Shaylee Mansfield (born 2009) is an American actress and former
YouTuber. Mansfield, who is deaf, was born in Burbank, California, and
first gained recognition by making videos in which she tells Christmas
stories in American Sign Language. In 2016, Mansfield appeared in an
advertisement by Disney Parks, in which she met Minnie Mouse, who was
learning sign language at Walt Disney World. The video quickly went
viral and became one of Disney's most-watched advertisements. In 2019,
Mansfield made her acting debut in Disney's Noelle. The following year,
her request for automatic captioning on Instagram drew attention from
several media publications and became popular on Twitter. She received
further recognition for her roles in the films Feel the Beat (2020) and
13 Minutes (2021). In 2022, for her signed performance on the animated
series Madagascar: A Little Wild, Mansfield was credited alongside the
voice actors.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaylee_Mansfield>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1642:
First English Civil War: The Battle of Powick Bridge, the first
engagement between the primary field armies of the Royalists and the
Parliamentarians, ended in a Royalist victory.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Powick_Bridge>
1884:
The French steamship Arctique ran aground on the northern coast
of Cape Virgenes in Argentina; gold was discovered during the rescue
effort, triggering the Tierra del Fuego gold rush.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tierra_del_Fuego_gold_rush>
1920:
The Louisiana hurricane dissipated over Kansas after forcing
around 4,500 people to evacuate and causing $1.45 million in damages.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1920_Louisiana_hurricane>
2010:
Teresa Lewis became the first woman to be executed by the U.S.
state of Virginia since 1912, and the first woman in the state to be
executed by lethal injection.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Lewis>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
motley crew:
A group of people of mixed background, especially one with a common
goal.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/motley_crew>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I can feel a new tomorrow coming on And I don't know why I have
to make a song Everybody talks about a new world in the morning New
world in the morning takes so long.
--Roger Whittaker
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Roger_Whittaker>
Zmaj was built in Germany as a seaplane tender for the Royal Yugoslav
Navy between 1928 and 1930, and converted to a minelayer in 1937. During
the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, she was slightly damaged
by Italian dive bombers. Captured by the Italians, she was handed over
to the Germans who renamed her Drache. She was used as a seaplane tender
and later as a troop transport. In mid-1942 she was rebuilt as a
minelayer with improved anti-aircraft armament, renamed Schiff 50, and
then used to evaluate the shipboard use of helicopters for anti-
submarine warfare and mine reconnaissance. She continued to be used as
both a troop transport and minelayer, laying several minefields in the
Aegean Sea. A minefield she laid in the Dodecanese in 1943 sank one
British submarine and two Allied destroyers, and badly damaged a third.
Sunk by British aircraft on 22 September 1944 while in port (pictured),
she was scrapped in place after World War II. (This article is part of
a featured topic: Ships of the Royal Yugoslav Navy.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Ships_of_the_Royal_…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
The office of United States Postmaster General was formally
established.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postmaster_General>
1957:
François Duvalier, nicknamed Papa Doc, was elected President
of Haiti as a populist before consolidating power and ruling as a
dictator for the rest of his life.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Duvalier>
2003:
Dolphin, the first emulator for the GameCube that could run
commercial video games, was released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_%28emulator%29>
2013:
Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: All Saints Church in
Peshawar, Pakistan, was attacked by two suicide bombers who killed 127
people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshawar_church_bombing>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
constellation:
1. (astronomy) An arbitrary formation of stars perceived as a figure
(especially one from mythology) or pattern, or a division of the sky
including it, especially one officially recognized by astronomers; an
asterism.
2. (modern astronomy) Any of the 88 regions of the sky officially
recognized by the International Astronomical Union, including all stars
and celestial bodies in the region.
3. (figurative) A configuration or grouping of related things.
4. A wide, seemingly unlimited, assortment.
5. (psychoanalysis) Synonym of complex (“a collection of ideas caused by
repressed emotions that leads to an abnormal mental condition”)
6. (sexuality) A network of connections between people who are in
polyamorous relationships, for example between a person, their partner,
and that person's partner.
7. (space science) A fleet of satellites used for the same purpose.
8. (astrology, obsolete)
9. The configuration of planets at a given time (especially a person's
birth), as believed to affect events on Earth, or used for determining a
horoscope.
