The recorded history of Mars observation dates back to the era of the
ancient Egyptian astronomers in the 2nd millennium BCE. Detailed
observations of the position of Mars were made by Babylonian
astronomers, and ancient Greek philosophers and Hellenistic astronomers
developed a geocentric model to explain the planet's motions. Indian and
Islamic astronomers estimated its size and distance from Earth. The
first telescopic observation of Mars was by Galileo Galilei in 1610. The
first crude map of Mars was published in 1840. When astronomers
mistakenly thought they had detected the spectroscopic signature of
water in the Martian atmosphere, the idea of life on Mars became
popular. During the 1920s, the range of Martian surface temperature was
measured; it ranged from −85 °C (−121 °F) to 7 °C (45 °F). The
planetary atmosphere was found to be arid with only trace amounts of
oxygen and water. Since the 1960s, multiple robotic spacecraft have been
sent to explore Mars. The planet has remained under observation by
ground and space-based instruments and the discovery of meteorites on
Earth that originated on Mars has allowed laboratory examination of the
chemical conditions on the planet.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mars_observation>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1198:
After Lotario de Conti was elected as Pope Innocent III, his
first act was the restoration of the papal power in Rome.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Innocent_III>
1811:
The German Coast Uprising, the largest slave revolt in United
States history, took place in Louisiana.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1811_German_Coast_Uprising>
1979:
The oil tanker Betelgeuse exploded at the offshore jetty of the
Whiddy Island Oil Terminal off Bantry Bay, Ireland, killing
approximately 50 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiddy_Island_Disaster>
2004:
RMS Queen Mary 2 (pictured), at the time the longest, widest
and tallest passenger ship ever built, was christened by her namesake's
granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary_2>
2011:
In Tucson, Arizona, US, Jared Lee Loughner opened fire on an
outdoor public meeting, killing six people and injuring twelve others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tucson_shooting>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
factitious:
1. Created by humans; artificial.
2. Counterfeit, fabricated.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/factitious>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There is a certain indolence in us, a wish not to be disturbed, which
tempts us to think that when things are quiet, all is well.
Subconsciously, we tend to give the preference to "social peace," though
it be only apparent, because our lives and possessions seem then secure.
Actually, human beings acquiesce too easily in evil conditions; they
rebel far too little and too seldom. There is nothing noble about
acquiescence in a cramped life or mere submission to superior force.
--A. J. Muste
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/A._J._Muste>
Psittacosaurus is a genus of psittacosaurid ceratopsian dinosaur from
the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Asia, about 130 to
100 million years ago. It is notable for being the most species-rich
dinosaur genus. Nine to eleven species are recognized from fossils found
in different regions of modern-day China, Mongolia and Russia, with a
possible additional species from Thailand. All species of Psittacosaurus
were gazelle-sized bipedal herbivores characterized by a high, powerful
beak on the upper jaw. At least one species had long, quill-like
structures on its tail and lower back, possibly serving a display
function. Psittacosaurus is not as familiar to the general public as its
distant relative Triceratops but it is one of the most completely known
dinosaur genera. Fossils of over 400 individuals have been collected so
far, including many complete skeletons. Most different age classes are
represented, from hatchling through to adult, which has allowed several
detailed studies of Psittacosaurus growth rates and reproductive
biology. The abundance of this dinosaur in the fossil record has led to
its use as an index fossil for Early Cretaceous sediments of central
Asia.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psittacosaurus>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1558:
Francis, Duke of Guise (pictured), retook Calais, England's
last continental possession, for France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calais>
1785:
Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries
became the first to cross the English Channel by air, in a balloon.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Channel>
1948:
Air National Guard pilot Thomas Mantell fatally crashed his
P-51 Mustang while in pursuit of a UFO near Fort Knox, Kentucky.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantell_UFO_incident>
1993:
The Fourth Republic of Ghana was inaugurated with Jerry
Rawlings as its president.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ghana>
2007:
Newly appointed Archbishop of Warsaw Stanisław Wielgus
resigned amid allegations that he collaborated with the Polish communist
government's secret police.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Wielgus>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
burgess:
1. An inhabitant of a borough with full rights; a citizen.
2. (historical) A town magistrate.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/burgess>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The whole country is full of enterprise. Our common schools are
diffusing intelligence among the people and our industry is fast
accumulating the comforts and luxuries of life. ... It is not strange,
however much it may be regretted, that such an exuberance of enterprise
should cause some individuals to mistake change for progress and the
invasion of the rights of others for national prowess and glory.
