Thomas A. Spragens (1917–2006) was an American administrator who was
the 17th president of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. A graduate
of the University of Kentucky, Spragens worked for the state and federal
government early in his career before joining the staff at Stanford
University as a presidential advisor. He was the president of Stephens
College in Columbia, Missouri, for a five-year term, and left Stephens
for Centre in 1957. He was an effective fundraiser and was instrumental
in the school's integration; Centre admitted its first black student in
1962 and hired its first black faculty member in 1971. While in office,
he helped to facilitate the founding of what is now the Southern
Collegiate Athletic Conference, and he attended the 1968 Democratic
National Convention as a delegate to support Senator Eugene McCarthy. He
resigned in 1981, at which point Centre's enrollment and faculty numbers
had both nearly doubled and its endowment had grown.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_A._Spragens>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1644:
First English Civil War: The combined forces of Scottish
Covenanters and English Parliamentarians defeated Royalist troops at the
Battle of Marston Moor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Marston_Moor>
1941:
A German SS unit arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania, and began the
systematic execution of up to 100,000 people over the next three years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponary_massacre>
2008:
Israeli–Palestinian conflict: An Arab man rammed a loader
into traffic in Jerusalem, killing three people and injuring 40 others
(damage pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Jerusalem_bulldozer_attack>
2013:
The International Astronomical Union announced that the fourth
and fifth moons of Pluto to be discovered would be named Kerberos and
Styx, respectively.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styx_%28moon%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
look as if one has been dragged through a hedge backwards:
(intransitive, Britain, simile, humorous, informal) To look extremely
disheveled.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/look_as_if_one_has_been_dragged_through_a_he…>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of
yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.
--Hermann Hesse
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hermann_Hesse>
Title is the debut extended play (EP) by American singer-songwriter
Meghan Trainor (pictured). Trainor wrote all of its songs with its
producer, Kevin Kadish. The two conceived the EP shortly after Trainor
signed with Epic Records in 2014. The label released it on September 9,
2014. Inspired by doo-wop from the 1950s, Title comprises songs that lie
between modern R&B; and melodic pop. The EP has a lyrical theme of
commitment and staying true to oneself, which Trainor hoped would
empower women. It includes Trainor's debut single, "All About That
Bass", which reached number one in 58 countries with worldwide sales of
11 million units. Title garnered mixed reviews from critics, who
thought its tracks had potential for commercial success, but considered
the lyrics too repetitive and questioned Trainor's musicality. The EP
debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200. Trainor promoted Title by
performing its tracks on television shows and her concert tours.
(This article is part of a featured topic: Title (album).).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Title_%28album%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1643:
The Westminster Assembly of Divines first assembled to
restructure the Church of England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Assembly>
1874:
The Remington No. 1, the first commercially successful
typewriter, went on sale.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sholes_and_Glidden_typewriter>
1935:
The first Grant Park Music Festival was held in Chicago's Grant
Park.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Park_Music_Festival>
1983:
A North Korean Ilyushin Il-62M jet crashed into the Fouta
Djallon mountains in Guinea, killing all 23 people on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Chosonminhang_Ilyushin_Il-62_crash>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
poutine:
1. A dish consisting of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy,
eaten primarily in Canada.
2. Chiefly with a qualifying word: any of a number of variations on the
basic poutine dish.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/poutine>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The most dangerous untruths are truths moderately distorted.
--Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Georg_Christoph_Lichtenberg>
Benjamin Morrell (1795 – c. 1839) was an American sealing captain
and explorer who made a series of voyages, mainly to the Atlantic, the
Southern Ocean and the Pacific Islands, between 1823 and 1831. Many of
the claims in his ghost-written memoir, A Narrative of Four Voyages,
especially those relating to his Antarctic experiences, have been
disputed by geographers and historians. In 1823 he took the sealer Wasp
for an extended voyage into subantarctic waters, and it was from this
time that much of the controversy surrounding his reputation developed.
Many of his claims—the first landing on Bouvet Island, a Weddell Sea
penetration to 70° S, an extremely rapid passage of 3,500 miles
(5,600 km) at improbably high latitudes and the discovery of a
coastline he named New South Greenland—have been doubted or proved
false. He ended his career as a fugitive, having wrecked his ship and
misappropriated parts of the salvaged cargo.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Morrell>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1598:
Anglo-Spanish War: After a 15-day siege Spanish troops in San
Juan, modern-day Puerto-Rico, surrendered to an English force under Sir
George Clifford.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Juan_%281598%29>
1859:
French acrobat Charles Blondin crossed Niagara Gorge, making
him one of the world's most famous tightrope walkers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Blondin>
1963:
The coronation of Pope Paul VI took place, the last such
ceremony before its abandonment by later popes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_of_Pope_Paul_VI>
2009:
Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean near the
Comoros, killing 152 people, with French schoolgirl Bahia Bakari the
sole survivor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemenia_Flight_626>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
in fine fettle:
In good condition; energetic, fit.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/in_fine_fettle>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The purpose of poetry is to remind us how difficult it is to
remain just one person, for our house is open, there are no keys in the
doors, and invisible guests come in and out at will.
