May 22: Ahalya
by English Wikipedia Article of the Day
22 May '12
22 May '12
Ahalya is the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi in Hindu mythology.
Many Hindu scriptures say that she was seduced by Indra, cursed by her
husband for infidelity, and liberated from the curse by Rama (an avatar
of the god Vishnu). Created by the god Brahma as the most beautiful
woman, Ahalya was married to the much older Gautama. In the earliest
full narrative, when Indra comes disguised as her husband, Ahalya sees
through his disguise but nevertheless accepts his advances. Ahalya and
her lover (or rapist) Indra are cursed by Gautama. Although early texts
describe how Ahalya must atone by undergoing severe penance while
remaining invisible to the world and how she is purified by offering
Rama hospitality, in the popular retelling developed over time, Ahalya
is cursed to become a stone and regains her human form after she is
brushed by Rama's foot. Medieval story-tellers often focus on Ahalya's
deliverance by Rama, which is seen as proof of the saving grace of God.
Her story has been retold numerous times in the scriptures and lives on
in modern-age poetry and short stories, as well as in dance and drama.
Ahalya is extolled as the first of the panchakanya ("five virgins"),
archetypes of female chastity whose names are believed to dispel sin
when recited. While some praise her loyalty to her husband and her
undaunted acceptance of the curse and gender norms, others condemn her
adultery.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahalya>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
853:
Byzantine–Arab Wars: The Byzantine navy sacked and plundered
the port city of Damietta on the Nile Delta, whose garrison was absent
at the time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Damietta_(853)>
1629:
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Danish King Christian IV
signed the Treaty of Lübeck to end the Danish intervention in the
Thirty Years' War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_L%C3%BCbeck>
1816:
A riot broke out in Littleport, Cambridgeshire, England, over
high unemployment and rising grain costs, spreading to Ely the next day.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ely_and_Littleport_riots_1816>
1863:
American Civil War: Union forces began to lay siege to the
Confederate-controlled town of Port Hudson, Louisiana.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Port_Hudson>
1960:
A magnitude 9.5 earthquake devastated Valdivia, Chile, and
generated destructive tsunamis that reached Hawaii the following day.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake>
1972:
Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka (emblem pictured), adopted
a new constitution, and officially became a republic.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka>
1980:
Pac-Man, an arcade game that became an icon of 1980s popular
culture, made its debut in Japan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man>
2002:
Washington, D.C., police announced that the skeletal remains of
missing Federal Bureau of Prisons intern Chandra Levy were found in Rock
Creek Park.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandra_Levy>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
sangfroid:
Composure, self-possession or imperturbability especially when in a
dangerous situation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sangfroid>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I will make my meaning more clear when I say that I think right and
wrong are both tools which are being wielded by those great hands which
are shaping the destinies of the universe, that both are making for
improvement; but that the action of the one is immediate, and that of
the other more slow, but none the less certain. Our own distinction of
right and wrong is founded too much upon the immediate convenience of
the community, and does not inquire sufficiently deeply into the
ultimate effect.
--Arthur Conan Doyle
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arthur_Conan_Doyle>
Mary Anning (1799–1847) was a British fossil collector, dealer and
palaeontologist who became known around the world for important finds
she made in the Jurassic marine fossil beds at Lyme Regis where she
lived. Her work contributed to fundamental changes in scientific
thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the earth. Her
discoveries included the first ichthyosaur skeleton to be correctly
identified, found when she was just twelve years old; the first two
plesiosaur skeletons ever found; the first pterosaur skeleton located
outside Germany; and important fish fossils. Her observations were
critical to the discovery that coprolites were fossilised faeces. Her
gender and social class prevented her from fully participating in the
scientific community of 19th-century Britain and she struggled
financially for much of her life. As a woman she was not eligible to
join the Geological Society of London, and she did not always receive
full credit for her scientific contributions. After her death her
unusual life story attracted increasing interest. In 2010 the Royal
Society included Anning in a list of the ten British women who have most
influenced the history of science.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Anning>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1856:
A crowd of about 800 pro-slavery Americans ransacked the town
of Lawrence, Kansas.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacking_of_Lawrence>
1904:
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the
international sport governing body of association football, was founded
in Paris.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA>
1927:
Aboard the Spirit of St. Louis, American aviator Charles
Lindbergh completed the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight, flying
from Roosevelt Field near New York City to Paris – Le Bourget Airport.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh>
1981:
The Italian government released the membership list of
Propaganda Due, an illegal pseudo-Masonic lodge that had been implicated
in numerous Italian crimes and mysteries.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_Due>
1996:
Algerian Civil War: The remains of seven French Trappist monks
who had been kidnapped in Algeria nearly two months earlier were found.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_the_monks_of_Tibhirine>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
cloudburst:
A sudden heavy rainstorm.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cloudburst>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Trust not your self; but your Defects to know, Make use of ev'ry Friend
— and ev'ry Foe.