--Millard Fillmore
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Millard_Fillmore>
The Covent-Garden Journal was an English literary periodical published
twice a week for most of 1752. It was edited and almost entirely
financed by novelist, playwright, and essayist Henry Fielding
(pictured), under a pseudonym. The Journal incited the "Paper War" of
1752–1753, a conflict between a number of contemporary literary
critics and writers, which began after Fielding declared war on the
"armies of Grub Street" in the first issue. His proclamation attracted
multiple aggressors and instigated a long-lasting debate argued in the
pages of their respective publications. Initially waged for the sake of
increasing sales, the Paper War ultimately became much larger than
Fielding had expected. Further controversy erupted in June, when
Fielding expressed support for a letter decrying the Government's 1752
Disorderly House Act in the Journal. His remarks were viewed by the
public as an endorsement of the legality of prostitution. The final
issue of the Journal was released on 25 November 1752. In its last
months, poor sales had resulted in a transition from biweekly to weekly
release. Ill-health and a disinclination to continue led Fielding to end
its run after the 72nd number.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Covent-Garden_Journal>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1322:
Having defeated his half-brother Stephen Constantine in battle,
Stephen Dečanski (fresco pictured) was crowned King of Serbia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Uro%C5%A1_III_De%C4%8Danski_of_Serbia>
1839:
The most damaging storm in 300 years swept across Ireland, with
100-knot winds damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in
Dublin.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Big_Wind>
1953:
The first Asian Socialist Conference, an organization of
socialist political parties in Asia, opened in Rangoon, Burma, with 177
delegates, observers and fraternal guests.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Socialist_Conference>
1993:
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) units killed 55 Kashmiri
civilians in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir, in revenge after militants
ambushed a BSF patrol.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopore_massacre>
2005:
About 60 tons of chlorine gas were released when two Norfolk
Southern trains collided in Graniteville, South Carolina, US.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graniteville,_South_Carolina_train_crash>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
at first blush:
(idiomatic) Upon first impression or consideration; seemingly,
apparently, ostensibly.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/at_first_blush>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
When no risk is taken there is no freedom. It is thus that, in an
industrial society, the plethora of laws made for our personal safety
convert the land into a nursery, and policemen hired to protect us
become selfserving busybodies.
--Alan Watts
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alan_Watts>
Kenneth Walker (1898–1943) was a United States Army aviator and an
Army Air Forces general who had a significant influence on the
development of airpower doctrine. Walker graduated from the Air Corps
Tactical School in 1929, then served as an instructor there. He
supported the creation of a separate air organization, not subordinate
to other military branches, and was a forceful advocate of the efficacy
of strategic bombardment. He published articles on the subject, and
became part of a clique known as the "Bomber Mafia" which argued for the
primacy of bombardment over other forms of military aviation. He
advanced the notion that fighters could not prevent a bombing attack,
and helped develop the doctrine of industrial web theory, which called
for precision attacks against carefully selected critical industrial
targets. In 1942, during World War II, Walker was promoted to brigadier
general and transferred to the Southwest Pacific. He frequently flew
combat missions over New Guinea, for which he received the Silver Star.
On 5 January 1943, he was shot down and killed while leading a daylight
bombing raid over Rabaul, for which he was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Walker>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1757:
Louis XV of France survived an assassination attempt by Robert-
François Damiens, who later became the last person to be executed in
the country by drawing and quartering.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert-Fran%C3%A7ois_Damiens>
1925:
Nellie Tayloe Ross was inaugurated as Governor of Wyoming, the
first woman to serve as governor of a U.S. state.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Tayloe_Ross>
1968:
Alexander Dubček came to power in Czechoslovakia, beginning a
period of political liberalization known as the Prague Spring that still
enabled the Communist Party to maintain real power.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Spring>
1975:
The Tasman Bridge (pictured), crossing the Derwent River in
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, was struck by the bulk carrier Lake
Illawarra, killing seven of the ship's crewmen and five motorists on the
bridge.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasman_Bridge_disaster>
2003:
London police arrested six people in conjunction with an
alleged terrorist plot to release ricin on the London Underground,
although only one was eventually convicted.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_Green_ricin_plot>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Twelfth cake:
A decorative cake distributed among friends or visitors on the festival
of Twelfth Night (which is either the evening of January 5th or of
January 6th, depending on interpretation).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Twelfth_cake>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Learning does not consist only of knowing what we must or we can do, but
also of knowing what we could do and perhaps should not do.
