Shimer College is a small, private, undergraduate liberal arts college
in Chicago. Founded by Frances Wood Shimer in 1853 in Mt. Carroll,
Illinois, it was a women's school for most of its first century. It
joined with the University of Chicago in 1896, and became one of the
first junior colleges in the country in 1907. In 1950, it became a
co-educational four-year college, took the name Shimer College, and
adopted the university's curriculum of the Hutchins Plan of Great Books
and Socratic seminars. In 1958, Shimer separated from the university
and enjoyed national recognition and strong growth in the 1960s but was
forced by financial problems to abandon its campus in 1978. It then
moved to Waukegan, IL, remaining there until 2006, when it moved to the
National Register of Historic Places-listed campus of the Illinois
Institute of Technology in the Bronzeville neighborhood in the Douglas
community area of Chicago. Classes are exclusively small seminars in
which students discuss original source material rather than textbooks.
The Early Entrant Program, in place since 1950, allows students who
have not yet completed high school to start college early. Shimer has
the highest rate of doctoral productivity of any liberal arts college
in the country.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimer_College>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
330:
The city of Byzantium was consecrated as Constantinople, the new
capital of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine the Great .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople>
1813:
William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth departed
westward from Sydney on an expedition to become the first Europeans
confirmed to cross the Blue Mountains.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains>
1880:
A land dispute between the Southern Pacific Railroad and settlers in
Hanford, California, turned deadly when a gun battle broke out, leaving
seven dead.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mussel_Slough_Tragedy>
1946:
The United Malays National Organisation, today Malaysia's largest
political party, was founded, originally to oppose the constitutional
framework of the Malayan Union.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Malays_National_Organisation>
1997:
Deep Blue became the first computer to defeat a world chess champion,
when it bested Garry Kasparov in six games.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Blue_%28chess_computer%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bereft (adj):
Deprived, robbed (of something)
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bereft>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public
relations, for nature cannot be fooled.
--Richard Feynman
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman>
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the
Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association. The team was
established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the
NBA's expansion into Canada. When the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis,
Tennessee in 2001, the Raptors became the only Canadian team in the
NBA. Like most expansion teams, the Raptors struggled in their early
years; but after the acquisition of Vince Carter through a draft day
trade in 1998, the team set league attendance records and made the NBA
Playoffs in 2000, 2001, and 2002. After Carter left, Chris Bosh emerged
as the team leader. With the appointment of Bryan Colangelo as General
Manager and a revamp of the roster for the 2006–07 season, they
qualified for their first playoff berth in five years and captured
their first division title. In the following season, they advanced to
the playoffs again. In a bid to persuade Bosh to stay beyond the final
year of his contract, the team had a roster overhaul in the 2009–10
season. However, the attempt to make the playoffs was unsuccessful and
Bosh signed with the Miami Heat in July 2010, ushering in a new era for
the franchise.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Raptors>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1857:
The Sepoy Mutiny against the company rule by the British East India
Company, began.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857>
1869:
The golden spike ceremony was held at Promontory Summit, Utah,
celebrating the completion of North America's First Transcontinental
Railroad between the Missouri and Sacramento Rivers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Transcontinental_Railroad>
1940:
World War II: A British force of 746 soldiers invaded and captured
Iceland without opposition.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Iceland>
1997:
A 7.3 Mw earthquake struck Iran's Khorasan Province, killing 1,567,
injuring over 2,300, leaving 50,000 homeless, and damaging or
destroying over 15,000 homes.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Qayen_earthquake>
2005:
Ethnic Armenian Vladimir Arutyunian attempted to assassinate U.S.
President George W. Bush in Tbilisi, Georgia, using a hand grenade,
which failed to detonate.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Arutyunian>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
petrichor (n):
The distinctive smell present after the first rain to follow a warm,
dry period
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/petrichor>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Touch me
Take me to that other place
Reach me
I know I'm not a hopeless
case
What you don't have you don't need it
What you don't know you can
feel it somehow
--Bono
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bono>
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox
network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr.
Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), an unconventional and misanthropic medical
genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional
Princeton‑Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. The show's
premise originated with Paul Attanasio, while David Shore, who is
credited as creator, was primarily responsible for the conception of
the title character. It is largely filmed in Century City. House often
clashes with his fellow physicians, including his own diagnostic team,
because many of his hypotheses about patients' illnesses are based on
subtle or controversial insights. His flouting of hospital rules and
procedures frequently runs him afoul of his boss (and, later,
girlfriend), hospital administrator and Dean of Medicine Dr. Lisa Cuddy
(Lisa Edelstein). House's only true friend is Dr. James Wilson (Robert
Sean Leonard), head of the Department of Oncology. Critically acclaimed
for much of its run, House maintains high viewer ratings. Distributed
to 66 countries, House was the most watched television program in the
world in 2008.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_%28TV_series%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1541:
The expedition led by Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto became the
first documented Europeans to reach the Mississippi River.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernando_de_Soto>
1882:
U.S. President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act into
law, implementing a ban on Chinese immigration to the United States
that eventually lasted for over 60 years until the 1943 Magnuson Act.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act>
1927:
Attempting to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Paris
to New York, French warheroes Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli
disappeared after taking off aboard The White Bird biplane.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Bird>
1945:
A parade to celebrate the end of World War II in Sétif, Algeria, ended
in French gendarmes firing on rioters and killings of French settlers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9tif_and_Guelma_massacre>
1963:
In Huế, South Vietnam, soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
opened fire into a crowd of Buddhists protesting against a government
ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Vesākha, killing nine and
sparking the Buddhist crisis.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hue_Phat_Dan_shootings>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
anodyne (adj):
1. Assuaging pain; soothing.
2. Provoking only a weak response or reaction; bland, inoffensive
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anodyne>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is possible for a dictator to govern in a liberal way. And it is
also possible for a democracy to govern with a total lack of
liberalism. Personally I prefer a liberal dictator to democratic
government lacking liberalism.
--Friedrich Hayek
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek>
Stanley Green (1915–1993) was a sandwich man who became a well-known
figure in London, England, during the latter half of the 20th century.
For 25 years, Green patrolled Oxford Street in the West End, carrying a
placard advocating "Less Lust, By Less Protein: Meat Fish Bird; Egg
Cheese; Peas Beans; Nuts. And Sitting", though the wording—and
punctuation—changed slightly over the years. Arguing that protein made
people lustful and aggressive, his solution was "protein wisdom", a
low-protein diet for "better, kinder, happier people". For a few pence,
passers-by could buy his 14-page pamphlet, Eight Passion Proteins with
Care, which reportedly sold 87,000 copies over 20 years. Green became
one of London's much-loved eccentrics, though his campaign to suppress
desire, as one commentator put it, was not invariably popular, leading
to two arrests for obstruction and the need to wear green overalls to
protect himself from spit. He nevertheless took great delight in his
local fame. The Sunday Times interviewed him in 1985, and his "less
passion, less protein" slogan was used by Red or Dead, the London
fashion house. When he died in 1993 at the age of 78, The Daily
Telegraph, The Guardian, and The Times published his obituary, and his
pamphlets, placards, and letters were passed to the Museum of London.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Green>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1794:
French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre established the Cult of the
Supreme Being as the new state religion of the French First Republic.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_the_Supreme_Being>
1915:
World War I: The German submarine Unterseeboot 20 torpedoed and sank
the ocean liner RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 on board.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Lusitania>
1952:
The concept for the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern
computers, was first published by Geoffrey Dummer.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/integrated_circuit>
1960:
Cold War: Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announced that his country
was holding American pilot Francis Gary Powers, whose U-2 spy plane was
shot down over the Soviet Union six days earlier.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_U-2_incident>
2007:
A team of Israeli archaeologists discovered the tomb of 1st century BC
ruler of Judea Herod the Great.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
favicon (n):
A small icon used to identify a given website or web page
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/favicon>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Bigotry tries to keep truth safe in its hand
With a grip that kills it.
