Cherry Valentine was the stage name of George Ward (1993–2022), an
English drag queen and mental health nurse who competed in the second
series of the television show RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Raised in an
English Traveller community, Ward was the first member of his family to
attend university, where he was introduced to Manchester's drag scene.
He began performing as Cherry Valentine in 2016, while working in a
children's psychiatric intensive-care unit. As part of the LGBT
community, Ward hid his Traveller heritage because he feared he might
receive "hate or backlash". Ward has been credited as the first
contestant on the Drag Race franchise to acknowledge his Romani
heritage. In 2022, he addressed his background in the BBC documentary
film Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud, and in an episode of the
documentary series God Shave the Queens. Following Ward's death in 2022,
a memorial concert and fundraiser was held at London's Clapham Grand
(pictured).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_Valentine>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1941:
After a secret meeting in Newfoundland, British prime minister
Winston Churchill and U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt (both
pictured) issued the Atlantic Charter, establishing a vision for a
post–World War II world.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Charter>
1975:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show premiered in London, the first in
its record-breaking run in cinemas, which continues in limited release.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocky_Horror_Picture_Show>
2010:
The inaugural edition of the Youth Olympic Games opened in
Singapore for athletes aged between 14 and 18.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_Olympic_Games>
2013:
Security forces raided two camps of supporters of the ousted
Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo, leading to the deaths of at
least 595 civilians.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_2013_Rabaa_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
minnow:
1. Any small fish.
2. The common minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus), a small freshwater fish of the
carp family Cyprinidae which has a green back with black elongated
blotches, commonly swimming in large shoals.
3. Chiefly with a qualifying word: any of a number of other (small) fish
from the family Cyprinidae; also (chiefly US), other small (usually
freshwater) fish from other families.
4. (Australia, New Zealand) Synonym of galaxiid (“any member of the
family Galaxiidae of mostly small freshwater fish of the Southern
Hemisphere”); specifically, the common galaxias, inanga, or jollytail
(Galaxias maculatus).
5. (Britain, regional) Synonym of stickleback (family Gasterosteidae).
6. (figuratively) A person or thing of relatively little consequence,
importance, or value.
7. (fishing) An artificial bait in the form of a small fish.
8. (rare) Very small; tiny.
9. To fish for minnows (noun sense 1 and subsenses).
10. To fish, especially for trout, using minnows as bait.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/minnow>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Human civilization is the outgrowth of conscious altruism; and
the directive Moral Purpose in the world nothing but our dim perception,
ever growing through spiritual friction, that we are all bound more and
more toward the understanding of ourselves and each other, and all that
this carries with it.
--John Galsworthy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Galsworthy>
The Wood River Branch Railroad was a shortline railroad in Rhode Island.
Chartered in 1872 and opened on July 1, 1874, the 5.6-mile (9.0 km)
freight and passenger line connected the village of Hope Valley to the
New York, Providence and Boston Railroad (NYP&B;) mainline at Wood River
Junction. While it was nominally independent, finances were tough from
the start; it heavily relied on support from the NYP&B; and its
successor, the New Haven Railroad. Ralph C. Watrous became its president
in 1904, and remained involved for the next 33 years. A major flood in
November 1927 severed the line and the company considered abandonment,
but local citizens and the New Haven agreed to rebuild the line for
freight only under New Haven control, using a gasoline locomotive. The
New Haven sold the line in 1937 for $301 to local grain mill owner Roy
Rawlings. He ran the company until 1947 when a fire destroyed his mill
and other local industries. The railroad was abandoned in August 1947,
and little remains of it.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_River_Branch_Railroad>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1868:
A major earthquake near Arica, Peru (now in Chile), caused an
estimated 25,000 casualties; the subsequent tsunami caused considerable
damage as far away as Hawaii and New Zealand.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1868_Arica_earthquake>
1876:
The Bayreuth Festival, now known for showcasing the stage works
of Richard Wagner, was inaugurated under his and his wife Cosima's
direction.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosima_Wagner>
1906:
Members of the U.S. Army's all-black 25th Infantry Regiment
were accused of killing a white bartender and wounding a white police
officer in Brownsville, Texas, despite exculpatory evidence.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownsville_affair>
2010:
After being boarded by Canadian authorities, MV Sun Sea docked
in British Columbia and the 492 Sri Lankan Tamil refugee claimants on
board were placed into detention.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Sun_Sea_incident>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
captivate:
1. (obsolete)
2. To make (a person, an animal, etc.) a captive; to take prisoner; to
capture, to subdue.