--Umberto Eco
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Umberto_Eco>
Prosperity theology is a Christian religious doctrine that financial
blessing is the will of God, and that faith, positive speech, and
donations to Christian ministries will increase one's material wealth.
Based on non-traditional interpretations of the Bible, often with
emphasis on the Book of Malachi, the doctrine views the Bible as a
contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, he will
deliver his promises of security and prosperity. The doctrine emphasizes
the importance of personal empowerment, proposing that it is God's will
for his people to be happy. It came to prominence in the United States
during the Healing Revivals of the 1950s and later figured prominently
in the Word of Faith movement and 1980s televangelism. In the 1990s and
2000s, it was adopted by influential leaders in the Charismatic Movement
and promoted by Christian missionaries throughout the world. Churches in
which the prosperity gospel is taught are often non-denominational and
usually directed by a sole pastor or leader, although some have
developed multi-church networks. Prosperity theology has been criticized
by leaders in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, as well as
other Christian denominations, who maintain that it is irresponsible and
theologically unsound.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1885:
Sino-French War: French troops under General François Oscar de
Négrier defeated a numerically superior Qing Chinese force at Nui Bop
in northern Vietnam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nui_Bop>
1903:
Topsy, a domesticated elephant with the Forepaugh Circus at
Luna Park, Coney Island, was executed by electrocution after it was
deemed a threat to people, an event captured on film by inventor Thomas
Edison.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topsy_(elephant)>
1973:
Last of the Summer Wine, the longest running sitcom in the
world, premiered as an episode of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_of_the_Summer_Wine>
1976:
The Troubles: Volunteers from the Ulster Volunteer Force shot
dead five Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reavey_and_O%27Dowd_killings>
2006:
Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon suffered a severe
hemorrhagic stroke, leaving Ehud Olmert as Acting Prime Minister.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_Sharon>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
swage:
A tool, used by blacksmiths and other metalworkers, for cold shaping of
a metal item.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/swage>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Godliness consists in the knowledge love & worship of God, Humanity in
love, righteousness & good offices towards man.
--Isaac Newton
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton>
The State of Vietnam referendum held on 23 October 1955 determined the
future form of government of the State of Vietnam, the nation that was
to become South Vietnam. It was contested by Prime Minister Ngô Đình
Diệm (pictured), who proposed a republic, and former emperor Bảo
Đại, the head of state. Diệm won the election, which was widely
marred by electoral fraud, with 98.2% of the vote. In the capital
Saigon, Diệm was credited with more than 600,000 votes, although only
450,000 people were on the electoral roll. He accumulated tallies in
excess of 90% of the registered voters, even in rural regions where
opposition groups prevented voting. The referendum was the last phase in
the power struggle between Bảo Đại and his prime minister. In the
period leading up to the vote, campaigning for Bảo Đại was banned,
while Diệm's election campaign used personal attacks against him,
including pornographic cartoons and rumours that he was illegitimate.
Bảo Đại was attacked by the government-controlled media, and police
went door-to-door, warning people of the consequences of failing to
vote. After his brother Ngô Đình Nhu successfully rigged the poll,
Diệm proclaimed himself president.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Vietnam_referendum,_1955>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1833:
With the arrival of two British naval ships at the Falkland
Islands, the United Kingdom re-asserted sovereignty there.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reassertion_of_British_sovereignty_over_the_F…>
1848:
Joseph Jenkins Roberts began his term as the first President of
Liberia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Jenkins_Roberts>
1946:
Canadian-American jockey George Woolf (pictured), who rode
Seabiscuit to a famous victory over War Admiral in 1938, was fatally
injured when he fell from his horse during a race.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Woolf>
1961:
Twenty-five people died in Finland's worst civilian air
accident when Aero Flight 311 crashed near Kvevlax.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_Flight_311>
1973:
American businessman George Steinbrenner and a group of
investors bought the New York Yankees professional baseball team for
US$8.7 million.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yankees>
1996:
The Motorola StarTAC, the first clamshell mobile phone, was
released and went on to become one of the first mobile phones to gain
widespread consumer adoption.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_StarTAC>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
cacophonous:
Containing, consisting of, or producing harsh, unpleasant or discordant
sounds.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cacophonous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We must not say every mistake is a foolish one.
