The 1919–20 Gillingham Football Club season was their 22nd season in
England's Southern League, and their 21st in the league's Division One.
George Collins was appointed as Gillingham's new manager, and most of
the players were new; the club struggled to find a settled team during
the season, fielding nearly 40 players, including 6 goalkeepers.
Gillingham finished in 22nd place out of 22 teams but nonetheless gained
entry to the national Football League when it absorbed the entirety of
the Southern League Division One. Gillingham also competed in the FA
Cup, progressing from the sixth qualifying round before losing in the
first round proper. The team played 47 competitive matches, winning 11,
drawing 10, and losing 26. Arthur Wood (pictured) was the team's top
goalscorer, with 12 goals in the league and 14 in total. Tom Leslie made
the most appearances, playing 40 times. The highest attendance recorded
that season at the club's home ground, Priestfield Road, was
approximately 10,000.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1919%E2%80%9320_Gillingham_F.C._season>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1602:
Anglo-Spanish War: An English fleet intercepted and attacked
six Spanish ships at the Battle of the Narrow Seas (depicted).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Narrow_Seas>
1849:
American author Edgar Allan Poe was found semi-conscious and
delirious in Baltimore, Maryland, under mysterious circumstances; it was
the last time he was seen in public before his death four days later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe>
1952:
The United Kingdom successfully completed a nuclear test,
becoming the world's third state with nuclear weapons.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Hurricane>
1991:
Nadine Gordimer became the first South African to win the Nobel
Prize in Literature.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadine_Gordimer>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
auslaut:
Synonym of coda (“the optional final sound of a syllable or word,
occurring after its nucleus and usually composed of one or more
consonants”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/auslaut>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What Christ is saying always, what he never swerves from saying,
what he says a thousand times and in a thousand different ways, but
always with a central unity of belief, is this: "I am my Father’s son,
and you are my brothers." And the unity that binds us all together, that
makes this earth a family, and all men brothers and the sons of God, is
love.
--Thomas Wolfe
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Wolfe>
The Baljuna Covenant was an oath sworn in mid-1203 by Temüjin—the
future Genghis Khan (depicted)—and the Baljunatu, a small group of
companions. Temüjin, khan of the Mongols, had steadily risen in power
through the late 12th century in the service of Toghrul, the khan of the
Kereit tribe. However, Temüjin was betrayed by Toghrul in early 1203
and subsequently suffered a decisive defeat. He retreated to Baljuna, an
unidentified body of water in south-eastern Mongolia, and amidst
deprivations swore an oath of mutual fidelity with his companions. Not
only did the Covenant promote Temüjin's ideals of social equality, but
the oath-takers were themselves ethnically and culturally
diverse—among their number were Tengrists like Temüjin, Christians,
Muslims, and Buddhists. Three years later in 1206, Temüjin entitled
himself Genghis Khan at a kurultai and honoured the Baljunatu with the
highest distinctions of his new Mongol Empire.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baljuna_Covenant>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1766:
As part of wider food riots, citizens in Nottingham, England,
looted large quantities of cheese, with one man killed during attempts
to restore order.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_cheese_riot>
1879:
Qing China signed the Treaty of Livadia with the Russian
Empire, but the terms were so unfavorable that the Chinese government
refused to ratify the treaty.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Livadia>
1913:
The Shubert Theatre opened on Broadway with a production of
Hamlet.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shubert_Theatre_%28Broadway%29>
1967:
Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African-American
justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurgood_Marshall>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
finial:
1. (architecture) Especially in Gothic architecture: an ornament, often
in the form of a bunch or knot of foliage, on the peak of the gable of a
roof, a pediment, a pinnacle, etc.
2. (by extension) Any decorative fitting on the corner, end, or top of
an object such as a canopy, a fencepost, a flagpole, or the newel post
of a staircase.
3. (figurative, also attributive) The completion or end of something.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/finial>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The path of self-purification is hard and steep. To attain to
perfect purity one has to become absolutely passion-free in thought,
speech and action; to rise above the opposing currents of love and
hatred, attachment and repulsion. I know that I have not in me as yet
that triple purity, in spite of constant ceaseless striving for it. That
is why the world's praise fails to move me, indeed it very often stings
me. To conquer the subtle passions seems to me to be harder far than the
physical conquest of the world by the force of arms. Ever since my
return to India I have had experience of the dormant passions lying
hidden with in me. The knowledge of them has made me feel humiliated
though not defeated. The experiences and experiments have sustained me
and given me great joy. But I know that I have still before me a
difficult path to traverse. I must reduce myself to zero. So long as a
man does not of his own free will put himself last among his fellow
creatures, there is no salvation for him. Ahimsa is the farthest limit
of humility.