3. (figuratively) To capture or control (the mind, etc.); to subdue, to
subjugate.
4. (figuratively) To attract and hold (someone's) attention and
interest; to charm, to entrance, to fascinate.
5. (also figuratively, obsolete) Made captive; taken prisoner; captured,
subdued.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/captivate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There may be, and there ought to be, progress in the moral
sphere. The moral truths which we have inherited from the past need to
be expanded and restated.
--Felix Adler
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Felix_Adler>
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. They are the only
surviving members of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea.
Three living species are recognised: the African bush elephant, the
African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant (all pictured).
Distinctive features of elephants include a long, flexible proboscis
(trunk), long tusks, large ear flaps, pillar-like legs, and grey skin.
They are herbivorous, and stay near water when it is accessible. Females
(cows) tend to live in family groups, which can consist of one female
with her calves or several related females with offspring. After
reaching adulthood, males (bulls) live separately, either alone or with
other males. Elephants communicate by touch, sight, smell, and sound.
Threats to their populations include poaching for their ivory tusks,
habitat destruction, and conflicts with local people. Elephants are
iconic in human culture and have been featured in art, folklore,
religion, literature, and popular culture.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1952:
Thirteen Jewish poets were executed in Moscow for espionage
based on false confessions.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Murdered_Poets>
1969:
The Troubles: Riots erupted in the neighbourhood of Bogside in
Derry, and spread across much of Northern Ireland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_Northern_Ireland_riots>
1985:
Japan Air Lines Flight 123 crashed into Mount Takamagahara in
Gunma Prefecture, killing 520 of 524 people on board in the world's
worst single-aircraft aviation disaster.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Air_Lines_Flight_123>
1990:
Near Faith, South Dakota, American paleontologist Sue
Hendrickson found one of the most complete discovered Tyrannosaurus rex
skeletons, nicknamed Sue (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_%28dinosaur%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
kangaroo court:
(originally US, idiomatic) A judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, or a
group of people which conducts such proceedings, which is without proper
authority, and often acts abusively or decides unjustly.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kangaroo_court>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Multiplicity is only apparent, in truth, there is only one mind.
--Erwin Schrödinger
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Erwin_Schr%C3%B6dinger>
The Battle of Dupplin Moor, the first major battle of the Second War of
Scottish Independence, was fought between supporters of King David II
of Scotland and English-backed invaders supporting Edward Balliol (seal
pictured) on 11 August 1332. Balliol and a largely English force of
1,500 landed in Fife and marched on Perth, the Scottish capital. The
Scots, estimated to have been between 15,000 and 40,000 strong, raced to
attack the English, disorganising their own formations. Unable to break
the line of English men-at-arms, the Scots became trapped in a valley
with fresh forces arriving from the rear pressing them forward and
giving them no room to manoeuvre, or even to use their weapons. English
longbowmen fired into both Scottish flanks. Many Scots died of
suffocation or were trampled underfoot. Eventually the Scots broke and
the English men-at-arms mounted and pursued the fugitives until
nightfall. Perth fell, the remaining Scottish forces dispersed, and
Balliol was crowned King of Scots.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dupplin_Moor>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1929:
The first Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic, the oldest and
largest African-American parade in the United States, was held in
Chicago.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Billiken_Parade_and_Picnic>
1945:
Amid rumors of kidnappings of children by Jews in Kraków, a
crowd of Poles took part in a pogrom, resulting in at least one death.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w_pogrom>
1973:
At a party in New York City, Jamaican musician DJ Kool Herc
began rapping during an extended break, laying the foundation for hip
hop music.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Kool_Herc>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
imaginary lat syndrome:
(derogatory, humorous) A tendency for one to adopt a posture as if one
had larger latissimus dorsi muscles than one actually has, especially a
posture where the arms are held away from the torso.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/imaginary_lat_syndrome>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Let go the lure The striving to unmake;Behold the truth
Whenever heart may ache There is a glory In a great mistake.
