Hilary (c. 1110 – 1169) was a medieval English Bishop of Chichester.
He served as Dean of the church of Christchurch in Hampshire and as a
clerk for Henry of Blois, who was the Bishop of Winchester and brother
of King Stephen, and probably received both offices through the
influence of Henry. As a papal clerk in Rome, he got to know the future
Pope Adrian IV and the writer John of Salisbury. After Hilary's
unsuccessful nomination to become Archbishop of York, Pope Eugene III
promoted him to the bishopric of Chichester in 1147. Hilary spent many
years in a struggle with Battle Abbey, attempting to assert his right to
oversee it as bishop. He supported King Henry II's position in a
conflict with Thomas Becket, who was then the king's chancellor and
later the Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry appointed Hilary a sheriff,
and employed him as a judge in the royal courts; he was also a papal
judge-delegate, hearing cases referred back to England.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_of_Chichester>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1054:
Chinese astronomers recorded the sudden appearance of a "guest
star", later identified as the supernova that created the Crab Nebula.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_Nebula>
1776:
In Philadelphia, the Continental Congress adopted the
Declaration of Independence (signing pictured), announcing that the
thirteen American colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence>
1918:
World War I: An Allied force led by the Australian general John
Monash was victorious in the Battle of Hamel, demonstrating the
effectiveness of combined arms techniques in trench warfare.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hamel>
1943:
The aircraft carrying Władysław Sikorski, Prime Minister of
the Polish government-in-exile, crashed, killing him and fifteen others,
leading to several conspiracy theories.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_Sikorski%27s_death_contro…>
1954:
In what is known as the "The Miracle of Bern", the underdogs
West Germany defeated the favourites Hungary 3–2 to win the FIFA World
Cup.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_FIFA_World_Cup_Final>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
moccasin:
1. A modern shoe with either a low or no heel resembling a traditional
Native American moccasin in that the leather forming the sides of the
shoe is stitched at the top.
2. A light beige colour, like that of a moccasin.
3. Any of several North American snakes of the genus Agkistrodon,
particularly the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and the cottonmouth
or water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moccasin>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Let us forget the other names of American statesmen, that have
been stamped upon these hills, but still call the loftiest —
WASHINGTON. Mountains are Earth's undecaying monuments. They must stand
while she endures, and never should be consecrated to the mere great men
of their own age and country, but to the mighty ones alone, whose glory
is universal, and whom all time will render illustrious. Â
--Nathaniel Hawthorne
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Hawthorne>
Vultee Vengeance dive bombers operated in Australian service between
1942 and 1950, and saw combat during World War II. A total of 400 of the
type were ordered for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1942.
Large-scale deliveries commenced in 1943, and 342 arrived before the
order was cancelled. RAAF Vengeance-equipped units entered combat in
mid-1943. The main frontline deployment of the type began in January
1944, but ended after only six weeks as the Vengeance was considered
inferior to other available aircraft. All combat units equipped with
Vengeances were converted to operate heavy bombers. The type remained in
RAAF service for training and support purposes until 1946, and some were
used by the Royal Australian Navy until 1950. While there is consensus
among historians that the Vengeance was obsolete at the time it entered
Australian service, some argue that it proved successful. Others,
including the RAAF's Air Power Development Centre, have judged that the
type was unsuitable.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vultee_Vengeance_in_Australian_service>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
324:
Roman emperor Constantine the Great defeated former colleague
Licinius in the Battle of Adrianople.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Adrianople_(324)>
1754:
French and Indian War: George Washington surrendered Fort
Necessity in Pennsylvania, the only military surrender in his entire
career.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Necessity>
1938:
On the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Gettysburg,
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Eternal Light Peace
Memorial (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Light_Peace_Memorial>
1970:
The Troubles: The British Army imposed the Falls Curfew on
Belfast, Northern Ireland, which resulted in greater Irish republican
resistance.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falls_Curfew>
1988:
United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air
Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
mythos:
1. A story or set of stories relevant to or having a significant truth or
meaning for a particular culture, religion, society, or other group; a
myth, a mythology.
2. (by extension) A set of assumptions or beliefs about something.
3. (literature) A recurring theme; a motif.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mythos>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 All writers in some insane place believe that to write is a holy
chore — that what one wishes to do is speak to one’s time, to make a
difference, to say: "I was here. I was a force for good in some way."