--Cicero
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cicero>
The Mauritius Blue Pigeon is an extinct species of blue pigeon formerly
endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean east of
Madagascar. It has two extinct relatives from the Mascarenes and three
extant ones from other islands. It had white hackles around the head,
neck and breast and blue plumage on the body, and it was red on the tail
and the bare parts of the head. These colours were thought similar to
those of the Dutch flag, a resemblance reflected in some of the bird's
names. It was 30 cm (12 in) long and larger and more robust than any
other blue pigeon species. It could raise its hackles into a ruff, which
it used for display. Its call sounded like "barf barf" and it also made
a cooing noise. It fed on fruits, nuts, and molluscs, and was once
widespread in the forests of Mauritius. The bird was first mentioned in
the 17th century and was described several times thereafter, but very
few accounts describe the behaviour of living specimens. Several stuffed
and at least one live specimen reached Europe in the 1700s and 1800s.
Only three stuffed specimens exist today, and only one bird was ever
depicted when alive. The species is thought to have become extinct in
the 1830s due to deforestation and predation.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritius_Blue_Pigeon>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1777:
American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command
of George Washington repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the
Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Assunpink_Creek>
1949:
Luis Muñoz Marín became the first democratically elected
Governor of Puerto Rico.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Mu%C3%B1oz_Mar%C3%ADn>
1963:
Vietnam War: The Viet Cong won its first major victory in the
Battle of Ap Bac.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ap_Bac>
1981:
English serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper",
was arrested in Sheffield, ending one of the largest police
investigations in British history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Sutcliffe>
2004:
The Stardust space probe flew by the comet Wild 2 and collected
particle samples from its coma, which were later returned to Earth.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/81P/Wild>
2006:
An explosion at a coal mine in Sago, West Virginia, US, trapped
13 miners for nearly two days, leaving only one survivor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sago_Mine_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Silent Sam:
(informal) A person who seldom or never speaks; a taciturn or
unresponsive individual.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Silent_Sam>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to
those of us who do.
--Isaac Asimov
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov>
Terang Boelan is a 1937 film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).
Written by Saeroen, directed by Albert Balink, and starring Rd Mochtar,
Roekiah and E. T. Effendi, the film follows two lovers who elope after
one is nearly forced to marry an opium smuggler. Shot in the Indies and
Singapore and partially inspired by the 1936 Hollywood film The Jungle
Princess, Terang Boelan was aimed at native audiences and included
kroncong music and several actors from Balink's previous work, Pareh
(1936). It was a commercial success in both the Indies and abroad (under
the title Full Moon), earning 200,000 Straits dollars in British Malaya.
This success revived the faltering domestic film industry and inspired
films aimed at Malay audiences in Malaya, creating a formula of songs,
beautiful scenery and romance that was followed for decades afterwards.
Modern critical reception of the film, which has been lost since at
least the 1970s, has generally been positive. The Indonesian film
historian Misbach Yusa Biran described it as a turning point in the
history of Indonesian cinema for its catalytic effect on the industry's
growth.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terang_Boelan>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1857:
Queen Victoria selected Ottawa, then a small logging town, to
be the capital of the British colony of Canada.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa>
1862:
American Civil War: The Battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro,
Tennessee, began in an engagement where both sides would suffer their
highest casualty rates of the war.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stones_River>
1972:
Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente died in a plane
crash en route to deliver aid to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Clemente>
1998:
The European Exchange Rate Mechanism froze the values of the
legacy currencies in the Eurozone and established the value of the euro
currency.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro>
1999:
Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia, resigned and
named Vladimir Putin as acting President.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
reverie:
A state of dreaming while awake; a loose or irregular train of thought;
musing or meditation; daydream.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reverie>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I have always tried to hide my efforts and wished my works to have the
light joyousness of springtime which never lets anyone suspect the
labors it has cost me.
--Henri Matisse
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henri_Matisse>
Muckaty Station is a 2,380-square-kilometre (590,000-acre) Aboriginal
freehold landholding in Australia's Northern Territory, approximately
800 kilometres (500 mi) south of Darwin. Originally under traditional
Indigenous Australian ownership, the area became a pastoral lease in the
late 19th century and for many years operated as a cattle station.