10. A person's character or inclinations, supposedly determined by their
horoscope.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/constellation>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Five hundred seventy-four days of pain, losses, and struggle have
already passed since the start of the full-scale aggression launched by
the state, which, for some reason, is still present here among the
permanent members of the UN Security Council. Russia has killed at least
tens of thousands of our people and turned millions into refugees by
destroying their homes. Most of the world recognizes the truth about
this war. It is a criminal and unprovoked aggression by Russia against
our nation, aimed at seizing Ukraine's territory and resources. But it
is not just that. With its aggression, the terrorist state is willing to
undermine all the dams of international norms meant to protect the world
from wars. And I am grateful to all those who have recognized the
Russian aggression as a violation of the UN Charter.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>
Robert Howard Hodgkin (1877–1951), nicknamed "Robin", was an English
historian who spent his career at The Queen's College, Oxford
(pictured). He was appointed a lecturer of modern history in 1900, made
a fellow in 1904 and a tutor in 1910, and held the post of university
lecturer in modern history from 1928 to 1934. In 1936 and 1937, Hodgkin
became pro-provost when B. H. Streeter fell ill, then retired shortly
after Streeter's return. Streeter soon died in a plane crash, however,
and Hodgkin, only six days into his retirement, was called upon to take
on the role of provost; he served until 1946. Hodgkin was remembered for
his dedication, his flexible teaching style, shepherding the college
through the wartime years, the reconstruction of the college's grand
library, and his book on the college's history. He was particularly
known for his 1935 work, A History of the Anglo-Saxons. Hodgkin was also
part of a so-called "Quaker dynasty"; he was forced to leave the Society
of Friends after serving in the Second Boer War.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Howard_Hodgkin>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1823:
According to Joseph Smith, he was first visited by the Angel
Moroni, who would guide him to the golden plates that became the basis
of the Book of Mormon.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Moroni>
1918:
World War I: The Battle of Nazareth ended with the British
Empire victorious over the Ottomans.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nazareth>
1958:
After over fourteen years of construction, the first section of
Interstate 80 in Iowa opened in the Des Moines metropolitan area.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_80_in_Iowa>
2001:
Several British Muslim youths in Peterborough, England,
murdered 17-year-old Ross Parker, leading to debate over whether the
British media failed to cover racially-motivated crimes with white
victims.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Ross_Parker>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
irenic:
(chiefly theology) Promoting or fitted to promote peace, especially over
disputes; conciliatory, non-confrontational, peaceful.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/irenic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Our job is to pursue justice, without fear or favor. Our job is
not to do what is politically convenient. Our job is not to take orders
from the President, from Congress, or from anyone else, about who or
what to criminally investigate. As the President himself has said, and
I reaffirm today: I am not the President’s lawyer. I will also add I
am not Congress’s prosecutor. The Justice Department works for the
American people. Our job is to follow the facts and the law. And that
is what we do.
--Merrick Garland
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Merrick_Garland>
Al-Adid (1151–1171) was the fourteenth and last caliph of the Fatimid
dynasty, and the twenty-fourth imam of the Hafizi Isma'ili branch of
Shi'a Islam, reigning from 1160 to 1171. Like the previous two caliphs,
al-Adid came to the throne as a child, a puppet in the hands of various
strongmen who became viziers of the Fatimid Caliphate. The power
struggles in Cairo weakened the Fatimid state, strengthening both the
Kingdom of Jerusalem, a Crusader state, and Nur al-Din, the Sunni ruler
of Syria. The Crusaders repeatedly invaded Egypt; the Syrians sent their
general, Shirkuh, to counter them. In January 1169, Shirkuh occupied
Cairo and became vizier, but died shortly after. He was succeeded by his
nephew, Saladin, who was at first conciliatory towards al-Adid, but
proceeded to dismantle the Fatimid regime, with al-Adid sidelined. Sunni
Islam was established as state religion, culminating in the official
proclamation of Abbasid suzerainty in September 1171. Al-Adid died a
few days later; his family was placed under house arrest.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Adid>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1792:
The French Army achieved its first major victory of the War of
the First Coalition at the Battle of Valmy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Valmy>
1920:
Irish War of Independence: British auxiliary police officers
known as Black and Tans went on a rampage in Balbriggan, burning more
than fifty homes and businesses and killing two people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Balbriggan>
1967:
L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, announced the
story of Xenu in a taped lecture sent to all Scientologists.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu>
1997:
Hurricane Erika, the strongest and longest-lasting hurricane of
the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season, dissipated after causing flooding
and power outages throughout Puerto Rico.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Erika_%281997%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
old timer's disease:
(neurology, pathology, slang, sometimes derogatory or humorous) Eggcorn
of Alzheimer's disease (“a disorder involving loss of mental functions
resulting from brain tissue changes”).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/old_timer%27s_disease>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
At this inflection point in history, we’re going to be judged
by whether or not we live up to the promises we have made to ourselves,
to each other, to the most vulnerable, and to all those who will inherit
the world we create, because that’s what we’re doing. Will we find
within ourselves the courage to do what must be done to preserve the
planet, to protect human dignity, to provide opportunity for people
everywhere, and to defend the tenets of the United Nations? There can
be only one answer to that question: We must, and we will.