--Czesław Miłosz
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Czes%C5%82aw_Mi%C5%82osz>
The Seychelles parakeet, or Seychelles Island parrot, is an extinct
species of parrot that was endemic to the Seychelles in the Indian
Ocean, on the islands of Mahé, Silhouette, and possibly Praslin.
Scientifically named Palaeornis wardi by Edward Newton in 1867, it was
later moved to the genus Psittacula, though genetic studies have led
some researchers to suggest it should return to Palaeornis. The parakeet
was about 41 cm (16 in) in length, with a long, pointed tail. The male
was mainly green, with blue on parts of the head, a black cheek-stripe,
a yellowish underside, and a purple-red wing patch. The female lacked
the cheek-stripe and the juvenile resembled the female. The parakeet
associated in groups within forests and flew between communal roost
sites and feeding areas. It adapted to cultivated areas and its diet
included fruit. Though abundant in 1811, it had become rare by 1867 due
to human persecution for its perceived damage to crops. The last
confirmed individual was shot in 1893.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seychelles_parakeet>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1764:
One of the strongest tornadoes in history struck Woldegk,
Germany, killing one person.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1764_Woldegk_tornado>
1864:
A passenger train fell through an open swing bridge into the
Richelieu River near present-day Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, killing as
many as 99 people and injuring 100 others in Canada's worst railway
accident.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St-Hilaire_train_disaster>
1913:
More than 50,000 Union and Confederate veterans gathered at the
Gettysburg Battlefield, the largest combined reunion of American Civil
War veterans ever held.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1913_Gettysburg_reunion>
2003:
An overloaded balcony collapsed in Chicago, United States,
killing 13 people and injuring 57 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Chicago_balcony_collapse>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
mahout:
1. (South Asia) An elephant trainer, keeper, and driver.
2. (transitive) To drive (an elephant or elephants).
3. (intransitive) To drive elephants.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mahout>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Already the dandelions Are changed into vanishing ghosts.
--Celia Thaxter
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Celia_Thaxter>
The 1985 Tour de France took place between 28 June and 21 July of that
year. The course (map pictured) ran over 4,109 km (2,553 mi) and
consisted of a prologue and 22 stages. The race was won by Bernard
Hinault (of team La Vie Claire), who equalled the record by Jacques
Anquetil and Eddy Merckx of five overall victories. Hinault's teammate
Greg LeMond was second, and Stephen Roche (La Redoute) was third.
Hinault took the race leader's yellow jersey on the first day, in the
opening prologue time trial, but lost the lead to Eric Vanderaerden
(Panasonic–Raleigh) after stage 1 because of time bonuses. He
regained it in stage 8, and held it the rest of the way despite
bronchitis, which severely hampered his performances. For LeMond's
assistance, Hinault pledged to support him for overall victory in the
following year's race, which LeMond won. The large number of time trials
in the 1985 edition of the race were key to its outcome, leading to a
decrease in time-trial kilometres for subsequent Tours.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Tour_de_France>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
American Revolutionary War: The militia of the Province of
South Carolina repelled a British attack on Charleston.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sullivan%27s_Island>
1911:
The Nakhla meteorite (fragments pictured), the first meteorite
to suggest signs of aqueous processes on Mars, fell to Earth in Abu
Hummus, Egypt.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakhla_meteorite>
1950:
Korean War: South Korean forces began the Bodo League massacre,
summarily executing tens of thousands of suspected North Korean
sympathizers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodo_League_massacre>
2016:
Gunmen attacked Istanbul's Atatürk Airport, killing 45 people
and injuring more than 230 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Atat%C3%BCrk_Airport_attack>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
gaydar:
(slang) The supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay by
observing that person's appearance, mannerisms, etc.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gaydar>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Comedy is a weird but very beautiful thing. Even though it seems
foolish and silly and crazy, comedy has the most to say about the human
condition. Because if you can laugh, you can get by. You can survive
when things are bad when you have a sense of humor.
