Margaret Murray (13 July 1863 – 13 November 1963) was an Anglo-Indian
Egyptologist, archaeologist, historian, and folklorist. The first female
archaeology lecturer in the United Kingdom, she worked at University
College London and served as president of the Folklore Society.
Encouraged in her research by the department head Flinders Petrie, she
established a reputation in Egyptology for her excavations of the
Osireion temple and Saqqara cemetery. She taught at the British Museum
and also the Manchester Museum, where she led the unwrapping of one of
the mummies from the Tomb of the Two Brothers. A first-wave feminist,
Murray joined the Women's Social and Political Union. She also focused
her research on the witch-cult hypothesis, a theory that the witch
trials of early modern Christendom were targeted at a pre-Christian
religion devoted to a Horned God; this theory was later discredited, but
it gained widespread attention and provided the basis for Wicca.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Murray>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1643:
English Civil War: Royalist forces defeated the
Parliamentarians at the Battle of Roundway Down near Devizes, Wiltshire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Roundway_Down>
1913:
While on a campaign in Bulgaria, the Romanian Army suffered a
cholera outbreak that led to 1,600 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1913_Romanian_Army_cholera_outbreak>
1973:
Watergate scandal: Under questioning by Senate investigators,
White House deputy chief of staff Alexander Butterfield revealed the
existence of a secret taping system (tape recorder pictured) in the Oval
Office.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_White_House_tapes>
2003:
French Directorate-General for External Security personnel
aborted an operation to rescue Colombian politician Íngrid Betancourt
from FARC guerrillas, resulting in a political scandal.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op%C3%A9ration_14_juillet>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
evil eye:
1. A wicked look conveying dislike or envy that in many cultures is
believed to be able to cause bad luck or injury; also, the ability to
cause bad luck or injury through such a look, supposed to be possessed
by some people.
2. (often humorous) A look conveying disapproval, envy, hostility, etc.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/evil_eye>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
No act is of itself either good or bad. Only its place in the
order of things makes it good or bad.
--Milan Kundera
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Milan_Kundera>
The Dance of the Twisted Bull is the nineteenth collection by British
designer Alexander McQueen (pictured), made for the Spring/Summer 2002
season of his fashion house. It was inspired by Spanish culture and art,
especially flamenco and bullfighting. Its sharp tailoring emphasises
femininity and sexuality. It is McQueen's first collection after leaving
Givenchy and the sale of his company to the Gucci Group in 2001. The
runway show was staged during Paris Fashion Week in 2001 at the
headquarters of Stade Français. It was simple compared to previous
shows, and the designs were commercial and intended to drive sales for
his first season under Gucci. The collection's sales were reportedly
strong. Twisted Bull was received mostly positively, especially by
British journalists; American writers were less impressed, particularly
with the dressmaking. Dresses from the collection appeared in
retrospective exhibitions: in the 2011 and 2015 stagings of Alexander
McQueen: Savage Beauty, and in 2022.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dance_of_the_Twisted_Bull>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1918:
An explosion in the ammunition magazine of the Japanese
battleship Kawachi resulted in the deaths of more than 600 officers and
crewmen.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Kawachi>
1963:
Sixteen-year-old Pauline Reade, the first victim of serial
killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, disappeared in Gorton, England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moors_murders>
1979:
Rowdy fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago stormed the field during
a Major League Baseball promotional event at which a crate of disco
records was blown up.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco_Demolition_Night>
2006:
Hezbollah forces crossed the Israel–Lebanon border and
attacked Israeli military positions while firing rockets and mortars at
Israeli towns, sparking a five-week war.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Hezbollah_cross-border_raid>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
heliotrope:
1. (countable, botany, also figuratively) A plant with flowers which
turn to face and follow the sun, such as (archaic) marigolds and
sunflowers.
2. (specifically) A plant of the genus Heliotropium, especially the
common heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) which has clusters of
purple flowers with a strong fragrance.
3. With a qualifying word: any of various plants resembling those of the
genus Heliotropium.
4. (uncountable) The fragrance of Heliotropium arborescens flowers, or a
scent resembling this fragrance.