--The Story of My Experiments with Truth
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Story_of_My_Experiments_with_Truth>
Medieval cuisine includes the foods, diets, and cooking methods of
various European cultures from the 5th to the 15th century. Cereals were
the most important staple during the Early Middle Ages: barley, oats,
and rye were eaten by the poor while wheat was generally more expensive.
These were consumed as bread, porridge, gruel, and pasta by people of
all classes. Cheese, fruits, and vegetables were important supplements.
Meat, including pork, chicken, and other domestic fowl, was more
expensive, and game was common only on the nobility's tables. Many
freshwater and saltwater fish were also eaten; in the north, cod and
herring were mainstays. In contrast to the exotic spices and expensive
imported food of the nobility, working-class food was less refined, as
mandated by decrees and social norms. A highly spiced sweet-sour food
repertory developed among the upper classes in the Late Middle Ages.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_cuisine>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1386:
The Wonderful Parliament met at Westminster Abbey to address
King Richard II's need for money, but soon changed focus to the reform
of his administration.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderful_Parliament>
1890:
At the encouragement of preservationist John Muir and writer
Robert Underwood Johnson, the U.S. Congress established Yosemite
National Park in California.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_National_Park>
1918:
First World War: British and Arab troops captured Damascus from
the Ottoman Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Damascus>
2003:
A levy was imposed on the hiring of foreign domestic helpers in
Hong Kong, who numbered in the hundreds of thousands at the time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_domestic_helpers_in_Hong_Kong>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
antediluvian:
1. (biblical) Belonging or pertaining to, or existing in, the time prior
to the great flood described in Genesis, or (by extension) to a great or
destructive flood or deluge described in other mythologies.
2. (by extension) Of animals and plants: long extinct; prehistoric.
3. (figurative, hyperbolic, chiefly humorous)
4. Of a person or thing: very old; ancient.
5. Of attitudes, ideas, etc.: extremely old-fashioned, especially to a
laughable extent; antiquated.
6. (biblical) A person who lived in the time prior to the great flood
described in Genesis, especially one of the biblical patriarchs.
7. (figurative, hyperbolic, chiefly humorous)
8. A very old person.
9. A person with extremely old-fashioned attitudes, ideas, etc.,
especially to a laughable extent; a fogey or old fogey.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/antediluvian>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There is a remarkable trend toward fundamentalism in all
religions — including the different denominations of Christianity as
well as Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam. Increasingly, true believers are
inclined to begin a process of deciding: "Since I am aligned with God, I
am superior and my beliefs should prevail, and anyone who disagrees with
me is inherently wrong," and the next step is "inherently inferior." The
ultimate step is "subhuman," and then their lives are not significant.
That tendency has created, throughout the world, intense religious
conflicts. Those Christians who resist the inclination toward
fundamentalism and who truly follow the nature, actions, and words of
Jesus Christ should encompass people who are different from us with our
care, generosity, forgiveness, compassion, and unselfish love. It is
not easy to do this. It is a natural human inclination to encapsulate
ourselves in a superior fashion with people who are just like us — and
to assume that we are fulfilling the mandate of our lives if we just
confine our love to our own family or to people who are similar and
compatible. Breaking through this barrier and reaching out to others is
what personifies a Christian and what emulates the perfect example that
Christ set for us.