--Mel Brooks
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mel_Brooks>
The American Bible Challenge is a Bible-themed American television game
show created by Game Show Network (GSN). It aired for three seasons from
2012 to 2014. Jeff Foxworthy hosts; Kirk Franklin (pictured) joined from
the second season on. Each nine-episode tournament season asks Bible-
related questions in various formats. One round, Stick a Fork in It, has
teams use a spoon to catapult a fork into glasses labeled with different
answers. Another, Kirk's Righteous Remix, has a choir singing songs
relating to the Bible. The three season champions each won $140,000 for
a chosen charity: Team Judson's Legacy chose a leukodystrophy charity in
honor of a son of two of the team members, Team Wagner Warriors chose a
missionary organization founded by the father of the team members, and
Team Bible Belts chose a nonprofit which combines Bible study and
taekwondo. The show debuted as GSN's highest-rated original program. In
2014, it was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game
Show.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Bible_Challenge>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1800:
War of the Second Coalition: French forces won a victory at the
Battle of Neuburg, ending Austrian control over the River Danube.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Neuburg_%281800%29>
1869:
The military phase of the Meiji Restoration in Japan was
completed with an imperial victory in the Boshin War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boshin_War>
1954:
Jacobo Árbenz resigned as President of Guatemala following a
CIA-led coup against his administration.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_Guatemalan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
2008:
Robert Mugabe was re-elected as President of Zimbabwe with an
overwhelming majority after his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew,
citing violence against his party's supporters.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Zimbabwean_general_election>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
purblind:
1. Of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind; dim-sighted.
2. Of the eyes: unable to see well, especially due to old age; weak.
3. (figuratively)
4. Of a person: lacking in discernment or understanding; dim-witted,
unintelligent.
5. Of a place: poorly illuminated; dark, dim.
6. (obsolete)
7.
8. Completely blind.
9. Having one eye blind.
10. Near-sighted, short-sighted; myopic.
11. (rare) Far-sighted, long-sighted; hypermetropic.
12. A person who has impaired vision or is partially blind.
13. (transitive, literary, often passive) To cause (someone) to have
impaired vision or become partially blind.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/purblind>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The free expression of the hopes and aspirations of a people is
the greatest and only safety in a sane society.
--Emma Goldman
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Emma_Goldman>
Iwan Roberts (born 26 June 1968) is a Welsh former professional
footballer who played as a striker, including for the Welsh national
team. His footballing career started at Watford in 1986. He also
represented Huddersfield Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Gillingham and
Cambridge United. He made 647 league appearances, almost half as a
player for Norwich City, whom he represented for seven years. He scored
61 goals in total over the 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons,
and was elected to the Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame. Since retiring as
a player, Roberts, who speaks fluent Welsh, has worked as a commentator
for Sky Sports, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Cymru Wales. His 2004 book, All
I Want for Christmas ..., a reference to his gap-toothed appearance,
prompted praise, but also controversy over an admission that he once
intentionally stepped on a player's back. In recent years, Roberts has
supported research into dementia, and has attributed his own memory
difficulties to heading a football.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwan_Roberts>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1889:
Bangui, the capital and largest city of the present-day Central
African Republic, was founded in French Congo.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui>
1906:
The 1906 French Grand Prix, the first Grand Prix motor racing
competition, began near Le Mans.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_French_Grand_Prix>
1945:
At a conference in San Francisco, delegates from 50 nations
signed a charter establishing the United Nations.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations>
2013:
The U.S. Supreme Court granted federal recognition to same-sex
marriage when it overturned the Defense of Marriage Act.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Windsor>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
barmy:
1. Containing, covered with, or pertaining to barm (“foam rising upon
beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, used as leaven in brewing
and making bread”).
2. (figuratively) Bubbling with activity or excitement; active, excited.
3. Crazy, mad; also, eccentric, odd, strange.
4. Very foolish. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/barmy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Another name for the sense of values is intelligence. A stupid
person is a person whose values are narrow.
--Colin Wilson
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Colin_Wilson>
Panagiotis Kavvadias (1850–1928) was a Greek archaeologist. He was
responsible for excavations of the city of Epidaurus, of the Acropolis
of Athens (map pictured), and on his native island of Kephallonia. As
Ephor General, the head of the Greek Archaeological Service, from 1885
until 1909, Kavvadias oversaw the service's expansion and the
introduction of Law 2646 of 1899 which increased the state's powers to
prevent illegal excavations and antiquities smuggling. He has been
credited with completing the transformation of the Acropolis from castle
to monument, uncovering many ancient monuments. He oversaw the opening
of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens and organised its first
collections. He was also a professor at the University of Athens.