Muckaty Station was returned to its Indigenous custodians in 1999. It is
traversed by the Stuart Highway, built in the 1940s along the route of
the service track for the Australian Overland Telegraph Line, a natural
gas pipeline, and the Adelaide–Darwin railway. The area comprises
semi-arid stony ridges, claypans and a stony plateau, and experiences a
sub-tropical climate, with a wet season between January and March. The
vegetation is mostly scrubland, including spinifex grasslands. The fauna
is generally typical of Australian desert environments, and includes the
red kangaroo (pictured), the eastern wallaroo, the northern nail-tail
wallaby, and the spinifex hopping mouse. A site within Muckaty is being
considered for Australia's low-level and intermediate-level radioactive
waste storage and disposal facility. The plan is subject to a Federal
Court challenge due to be heard early in 2013.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muckaty_Station>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1702:
Carolina colonial governor James Moore abandoned the siege
against the Castillo de San Marcos at St. Augustine, Spanish Florida,
and retreated to Charles Town in disgrace.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_St._Augustine_(1702)>
1896:
Philippine Revolution: Nationalist José Rizal was executed by
a firing squad in Manila after Spanish authorities convicted him of
rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Rizal>
1947:
Michael, King of Romania, was forced to abdicate by the
country's communist government.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_of_Romania>
2005:
Tropical Storm Zeta was declared a tropical depression, making
it the record-breaking thirtieth tropical cyclone of the 2005 Atlantic
hurricane season, the most active in recorded history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Zeta>
2006:
MV Senopati Nusantara, an Indonesian ferry, sank in the Java
Sea during a storm, killing at least 400 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Senopati_Nusantara>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
peckled:
(now UK dialectal) Speckled, spotted.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/peckled>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Never do I hesitate to look squarely at the unexpected face that every
passing hour unveils to us, and to sacrifice the false images of it
formed in advance, however dear they may be. In me, the love of life in
general predominates over love of my own life (that, indeed, would never
have sufficed to bear me up). May life herself speak! However inadequate
I may be in listening to her, and in repeating her words, I shall try to
record them, even if they contradict my most secret desires. In all that
I write, may her will, not mine, be done!
--Romain Rolland
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Romain_Rolland>
The War against Nabis, or the Laconian War, of 195 BC was fought between
the Greek city-state of Sparta under their ruler Nabis (depicted) and a
coalition composed of Rome, the Achean League, Pergamum, Rhodes, and
Macedon. During the Second Macedonian War (200–196 BC), Macedon had
given Sparta control over Argos, an important city on the Aegean coast.
Sparta's continued occupation of Argos thereafter was used as a pretext
for Rome and its allies to declare war. The anti-Spartan coalition laid
siege to Argos, captured the Spartan naval base at Gythium, and invested
and besieged Sparta itself. Negotiations led to peace on Rome's terms,
under which Argos and the coastal towns of Laconia were separated from
Sparta and the Spartans were compelled to pay a war indemnity to Rome
for eight years. Argos joined the Achaean League, and the Laconian towns
were placed under Achaean protection. As a result of the war, Sparta
lost its position as a major power in Greece. All consequent Spartan
attempts to recover the losses failed and Nabis, the last sovereign
ruler, was eventually murdered. Soon after, Sparta was forcibly made a
member of the Achaean League, ending several centuries of fierce
political independence.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_against_Nabis>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1170:
Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket (stained glass portrait
pictured) was slain in his own cathedral by four knights of Henry II of
England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Becket>
1779:
American Revolutionary War: British soldiers under the command
of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell captured Savannah, Georgia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Savannah>
1937:
The Constitution of Ireland, the founding legal document of the
state known today as the Republic of Ireland, came into force.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Ireland>
1972:
While the crew of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 were busy trying
to solve an instrumentation problem, the aircraft crashed into the
Florida Everglades, killing 101 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_401>
1992:
President of Brazil Fernando Collor de Mello resigned in an
attempt to stop his impeachment proceedings from continuing, but the
Senate of Brazil continued anyway, finding him guilty.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Collor_de_Mello>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
nobble:
1. (UK, Australia, slang) To injure or obstruct intently; batter.
2. (UK, slang) To gain influence by corrupt means or intimidation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nobble>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love
of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.
--William Ewart Gladstone
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Ewart_Gladstone>