--Jimmy Carter
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter>
The secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large, mostly
terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the
open grasslands and savannas of the sub-Saharan region. It is a very
large bird with an eagle-like body on crane-like legs that give the bird
a height of about 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in). The sexes are similar in
appearance. Adults have a featherless red-orange face and mostly grey
plumage, with a flattened dark crest and black flight feathers and
thighs. The secretarybird hunts and catches prey on the ground, often
stomping on victims to kill them. Insects and small vertebrates make up
its diet. Although the secretarybird has a large range, localised
surveys suggest that the total population is experiencing a rapid
decline, probably as a result of habitat degradation. The species is
therefore classed as endangered by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature. The secretarybird appears on the coats of arms
of Sudan and South Africa.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretarybird>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1791:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, composed
shortly before his death, premiered at Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Flute>
1920:
Times Square Theater opened on Broadway with a production of
The Mirage, a play written by its owner, Edgar Selwyn.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square_Theater>
1939:
NBC broadcast the first televised American football game,
between the Fordham Rams and the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_Waynesburg_vs._Fordham_football_game>
2000:
Twelve-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah was shot dead in the Gaza
Strip; the Israel Defense Forces initially accepted responsibility but
retracted it five years later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Muhammad_al-Durrah>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
communalect:
(linguistics) Especially in Pacific linguistics: the lect (or linguistic
variety) spoken by a particular speech community.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/communalect>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I truly believe that there is a center in the political spectrum
that is the best place to run something when you have a very diverse
community. America is diverse; we are not all one people. We are many
different colors, religions, backgrounds, education levels, all of it.
--Dianne Feinstein
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dianne_Feinstein>
Hurricane Walaka was the nineteenth named storm and second Category 5
hurricane of the 2018 Pacific hurricane season. As a tropical cyclone,
it originated from an area of low pressure that formed around 1,600 mi
(2,600 km) south-southeast of Hawaii on September 24, and became a
tropical storm on September 29. The system tracked westward and peaked
with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a pressure of 921 mbar
(27.20 inHg) on October 2, before accelerating northeastward and
dissipating on October 7. The storm passed close to Johnston Atoll,
where four scientists were evacuated from before the storm hit. East
Island in the French Frigate Shoals suffered a direct hit and was
destroyed. The storm damaged the nesting grounds for multiple endangered
species, and coral reefs in the region suffered considerable damage,
displacing the local fish population. Several dozen people were rescued
off the southern shore of Oahu as the storm brought high surf to the
main Hawaiian Islands.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Walaka>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1760:
The Williamsburg Bray School, the oldest-surviving school
building in the U.S. dedicated to educating Black children, opened at
Benjamin Franklin's suggestion.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williamsburg_Bray_School>
1833:
The Spanish American wars of independence ended with the death
of King Ferdinand VII, with what had once been the Spanish Empire
disintegrating into independent Latin American states.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_American_wars_of_independence>
1940:
During a Royal Australian Air Force training exercise over
Brocklesby, two planes collided and interlocked in mid-air (pictured);
the pilot of the upper plane was able to land safely using the lower
plane's engines.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_Brocklesby_mid-air_collision>
1954:
Twelve countries signed a convention to establish the European
Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which manages the world's
largest particle physics laboratory.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
kinesics:
1. The study of non-verbal communication by means of gestures and/or
other body movements.
2. Such non-verbal communication.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kinesics>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Democracy means rule of the people, not rule of monarchs, not
rule of the money, not rule of the mighty. Regardless of party, that
means respecting free and fair elections — accepting the outcome, win
or lose. It means you can't love your country only when you win.
Democracy means rejecting and repudiating political violence; regardless
of party such violence is never, never, never acceptable in America.
It's undemocratic and it must never be normalized to advance political
power. And democracy means respecting the institutions that govern a
free society. That means adhering to the timeless words of the
Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self evident"
— a mission statement embodied in our constitution, our system of
separation of powers and checks and balances. Our constitution — the
bulwark to prevent the abuse of power — to ensure we the people move
forward together under the law, rather than believing the only way is
one way or no way at all. But our institutions in our democracy are not
just of government, the institutions of democracy depend on the
constitution and our character — our character — and the habits of
our hearts and our minds.