--Alexander Pope
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope>
C. D. Howe (1886–1960) was a powerful Canadian Cabinet minister of the
Liberal Party. He is credited with transforming the Canadian economy
from agriculture-based to industrial. Born in Massachusetts, Howe moved
to Nova Scotia as a young adult to take up a professorship at Dalhousie
University. After working for the Canadian government as an engineer, he
began his own firm, and became a wealthy man. In 1935, he was recruited
as a Liberal candidate for the Canadian House of Commons by then
Opposition leader Mackenzie King. The Liberals won the election in a
landslide, and Howe won his seat. Mackenzie King appointed him to the
Cabinet. There, he took major parts in many new enterprises, including
the founding of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Trans-Canada
Air Lines. When World War II began in 1939, Howe played a crucial role
in Canada's war effort, and recruited many corporate executives to serve
in wartime enterprises. Howe's impatience with the necessity for
parliamentary debate of his proposals won him few friends, and he was
often accused of dictatorial conduct by the Opposition. In the 1957
election, Howe's actions and policies were made an issue by Opposition
leader John Diefenbaker. He lost his seat in the election, and
Diefenbaker became Prime Minister, ending almost 22 years of Liberal
rule.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._D._Howe>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1217:
In the last land battle of the First Barons' War, William the
Marshal drove Prince Louis of France out of England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lincoln_(1217)>
1609:
Thomas Thorpe published the first copies of Shakespeare's
sonnets, possibly without William Shakespeare's consent.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare%27s_sonnets>
1873:
Clothing manufacturer Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis were
granted a patent for using copper rivets to strengthen the pockets of
denim overalls, allowing their company to start manufacturing their
first line of blue jeans.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Strauss>
1983:
A team of researchers led by French virologist Luc Montagnier
published their discovery of HIV, although they did not know yet if it
caused AIDS.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luc_Montagnier>
2002:
East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, becoming the
first new sovereign state of the 21st century.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Timor>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
much of a muchness:
(idiomatic) Of two or more things, having little difference of any
significance between them.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/much_of_a_muchness>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To saunter is to enjoy life; it is to indulge the flight of fancy; it is
to enjoy the sublime pictures of misery, of love, of joy, of gracious or
grotesque physiognomies; it is to pierce with a glance the abysses of a
thousand existences; for the young it is to desire all, and to possess
all; for the old it is to live the life of the youthful, and to share
their passions.
--Honoré de Balzac
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Honor%C3%A9_de_Balzac>
The indigenous people of the Everglades region arrived in the Florida
peninsula approximately 15,000 years ago, probably following large
game. The Paleo-Indians found an arid landscape that supported plants
and animals adapted to desert conditions. Climate changes 6,500 years
ago brought a wetter landscape, and the Paleo-Indians slowly adapted to
the new conditions. Archaeologists call the cultures that resulted from
the adaptations Archaic peoples, from whom two major tribes emerged in
the area: the Calusa and the Tequesta. The earliest written descriptions
of these people come from Spanish explorers who sought to convert and
conquer them. After more than 200 years of relations with the Spanish,
both indigenous societies lost cohesiveness. Official records indicate
that survivors of war and disease were transported to Havana in the late
18th century. Isolated groups may have been assimilated into the
Seminole nation, which formed in northern Florida when a band of Creeks
consolidated surviving members of pre-Columbian societies in Florida
into their own to become a distinct tribe. Seminoles were forced into
the Everglades by the U.S. military during the Seminole Wars from 1835
to 1842. The U.S. military pursued the Seminoles into the region, which
resulted in some of the first recorded explorations of much of the area.