5. (uncountable, color) A light purple or violet colour like that of
Heliotropium arborescens flowers. heliotrope:
6. (countable) An instrument that uses a mirror to reflect sunlight for
purposes such as signalling, or (surveying) triangulation (where the
reflected light is detected by another surveyor positioned some distance
away).
7. (countable, historical) An ancient type of sundial consisting of a
bowl with a perpendicular gnomon mounted in the centre.
8. (countable, uncountable, mineralogy) Synonym of bloodstone (“a green
chalcedony that is sprinkled with red spots or veins of hematite”)
9. Of a light purple or violet colour like that of Heliotropium
arborescens flowers.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/heliotrope>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Do the day's work well and not to bother about tomorrow. You may
say that is not a satisfactory ideal. It is; and there is not one which
the student can carry with him into practice with greater effect. To it
more than anything else I owe whatever success I have had — to this
power of settling down to the day's work and trying to do it well to the
best of my ability, and letting the future take care of itself.
--William Osler
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Osler>
The trade dollar was a United States dollar coin minted to compete with
other large silver coins that were already popular in East Asia. The
idea first came about in the 1860s, when the price of silver began to
decline due to increased mining efforts in the western United States.
The Coinage Act of 1873 made trade dollars legal tender up to five
dollars. The coins were first struck in 1873, and most of the production
was sent to China. Eventually, bullion producers began converting large
amounts of silver into trade dollars, causing the coins to make their
way into American commercial channels. This frustrated payees, as the
coins were traded for less than one dollar each. In response to their
wide distribution in US commerce, the coins were officially demonetized
in 1876, but continued to circulate. Production of business strikes
ended in 1878, though the mintage of proof coins continued until 1883.
The trade dollar was remonetized when the Coinage Act of 1965 was signed
into law.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_dollar_%28United_States_coin%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1405:
Marking the start of Ming China's treasure voyages, an
expeditionary fleet led by Zheng He (depicted) set sail for foreign
regions of the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_treasure_voyages>
1792:
The Belfast Harp Festival, an early event in the Gaelic
revival, began at the Assembly Rooms.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast_Harp_Festival>
1960:
To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee featuring themes
of racial injustice and the loss of innocence in the Deep South of
America, was published.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird>
1991:
Shortly after taking off from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria
Airways Flight 2120 caught fire and crashed, killing all 261 people on
board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria_Airways_Flight_2120>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
suited and booted:
1. (originally South Asia) Dressed smartly, especially in business or
formal wear.
2. (figuratively) Dressed, equipped, or otherwise well prepared for a
certain situation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/suited_and_booted>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.
They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't
do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to
kill a mockingbird.
--Harper Lee
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harper_Lee>
Tiberius III (died c. 706) was Byzantine emperor from 698 to 705. He
was a mid-level commander who served in the Cibyrrhaeot Theme. In 696,
he was part of an army sent by Emperor Leontius to retake Carthage from
the Umayyads. After seizing the city, the army was pushed back by Arab
reinforcements and retreated to Crete. Some officers, fearing Leontius,
killed their commander and declared Tiberius emperor. Tiberius gathered
a fleet, sailed for Constantinople, and deposed Leontius. He did not
attempt to retake Byzantine Africa from the Umayyads, but campaigned
against them along the eastern border. In 705, former emperor
Justinian II, previously deposed by Leontius, led an army of Slavs and
Bulgars from the First Bulgarian Empire to Constantinople, and deposed
Tiberius. Tiberius fled to Bithynia, but was captured a few months later
and beheaded between August 705 and February 706. His body was initially
thrown into the sea, but was later recovered and buried in a church on
the island of Prote.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius_III>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1745:
War of the Austrian Succession: French victory at the Battle of
Melle enabled their subsequent capture of Ghent in the Dutch Republic.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Melle>
1868:
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,
including the Citizenship Clause and the Equal Protection Clause, was
ratified by the minimum required twenty-eight states.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Con…>
1981:
Nintendo released the arcade game Donkey Kong (cabinet
pictured), which featured the debut of Mario, one of the most famous
characters in video-game history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario>
2008:
Under the belief that Israel and the United States were
planning to attack its nuclear program, Iran conducted the Great Prophet
III missile test and war games exercise.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Prophet_III>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
hurtle:
1. (transitive, archaic)
2. To propel or throw (something) hard or violently; to fling, to hurl.
3. To cause (someone or something) to collide with or hit another person
or thing; or (two people or things) to collide with or hit each other.