--Nathalia Crane
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nathalia_Crane>
Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication is a
collection of essays about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence
(SETI), edited by Douglas Vakoch and published by NASA in 2014. Each of
its four sections explores a different topic: (1) the history of SETI
as a field; (2) archaeological comparisons for human–alien
communication, such as the difficulties of translating ancient
languages; (3) the inferential gap between humans and aliens, and the
consequences this would have for communication and trade; and (4) the
potential nature of alien intelligences. Upon its release, the book
received widespread media coverage and generally positive reviews. It
was at the center of controversy when publications such as TheBlaze, The
Huffington Post, and Artnet misreported a quote about ancient stone
carvings from one of its essays, which rhetorically stated that the
carvings "might have been made by aliens" for all that they were
understood by modern anthropologists.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology,_Anthropology,_and_Interstellar_C…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1793:
The Louvre (pyramid pictured) in Paris, today the world's most-
visited museum, opened with an exhibition of 537 paintings and 184
objets d'art.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre>
1953:
First Indochina War: The French Union withdrew its forces from
Operation Camargue against the Việt Minh in central modern-day
Vietnam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Camargue>
1988:
The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 became law, authorizing
reparations to surviving Japanese Americans interned during World
War II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Liberties_Act_of_1988>
2019:
Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex
offender, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional
Center, New York.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Jeffrey_Epstein>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
unseldom:
(archaic) Not seldom; frequently, regularly.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unseldom>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Trump is not just a wacky politician of the far right, or a
riveting television spectacle, or a Twitter phenom and bizarre working-
class hero. He is not just another candidate to be parsed and analyzed
by TV pundits in the same breath as all the others. In terms of our
liberal democracy and constitutional order, Trump is an extinction-level
event. It’s long past time we started treating him as such.
--Andrew Sullivan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andrew_Sullivan>
Kingdom Two Crowns is a 2018 strategy video game developed by Thomas van
den Berg and Coatsink and published by Raw Fury. It is the third entry
in the Kingdom series. Players control a mounted monarch as they attempt
to defend their kingdom from a race of monsters. The monarch can build
defenses to fend off night attacks and recruit villagers to perform
certain jobs. The game features single-player and cooperative
multiplayer modes, with the latter allowing two people to play together
via a split screen. The developers originally designed Kingdom Two
Crowns as an expansion pack for Kingdom: New Lands (2016). As the
expansion grew, they decided to release it as a separate game. Kingdom
Two Crowns was released for Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo
Switch, and Xbox One on December 11, 2018, and for iOS and Android on
April 28, 2020. It received positive reviews, gaining praise for its
strategic gameplay, artwork, and cooperative multiplayer mode, though
its slow pace was criticized.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Two_Crowns>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1942:
Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 was premièred in
Leningrad while the city was under siege by Nazi German forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leningrad_premi%C3%A8re_of_Shostakovich%27s_S…>
1956:
About 20,000 women marched on Pretoria, South Africa, to
protest the introduction of pass laws for black women under apartheid.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_March_%28South_Africa%29>
1960:
Led by Albert Kalonji, South Kasai declared its unilateral
secession from the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Kasai>
1969:
Members of the Manson Family invaded a house and murdered
American actress Sharon Tate and four guests in Los Angeles, before
killing two more people the following night.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate%E2%80%93LaBianca_murders>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
heartland:
1. Synonym of heart (“the seat of the affections or love”)
2. Also in the plural form heartlands:
3. The interior part of a region, especially when contrasted with
coastal parts or when regarded as particularly powerful or significant.
4. (specifically) In the geopolitical theory of the English geographer
Halford John Mackinder (1861–1947): the interior of the world island
comprising north-central Eurasia regarded as politically powerful.
5. (specifically, Singapore, chiefly in the plural) Residential
districts and planning areas outside the city centre; the new towns of
Singapore collectively.
6. (specifically, US, often attributively) The states in the centre of
the United States, chiefly regarded as politically and socially
conservative; also, the people living in such states collectively.
7. A region or part of a region particularly associated with or
significant for a characteristic, such as an activity, a faith, support
for a political party or other organization, etc.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/heartland>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue.
--Izaak Walton
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Izaak_Walton>
Henry II (1133–1189) was King of England from 1154 until his death.