--Joe Biden
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden>
The Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA) was a rocket
engine development program intended to establish a technology base for
nuclear thermal rocket systems for space missions, as this promised to
be more efficient than chemical rockets. NERVA was a joint effort of the
Atomic Energy Commission and NASA, and was managed by the Space Nuclear
Propulsion Office (SNPO). NERVA was considered a successful program in
that it met or exceeded its program goals and demonstrated that nuclear
thermal rocket engines were a feasible and reliable tool for space
exploration. At the end of 1968 the SNPO deemed that the latest NERVA
engine, the XE (pictured), met the requirements for a human mission to
Mars. It had strong political support but was canceled by President
Richard Nixon in 1973. Although NERVA engines were built and tested
largely with flight-certified components and were deemed ready for
integration into spacecraft, they never flew in space.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NERVA>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1066:
William the Conqueror and his fleet of around 600 ships landed
at Pevensey, Sussex, beginning the Norman conquest of England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Conquest>
1901:
Philippine–American War: Filipino guerrillas killed more than
forty American soldiers in a surprise attack on the town of Balangiga on
the island of Samar.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balangiga_massacre>
1928:
Scottish biologist and pharmacologist Alexander Fleming
discovered penicillin when he noticed a bacteria-killing mould growing
in his laboratory.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Fleming>
1975:
An attempted robbery of Spaghetti House, a restaurant in
Knightsbridge, London, turned into a six-day hostage situation.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_House_siege>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
linkrot:
(Internet) The steady increase in the number of broken hyperlinks as
webpages are moved or removed.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/linkrot>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "In silence is the offering
presented, and the spirit approached to; there is not the slightest
contention." Therefore the superior man does not use rewards, and the
people are stimulated to virtue. He does not show anger, and the people
are awed more than by hatchets and battle-axes.
--Confucius
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Confucius>
The Army of Sambre and Meuse was one of the armies of the French
Revolution. It was formed on 29 June 1794 by combining the Army of the
Ardennes, the left wing of the Army of the Moselle and the right wing of
the Army of the North. After an inconclusive campaign in 1795, the
French planned a co-ordinated offensive in 1796 using Jean-Baptiste
Jourdan's Army of Sambre and Meuse and the Army of the Rhine and
Moselle, commanded by his superior, Jean Victor Moreau. This was
successful, as the French won a series of victories; the Army of Sambre
and Meuse maneuvered around northern Bavaria and Franconia, while the
Army of the Rhine and Moselle operated in Bavaria. Disputes internal to
the French forces prevented the two armies from uniting, giving the
Austrians time to unite their own forces and drive Jourdan's forces away
and eventually across the Rhine. On 29 September 1797, the Army of
Sambre and Meuse merged with the Army of the Rhine and Moselle to become
the Army of Germany.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_of_Sambre_and_Meuse>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1851:
The British East India Company inaugurated the Horsburgh
Lighthouse on the rocky outcrop of Pedra Branca, Singapore, which later
became the subject of a territorial dispute.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedra_Branca,_Singapore>
1917:
The Broadhurst Theatre opened in New York City with a
performance of Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadhurst_Theatre>
1975:
Two members of ETA political-military and three members of the
Revolutionary Antifascist Patriotic Front, sentenced to death for
murder, became the last people to be executed in Spain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_use_of_capital_punishment_in_Spain>
1983:
American software developer Richard Stallman announced plans
for the Unix-like operating system GNU, the first free software
developed by the GNU Project.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
across the pond:
(informal) On or to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/across_the_pond>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Honor is like the eye, which cannot suffer the least impurity
without damage. It is a precious stone, the price of which is lessened
by a single flaw.
--Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jacques-B%C3%A9nigne_Bossuet>
Georges Feydeau (1862–1921) was a French playwright of the era known
as the Belle Époque, remembered for his farces. His first full-length
comedy, Tailleur pour dames ('Ladies' tailor'), was well-received. After
studying earlier masters of French comedy, particularly Eugène Labiche,
Alfred Hennequin and Henri Meilhac, he wrote or collaborated on
seventeen full-length plays between 1892 and 1914, many of which have
become staples of the theatrical repertoire in France and abroad. They
include L'Hôtel du libre échange ('The Free Exchange Hotel', 1894), La
Dame de chez Maxim ('The lady from Maxim's', 1899), La Puce à l'oreille
('A flea in her ear', 1907) and Occupe-toi d'Amélie! ('Look after
Amélie', 1908). His plays are marked by recognisable characters and
fast-moving comic plots of mistaken identity, attempted adultery, split-
second timing and a precariously happy ending. In the 1940s and 1950s,
productions by Jean-Louis Barrault and the Comédie-Française revived
interest in his works.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Feydeau>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1580:
English explorer Francis Drake's galleon the Golden Hind
(replica pictured) sailed into Plymouth, completing his circumnavigation
of the globe.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Hind>
1928:
The Nationalist government of China adopted Gwoyeu Romatzyh as
the official system for the romanization of Mandarin Chinese.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwoyeu_Romatzyh>
1983:
Cold War: Soviet lieutenant colonel Stanislav Petrov averted a
potential nuclear war by identifying as a false alarm signals that
appeared to indicate an impending U.S. missile attack.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Soviet_nuclear_false_alarm_incident>
2010:
Scottish aid worker Linda Norgrove and three Afghan colleagues
were kidnapped by members of the Taliban in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Linda_Norgrove>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
unstinting:
Generous and tireless with one's contributions of money, time, etc.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unstinting>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What there is to conquer By strength and submission, has already
been discovered Once or twice, or several times, by men whom one cannot
hope To emulate — but there is no competition — There is only the
fight to recover what has been lost And found and lost again and again:
and now, under conditions That seem unpropitious. But perhaps neither
gain nor loss. For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our
business.