4. (figuratively) To attack or criticize (someone) verbally or in
writing.
5. (intransitive)
6. To move rapidly, violently, or without control, especially in a noisy
manner.
7. (archaic)
8. Of a person or thing: to collide with or hit another person or thing,
especially with force or violence; also, of two people or things: to
collide together; to clash.
9. To make a sound of things clashing or colliding together; to clatter,
to rattle; hence, to move with such a sound.
10. (figuratively) Of two people, etc.: to meet in a shocking or violent
encounter; to clash; to jostle.
11. (countable) An act of colliding with or hitting; a collision.
12. (countable, also figuratively) A rapid or uncontrolled movement; a
dash, a rush.
13. (countable) A sound of clashing or colliding; a clattering, a
rattling.
14. (uncountable, figuratively) (Violent) disagreement; conflict. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hurtle>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
--June Jordan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/June_Jordan>
The Third Test of the 1948 Ashes series was one of five Tests in the
Ashes cricket series between Australia and England. It was played at Old
Trafford in Manchester from 8 to 13 July 1948. After a bouncer by Ray
Lindwall bloodied his head, Denis Compton left the field but returned
and helped England recover to 363 all out on the second afternoon.
Compton and Alec Bedser were involved in a mix-up, running out the
latter and ending a 121-run partnership. Dick Pollard hit Australian Sid
Barnes (pictured) in the ribs with a pull shot, hospitalising him. After
rain washed out the fourth day and the first half of the fifth day, the
match was drawn, meaning that England could do no better than level the
series. As Australia held the Ashes, they retained them. Even though 30%
of the playing time was lost to rain, the match set a record for the
highest attendance at a Test match in England at 133,740, surpassing the
previous Test. (This article is part of a featured topic: Australian
cricket team in England in 1948.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Australian_cricket_…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
The United States Declaration of Independence received its
first formal public reading, in Philadelphia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence>
1950:
Korean War: American troops withdrew from Cheonan, in modern-
day South Korea, after suffering heavy casualties from a North Korean
attack.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chonan>
2014:
German citizen Lars Mittank disappeared from Varna Airport,
Bulgaria; his last known movements have been widely watched on YouTube.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Lars_Mittank>
2021:
Head of a Bear sold at auction in London for £7.5 million, a
record for a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_a_Bear>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
thwack:
1. (transitive)
2. To hit (someone or something) hard, especially with a flat implement
or a stick; to thrash, to whack.
3. (also figuratively) To drive or force (someone or something) by, or
as if by, beating or hitting; to knock.
4. To pack (people or things) closely together; to cram.
5. (figuratively) To decisively defeat (someone) in a contest; to beat,
to thrash.
6. (obsolete) To crowd or pack (a place or thing) with people, objects,
etc.
7. (intransitive)
8. To fall down hard with a thump.
9. (obsolete) To be crammed or filled full.
10. (obsolete, rare) Of people: to crowd or pack a place.
11. An act of hitting hard, especially with a flat implement or a stick;
a whack; also, a powerful stroke involved in such hitting; a blow, a
strike.
12. A dull or heavy slapping sound.
13. Used to represent the dull or heavy sound of someone or something
being hit or slapped.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/thwack>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Passion is power, And, kindly tempered, saves. All things
declare Struggle hath deeper peace than sleep can bring.
