, was
assassinated in Afghanistan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Shah_Massoud>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
colonelcy:
(military) The rank or office of a colonel.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/colonelcy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There comes a day when, for someone who has persecuted us, we
feel only indifference, a weariness at his stupidity. Then we forgive
him.
--Cesare Pavese
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cesare_Pavese>
"Don't Stop the Music" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna
(shown performing it) for her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad. It
was released worldwide on September 7, 2007, as the fourth single of the
album. The song was written by Tawanna Dabney and StarGate; Michael
Jackson also received a songwriting credit for the sampling of the line
"Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa" from his 1983 single "Wanna Be
Startin' Somethin'". "Don't Stop the Music" is a dance track with hip
hop rhythmic devices. The song's accolades include a Grammy Award
nomination for Best Dance Recording. It reached number four on the UK
Singles Chart, number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number one
in nine countries, including Australia, France, Germany, and
Switzerland. It has sold more than 3.7 million copies in the US. The
singer performed "Don't Stop the Music" at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards
and the NRJ Music Awards in 2008, and included it on her Good Girl Gone
Bad, Last Girl on Earth, Loud and Diamonds World Tour set lists.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Stop_the_Music_%28Rihanna_song%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1652:
Chinese peasants on Formosa (now Taiwan) began a rebellion
against Dutch rule before being suppressed four days later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guo_Huaiyi_rebellion>
1927:
American inventor Philo Farnsworth transmitted the first images
using his all-electronic television system.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo_Farnsworth>
1984:
An explosion on board a Maltese patrol boat that was disposing
of illegal fireworks at sea off Gozo killed seven soldiers and
policemen.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C23_tragedy>
2011:
Yak-Service Flight 9633, carrying the players and coaching
staff of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional ice hockey team, crashed
near the Russian city of Yaroslavl, killing all but one of those aboard.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokomotiv_Yaroslavl_plane_crash>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
zowerswopped:
(Exmoor) Synonym of bad-tempered.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zowerswopped>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We’re only here for a little while, and you’ve got to have
some fun, right? I don’t take myself seriously, and I think the ones
that do, there’s some sickness with people like that.
--Burt Reynolds
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Burt_Reynolds>
The Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago in the US
state of Illinois was established during World War II to research the
chemistry and metallurgy of the newly discovered element plutonium, as
part of the Allied Manhattan Project to build an atomic bomb. It
developed chemical processes to separate plutonium, and created the
first weighable sample. The lab produced the first controlled nuclear
chain reaction in the Chicago Pile-1 nuclear reactor, which was
constructed under the stands of the university's old football stadium,
Stagg Field. Another reactor, Chicago Pile-3, the first reactor to use
heavy water as a neutron moderator, was built in early 1944. The
Metallurgical Laboratory also designed the X-10 Graphite Reactor at the
Clinton Engineer Works in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the B Reactor at the
Hanford Engineer Works. It became the first of the national
laboratories, the Argonne National Laboratory, on 1 July 1946.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallurgical_Laboratory>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1882:
A group of London school boys led by Bobby Buckle founded
Hotspur Football Club so they could continue to play sports during the
winter months.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tottenham_Hotspur_F.C.>
1943:
World War II: American and Australian airborne forces made a
landing at Nadzab as part of the New Guinea campaign against Japan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_at_Nadzab>
1975:
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a devotee of Charles Manson,
attempted to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynette_Fromme>
1977:
NASA launched the robotic space probe Voyager 1, currently the
farthest spacecraft from Earth.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
blasé:
Unimpressed with something because of over-familiarity.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blas%C3%A9>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Close your bodily eye, so that you may see your picture first
with the spiritual eye. Then bring to the light of day that which you
have seen in the darkness so that it may react upon others from the
outside inwards. A picture must not be invented but felt. Observe the
form exactly, both the smallest and the large and do not separate the
small from the large, but rather the trivial from the important.
--Caspar David Friedrich
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Caspar_David_Friedrich>
"Starvin' Marvin" is the eighth episode in the first season of the
American animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy
Central on November 19, 1997. A satire on the humanitarianism industry
and American indifference toward impoverished countries, it was written
and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker (pictured). In the
episode, Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Stan send money to an African charity
hoping to get a sports watch, but are instead sent an Ethiopian child
they call "Starvin' Marvin". In a Thanksgiving-themed subplot,
genetically engineered turkeys attack South Park. The episode received
generally positive reviews, and several commentators have described it
as a classic episode. It was originally viewed by about 2.2 million
households, roughly eight times Comedy Central's average viewership at
the time. In addition to Starvin' Marvin, who became a popular minor
character, the episode introduced Kyle's father Gerald Broflovski and
Kenny's family members Stuart, Carol and Kevin McCormick.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvin%27_Marvin_%28South_Park%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1812:
War of 1812: A coalition of Native American tribes began the
Siege of Fort Harrison in Terre Haute, Indiana, by setting the fort on
fire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Harrison>
1843:
Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies married Pedro II of Brazil
(both pictured) at a state ceremony.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Cristina_of_the_Two_Sicilies>
1912:
The Albanian revolt of 1912 came to an end when the Ottoman
government agreed to meet most of the rebels' demands.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanian_revolt_of_1912>
1998:
Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google in Menlo Park,
California, to promote the web search engine that they developed as
Stanford University students.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
barracks emperor:
(Ancient Rome, historical) An emperor who seized power by virtue of his
command of the army.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/barracks_emperor>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The genius of a composer is found in the notes of his music; but
analyzing the notes will not reveal his genius. The poet's greatness is
contained in his words; yet the study of his words will not disclose his
inspiration. God reveals himself in creation; but scrutinize creation as
minutely as you wish, you will not find God, any more than you will find
the soul through careful examination of your body.
--Anthony de Mello
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anthony_de_Mello>
The Avenue Range Station massacre was the murder of at least nine
Aboriginal Tanganekald people, who were shot by white settlers on the
Avenue Range pastoral station in the colony of South Australia around
September 1848, during the Australian frontier wars. Those confirmed to
have been killed were an old blind man, three women, two teenage girls,
and three female children, including a baby. The sheep farmer James
Brown (pictured) and his overseer, Eastwood, were suspected, and Brown
was charged with the murder of "unknown aboriginal natives" in March
1849. The magistrate who committed him for trial said that there was
"little question of the butchery or the butcher". Further investigation
was ordered, but by the November 1849 sittings of the Supreme Court in
the colonial capital of Adelaide, the case had been dropped. At the time
there were significant restrictions on the use of evidence given by
Aboriginal witnesses, especially where a verdict could involve capital
punishment.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_Range_Station_massacre>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1901:
The National Flag of Australia, a Blue Ensign defaced with the
Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross, flew for the first time atop
the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Australia>
1918:
The Bolshevik government of Russia published the first official
announcement of the Red Terror, a period of repression against political
opponents.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Terror>
1950:
Winning the Italian Grand Prix, Giuseppe Farina became the
first Formula One world champion.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Farina>
1991:
A fire killed 25 people locked inside a burning chicken
processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, U.S.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet_chicken_processing_plant_fire>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
thrice:
(dated) Three times.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/thrice>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The true architectural art, that art toward which I would lead
you, rests, not upon scholarship but upon human powers; and, therefore,
it is to be tested, not by the fruits of scholarship, but by the touch-
stone of humanity.
--Louis Sullivan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Louis_Sullivan>