--The Four Quartets
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Four_Quartets>
Iron Gwazi is a steel-track hybrid roller coaster at Busch Gardens in
Tampa, Florida, U.S. The ride first opened in 1999 as Gwazi, a wooden
roller coaster with two tracks in a dueling configuration. It was built
by Great Coasters International on the former site of an Anheuser-Busch
brewery at the park. Although well received initially, Gwazi became
difficult to maintain over time, leading to the closure of one track in
2012 followed by the other in 2015. It remained closed until Busch
Gardens, in 2019, announced that Rocky Mountain Construction would
transform Gwazi into a hybrid roller coaster. Its two wooden tracks were
replaced by a single steel track, with portions of the original support
structure reused. The ride reopened as Iron Gwazi on March 11, 2022,
becoming North America's tallest, steepest, and fastest hybrid roller
coaster. Iron Gwazi received positive reviews from critics and won Best
New Roller Coaster in Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards
publication.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Gwazi>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1790:
Peking opera was born with the introduction of Hui opera to
Beijing by the "Four Great Anhui Troupes" in honour of the Qianlong
Emperor's 80th birthday.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peking_opera>
1890:
Sequoia National Park was established to conserve giant sequoia
trees in an area affected by logging in the southern Sierra Nevada in
California.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoia_National_Park>
1983:
In one of the largest prison escapes in British history, 38
Provisional Irish Republican Army prisoners hijacked a prison meals
lorry and broke out of HM Prison Maze in County Antrim, Northern
Ireland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maze_Prison_escape>
2005:
Typhoon Longwang, the deadliest tropical cyclone to hit China
in that year, formed just north of the Mariana Islands.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Longwang>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
altercation:
1. (countable) An angry or heated dispute.
2. (countable, law, historical) An act of posing questions to, and
obtaining answers from, a witness in a court of law.
3. (uncountable) Angry or heated disputation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/altercation>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he
has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely.
--Christopher Reeve
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Christopher_Reeve>
Victoria (1819–1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death, the longest reign in
British history to that point. Victoria was the only child of Prince
Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (the fourth son of George III), and
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Edward died in 1820, and
Victoria eventually inherited the throne aged 18 since Edward's elder
brothers had all died without surviving legitimate issue. Victoria
married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840.
Their children married into royal families across Europe, and Victoria
was dubbed "the grandmother of Europe". After Albert's death in 1861,
Victoria went into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a
result, British republicanism gained strength. Her popularity later
recovered, and she became a national icon. Her Golden and Diamond
Jubilees were times of national celebration. Victoria was succeeded by
her son Edward VII.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1869:
Jay Gould, James Fisk, and other speculators plotted but failed
to control the United States gold market, causing prices to plummet.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_%281869%29>
1890:
Wilford Woodruff, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, wrote the first draft of a manifesto that
officially disavowed the future practice of plural marriage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1890_Manifesto>
1941:
Operation Barbarossa: A Wehrmacht training event known as the
Mogilev Conference began, marking an increase in violence against Jews
and other civilians in the areas under General Max von Schenckendorff's
command.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogilev_Conference>
1993:
Norodom Sihanouk became King of Cambodia with the restoration
of the monarchy after a 23-year interregnum.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Sihanouk>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
irrespirable:
Not respirable; not suitable for breathing; unbreathable.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/irrespirable>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
LOGIC The principle governing human intellection. Its nature may
be deduced from examining the following propositions, both of which are
held by human beings to be true and often by the same people: “I
can’t so you musn’t,” and “I can but you musn’t.”
--John Brunner
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Brunner>