--Rabindranath Tagore
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore>
1
0
May 6: Aaliyah
by English Wikipedia Article of the Day
06 May '11
06 May '11
Aaliyah (1979–2001) was an American recording artist, actress and
model. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and Blackground
Records by her uncle, Barry Hankerson. He introduced her to R. Kelly,
who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her
debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The album sold three
million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America. After facing
allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah ended her
contract with Jive and signed to Atlantic Records. Aaliyah worked with
record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One
in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over
eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first
major film, Romeo Must Die. After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah
filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and
final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and
eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after
filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat". Since then,
Aaliyah's music has achieved commercial success with several posthumous
releases. She has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop,
earning her the nickname "Princess of R&B".
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaliyah>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1527:
Spanish and German troops sacked Rome, marking the symbolic end of the
Italian Renaissance.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Renaissance>
1863:
American Civil War: The Army of Northern Virginia, led by Robert E. Lee
and Stonewall Jackson , scored a Confederate victory at the Battle of
Chancellorsville near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville>
1882:
Irish Under-Secretary Thomas Henry Burke and Irish Chief Secretary Lord
Frederick Cavendish were stabbed to death by members of the radical
group Irish National Invincibles as they walked through the Phoenix
Park in Dublin.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Park_Murders>
1937:
The German zeppelin Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed while
trying to land at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, killing
over 30 people on board.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_129_Hindenburg>
2002:
Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn was assassinated by Volkert van der Graaf
for his controversial statements regarding Muslims.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pim_Fortuyn>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
percept (n):
The object of perception; something which has been perceived
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/percept>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it
has gained a hearing. Ultimately, after endlessly repeated rebuffs, it
succeeds. This is one of the few points in which it may be optimistic
about the future of mankind, but in itself it signifies not a little.
--Sigmund Freud
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud>
William Garrow (1760–1840) was a British barrister, politician and
judge known for his indirect reform of the advocacy system, which
helped usher in the adversarial court system used in most common law
nations today. He introduced the phrase "innocent until proven guilty",
insisting that defendants' accusers and their evidence be thoroughly
tested in court. Garrow is best known for his criminal defence work,
which, through the example he set with his aggressive defence of
clients, helped establish the modern adversarial system used in most
common law systems. Garrow is also known for his impact on the rules of
evidence, coining the best evidence rule. His work was cited as
recently as 1982 in the Supreme Court of Canada and 2006 in the Irish
Court of Criminal Appeal. In 2009, BBC One broadcast Garrow's Law, a
four-part fictionalised drama of Garrow's beginnings at the Old Bailey;
a second series aired in late 2010.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Garrow>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1260:
Kublai Khan claimed the title of Khagan of the Mongol Empire after the
death of his older brother Möngke in the previous year.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kublai_Khan>
1860:
Led by Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi, the volunteer Expedition of
the Thousand set sail from Genoa on a campaign to conquer the Kingdom
of the Two Sicilies.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_of_the_Thousand>
1940:
World War II: A squad of 250 Norwegian volunteers in Hegra Fortress
finally surrendered to a vastly superior Nazi force after a 25-day
siege.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hegra_Fortress>
1981:
After sixty-six days without food, Irish republican Bobby Sands died of
starvation in HM Prison Maze.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Sands>
1992:
The 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified 202 years
after it was proposed.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-seventh_Amendment_to_the_United_States_…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
sejunct (adj):
Separated; separate, distinct
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sejunct>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Do not interrupt the flight of your soul; do not distress what is best
in you; do not enfeeble your spirit with half wishes and half thoughts.
Ask yourself and keep on asking until you find the answer, for one may
have known something many times, acknowledged it; one may have willed
something many times, attempted it — and yet, only the deep inner
motion, only the heart's indescribable emotion, only that will convince
you that what you have acknowledged belongs to you, that no power can
take it from you — for only the truth that builds up is truth for you.