--Joe Biden
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden>
The Battle of Poitiers was fought on 19 September 1356 between a French
army commanded by King John II and an Anglo-Gascon force under Edward,
the Black Prince, during the Hundred Years' War. The Anglo-Gascons had
set out on a major campaign while John gathered a large and unusually
mobile army and pursued. The 6,000 Anglo-Gascons stood on the defensive
and were attacked by 14,000 to 16,000 Frenchmen. An initial assault was
driven back after hard fighting. A second under John's son and heir was
also repulsed. Many Frenchmen then left the field. Those remaining
gathered around the King and launched another attack, while signalling
that no prisoners were to be taken. The French got the better of this
fight until a small Anglo-Gascon force appeared behind them. The French
panicked and their force collapsed; John and his youngest son were taken
prisoner. Negotiations to end the war and ransom John resulted in the
1360 Treaty of Brétigny, which temporarily ended the war with an
English victory.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Poitiers>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1846:
Near La Salette-Fallavaux in southeastern France, shepherd
children Mélanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud reported a Marian
apparition, now known as Our Lady of La Salette (statue pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_La_Salette>
1940:
World War II: Polish resistance leader Witold Pilecki allowed
himself to be captured by German forces and sent to Auschwitz to gather
intelligence.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witold_Pilecki>
1970:
The first Glastonbury Festival, the largest greenfield festival
in the world, was held at Michael Eavis's farm in Glastonbury, England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glastonbury_Festival>
1995:
Industrial Society and Its Future, the manifesto of American
domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski, was published in The Washington Post
almost three months after it was submitted.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kaczynski>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
scuttlebutt:
1. (countable, nautical) Originally (now chiefly historical), a cask
with a hole cut into its top, used to provide drinking water on board a
ship; now (by extension, informal), a drinking fountain on a modern
ship.
2. (uncountable, originally US, nautical slang) Gossip, idle chatter;
also, rumour.
3. (transitive, rare) To spread (information) by way of gossip or
rumour.
4. (intransitive) To chat idly or gossip; also, to spread rumours.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scuttlebutt>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The man who tells the tale if he has a tale worth telling will
know exactly what he is about and this business of the artist as a sort
of starry-eyed inspired creature, dancing along, with his feet two or
three feet above the surface of the earth, not really knowing what sort
of prints he's leaving behind him, is nothing like the truth.
--William Golding
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Golding>
Rod Steiger (1925–2002) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal
of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. He is closely
associated with the art of method acting, embodying the characters he
played, which at times led to clashes with directors and co-stars. He
starred with Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (1954), playing Charley,
the mobster brother of Brando's character. He played the title character
Sol Nazerman in The Pawnbroker (1964), and an opportunistic Russian
politician in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago (1965). Steiger won the
Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mississippi police
chief Bill Gillespie opposite Sidney Poitier in the film In the Heat of
the Night (1967). During the 1970s, Steiger turned to European
productions in his search for more demanding roles. He portrayed
Napoleon in Waterloo (1970) and a Mexican bandit in Sergio Leone's Duck,
You Sucker! (1971). He ended the decade playing a disturbed priest in
The Amityville Horror (1979).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Steiger>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1809:
The second Theatre Royal, Covent Garden (interior pictured),
opened in London after the original was destroyed by fire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Opera_House>
1875:
The Indianola hurricane dissipated over Mississippi after
killing around eight hundred people in Texas.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1875_Indianola_hurricane>
1961:
An aircraft crashed near Ndola in Northern Rhodesia, resulting
in the deaths of United Nations secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld and
15 others on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_Ndola_Transair_Sweden_DC-6_crash>
1981:
While posing as an aristocrat, Belgian serial killer Nestor
Pirotte murdered an antiques dealer in Brussels, for which crime he was
sentenced to death.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestor_Pirotte>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
greige:
1. (textiles) Of clothing, textiles, etc.: neither bleached nor dyed,
nor otherwise fully processed; unfinished.
2. Of a colour like that of unbleached or undyed fabric, between grey
and beige.