--William Vaughn Moody
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Vaughn_Moody>
John Mowbray, 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1415–1461), was a fifteenth-century
English magnate who was the only son and heir of John Mowbray, 2nd Duke
of Norfolk, and Katherine Neville. As a minor he became a ward of King
Henry VI and was placed under the protection of Humphrey, Duke of
Gloucester, alongside whom Mowbray would later campaign in France. He
led the defence of England's possessions in Normandy during the Hundred
Years' War. He fought in Calais in 1436, and in 1437 and 1438 served as
warden of the Eastern March on the Anglo-Scottish border. In the early
1430s he became the bitter rival of William de la Pole, Earl (later
Duke) of Suffolk. In the early years of the Wars of the Roses in the
1450s he defended King Henry against two rebellions by Richard, Duke of
York. Eventually Mowbray drifted towards York, with whom he shared an
enmity towards de la Pole. In March 1461, Mowbray was instrumental in
King Edward IV's victory at the Battle of Towton, bringing
reinforcements late in the combat.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mowbray,_3rd_Duke_of_Norfolk>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1911:
Four countries signed the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention,
which banned the hunting of seals in the pelagic zone.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pacific_Fur_Seal_Convention_of_1911>
1963:
The secret police of Ngô Đình Nhu, brother and chief
political adviser of South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm,
attacked a group of American journalists who were covering a protest
during the Buddhist crisis.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Seven_Day_scuffle>
1983:
After writing a letter to Soviet premier Yuri Andropov,
American schoolgirl Samantha Smith visited the Soviet Union as
Andropov's personal guest, becoming known as "America's Youngest
Ambassador".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Smith>
1991:
Yugoslav Wars: The signing of the Brioni Agreement ended the
Ten-Day War between SFR Yugoslavia and Slovenia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brioni_Agreement>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Pijin:
In full Solomon Islands Pijin, Solomon Pijin, or Solomons Pijin: a
language spoken on the Solomon Islands, which is a form of Melanesian
Pidgin.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Pijin>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The world is not what we wish it to be. It is what it is. No, I
have over-assumed. Perhaps it is indeed what we wish it to be. Either
way, it is what it is.
--Glory Road
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Glory_Road>
Radiocarbon dating is used to determine the age of carbon-bearing
material by measuring its levels of radiocarbon, the radioactive isotope
carbon-14. Invented by Willard Libby in the late 1940s, it soon became a
standard tool for archaeologists. Radiocarbon is constantly created in
the atmosphere, when cosmic rays create free neutrons that hit nitrogen.
Plants take in radiocarbon through photosynthesis, and animals eat the
plants. After death, they stop exchanging carbon with the environment.
Half of the radiocarbon decays every 5,730 years; the oldest dates that
can be reliably estimated are around 50,000 years ago. The amount of
radiocarbon in the atmosphere was reduced starting from the late 19th
century by fossil fuels, which contain little radiocarbon, but nuclear
weapons testing almost doubled levels by around 1965. Accelerator mass
spectrometry (apparatus pictured) is the standard method used, which
allows minute samples. Libby received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in
1960.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiocarbon_dating>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1916:
First World War: Russian troops won a victory in the Battle of
Kostiuchnówka, with the Polish Legions playing a key role on the
Austro-Hungarian side.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kostiuchn%C3%B3wka>
1941:
Second World War: After a three-month siege, the Italian
garrison of Saïo (in modern-day Ethiopia) surrendered to Belgian,
British and Ethiopian troops.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sa%C3%AFo>
1971:
After visiting several Asian communist countries, Romanian
leader Nicolae Ceaușescu gave a speech on a number of neo-Stalinist and
socialist-realist ideals, which became known as the July Theses.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_Theses>
2013:
Gunmen attacked a secondary school in Mamudo, Yobe State,
Nigeria, killing 42 people, mostly students.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yobe_State_school_shooting>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
aphelion:
(astronomy, also figuratively) The point in the elliptical orbit of a
comet, planet, or other astronomical object, where it is farthest from
the Sun.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aphelion>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Within the body there are billions of different particles.
Similarly, there are many different thoughts and a variety of states of
mind. It is wise to take a close look into the world of your mind and to
make the distinction between beneficial and harmful states of mind. Once
you can recognize the value of good states of mind, you can increase or
foster them.
--Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tenzin_Gyatso,_14th_Dalai_Lama>
Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth that begins in the
lung. It is the most diagnosed cancer worldwide, and the leading cause
of cancer death. Those with early lung cancer often have no symptoms,
but advanced disease can cause shortness of breath, coughing (including
with blood), and chest pain. The cancer can spread to other organs,
causing a variety of symptoms, and eventually death. Lung cancer is
treated with surgery and chemotherapy, followed by newer targeted
molecular therapies and immunotherapy. Prognosis is poor, with around 19
percent of people surviving five years from their diagnoses. Lung cancer
used to be a rare disease, but its incidence rose dramatically following
the mass popularity of cigarettes in the 20th century. Up to 90 percent
of lung cancer cases are caused by exposure to tobacco smoke, with the
remainder caused by genetic factors, radon gas, asbestos, and air
pollution.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung_cancer>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1944:
Second World War: Canadian troops defeated the last German
counterattacks against Carpiquet, Normandy, France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Windsor>
1946:
Named after Bikini Atoll, the site of the nuclear-weapons test
Operation Crossroads in the Marshall Islands, the modern bikini was
introduced at a fashion show in Paris.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikini>
1973:
Juvénal Habyarimana orchestrated a bloodless coup d'état of
the Rwandan government and began a totalitarian dictatorship.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Rwandan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
2009:
A series of violent riots broke out in Ürümqi, the capital
city of Xinjiang in China.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_2009_%C3%9Cr%C3%BCmqi_riots>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
visceral:
1. (anatomy) Of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or
within, the viscera (“internal organs of the body, especially those
contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities”).
2. (pathology) Of a disease: involving the viscera.
3. Of or relating to the viscera or bowels formerly regarded as the
origin of a person's emotions; hence (figuratively), relating to or
having deep internal feelings or sensibility.
4. (figuratively)
5. Having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the
intellect, as in the distinction between feeling and thinking.
6. (obsolete) (Apparently) situated in the viscera or the interior of
the body.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/visceral>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Establishing the full truth about the crimes of the occupiers on
our independent Ukrainian land is a fundamental prerequisite for
bringing Russia to full accountability for its aggression and terror. We
must do everything for justice, and I am grateful to those of you who
are bringing this day closer, this time — the time of justice.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>
The Battle of Helena was fought on July 4, 1863, during the American
Civil War. Union troops had been using Helena, Arkansas, as a base of
operations since July 1862. More than 7,500 Confederate troops led by
Theophilus H. Holmes attempted to capture Helena in hopes of relieving
some of the pressure on the Confederate army besieged in Vicksburg,
Mississippi. Helena was defended by about 4,100 Union troops led by
Benjamin Prentiss, manning one fort and four batteries. Differing
interpretations of the order by Holmes to attack at daylight resulted in
James Fleming Fagan's troops attacking Battery D unsupported, and
Sterling Price's attack against the Union center was made after Fagan's
had largely fizzled out. To the north, Confederate cavalry commanded by
John S. Marmaduke and Lucius M. Walker failed to act in concert and
accomplished little. The assaults failed, and Vicksburg fell the same
day. Later in the year, Union troops used Helena as a staging ground for
the Little Rock campaign.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Helena>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1643:
First English Civil War: Royalist forces defeated the
Parliamentarians at the Battle of Burton Bridge, securing a crossing of
the River Trent for a convoy of supplies travelling with Queen Henrietta
Maria.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Burton_Bridge_%281643%29>
1943:
The aircraft carrying Władysław Sikorski, prime minister of
the Polish government-in-exile, crashed off Gibraltar, killing him and
fifteen others and leading to several conspiracy theories.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_Sikorski%27s_death_contro…>
1945:
The Brazilian cruiser Bahia was accidentally sunk by one of its
own crewmen, killing more than 300 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_cruiser_Bahia>
1988:
Kylie Minogue's first album, Kylie, was released, and went on
to top the charts in the UK and New Zealand.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylie_%28album%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Cadillac converter:
(chiefly Southern US, malapropism, nonstandard, often humorous) Synonym
of catalytic converter (“chamber containing a finely divided platinum
catalyst in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from the exhaust are
oxidized to carbon dioxide”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Cadillac_converter>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Declaration of Independence predicated upon the glory of man
and the corresponding duty to society that the rights of citizens ought
to be protected with every power and resource of the state, and a
government that does any less is false to the teachings of that great
document — false to the name American. The assertion of human rights
is naught but a call to human sacrifice. This is yet the spirit of the
American people. Only so long as this flame burns shall we endure, and
the light of liberty be shed over the nations of the earth.