Â
--Harlan Ellison
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harlan_Ellison>
The Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar was an American fifty-cent
piece struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1923, bearing portraits of
former presidents James Monroe and John Quincy Adams. Sculptor Chester
Beach is credited with the design, although the reverse closely
resembles an earlier work by Raphael Beck. The commemorative coin was
issued to raise funds for an exposition in Los Angeles honoring the
100th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine; the event was organized in
part to generate good press for Hollywood during a time of highly
publicized scandals, including manslaughter charges against film star
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. The exposition was a financial failure. The
coins did not sell well, and the bulk of the mintage of over 270,000 was
released into circulation. Many of the pieces that had been sold at a
premium and saved were spent during the Depression; most surviving coins
show evidence of wear.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine_Centennial_half_dollar>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
706:
In China, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang interred the final bodies in
the Qianling Mausoleum, which remained unopened until the 1960s.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qianling_Mausoleum>
1881:
U.S. President James A. Garfield was fatally shot at the
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station in Washington, D.C.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_James_A._Garfield>
1900:
Finlandia, a tone poem by Jean Sibelius which forms the basis
of one the national songs of Finland, was first performed in Helsinki.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandia>
1950:
A mentally ill Buddhist monk set fire to the Golden Pavilion at
Kinkaku-ji (restoration pictured), destroying what is now one of the
most popular tourist destinations in Japan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkaku-ji>
2013:
The International Astronomical Union announced that the fourth
and fifth moons of Pluto would be named Kerberos and Styx respectively.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styx_(moon)>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
self-referential:
1. (specifically) In a literary work: referring to the author or the
author's other works.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/self-referential>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 For the sake of research, the big picture and definitive
conclusions, one would have to transcend time, in which everything
scurries and whirls. Â
--Wisława Szymborska
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wis%C5%82awa_Szymborska>
The Westminster Assembly (1 July 1643 – 1653) was a council of
theologians and members of the English Parliament appointed to
restructure the Church of England. As many as 121 ministers were called
to the Assembly, with 19 replacements added later. The Assembly worked
in the Reformed Protestant theological tradition, also known as
Calvinism. It produced new standards for church governance, a Confession
of Faith or statement of belief, two catechisms or manuals for religious
instruction, and a liturgical manual, the Directory for Public Worship,
for the Church of England and Church of Scotland. The Confession and
catechisms were adopted as doctrinal standards in the Church of Scotland
and other Presbyterian churches, where they remain normative. Amended
versions of the Confession were also adopted in Congregational and
Baptist churches in England and New England in the 17th and 18th
centuries. The Confession became influential throughout the English-
speaking world, but especially in American Protestant theology.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Assembly>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1770:
Lexell's Comet passed closer to the Earth than any other comet
in recorded history, approaching to a distance of 0.015 AU.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexell%27s_Comet>
1862:
American Civil War: Confederate General Robert E. Lee
unsuccessfully launched a series of disjointed assaults on the nearly
impregnable Union position on Malvern Hill in Henrico County, Virginia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Malvern_Hill>
1943:
Tokyo City was dissolved, with its territory divided into the
special wards of the newly created Tokyo Metropolis (Tokyo Metropolitan
Government Building pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo>
1999:
Legislative governance of Scotland was transferred from the
Scottish Office in Westminster to the Scottish Parliament.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Parliament>
2008:
Rioting erupted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in response to
allegations of fraud surrounding the recent legislative elections.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_riot_in_Mongolia>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tortoni:
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tortoni>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 We often have need of a profound philosophy to restore to our
feelings their original state of innocence, to find our way out of the
rubble of things alien to us, to begin to feel for ourselves and to
speak ourselves, and I might almost say to exist ourselves. Even if my
philosophy does not extend to discovering anything new, it does
nevertheless possess the courage to regard as questionable what has long
been thought true. Â
--Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Georg_Christoph_Lichtenberg>
Monroe Edwards (1808–1847) was an American slave trader who was
convicted of forgery after a well-publicized trial in 1842. Originally
from Kentucky, Edwards moved to New Orleans, then settled in Texas. He
smuggled slaves into Brazil in 1832 and into Texas in 1836. After a
swindle, he was forced to flee the Republic of Texas to the United
States. He tried to scam money out of various abolitionists in the
United States and the United Kingdom, partly with forged letters of
introduction. He then forged letters from cotton brokers in New Orleans,
which he used to secure bank drafts for large sums. His fabrications
caught up with him and he was arrested and tried. Convicted partly
because his distinctive good looks made him memorable and easily
recognizable, and partly from repetitive spelling errors in his
forgeries, Edwards was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and died while
incarcerated. He is mentioned in Herman Melville's 1853 short story
"Bartleby, the Scrivener".