3. A colour like that of unbleached or undyed fabric between grey and
beige, closely akin to taupe. greige:
4. (textiles, archaic) Clothing, textiles, etc., which have neither been
bleached nor dyed, nor otherwise fully processed; greige goods.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/greige>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
You can always tell an old battlefield where many men have lost
their lives. The next spring the grass comes up greener and more
luxuriant than on the surrounding countryside; the poppies are redder,
the corn-flowers more blue. They grow over the field and down the sides
of the shell holes and lean, almost touching, across the abandoned
trenches in a mass of color that ripples all day in the direction that
the wind blows. They take the pits and scars out of the torn land and
make it a sweet, sloping surface again. Take a wood, now, or a ravine:
In a year's time you could never guess the things which had taken place
there. … To me it has always seemed that God is so sickened with men,
and their unending cruelty to each other, that he covers the places
where they have been as quickly as possible.
--William March
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_March>
Grand Theft Auto V is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by
Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 17
September 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in November 2014
for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, in April 2015 for Windows, and in
March 2022 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The seventh main
entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, it is set within the fictional
state of San Andreas (based on Southern California) and its city of Los
Santos (based on Los Angeles). The single-player story follows three
protagonists and their heist attempts. Grand Theft Auto Online, the
game's online multiplayer mode, offers a number of different cooperative
and competitive game modes. The game received critical acclaim, with
praise directed at its multiple protagonist design, open world,
presentation, and gameplay. It is considered among the best video games
ever made and is the second-best-selling video game ever, with more than
180 million copies sold.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_V>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1382:
Following the death of Louis I without a male heir, his
daughter Mary was crowned with the title of King of Hungary.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Hungary>
1859:
Disgruntled with the legal and political structures of the
United States, Joshua Norton distributed letters to various newspapers
in San Francisco proclaiming himself to be Emperor Norton.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Norton>
1894:
The controversial Mormon bishop and prophetic dreamer John
Hyrum Koyle began excavating the Dream Mine, which he believed would
provide financial support to members of the LDS Church.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Mine>
1914:
Andrew Fisher, whose previous term as Prime Minister of
Australia oversaw a period of reform unmatched in the Commonwealth until
the 1940s, became prime minister for the third time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Fisher>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
kerplunk:
1. (informal) A sound of someone or something falling and landing
heavily; a thud.
2. (figurative, US, slang, dated) A disappointment which comes as a
surprise.
3. Used to indicate a thudding sound.
4. (intransitive, informal) To make a sound of someone or something
falling and landing heavily; to thud.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kerplunk>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To tell the truth, I myself never quite feel that I know what I
am talking about — if I did, and when I do, the thing written seems
nothing to me. However, what I do write and allow to survive I always
feel is worth while and that nobody else has ever come as near as I have
to the thing I have intimated if not expressed. To me it's a matter of
first understanding that which may not be put to words. I might add more
but to no purpose. In a sense, I must express myself, you're right, but
always completely incomplete if that means anything.
--William Carlos Williams
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Carlos_Williams>
Astatine is a very rare radioactive chemical element with the chemical
symbol At and the atomic number 85. It occurs on Earth as the decay
product of heavier elements. All its isotopes are short-lived, with
half-lives of 8.1 hours or less. The element has never been viewed
because a mass large enough to be seen would be immediately vaporized by
the heat of its radioactivity. The bulk properties of astatine are not
known with any certainty, but they have been predicted based on its
similarity to the lighter halogens directly above it in the periodic
table: fluorine, chlorine, bromine and especially iodine. It is likely
to appear dark or lustrous and may be a semiconductor or a metal.
Chemically, several anionic species of astatine are known and most of
its compounds resemble those of iodine. It also shows some metallic
behavior, and may be able to form a stable monatomic cation in aqueous
solution, unlike the lighter halogens.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astatine>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1844:
Felix Mendelssohn completed the score of the Violin Concerto,
his final concerto.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_%28Mendelssohn%29>
1963:
Malaysia was formed as an independent nation from the
Federation of Malaya, the Colony of Singapore, the Crown Colony of North
Borneo, and the Crown Colony of Sarawak.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia>
1979:
Eight people escaped from East Germany to West Germany in a
home-made hot air balloon.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_German_balloon_escape>
1990:
Construction of the Northern Xinjiang railway (terminus
pictured) was completed between Ürümqi South and Alashankou, linking
the railway lines of China and Kazakhstan and adding a sizeable portion
to the Eurasian Land Bridge.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Land_Bridge>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
liken:
1. (transitive)
2. Followed by to or (archaic) unto: to regard or state that (someone or
something) is like another person or thing; to compare.