--Søren Kierkegaard
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard>
The Flowing Hair dollar was the first dollar coin issued by the United
States federal government. Minted in 1794 and 1795, the size and weight
of the coin were based on the Spanish dollar, which was popular in
trade throughout the Americas. In 1791, following a study by Alexander
Hamilton, Congress passed a joint resolution calling for the
establishment of a national mint. Later that year, in his third State
of the Union address, President George Washington urged Congress to
provide for a mint, which was officially authorized by the Coinage Act
of 1792. Despite the authorization, silver and gold coins were not
struck until 1794. The Flowing Hair dollar, designed by Robert Scot,
was initially produced in 1794, and again in 1795. In October 1795 the
design was replaced by the Draped Bust dollar. In May 2010, a specimen
striking from the 1794 production was sold in a private sale for $7.85
million, the highest selling price of any coin in history.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowing_Hair_dollar>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1471:
Wars of the Roses: Yorkist Edward IV defeated a Lancastrian army in the
Battle of Tewkesbury.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tewkesbury>
1814:
Ferdinand VII abolished the Spanish Constitution of 1812, returning
Spain to absolutism.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Constitution_of_1812>
1942:
World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy engaged Allied naval forces at
the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first fleet action in which aircraft
carriers engaged each other, and the first naval battle in history in
which neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Coral_Sea>
1970:
The Ohio National Guard opened fire at Kent State University students
protesting the United States invasion of Cambodia, killing four and
injuring nine.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings>
1979:
Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom, following the defeat of James Callaghan's incumbent Labour
government in the previous day's general election.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
vestiary (adj):
Pertaining to clothing; sartorial
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vestiary>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for
truth, and he will find both.
--Horace Mann
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Horace_Mann>
Shadow the Hedgehog is a 2005 video game developed by Sega Studio USA,
the former United States division of Sega's Sonic Team. Featuring the
titular fictional character Shadow the Hedgehog from Sega's Sonic the
Hedgehog series, Shadow the Hedgehog is the third game (and the last in
the Sonic series) developed by Sega Studio USA. Following the trend of
recent Sonic games such as Sonic Adventure and Sonic Heroes, Shadow the
Hedgehog is a 3D platform game. Most levels have three possible
missions—"Hero", "Dark", or "Normal"—that the player may choose to
complete; some levels have only two (which mostly are only "Hero" and
"Dark"). The missions completed determine the game's plot, a feature
referenced by the game's tagline, "Hero or villain? You decide." The
plot centers on the attempt of Shadow, a creation of Doctor Eggman's
grandfather Gerald Robotnik, to learn about his past after suffering
from amnesia. To defeat enemies encountered, Shadow can use various
weapons and special attacks. Shadow the Hedgehog was created for the
Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox video game consoles. It
received mixed to negative reviews; critics criticized its unwelcome
"dark" theme, particularly the addition of guns and other weapons, but
praised its replay value.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_the_Hedgehog_%28video_game%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1791:
The Polish Constitution of May 3, one of the earliest codified national
constitutions in the world, was adopted by the Sejm.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_May_3%2C_1791>
1939:
Subhas Chandra Bose formed the All India Forward Bloc of the Indian
National Congress in opposition to Gandhi's tactics of nonviolence.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Forward_Bloc>
1942:
World War II: Japanese forces began invading Tulagi and nearby islands
in the Solomon Islands, enabling them to threaten and interdict the
supply and communication routes between the United States and Australia
and New Zealand.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Tulagi_%28May_1942%29>
1951:
The Royal Festival Hall, the first post-war building to become listed
Grade I, opened as the venue for the Festival of Britain.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Festival_Hall>
1963:
Police in Birmingham, Alabama, US, used high-pressure water hoses and
dogs on civil rights protesters, bringing intense scrutiny on racial
segregation in the South.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_campaign>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
open relationship (n):
A romantic relationship in which both parties are considered free to
pursue additional relationships with other people
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/open_relationship>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the
enemy until it is ripe for execution.
Nothing is of greater importance in time of war than in knowing how
to make the best use of a fair opportunity when it is offered.