Seminoles continue to live in the Everglades region, and support
themselves with casino gaming on six reservations located throughout the
state.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_people_of_the_Everglades_region>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1499:
Thirteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon, the future first wife of
Henry VIII of England, was married by proxy to his brother, 15-year-old
Arthur, Prince of Wales (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Aragon>
1780:
A combination of thick smoke, fog, and heavy cloud cover caused
darkness to fall on parts of Canada and the New England area of the
United States by noon.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England%27s_Dark_Day>
1817:
The Articles of Association of the Bank of Montreal in
Montreal, Quebec, Canada's oldest chartered bank, were adopted.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_Montreal>
1962:
During a televised birthday celebration for U.S. President John
F. Kennedy at New York City's Madison Square Garden, actress and model
Marilyn Monroe performed her infamous rendition of "Happy Birthday to
You".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Birthday,_Mr._President>
1991:
Despite a boycott by the local Serb population, voters in
Croatia passed a referendum supporting independence from the Socialist
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_independence_referendum,_1991>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
front runner:
(idiomatic) The most likely winners in a contest, election, etc.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/front_runner>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I have found out that the real essentials of greatness in men are not
written in books, nor can they be found in the schools, They are written
into the inner consciousness of everyone who intensely searches for
perfection in creative achievement and are understandable to such men
only.
--Walter Russell
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walter_Russell>
Blakeney Chapel is a ruined building on the Norfolk coast of England.
Despite its name, it is in the parish of Cley next the Sea, not the
adjoining village of Blakeney, and was probably not a chapel. The
building stood on a raised mound or "eye" on the seaward end of the
coastal marshes, less than 200 m (220 yd) from the sea and just to the
north of the current channel of the River Glaven where it turns to run
parallel to the shoreline. It consisted of two rectangular rooms of
unequal size, and appears to be intact in a 1586 map, but is shown as
ruins in later charts. Only the foundations and part of a wall still
remain. A small hearth, probably used for smelting iron, is the only
evidence of a specific activity on the site. Much of the structural
material was long ago carried off for reuse in buildings in Cley and
Blakeney. The surviving ruins are protected as a scheduled monument and
Grade II listed building because of their historical importance, but
there is no active management. The ever-present threat from the
encroaching sea will accelerate following a realignment of the Glaven's
course through the marshes and lead inevitably to the loss of the ruins.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blakeney_Chapel>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1863:
American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant led his Army of
the Tennessee across the Big Black River in preparation for the Siege of
Vicksburg.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Vicksburg>
1912:
The first Indian film, Shree Pundalik by Dadasaheb Torne, was
released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_India>
1936:
In a crime that shocked Japan, Sada Abe strangled her lover
Kichizo Ishida, cut off his genitals, and carried them around with her
for several days until her arrest.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sada_Abe>
1965:
Eli Cohen, a spy who is credited with facilitating Israel's
success in the Six-Day War against Syria, was publicly hanged after
having been captured four months earlier.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Cohen>
2005:
A second photo by the Hubble Space Telescope confirmed the
discovery of two new moons of Pluto: Nix and Hydra.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_(moon)>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
upend:
1. (transitive) To end up; to set on end.
2. To tip or turn over.
3. To destroy, invalidate, overthrow, or defeat.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/upend>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Modern methods of production have given us the possibility of ease and
security for all; we have chosen, instead, to have overwork for some and
starvation for the others. Hitherto we have continued to be as energetic
as we were before there were machines; in this we have been foolish, but
there is no reason to go on being foolish for ever.
--Bertrand Russell
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bertrand_Russell>
The Well of Loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the British author
Radclyffe Hall. It follows the life of Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman
from an upper-class family whose "sexual inversion" (homosexuality) is
apparent from an early age. She finds love with Mary Llewellyn, whom she
meets while serving as an ambulance driver in World War I, but their
happiness together is marred by social isolation and rejection, which
Hall depicts as having a debilitating effect on inverts. The novel
portrays inversion as a natural, God-given state and makes an explicit
plea: "Give us also the right to our existence". The novel became the
target of a campaign by James Douglas, editor of the Sunday Express
newspaper, who wrote "I would rather give a healthy boy or a healthy
girl a phial of prussic acid than this novel." Although its only sexual
reference consists of the words "and that night, they were not divided",
a British court judged it obscene because it defended "unnatural
practices between women". In the United States the book survived legal
challenges in New York state and in Customs Court.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Well_of_Loneliness>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1590:
Anne of Denmark was crowned Queen consort of Scotland in the
abbey church at Holyrood Palace.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Denmark>
1863:
Rosalía de Castro published Cantares gallegos, a collection of
her poetry, the first book in the Galician language.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosal%C3%ADa_de_Castro>
1914:
Albania officially recognized the area of Northern Epirus as an
autonomous region within the Albanian state, which was never established
due to World War I.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocol_of_Corfu>
1995:
After 18 years as Mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac was
inaugurated as President of France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Chirac>
2004:
Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex
marriage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Massachusetts>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
morpheme:
(linguistics) The smallest linguistic unit within a word that can carry
a meaning, such as "un-", "break", and "-able" in the word
"unbreakable".
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/morpheme>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Affection is the greatest of human feelings because it is made of
respect, of lucidity, and light. To understand the truth and make one's
self equal to it is everything; and to love is the same thing as to know
and to understand. Affection, which I call also compassion, because I
see no difference between them, dominates everything by reason of its
clear sight. It is a sentiment as immense as if it were mad, and yet it
is wise, and of human things it is the only perfect one. There is no
great sentiment which is not completely held on the arms of compassion.
--Henri Barbusse
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henri_Barbusse>
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family
Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the
Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the parrot order
Psittaciformes. Cockatoos are instantly recognisable by their showy
crests and curved bills. Their plumage is generally less colourful than
that of other parrots, being mainly white, grey, or black, and often
with coloured features in the crest, cheeks, or tail. On average they
are larger than other parrots. Cockatoos prefer to eat seeds, tubers,
corms, fruit, flowers and insects. They often feed in large flocks,
particularly when ground-feeding. Cockatoos are monogamous and nest in
tree hollows. Some cockatoo species have been adversely affected by
habitat loss, particularly from a shortage of suitable nesting hollows
after large mature trees are cleared; conversely, some species have
adapted well to human changes and are considered agricultural pests.
Cockatoos are popular birds in aviculture, but their needs are difficult
to cater for. The Cockatiel is the cockatoo species that is easiest to
care for and is by far the most frequently kept in captivity.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockatoo>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1811:
Peninsular War: An allied force of British, Spanish, and
Portuguese troops clashed with the French at the Battle of Albuera south
of Badajoz, Spain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Albuera>
1843:
The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest
set out on the Oregon Trail (reenactment pictured) with a thousand
pioneers from Elm Grove, Missouri.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Trail>
1918:
The Sedition Act was passed in the United States, forbidding
Americans from using "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive
language" about the United States government, flag, or armed forces
during the ongoing World War I.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedition_Act_of_1918>
1943:
Royal Air Force Dambusters embarked on a raid to deploy
bouncing bombs on German dams in Operation Chastise during the Second
World War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Chastise>
1961:
The Military Revolution Committee, led by Park Chung-hee,
carried out a bloodless coup against the government of Yun Bo-seon,
ending the Second Republic of South Korea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_16_coup>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
hue and cry:
1. (historical) The public pursuit of a felon; accompanied by shouts to
warn others to give chase.
2. (by extension) A loud and persistent public clamour; especially one of
protest or making some demand.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hue_and_cry>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Must then a Christ perish in torment in every age to save those that
have no imagination?
--George Bernard Shaw
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw>
Sky Blue Sky is the sixth studio album by Chicago rock band Wilco
(pictured), released on May 15, 2007, by Nonesuch Records. Originally
announced on January 17, 2007, at a show in Nashville, Tennessee, it was
the band's first studio album with guitarist Nels Cline and multi-
instrumentalist Pat Sansone. Before its release, the band streamed the
entire album on its official website and offered a free download of
"What Light". Sky Blue Sky was Wilco's highest-debuting album on the
Billboard 200 at number four. The self-produced album received mostly
favorable reviews by critics. Publications such as PopMatters and
Rolling Stone praised its maturity, while PlayLouder and Pitchfork Media
criticized its "dad-rock" sound. While some critics praised the direct
lyrical approach, others criticized it when compared to previous Wilco
albums. The band licensed six songs from the Sky Blue Sky sessions to a
Volkswagen advertisement campaign, a move that generated criticism from
fans and the media.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Blue_Sky>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
392:
Roman emperor Valentinian II (statue pictured) was found hanged
in his residence in Vienne, Gaul.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentinian_II>
1602:
English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold led the first recorded
European expedition to visit Cape Cod in present-day Massachusetts.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Gosnold>
1793:
Inventor Diego Marín Aguilera, the "father of aviation" in
Spain, flew one of the first gliders for about 360 m (1,180 ft).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Mar%C3%ADn_Aguilera>
1850:
Members of the 1st Cavalry Regiment of the United States
Cavalry massacred at least 135 Pomo Indians in Lake County, California.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Island_Massacre>
1948:
The Australian cricket team set a first-class world record that
still stands by scoring 721 runs in a day against Essex.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_cricket_team_in_England_in_1948>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
plangent:
Having a loud, mournful sound.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/plangent>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To be individual, my friends, to be different from others, is the only
way to become distinguished from the common herd. Let us be glad,
therefore, that we differ from one another in form and in disposition.
Variety is the spice of life, and we are various enough to enjoy one
another's society; so let us be content.
--L. Frank Baum
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/L._Frank_Baum>
Limbo is a puzzle-platform video game and the premiere title of
independent Danish game developer Playdead. The game was released in
July 2010 as a platform exclusive title on Xbox Live Arcade, and was
later ported to the PlayStation Network and Microsoft Windows via Steam.
Limbo is a 2D sidescroller, incorporating the physics system Box2D to
govern environmental objects and the player character. The player guides
an unnamed boy through dangerous environments and traps as the boy
searches for his sister. The developer built the game's puzzles
expecting the player to fail before finding the correct solution.
Playdead called the style of play "trial and death", and used visually
gruesome imagery for the boy's deaths to steer the player from
unworkable solutions. The game is presented primarily in monochromatic
black-and-white tones, using lighting, film grain effects and minimal
ambient sounds to create an eerie atmosphere often associated with the
horror genre. Limbo received positive reviews, but its minimal story
polarised critics. A common point of criticism from reviewers was that
the high cost of the game relative to its short length might deter
players from purchasing the title. The title was the third-highest
selling game on the Xbox Live Arcade service in 2010, generating around
$7.5 million in revenue. The title won several awards from industry
groups after its release, and was named as one of the top games for 2010
by several publications.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo_(video_game)>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1846:
The United States declared war on Mexico after a series of
disputes in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, starting the
Mexican–American War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War>
1913:
Russian American Igor Sikorsky flew the world's first multi-
engine fixed-wing aircraft, the Russky Vityaz (pictured), which he
designed himself.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Sikorsky>
1967:
Zakir Hussain took office as the first elected Muslim President
of India.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakir_Hussain_(politician)>
1972:
The Troubles: A car bomb planted by loyalists exploded outside
a crowded pub in Belfast, Northern Ireland, beginning two days of gun
battles between the British Army, the Irish Republican Army, and the
Ulster Volunteer Force.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_at_Springmartin>
1981:
Mehmet Ali Ağca shot and critically wounded Pope John Paul II
in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II_assassination_attempt>
2000:
A fireworks factory in Enschede, the Netherlands, exploded,
resulting in 22 deaths and approximately €450 million in damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enschede_fireworks_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
mama bear:
(slang) A woman, especially a mother, who is extremely protective of a
child or children.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mama_bear>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The thing that has never happened before is still happening. It is still
a miracle. in
--Lord of Light
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lord_of_Light>
Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003) was an American actress of film, stage,
and television. Known for her headstrong independence and spirited
personality, Hepburn's career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned more
than 60 years. She won a record four Academy Awards, and in 1999 was
named by the American Film Institute as Hollywood's top female legend.
Hepburn began acting in college, and spent four years in the theatre
before entering films in 1932. She became an instant star, but after a
series of unsuccessful films was named "box office poison". The
Philadelphia Story revived her career, and she subsequently formed a
popular alliance with Spencer Tracy that lasted 25 years. In middle age
Hepburn found a niche playing spinsters, such as in The African Queen,
and became a Shakespearean stage actress. She continued to work into old
age, making her final screen appearance in 1994 at the age of 87.
Hepburn is remembered as an important cultural figure, as she came to
epitomize the "modern woman" in 20th-century America and helped change
perceptions of women.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Hepburn>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1588:
An apparently spontaneous public uprising arose in staunchly
Catholic Paris against the moderate policies of Henry III.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Barricades>
1926:
The Trades Union Congress, a federation of British trade
unions, announced that it would end its week-long general strike "in
defence of [coal] miners' wages and hours".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1926_United_Kingdom_general_strike>
1942:
World War II: Soviet forces under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko
launched a major offensive in the eastern Ukraine, only to be encircled
and destroyed by German troops two weeks later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Kharkov>
1998:
Four students were shot and killed at Trisakti University in
Indonesia, leading to widespread riots and eventually the fall of
Suharto.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trisakti_shootings>
2008:
In Postville, Iowa, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
conducted the largest-ever raid of a workplace and arrested nearly 400
immigrants for identity theft and document fraud.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postville_Raid>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
deskfast:
Breakfast eaten at work, particularly while sitting at a desk.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/deskfast>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under
any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being, or to
advocate or delegate its initiation. Those who act consistently with
this principle are libertarians, whether they realize it or not. Those
who fail to act consistently with it are not libertarians, regardless of
what they may claim.
--L. Neil Smith
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/L._Neil_Smith>