At various points in his life, he also controlled large parts of Wales,
Ireland and France. He was an energetic and ruthless ruler. During the
early years of his reign he restored the royal administration in England
and re-established hegemony over Wales. Henry's desire to control the
English Church led to conflict with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of
Canterbury, resulting in Becket's murder in 1170. Henry expanded his
lands at the expense of France. As his sons grew up there were tensions
over the future inheritance of Henry's domains. Henry was ultimately
succeeded by his son Richard I; Henry's son John would also rule as
king. Henry's territorial expansion quickly collapsed, but many of his
changes endured. Henry is generally considered to have laid the basis
for English common law, while his intervention in Brittany, Wales and
Scotland shaped the development of their societies and governmental
systems.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_II_of_England>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1576:
The cornerstone of Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe's observatory
Uraniborg was laid on the island of Hven.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uraniborg>
1914:
The Endurance departed Plymouth, England, on the Imperial
Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Trans-Antarctic_Expedition>
1969:
At a zebra crossing on Abbey Road in London, Iain Macmillan
took the photograph that was used for the cover of the Beatles' album
Abbey Road.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_Road>
1988:
Tropical Storm Beryl formed over southeastern Louisiana, making
it one of the few tropical cyclones to form over land.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Beryl_%281988%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
travois:
1. (originally and chiefly Canada, US, historical) A frame, often
consisting of two poles tied together at one end to form a V-shaped
structure with the vertex attached to a dog, horse, etc., or held by a
person and the other ends touching the ground, which was used by
indigenous peoples (notably the Plains Aboriginals of North America) to
drag loads over land.
2. (by extension)
3. A similar piece of equipment used to transport something by dragging;
especially a stretcher dragged by a horse, mule, etc., used to transport
an ill or injured person.
4. (Canada, US, forestry, archaic) A sled dragged by a horse or ox to
transport logs, with one end of each log on the sled and the other end
touching the ground.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/travois>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every
instinct in my body. But as President, I must put the interest of
America first. America needs a full-time President and a full-time
Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and
abroad. To continue to fight through the months ahead for my personal
vindication would almost totally absorb the time and attention of both
the President and the Congress in a period when our entire focus should
be on the great issues of peace abroad and prosperity without inflation
at home. Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon
tomorrow.
--Richard Nixon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon>
The 1980 World Snooker Championship was a ranking professional snooker
tournament played from 22 April to 5 May 1980 at the Crucible Theatre
in Sheffield, England. The total prize fund was £60,000, of which
£15,000 went to the winner. There were 53 entrants to the competition,
and the main stage featured 24 players: the 16 top-ranked players and 8
qualifiers. The defending champion Terry Griffiths lost in his first
match, to Steve Davis. Cliff Thorburn (pictured) won the final 18–16
against Alex Higgins, the champion in 1972. Both Kirk Stevens and Steve
Davis made breaks of 136, the highest of 11 century breaks compiled
during the main championship. The tournament was sponsored by the
cigarette manufacturer Embassy, and received 70 hours of television
coverage by the BBC in the United Kingdom. Coverage of the final was
interrupted by a live broadcast of the Iranian Embassy siege, which
caused numerous complaints to the broadcaster. The end of the final
attracted 14.5 million viewers.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_World_Snooker_Championship>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1782:
The Badge of Military Merit, the precursor to the U.S. Purple
Heart, was established as a military decoration of the Continental Army.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badge_of_Military_Merit>
1897:
Mahdist War: Anglo-Egyptian soldiers clashed with Mahdist
Sudanese rebels in the Battle of Abu Hamed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Abu_Hamed>
1955:
Hurricane Diane, the first Atlantic hurricane to cause more
than $1 billion in damages, formed between the Lesser Antilles and Cape
Verde.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Diane>
1987:
Lynne Cox became the first person to swim between the U.S. and
the Soviet Union, crossing from Little Diomede to Big Diomede in the
Bering Strait in 2 hours and 5 minutes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynne_Cox>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tall story:
(idiomatic) Synonym of tall tale (“a tale or story which is fantastic
and greatly exaggerated; also, an account of questionable veracity; a
lie, an untruth”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tall_story>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There can be no self-government without self-discipline. There
can be no self-government without self-control. There can be no liberty
unless it is grounded in moral discipline and the ability to do what is
right.