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Edwards>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
678:
Pope Agatho, later venerated as a saint in both the Roman
Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, began his pontificate.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Agatho>
1899:
A. E. J. Collins scored 628 runs not out, the highest-ever
recorded score in cricket until 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._E._J._Collins>
1954:
The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant was connected to the electrical
grid, becoming the world's first nuclear power plant to produce
electricity industrially.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obninsk_Nuclear_Power_Plant>
1994:
Members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released sarin gas in
Matsumoto, Japan, killing 8 and injuring over 500 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsumoto_sarin_attack>
2008:
Robert Mugabe was re-elected as President of Zimbabwe with an
overwhelming majority after his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew a
week earlier, citing violence against his party's supporters.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwean_general_election,_2008>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
latter-day:
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/latter-day>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 There is no greater fallacy than the belief that aims and
purposes are one thing, while methods and tactics are another, This
conception is a potent menace to social regeneration. All human
experience teaches that methods and means cannot be separated from the
ultimate aim. The means employed become, through individual habit and
social practice, part and parcel of the final purpose; they influence
it, modify it, and presently the aims and means become identical. Â
--Emma Goldman
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Emma_Goldman>
C. R. M. F. Cruttwell (1887–1941) was a British historian and academic
who served as principal of Hertford College, Oxford (pictured). The
author of A History of the Great War, 1914–18, he specialised in
modern European history. In 1912 he became a lecturer in history at
Hertford. His academic career was interrupted by war service during
which he suffered severe wounds. He became dean of Hertford in 1919, and
its principal in 1930. He served as a Justice of the Peace in Hampshire,
where he had a country home, and stood unsuccessfully for the
university's parliamentary seat in the 1935 general election,
representing the Conservative party. The novelist Evelyn Waugh showed
his distaste for Cruttwell, his former tutor, by repeatedly using the
name in his early novels and stories to depict a sequence of unsavoury
or ridiculous characters. This vendetta may have contributed to
Cruttwell's eventual mental breakdown.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._R._M._F._Cruttwell>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1295:
Przemysł II was crowned King of Poland, the first coronation
of a Polish ruler in 219 years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Przemys%C5%82_II>
1848:
French authorities suppressed the June Days uprising, in which
workers rioted in response to plans to close the National Workshops.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Days_uprising>
1918:
World War I: The 26-day Battle of Belleau Wood near the Marne
River in France ended with American forces finally clearing that forest
of German troops.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood>
1945:
At a conference in San Francisco, delegates from 50 nations
signed a charter establishing the United Nations.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations>
2015:
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the
right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by the 14th Amendment.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obergefell_v._Hodges>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
moiety:
1. A share or portion, especially a smaller share.
2. (anthropology) Each descent group in a culture which is divided exactly
into two descent groups.
3. (chemistry) A specific segment of a molecule.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moiety>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Religion, mysticism and magic all spring from the same basic
"feeling" about the universe: a sudden feeling of meaning, which human
beings sometimes "pick up" accidentally, as your radio might pick up
some unknown station. Poets feel that we are cut off from meaning by a
thick, lead wall, and that sometimes for no reason we can understand the
wall seems to vanish and we are suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of the
infinite interestingness of things. Â
--Colin Wilson
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Colin_Wilson>
The Russulaceae are a diverse family of fungi in the order Russulales,
with roughly 1,900 known species and a worldwide distribution. They
include the genus Russula and the milk-cap mushrooms, some of which are
edible. Russulaceae have gilled mushrooms characterised by brittle
flesh. In addition to these typical agaricoid forms, the family contains
species with fruitbodies that are laterally stiped (pleurotoid), closed
(secotioid or gasteroid), or crust-like (corticioid). Molecular
phylogenetics has demonstrated close affinities between species with
very different fruitbody types and has discovered new, distinct
lineages. An important group of root-symbiotic Russulaceae fungi in
forests and shrublands around the world includes Lactifluus, Multifurca,
Russula, and Lactarius. The crust-forming genera Boidinia,
Gloeopeniophorella, and Pseudoxenasma, all wood-decay fungi, have basal
positions in the family.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russulaceae>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1658:
Anglo-Spanish War: English colonial forces repelled a Spanish
attack in the largest battle ever fought on the island of Jamaica.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rio_Nuevo>
1940:
World War II: The evacuation of nearly 200,000 Allied soldiers
from French ports was completed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Aerial>
1967:
More than an estimated 400 million people viewed Our World, the
first live international satellite television production.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_World_(TV_special)>
1978:
The rainbow flag (most common version pictured) representing
gay pride first flew in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_(LGBT_movement)>
2013:
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the CIA
admitted the existence of Area 51, the secretive military airfield in
Nevada that has become a focus of various UFO and conspiracy theories.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_51>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
today is a good day to die:
1. An expression indicating that one should not live with any regrets, or
tasks left undone.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/today_is_a_good_day_to_die>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
 It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I
realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize
how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go,
how much more there is to learn. Maybe that's enlightenment enough —
to know that there is no final resting place of the mind, no moment of
smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom, at least for me, means realizing how small
I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go. Â
--Anthony Bourdain
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain>