100px|Kristina Harrison-Naness riding Rociero at the 2007 FEI World Cup
Finals
The Andalusian horse is a horse breed developed in the Iberian
Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for
thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual
breed since the 15th century, and its conformation has changed very
little over the centuries. Throughout its history, it has been known
for its prowess as a war horse, and was prized by the nobility. During
the 19th century, warfare, disease and crossbreeding reduced herd
numbers dramatically, and despite some recovery in the late 19th
century, the trend continued into the early 20th century. Exports of
Andalusians were restricted until the 1960s, but the breed has since
spread throughout the world, despite still-low population numbers.
Strongly built, and compact yet elegant, Andalusians have long, thick
manes and tails. Their most common coat color is gray, although they
can be found in many other colors. They are known for their
intelligence, sensitivity and docility. The Andalusian is closely
related to the Lusitano of Portugal, and has been used to develop many
other breeds, especially in Europe and the Americas. Modern Andalusians
are used for many equestrian activities, including dressage, show
jumping and driving. The breed is also used extensively in movies,
especially historical pictures and fantasy epics. (more...)
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusian_horse>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1467:
Troops under Stephen III of Moldavia defeated the forces of Matthias
Corvinus of Hungary in present-day Baia, Romania.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Baia>
1864:
American Civil War: Union troops defeated the Army of Tennessee, one of
the largest Confederate forces, at the Battle of Nashville.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nashville>
1942:
World War II: The Americans engaged Imperial Japanese forces at the
Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse in the
hills near the Matanikau River area on Guadalcanal during the
Guadalcanal Campaign.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mount_Austen%2C_the_Galloping_Horse%…>
1946:
US-backed Iranian troops brought an end to the Iran crisis when they
marched upon the breakaway Republic of Mahabad and recaptured the
territory.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_crisis_of_1946>
2005:
The F-22 Raptor , a Stealth fighter aircraft that the United States Air
Force claimed is unmatched by any known or projected fighter, entered
into service despite a protracted and costly development period.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-22_Raptor>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
nee (adj):
1. Used when giving the maiden name of a woman.
2. Used when giving a former name. Originally known as
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nee>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Universe is made of stories, not of atoms.
--Muriel Rukeyser
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Muriel_Rukeyser>
120px|At the South Pole, December 1911
The first expedition to reach the geographic South Pole was led by
the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. His party arrived at the pole on
14 December 1911, five weeks ahead of a British team led by Robert
Falcon Scott. Amundsen and his companions returned safely to their
base, and later learned that Scott and his four companions had died on
their return journey. Amundsen's initial plans had been to explore the
Arctic, but he decided to go south on hearing that both Frederick Cook
and Robert E. Peary were claiming to have reached the North Pole.
However, he kept this revised objective secret until after his
departure. The expedition arrived in Antarctica in January 1911 and
after months of preparation the five-man polar party set out in October
1911. The route from their base at the Bay of Whales took them across
the Great Ice Barrier and up the Axel Heiberg Glacier. The party's
mastery of the use of skis and their expertise with sledge dogs ensured
rapid and relatively trouble-free travel. Although the expedition's
success was widely applauded, the story of Scott's heroic failure and
tragic death overshadowed its achievements. For his decision to keep
his true plans secret until the last moment, Amundsen was criticised
for what some considered deception on his part. (more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
557:
A large earthquake severely damaged the city of Constantinople.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/557_Constantinople_earthquake>
1782:
In Avignon, France, the Montgolfier brothers conducted their first test
of their hot air balloon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgolfier_brothers>
1994:
Construction on the Three Gorges Dam began on the Yangtze River in
China.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Gorges_Dam>
1999:
Torrential rains caused flash floods in Vargas, Venezuela, resulting in
tens of thousands of deaths, the destruction of thousands of homes, and
the complete collapse of the state's infrastructure.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vargas_tragedy>
2009:
The Tino Rangatiratanga flag representing the Māori people was
recognized officially by the government of New Zealand.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tino_rangatiratanga>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
pine (v):
<span class="qualifier-brac">(</span><span
class="qualifier-content">intransitive</span><span
class="qualifier-brac">)</span> To long, to yearn so much that it
causes suffering
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pine>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The project of organizing a democratic political movement entails the
hope that one's ideas and beliefs are not merely idiosyncratic but
speak to vital human needs, interests and desires, and therefore will
be persuasive to many and ultimately most people. But this is a very
different matter from deciding to put forward only those ideas presumed
(accurately or not) to be compatible with what most people already
believe.
--Ellen Willis
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ellen_Willis>
110px|The Cogan House Covered Bridge
The Cogan House Covered Bridge is a Burr arch truss covered bridge
over Larrys Creek in Cogan House Township, Lycoming County, in the U.S.
state of Pennsylvania. It was built in 1877 and is 94 feet 2 inches
(28.7 m) long. The bridge was placed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1980, and had a major restoration in 1998. The Cogan
House bridge is named for the township and village of Cogan House. The
covered bridge was constructed by a millwright who assembled the timber
framework in a field next to the sawmill, before it was reassembled at
the bridge site. It was the only bridge on Larrys Creek that survived
the flood of June 1889, and one of only a handful that were left intact
in the county. Although the bridge used to carry a steady flow of
tannery and sawmill traffic, the clearcutting of the surrounding
forests meant the end of those industries by the early 20th century.
Since then much of the surrounding area has reverted to second growth
forest, and the one-lane bridge is now on a dead end road in a remote
valley with little traffic. (more...)
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Norwich Market
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogan_House_Covered_Bridge>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1643:
First English Civil War: Parliamentary forces serving under Sir William
Waller led a successful surprise attack on a winter garrison of
Royalist infantry and cavalry.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alton>
1809:
American physician Ephraim McDowell performed the world's first removal
of an ovarian tumor.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephraim_McDowell>
1937:
Second Sino-Japanese War: Japanese forces captured Nanjing in China and
then began to commit numerous atrocities over the next several weeks,
such as looting, rape and the execution of prisoners of war and
civilians.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanking_Massacre>
1960:
With Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie out of the country, four
conspirators staged a coup attempt and installed Crown Prince Asfaw
Wossen as the new Emperor.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Ethiopian_coup_attempt>
1981:
Polish Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski declared martial law,
suspended Solidarity and imprisoned many union leaders.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojciech_Jaruzelski>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
quonk (n):
1. Unwanted noise picked up by a microphone in a broadcasting studio.
2. Audience chatter which disturbs the performer
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quonk>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The best of ideas is hurt by uncritical acceptance and thrives on
critical examination.
--George Pólya
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_P%C3%B3lya>
100px|Gillingham F.C. players warm up before a match at Crabble Stadium
in 2008
Gillingham F.C. is an English professional football club based in the
town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football
League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium. In the
2008–09 season, the club was promoted to Football League One after
victory over Shrewsbury Town in the League Two play-off final; however,
they were relegated back into the basement division the following
season. The club was founded in 1893 and joined the Football League in
1920. They were voted out of the league in favour of Ipswich Town at
the end of the 1937–38 season, but returned to it 12 years later after
it was expanded from 88 to 92 clubs. Twice in the late 1980s they came
close to winning promotion to the second tier of English football, but
a decline then set in and in 1993 they narrowly avoided relegation to
the Football Conference. Between 2000 and 2005, Gillingham were in the
second tier of the English football league system for the only time in
their history, achieving a club record highest league finish of
eleventh place in 2002–03. (more...)
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syrup
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillingham_F.C.>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
627:
A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeated Emperor Khosrau II's
Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh, near present-day Mosul,
Iraq.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nineveh_%28627%29>
1531:
The Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe: According to traditional
Catholic accounts, the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary miraculously
appeared imprinted on Juan Diego's tilma.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe>
1901:
Guglielmo Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic radio signal, from
Poldhu Wireless Station in Cornwall, England, to Signal Hill in St.
John's, Newfoundland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi>
1956:
The Irish Republican Army began its Border Campaign, a guerrilla
campaign to overthrow British rule in Northern Ireland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Campaign_%28Irish_Republican_Army%29>
1985:
Arrow Air Flight 1285 crashed after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland and
Labrador, killing 256, including 248 members of the U.S. Army's 101st
Airborne Division.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_Air_Flight_1285>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
devil's advocate (n):
1. One who debates from a view which he may not actually hold, usually
to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
2. {{context
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/devil%27s_advocate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
An author in his book must be like God in the universe, present
everywhere and visible nowhere.
--Gustave Flaubert
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gustave_Flaubert>
100px|The Red Hot Hili Peppers at Pinkpop Festival in 2006
Californication is the seventh studio album by American rock band Red
Hot Chili Peppers, released on June 8, 1999, on Warner Bros. Records.
Produced by Rick Rubin, Californication saw the return of John
Frusciante, who had previously appeared on Mother's Milk and Blood
Sugar Sex Magik, to replace Dave Navarro as the band's guitarist.
Frusciante's return was credited with changing the band's sound. The
record marked a shift in style from the Navarro era. The album's
lyric's incorporates various sexual innuendos often associated with the
band, but contains more varied themes than previous releases, such as
lust, death, suicide, California, drugs, globalization and travel. The
Chili Peppers' most commercially successful studio release,
Californication has sold over 16 million copies worldwide. The record
produced several hits for the band, including "Otherside",
"Californication" and the Grammy Award-winning "Scar Tissue".
Californication peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200.
(more...)
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Californication_%28album%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
The North Carolina General Assembly chartered the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, one of the oldest public universities in the
United States and the only one to award degrees in the 18th century.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill>
1886:
Dial Square, a football club from Woolwich, London, that would
eventually become known as Arsenal, played their first match, winning
6–0 against Eastern Wanderers on an open field in the Isle of Dogs.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Arsenal_F.C._%281886%E2%80%931966%29>
1962:
Convicted murderers Ronald Turpin and Arthur Lucas were the last two
persons to be executed in Canada.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Canada>
2005:
A demonstration by Australians in Cronulla, New South Wales, against
recent violence towards locals turned into a race riot.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots>
2006:
The first action in the Mexican Drug War took place as President Felipe
Calderón ordered Mexican military and Federal Police units into the
state of Michoacán.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Drug_War>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
matronly (adj):
1. In the way of a matron.
2. Exuding authority, wisdom, power, and intelligence of an
experienced woman.
3. Having the appearance of an mature woman, often of larger physical
stature and somewhat unkempt or dowdy
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/matronly>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Our All is at Stake, and the little Conveniencys and Comforts of Life,
when set in Competition with our Liberty, ought to be rejected not with
Reluctance but with Pleasure.
--George Mason
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Mason>
100px|Norwich Market, 2009
Norwich Market is an outdoor market consisting of around 200 stalls
in central Norwich, England. Founded in the latter part of the
11th century to supply Norman merchants and settlers moving to the area
following the Norman conquest of England, it replaced an earlier market
a short distance away. It has been in operation on the present site for
over 900 years. By the 14th century, Norwich was one of the largest and
most prosperous cities in England, and Norwich Market was a major
trading hub. In the Georgian era, Norwich became an increasingly
popular destination with travellers, and developed into a fashionable
shopping town. Following the First World War, the local authority began
to systematically buy up all the stalls on the market, eventually
bringing the entire market into public ownership, and the market was
radically redesigned in the 1930s. Stalls were arranged into parallel
rows, and a new City Hall was built along the entire western side of
the marketplace to replace the by now inadequate Guildhall. This new
arrangement survived with few significant changes for the rest of the
20th century. By the 1990s the market was becoming decrepit, and
proposals were made for another radical rebuilding of the area. These
proposals were abandoned in favour of a scheme which replaced the old
stalls with steel units of four stalls each. The rebuilt market was
completed in early 2006, and is one of the largest markets in Britain.
(more...)
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_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1799:
France became the first country to adopt the metric system as its
system for weights and measures.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_metric_system>
1884:
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by American author Mark Twain was first
published in the United Kingdom and Canada.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventures_of_Huckleberry_Finn>
1911:
Calbraith Rodgers completed the first transcontinental flight across
the United States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calbraith_Perry_Rodgers>
1948:
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, representing the first global expression of rights to
which all human beings are inherently entitled.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights>
1983:
Raúl Alfonsín became the first democratically elected President of
Argentina to take office after the fall of the military dictatorship.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra%C3%BAl_Alfons%C3%ADn>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
gluck (v):
To flow or cause to flow in a noisy series of spurts, as when liquid is
emptied through the narrow neck of a bottle
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gluck>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The history of the human race has generated several papers articulating
basic moral imperatives, or fundamental principles, of human
coexistence that… substantially influenced the fate of humanity on this
planet. Among these historic documents, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights … holds a very special, indeed, unique position. It is the
first code of ethical conduct that was not a product of one culture, or
one sphere of civilization only, but a universal creation, shaped and
subscribed to by representatives of all humankind. Since its very
inception, the Declaration has thus represented a planetary, or global
commitment, a global intention, a global guideline. For this reason
alone, this exceptional document — conceived as a result of a profound
human self-reflection in the wake of the horrors of World War II, and
retaining its relevance ever since — deserves to be remembered today.
--Václav Havel
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Havel>
110px|Main hall of the Xá Lợi Pagoda
The Xá Lợi Pagoda raids were a series of synchronized attacks on
Buddhist pagodas in the major cities of South Vietnam on August 21,
1963. The raids were executed by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Special Forces and combat police, both of which took their orders
directly from Ngo Dinh Nhu, the younger brother of the Roman Catholic
President Ngo Dinh Diem. The Xá Lợi Pagoda, the largest in the South
Vietnamese capital, Saigon, was the most prominent of the temples
raided. Over 1,400 Buddhists were arrested, and estimates of the death
toll and missing ranged up to the hundreds. At first, the Ngo family
claimed that the army had carried out the raids, something their ally
the United States initially believed. However, this was later debunked,
and the incident prompted the US to turn against the regime and begin
exploring alternative leadership options, eventually leading to Diem's
overthrow in a coup. In South Vietnam itself, the raids stoked
widespread anger. Several high-ranking public servants resigned, and
university and high school students boycotted classes and staged
riotous demonstrations, resulting in further mass incarcerations. As
most of the students were from middle-class public service and military
families, the arrests caused further upset among the Ngo family's power
base. (more...)
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X%C3%A1_L%E1%BB%A3i_Pagoda_raids>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1432:
The first battle of the Lithuanian Civil War between the forces of
Švitrigaila and Sigismund Kęstutaitis was fought near the modern town
of Ashmyany.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Civil_War_%281431%E2%80%931435%29>
1854:
In his apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX proclaimed
the dogmatic definition of Immaculate Conception, which holds that the
Virgin Mary was born free of original sin.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Conception>
1912:
Leaders of the German Empire held an Imperial War Council to discuss
the possibility that war might break out.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Imperial_War_Council_of_8_December_1912>
1980:
Former Beatle John Lennon was assassinated in the entrance of the
Dakota apartments in New York City.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_John_Lennon>
1991:
Leaders of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine signed the Belavezha Accords,
agreeing to dissolve the Soviet Union and establish the Commonwealth of
Independent States.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rescind (v):
<span class="qualifier-brac">(</span><span
class="qualifier-content">transitive</span><span
class="qualifier-brac">)</span> To repeal, annul, or declare void; to
take (something such as a rule or contract) out of effect
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rescind>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Better than a thousand hollow words
Is one word that brings peace.
Better than a thousand hollow verses
Is one verse that brings peace.
Better than a hundred hollow lines
Is one line of the law, bringing peace.
--Gautama Buddha
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha>
115px|The detonation of Arizona<span
style="padding-left:0.1em;">'</span>s forward magazine
(artillery)|magazines
USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship built for the United
States Navy in the mid-1910s. Commissioned in 1916, the ship remained
stateside during World War I. In 1919 the vessel represented American
interests in the Mediterranean during the Greco-Turkish War. Several
years later, she was transferred to the Pacific Fleet and was assigned
to it for the rest of her career. Arizona spent most of her time
between the wars training, including participation in the annual Fleet
Problems, and aided survivors of 1933 Long Beach earthquake. In 1940,
she joined the Pacific Fleet in its new base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to
deter the Japanese Empire. During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
on 7 December 1941, Arizona was bombed, exploded and sank, killing
1,177 officers and crewmen. The next day, the United States declared
war on Japan. Unlike many of the other ships sunk or damaged that day,
Arizona was not repaired. Her wreck still lies at the bottom of Pearl
Harbor, and is the final resting place for the remains of most of those
who died. They are commemorated by the USS Arizona Memorial which
straddles her hull. (more...)
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Arizona_%28BB-39%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
43 BC:
Cicero, widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose
stylists, was assassinated.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero>
1724:
In Toruń, Royal Prussia, Polish authorities executed the city's mayor
and nine other Lutheran officials following tensions between
Protestants and Catholics.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumult_of_Thorn_%28Toru%C5%84%29>
1815:
Michel Ney, Marshal of France, was executed by a firing squad near
Paris' Jardin du Luxembourg for supporting Napoleon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Ney>
1972:
The crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft took the photograph "The Blue
Marble" , the first clear image of an illuminated face of Earth, on
their way to the Moon.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Marble>
2007:
A crane barge that had broken free from a tugboat crashed into an oil
tanker near Daesan, South Korea, causing the country's worst-ever oil
spill.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_South_Korea_oil_spill>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tip one's hand (v):
(idiomatic) To inadvertently reveal any secret, particularly a secret
that puts one at an advantage or disadvantage
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tip_one%27s_hand>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
That which is not just, is not Law; and that which is not Law, ought
not to be obeyed.
--Algernon Sydney
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Algernon_Sydney>
100px|A McDonnell XF-85 Goblin at the National Museum of the US Air
Force
The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was an American prototype fighter aircraft
conceived during World War II by McDonnell Aircraft. It was intended to
be carried in and deployed from the bomb bay of the giant Convair B-36
bomber as a parasite fighter. The XF-85's intended role was to defend
bombers from hostile interceptors, a need demonstrated during World
War II. Two prototypes were constructed before the program was
terminated. The XF-85 was a response to a United States Army Air
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_XF-85_Goblin>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1060:
Béla I the Champion was crowned king of Hungary.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9la_I_of_Hungary>
1921:
The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed and then came into force exactly one
year later, establishing the Irish Free State, the first independent
Irish state to be recognised by the British government.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Irish_Treaty>
1989:
Claiming that he was "fighting feminism", 25-year-old Marc Lépine
killed fourteen women before committing suicide at École Polytechnique
in Montreal.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89cole_Polytechnique_massacre>
1992:
The Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, India, was destroyed by members of the
Vishva Hindu Parishad and associated groups, believing it was built on
the birthplace of Rama.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition_of_Babri_Masjid>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
amiable (adj):
1. Friendly; kind; sweet; gracious; as, an amiable temper or mood;
amiable ideas.
2. Possessing sweetness of disposition; having sweetness of temper;
kindhearted; which causes one to be liked
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/amiable>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Whenever we can trace back a religion to its first beginnings, we find
it free from many of the blemishes that offend us in its later phases.
The founders of the ancient religions of the world, as far as we can
judge, were minds of a high stamp, full of noble aspirations, yearning
for truth, devoted to the welfare of their neighbors, examples of
purity and unselfishness. What they desired to found upon earth was but
seldom realized, and their sayings, if preserved in their original
form, offer often a strange contrast to the practice of those who
profess to be their disciples.
--Max Müller
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Max_M%C3%BCller>
100px|A specimen of Adenanthos obovatus photographed in Big Grove,
Albany
Adenanthos obovatus is a shrub of the Proteaceae family endemic to
Southwest Australia. It grows as a many-stemmed spreading bush up to
1 m (3 ft) high, and about 1.5 m (5 ft) across, with fine bright green
foliage. Made up of single red flowers, the inflorescences appear from
April to December, and peak in spring (August to October). The shrub
grows on sandy soils in seasonally wet lowland areas as well as hills
and dunes. It regenerates after bushfire by resprouting from its
underground lignotuber. Pollinators include honeyeaters, particularly
the Western Spinebill, which can access the nectar with its long curved
bill, and the Silvereye, which punctures the flower tube. The most
commonly cultivated Adenanthos species in Australia, it has a long
flowering period and attracts honeyeaters to the garden. It is
harvested for the cut flower industry. (more...)
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenanthos_obovatus>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1484:
Pope Innocent VIII issued the papal bull Summis desiderantes
affectibus, giving Dominican Inquisitor Heinrich Kramer explicit
authority to prosecute witchcraft in Germany.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summis_desiderantes_affectibus>
1876:
Fire engulfed the Brooklyn Theater in Brooklyn, New York, killing at
least 278 people, mostly due to smoke inhalation.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Theater_Fire>
1945:
Flight 19, a squadron of five U.S. naval TBF Avenger torpedo bombers,
disappeared in the area now known as the Bermuda Triangle.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_19>
1952:
The "Great Smog" began in London and lasted for five days, causing
12,000 deaths and leading to the Clean Air Act 1956.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Smog>
1972:
Gough Whitlam took office as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia and
formed a duumvirate with his deputy Lance Barnard, ending 23 years of
Liberal-Country Party government.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gough_Whitlam>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
hexapod (n):
Any organism or being with six legs
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hexapod>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Whenever we proceed from the known into the unknown we may hope to
understand, but we may have to learn at the same time a new meaning of
the word "understanding."
--Werner Heisenberg
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Werner_Heisenberg>