--Alan Keyes
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alan_Keyes>
The Hungarian nobility were initially a diverse body of people, but from
the late 12th century only high-ranking royal officials were regarded as
noble. Most claimed ancestry from chieftains of the period preceding the
establishment of the kingdom around the year 1000, or were descended
from western European knights who settled in Hungary. Only those who
owned lands free of obligations were regarded as true noblemen. Other
groups, known as conditional nobles, also existed. Under customary law,
only males inherited noble estates. The poorest nobles lost their tax
exemption from the mid–16th century. The ennoblement of whole groups
was not unusual in the 17th century. A group of 10,000 hajdúk received
nobility in 1605. After the Diet was divided into two chambers in 1608,
noblemen with a hereditary title had a seat in the upper house.
Reformist noblemen demanded the abolition of noble privileges from the
1790s. Noble titles were only abolished in 1947, after Hungary was
proclaimed a republic.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_nobility>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1100:
Henry I was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_England>
1689:
Beaver Wars: Aggravated by increased French incursions into
their territory, a large force of Mohawk warriors substantially
destroyed the settlement of Lachine in present-day Quebec.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachine_massacre>
1969:
Police raided a screening of the film Lonesome Cowboys in
Atlanta, Georgia, leading to the creation of the Gay Liberation Front.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonesome_Cowboys_police_raid>
1993:
Wizards of the Coast released Magic: The Gathering, the first
trading card game.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rootin' tootin':
1. (US, informal, traditionally associated with the Wild West) Loudly
exciting or impressive; boisterous, riotous.
2. (Lancashire, archaic, rare) Overly inquisitive about other's affairs;
interfering, nosy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rootin%27_tootin%27>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is very important that the world sees: a fair and honest end
to Russian aggression will benefit everyone in the world. Everyone!
Liberating Ukrainian land from the occupiers means restoring full
respect for international law and the UN Charter. Eliminating all
threats created by Russia to Ukrainian and global security means
returning peace to international relations and stability to global life.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>
Coccinellidae is a family of small beetles called ladybugs in North
America and ladybirds elsewhere. More than 6,000 species occur globally
in a variety of habitats. They are oval with a domed back. Adult females
are larger than males. Many species have warning colours and patterns
that warn predators that they are distasteful. Most are carnivorous,
preying on insects such as aphids. They are promiscuous breeders, and
may lay their eggs near prey colonies, so their larvae have a close food
source. They develop from larva to pupa to adult. Temperate species
hibernate during the winter; tropical species are dormant during the dry
season. Since they prey on pests, most coccinellids are beneficial
insects and some have been introduced outside their range as biological
control agents. A few are pests themselves, and invasive forms pose a
threat to native species. Threats to coccinellids include climate change
and habitat destruction. They feature in folklore, religion, poetry, and
nursery rhymes.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinellidae>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1783:
Mount Asama in Japan began a climactic eruption, which
exacerbated the Great Tenmei famine and led to thousands of deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenmei_eruption>
1892:
Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother were found murdered in
their home in Fall River, Massachusetts; she was later tried and
acquitted for the murders.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzie_Borden>
1972:
President Idi Amin announced the expulsion of Asians from
Uganda.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_of_Asians_from_Uganda>
1983:
Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo, the president of Upper Volta, was
ousted in a coup d'état led by Thomas Sankara.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Upper_Voltan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
hoity-toity:
1. (uncountable, archaic) Behaviour adopted to demonstrate one's
superiority; pretentious or snobbish behaviour; airs and graces.
2. (uncountable, obsolete) Flighty, giddy, or silly behaviour; also,
noisy merriment.
3. (countable, Britain, dialectal) A young woman regarded as flighty,
giddy, or silly.
4. Affected or pretentious, sometimes with the implication of displaying
an air of excessive fanciness or ostentation; pompous, self-important,
snobbish.
5. (obsolete) Flighty, giddy, silly; also, merry in a noisy manner.
6. Flightily, giddily.
7. Merrily, in a noisy manner.
8. (dated) Expressing disapprobation or surprise at acts or words that
are pompous or snobbish, or flighty.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hoity-toity>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
American leadership in this world really is indispensable. It's
up to us, through action and example, to sustain the international order
that's expanded steadily since the end of the Cold War, and upon which
our own wealth and safety depend. … we are just temporary occupants of
this office. That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions
and traditions — like rule of law, separation of powers, equal
protection and civil liberties — that our forebears fought and bled
for. Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it's up to us to
leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found
them.
--Barack Obama
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barack_Obama>