--Calvin Coolidge
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Calvin_Coolidge>
The Mauritius sheldgoose (Alopochen mauritiana) is an extinct sheldgoose
that was endemic to Mauritius. Accounts by visitors in the 17th century
mentioned geese, with few details. In 1893, a wing-bone (depicted) and
pelvis were attributed to a new species of comb duck, but later
determined to belong to a relative of the Egyptian goose in Alopochen, a
genus of sheldgeese. The bird may have descended from Egyptian geese
that colonised the Mascarene Islands. This small sheldgoose had wings
that were half black and half white. Although smaller than the Egyptian
goose, it had more robust legs. Accounts indicate they were very tame,
were grazers, lived in groups, and were usually found on the north side
of the island except when seeking water to drink in the dry season. They
were terrestrial, and avoided water. The species was eaten by
travellers, and while abundant in 1681, it was declared extinct in 1698,
probably due to overhunting and predation by introduced animals,
particularly cats.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritius_sheldgoose>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1863:
Confederate forces were defeated by the Union Army on the last
day of the Battle of Gettysburg, a turning point in the American Civil
War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg>
1940:
Second World War: The Royal Navy attacked the French fleet at
Mers El Kébir, fearing that the ships would fall into Axis hands after
the French–German armistice.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Mers-el-K%C3%A9bir>
1973:
British singer David Bowie retired his stage persona Ziggy
Stardust in a surprise announcement on the last day of a 17-month tour.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziggy_Stardust_Tour>
2013:
General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi led a coalition to depose
President Mohamed Morsi in a coup d'état in Cairo, suspending the
Egyptian Constitution of 2012.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Egyptian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
retain:
1. (transitive)
2. Often followed by from: to hold back (someone or something); to
check, to prevent, to restrain, to stop.
3. (education) To hold back (a pupil) instead of allowing them to
advance to the next class or year; to keep back.
4. Of a thing: to hold or keep (something) inside it; to contain.
5. (medicine) To hold back (tissue or a substance, especially urine) in
the body or a body organ.
6. To hold (something) secure; to prevent (something) from becoming
detached or separated.
7. To keep (something) in control or possession; to continue having
(something); to keep back.
8. To keep (something) in the mind; to recall, to remember.
9. To keep (something) in place or use, instead of removing or
abolishing it; to preserve.
10. To engage or hire (someone), especially temporarily.
11. (chiefly law) To employ (someone, especially a lawyer) by paying a
retainer (“fee one pays to reserve another person's time for services”);
specifically, to engage (a barrister) by making an initial payment to
secure their services if needed.
12. To keep (someone) in one's pay or service; also, (chiefly
historical) to maintain (someone) as a dependent or follower.
13. (reflexive) To control or restrain (oneself); to exercise self-
control over (oneself).
14. (archaic) To keep (someone) in custody; to prevent (someone) from
leaving.
15. (Christianity) To declare (a sin) not forgiven.
16. (intransitive)
17. To keep in control or possession; to continue having.
18. To have the ability to keep something in the mind; to use the
memory.
19. (medicine) Of a body or body organ: to hold back tissue or a
substance.
20. (obsolete)
21. To refrain from doing something.
22. To be a dependent or follower to someone.
23. (rare) To continue, to remain.
24. An act of holding or keeping something; a possession, a retention.
25. Synonym of retinue (“a group of attendants or servants, especially
of someone considered important”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/retain>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Association with human beings lures one into self-observation.
--The Zürau Aphorisms
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Z%C3%BCrau_Aphorisms>