Regarded as energetic, centralising and autocratic, he was criticised by
native Greek archaeologists, and removed from office in 1909. He
returned to public and academic life in 1912, and remained active in
Greek archaeology until his death.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panagiotis_Kavvadias>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1944:
World War II: U.S. Navy and Royal Navy ships bombarded
Cherbourg, France, to support U.S. Army units engaged in the Battle of
Cherbourg.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardment_of_Cherbourg>
1950:
The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 82
condemning the North Korean invasion of South Korea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_82>
1978:
The rainbow flag (original version pictured) representing gay
pride was first flown at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_%28LGBT%29>
2022:
Russian invasion of Ukraine: Russian forces captured the city
of Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine, after six weeks of fighting.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sievierodonetsk_%282022%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
shipworm:
Any of several wormlike marine molluscs (not true worms) of the family
Teredinidae that bore through the wooden hulls of ships and other woody
material immersed in salt water; specifically, the naval shipworm or
turu (Teredo navalis), the type species of the genus Teredo.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shipworm>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is a mysterious thing, the loss of faith — as mysterious as
faith itself. Like faith, it is ultimately not rooted in logic; it is a
change in the climate of the mind.
--George Orwell
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Orwell>
The Goodwin Fire was a wildfire that burned 28,516 acres (115.40 km2)
in the U.S. state of Arizona from June 24 to July 10, 2017. The fire
destroyed 17 homes and damaged another 19 structures, but no one was
killed. The fire was first detected on June 24 by a two-man fire patrol
that spotted smoke in the Bradshaw Mountains near Prescott, Arizona. Fed
by high winds and undisturbed growths of chaparral, and with fire crews
impaired by difficult terrain, the fire grew from 150 acres (61 ha) on
June 24 to 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) on June 29. Several communities
in Yavapai County were evacuated, and Arizona State Route 69 was
closed. Firefighting aircraft were grounded twice by civilian drones
operating illegally in the burn area, but firefighters made rapid
progress containing the fire's spread after June 28, and it was fully
contained on July 10. Investigators did not determine any particular
cause for the fire.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwin_Fire>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1939:
The first of the Thai cultural mandates was issued, officially
changing the country's name from Siam to Thailand.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_cultural_mandates>
1943:
Amid racial tensions, U.S. Army military police shot and killed
a black serviceman after a confrontation at a pub in Bamber Bridge,
England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bamber_Bridge>
1989:
Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre the 13th Central
Committee of the Chinese Communist Party appointed Jiang Zemin as
general secretary in place of Zhao Ziyang.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiang_Zemin>
2010:
John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut at the Wimbledon
Championships, concluding the longest match in tennis history, which
lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isner%E2%80%93Mahut_match_at_the_2010_Wimbled…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
fit to be tied:
(idiomatic, informal) Very agitated or distressed; also, very angry;
enraged, furious.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fit_to_be_tied>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual
profit without individual responsibility.
--Ambrose Bierce
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ambrose_Bierce>
Banksia grossa is a shrub in the plant family Proteaceae endemic to
Southwest Australia. It is one of fourteen species of banksia in the
series Abietinae, which bear round or oval inflorescences. Collected in
1965, it was described in 1981 by Alex George. Its thick leaves and
large seeds distinguish it from other Abietinae species. It is found
among heath between Eneabba and Badgingarra, in shallow sand over
laterite or in deep sand. It grows as a many-stemmed shrub to 1 m
(3 ft) high with narrow leaves and oval brownish flower spikes up to
10 cm (4 in) high, composed of hundreds of individual flowers.
Flowering occurs throughout the cooler months. Old flower spikes develop
woody follicles which bear the seeds. The plant takes five to seven
years to reach maturity and begin flowering. After bushfire, B. grossa
regenerates from its woody lignotuber; bushfires also stimulate the
release of seeds, which germinate after disturbance. Visitors to
inflorescences include insects and the nocturnal white-tailed dunnart.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_grossa>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1956:
In a nationwide referendum, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected
President of Egypt, a post he held until his death in 1970.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamal_Abdel_Nasser>
1991:
The first installment of the video-game series Sonic the
Hedgehog was released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_the_Hedgehog>
1992:
Croatian War of Independence: The Battle of the Miljevci
Plateau ended after a failed counterattack by forces of the Republic of
Serbian Krajina against the Croatian Army who had captured the plateau.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Miljevci_Plateau>
2016:
Citizens of the United Kingdom voted in favour of leaving the
European Union.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_Kingdom_European_Union_membership…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
burnt offering:
1. (biblical) A slaughtered animal offered and burnt on an altar as an
atonement for sin.
2. (religion, by extension) Any similar sacrifice to a deity or deities,
or to a deceased person.
3. (humorous) Overcooked food.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/burnt_offering>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Over the sea and far away She's waiting like an iceberg Waiting
to change But she's cold inside She wants to be like the water. All
the muscles tighten in her face Buries her soul in one embrace They're
one and the same Just like water. Then the fire fades away And most
of everyday Is full of tired excuses But it's too hard to say I wish
it were simple But we give up easily You're close enough to see that
You're the other side of the world to me.
--KT Tunstall
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/KT_Tunstall>