3. (also reflexive, rare) Chiefly followed by to: to make (oneself,
someone, or something) resemble another person or thing.
4. (rare) To represent or symbolize (something).
5. (intransitive, obsolete) Followed by to: to be like or resemble;
also, to become like.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/liken>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Heart of my heart, the world is young; Love lies hidden in every
rose!
--Alfred Noyes
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfred_Noyes>
"Love Story" is a country pop song written and sung by Taylor Swift
(pictured). It was released on September 15, 2008, as the lead single
from Swift's album Fearless. Swift used Romeo and Juliet as a reference
point while writing "Love Story". The lyrics are about a couple's happy
ending after enduring a troubled romance. Critics praised the production
as catchy and have considered it one of Swift's best singles. "Love
Story" peaked in the top five on charts of at least seven countries
including the US, where it is Swift's best-selling single. Its music
video won Video of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards and
CMT Music Awards in 2009. Following the dispute over the ownership of
Swift's back catalog, Swift re-recorded the song and released it as
"Love Story (Taylor's Version)" in 2021. The re-recorded single topped
the Hot Country Songs chart and made Swift the second artist, after
Dolly Parton, to reach number one with both the original and re-recorded
versions of a song.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Story_%28Taylor_Swift_song%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1795:
French Revolutionary Wars: Great Britain seized the Dutch Cape
Colony to use its facilities against the French Navy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_the_Cape_Colony>
1830:
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&M;), the first
locomotive-hauled railway to connect two major cities, opened with the
Duke of Wellington in attendance.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opening_of_the_Liverpool_and_Manchester_Railw…>
1954:
The scene in The Seven Year Itch of Marilyn Monroe standing in
a white dress over a subway grate was filmed by Billy Wilder.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_dress_of_Marilyn_Monroe>
2013:
The Belarusian serial killer Ivan Kulesh murdered two
saleswomen in Lida.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Kulesh>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
plebiscite:
1. (law, politics) A direct popular vote on an issue of public
importance, such as an amendment to the constitution, a change in the
sovereignty of the nation, or some government policy; a referendum.
2. (by extension) An expression of the public's views on an issue,
whether legally binding or not.
3. (Ancient Rome, historical) Synonym of plebiscitum (“a law enacted by
the common people, under the superintendence of a tribune or some
subordinate plebeian magistrate, without the intervention of the
senate”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/plebiscite>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I don't think necessity is the mother of invention — invention,
in my opinion, arises directly from idleness, possibly also from
laziness. To save oneself trouble.
--Agatha Christie
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie>
Lisa Nowak (born 1963) is a former NASA astronaut and United States Navy
officer. Nowak graduated from the Naval Academy in 1985. A naval
aviator, she was selected for NASA Astronaut Group 16 in 1996,
qualifying as a mission specialist in robotics. She flew in space in
July 2006 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-121 mission,
where she was responsible for operating the robotic arms of the shuttle
and the International Space Station. In February 2007, Nowak was
arrested in Orlando, Florida, after she drove about 900 miles
(1,400 km) from Texas and accosted and pepper-sprayed Colleen Shipman,
a U.S. Air Force captain. Shipman's boyfriend, astronaut William
Oefelein, had been in a relationship with Nowak. Terminated by NASA,
Nowak pled guilty to burglary and battery in 2009, after which the Navy
demoted and discharged her under other than honorable conditions. It was
later reported that Nowak was working in Texas.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Nowak>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
919:
A coalition of native Irish, led by Niall Glúndub, failed in
their attempt to drive the Vikings of the Uí Ímair from Ireland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Islandbridge>
1863:
American Civil War: The Little Rock campaign ended with the
Union Army capturing Little Rock, Arkansas.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Rock_campaign>
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>
1989:
Typhoon Sarah dissipated after causing extensive damage along
an erratic path across the Western Pacific, killing 71 in Taiwan, the
Philippines, and the Gotō Islands.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Sarah_%281989%29>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
rotten borough:
1. (historical) A parliamentary borough that was represented in
Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly that
they were largely controlled by the main landowner; such boroughs were
abolished in the 19th century.
2. (by extension) A parliamentary constituency or electoral district in
a similar situation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rotten_borough>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Work and play are an artificial pair of opposites, because the
best kind of play contains an element of work, and the most productive
kind of work must include something of the spirit of play.
--Sydney J. Harris
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sydney_J._Harris>