--Niccolò Machiavelli
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli>
1
0
May 2: Brabham
by English Wikipedia Article of the Day
02 May '11
02 May '11
Brabham was a British racing car manufacturer and Formula One racing
team. Founded in 1960 by driver Jack Brabham and designer Ron Tauranac,
the team won four drivers' and two constructors' world championships in
its 30-year Formula One history. Jack Brabham's 1966 drivers'
championship remains the only victory by a car bearing the driver's own
name. In the 1960s, Brabham was the world's largest manufacturer of
open wheel racing cars for sale to customer teams, and had built more
than 500 cars by 1970. During this period, teams using Brabham cars won
championships in Formula Two and Formula Three and competed in the
Indianapolis 500. British businessman Bernie Ecclestone owned Brabham
between 1972 and 1988. Under his ownership, Brabham introduced
innovations such as the "fan car", in-race refuelling, carbon brakes,
and hydropneumatic suspension, and was the first team to win a drivers'
championship with a turbocharged car. Ecclestone sold the team in 1988.
Its final owner was the Middlebridge Group, a Japanese engineering
firm. Midway through the 1992 season, the team collapsed financially as
Middlebridge was unable to meet loan repayments. In 2009 an
unsuccessful attempt was made by a German organisation to enter the
2010 Formula One season using the Brabham name.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabham>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1808:
The people of Madrid rebelled against French occupation of the city,
triggering the Peninsular War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dos_de_Mayo_Uprising>
1829:
Captain Charles Fremantle of the Royal Navy established the Swan River
Colony, the first British settlement on the west coast of Australia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_River_Colony>
1945:
World War II: General Helmuth Weidling, commander of the German troops
in Berlin, surrendered the city to Soviet forces led by Marshal Georgy
Zhukov, ending the Battle of Berlin.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berlin>
1982:
Falklands War: HMS Conqueror launched three torpedoes and sank ARA
General Belgrano , the only ship ever to have been sunk by a
nuclear-powered submarine.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARA_General_Belgrano>
1986:
Henri Toivonen was killed in an accident while leading the Tour de
Corse rally, resulting in FISA, the sport governing body for motor
racing events, banning the powerful and popular Group B rally cars for
the following season.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Toivonen>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
neonism (n):
A newly-coined word or phrase; a neologism
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/neonism>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Before abstraction everything is one, but one like chaos; after
abstraction everything is united again, but this union is a free
binding of autonomous, self-determined beings. Out of a mob a society
has developed, chaos has been transformed into a manifold world.
--Novalis
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Novalis>
Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of
Chicago in Illinois, US. It is a prominent civic center near the city's
Lake Michigan shoreline that covers a 24.5-acre (9.9 ha) section of
northwestern Grant Park. The area was previously occupied by parkland,
Illinois Central rail yards and parking lots. The park, which is
bounded by Michigan Avenue, Randolph Street, Columbus Drive and East
Monroe Drive, features a variety of public art. As of 2009, Millennium
Park trailed only Navy Pier as a Chicago tourist attraction. Planning
of the park began in October 1997. Construction began in October 1998,
and Millennium Park was opened in a ceremony on July 16, 2004, four
years behind schedule. The three-day opening celebrations were attended
by some 300,000 people and included an inaugural concert by the Grant
Park Orchestra and Chorus. The park has received awards for its
accessibility and green design. Millennium Park has free admission, and
features the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Cloud Gate, the Crown Fountain, the
Lurie Garden and other attractions. The park is connected by the BP
Pedestrian Bridge and the Nichols Bridgeway to other parts of Grant
Park. Millennium Park is considered to be the city's most important
project since the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, and it far
exceeded its originally proposed budget of $150 million.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
880:
The Nea Ekklesia church in Constantinople was consecrated, and would go
on to set the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nea_Ekklesia>
1707:
Under the terms of the Acts of Union, the Kingdoms of England and
Scotland merged to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, a single kingdom
encompassing the entire island of Great Britain with a single
parliament and government based in Westminster.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain>
1753:
Carl Linnaeus published his Species Plantarum, which, with his earlier
work Systema Naturae, is considered the beginning of modern botanical
nomenclature.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus>
1865:
Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina signed a treaty creating an alliance
against Paraguay in the War of the Triple Alliance.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_the_Triple_Alliance>
1947:
Italian separatist Salvatore Giuliano and his gang fired into a crowd
of May Day marchers near Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily, killing 11 and
wounding 33.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portella_della_Ginestra_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ukase (n):
An arbitrary authoritarian command; a decree
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ukase>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Nature does nothing without purpose or uselessly.
--Joseph Addison
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joseph_Addison>