John Diefenbaker (1895–1979) led Canada as its 13th Prime Minister,
serving from June 21, 1957 to April 22, 1963. He was the only
Progressive Conservative party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead it
to an election victory, doing so three times, although only once with a
majority of the seats in the Canadian House of Commons. Diefenbaker was
born in southwestern Ontario in 1895. In 1903, his family migrated west
to the portion of the Northwest Territories which would shortly
thereafter become the province of Saskatchewan. Diefenbaker contested
elections through the 1920s and 1930s with little success until he was
finally elected to the House of Commons in 1940. In the House of
Commons, he was repeatedly a candidate for the party leadership. He was
finally successful in 1956, and led his party for eleven years. In
1957, he led the party to its first electoral victory in 27 years and a
year later called a snap election and led it to one of its greatest
triumphs. Diefenbaker appointed the first woman minister to his Cabinet
and the first aboriginal member of the Senate. During his six years as
Prime Minister, his government obtained the passage of the Canadian
Bill of Rights (which he introduced on July 1, 1960) and granted the
vote to members of the First Nations and Inuit peoples.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Diefenbaker>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1569:
The Union of Lublin was signed, merging the Kingdom of Poland and the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania into a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian
Commonwealth.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_Lublin>
1867:
The British North America Act came into effect, uniting the Province of
Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into the Canadian Confederation.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_Act%2C_1867>
1916:
World War I: The first day of the Battle of Albert , the opening phase
of the Battle of the Somme, became the bloodiest day in the history of
the British Army, with 57,470 casualties of which 19,240 were killed or
died of wounds.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/first_day_on_the_Somme>
1997:
The United Kingdom transferred sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's
Republic of China, ending over 150 years of British colonial rule.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_of_sovereignty_over_Hong_Kong>
2002:
The Rome Statute entered into force, establishing the International
Criminal Court to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against
humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome_Statute_of_the_International_Criminal_Cou…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
incessantly (adv):
In a manner without pause or stop, especially to the point of
annoyance; not ceasing
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/incessantly>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There are two kinds of truths: those of reasoning and those of fact.
The truths of reasoning are necessary and their opposite is impossible;
the truths of fact are contingent and their opposites are possible.
--Gottfried Leibniz
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gottfried_Leibniz>
Maryland Route 36 is a 29.43-mile (47.36Â km) state highway located in
Allegany County, Maryland. MDÂ 36 runs from its southern terminus at the
WVÂ 46 bridge in Westernport to its northern terminus at U.S. Route 40
Alternate near Cumberland. Between Westernport and Frostburg, it is
known as Georges Creek Road, and from Frostburg to Cumberland it is
known as Mount Savage Road. Like the majority of Maryland state
highways, MDÂ 36 is maintained by the Maryland State Highway
Administration (MDSHA). MDÂ 36 serves as the main road through the
Georges Creek Valley, a region which is historically known for coal
mining, and has been designated by MDSHA as part of the Coal Heritage
Scenic Byway. MDÂ 36 is the main road connecting the towns of
Westernport, Lonaconing, and Midland in southwestern Allegany County,
as well as Frostburg, Mount Savage, and Corriganville in northwestern
Allegany County.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland_Route_36>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1860:
Seven months after the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of
Species, several prominent British scientists and philosophers
participated in an evolution debate at the Oxford University Museum in
Oxford, England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1860_Oxford_evolution_debate>
1894:
London's Tower Bridge , a combined bascule and suspension bridge over
the River Thames, opened.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Bridge>
1905:
The scientific journal Annalen der Physik published Albert Einstein's
article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies", the third of his
Annus Mirabilis papers, introducing the theory of special relativity.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_Mirabilis_papers>
1908:
A massive explosion occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in
what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, knocking over 80Â million trees
over 2,150 square kilometres (830 sq mi).
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event>
1934:
Adolf Hitler violently purged members of the Sturmabteilung, its leader
Ernst Röhm, and other political rivals on the Night of the Long Knives,
executing at least 85 people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Long_Knives>
2000:
Nine people were crushed underfoot and suffocated to death while
watching the American band Pearl Jam play at the Roskilde Festival,
Denmark.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Jam%23Binaural_and_the_Roskilde_tragedy%…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
soporific (adj):
Tending to induce sleep
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/soporific>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I think that I am here, on this earth,
To present a report on it, but to whom I don't know.
As if I were
sent so that whatever takes place
Has meaning because it changes into memory.
--Czesław Miłosz
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Czes%C5%82aw_Mi%C5%82osz>
The Leopold Report is a 1963 paper composed of a series of ecosystem
management recommendations that were presented by the Special Advisory
Board on Wildlife Management to United States Secretary of the Interior
Stewart Udall. Named for its chairman and principal author, zoologist
and conservationist A. Starker Leopold, the report proved influential
for future preservation mandates and reports. After several years of
public controversy regarding the forced reduction of the elk population
in Yellowstone National Park, Udall appointed an advisory board to
collect scientific data to inform future wildlife management of the
national parks. The committee observed that culling programs at other
national parks had been ineffective, and recommended management of
Yellowstone's elk population. In addressing the goals, policies, and
methods of managing wildlife in the parks, the report suggested that in
addition to protection, wildlife populations should be managed and
regulated to prevent habitat degradation. Touching upon predator
control, fire ecology, and other issues, the report suggested that the
National Park Service hire scientists to manage the parks using current
scientific research. The Leopold Report became the first concrete plan
to manage park visitors and ecosystems under unified principles. It was
reprinted in several national publications, and many of its
recommendations were incorporated into the official policies of the
NPS. Although the report is notable for proposing that park management
have a fundamental goal of reflecting "the primitive scene... a
reasonable illusion of primitive America", some have criticized it for
its idealism and limited scope.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_Report>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1651:
Khmelnytsky Uprising: The Zaporozhian Cossacks began clashing with
forces of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth at the Battle of
Berestechko in the Volhynia Region of present-day Ukraine.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berestechko>
1880:
Police captured Australian bank robber and bushranger Ned Kelly after
a gun battle in Glenrowan, Victoria.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Kelly>
1914:
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of
Hohenberg, were assassinated by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip
during a motorcade in Sarajevo, sparking the outbreak of World War I.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand_of_Austria>
1922:
The week-long Battle of Dublin began with an assault by the Irish Free
State's National Army on the Four Courts building, which had been
occupied by the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army, marking the start of
the Irish Civil War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dublin>
1956:
Workers demanding better conditions held massive protests in Poznań,
Poland, but were violently repressed by the following day by 400 tanks
and 10,000 soldiers of Ludowe Wojsko Polskie and Korpus Bezpieczeństwa
Wewnętrznego.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozna%C5%84_1956_protests>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
equipage (n):
1. Equipment or supplies, especially military ones.
2. A type of horse-drawn carriage
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/equipage>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Never dream of forcing men into the ways of God. Think yourself, and
let think. Use no constraint in matters of religion. Even those who are
farthest out of the way never compel to come in by any other means than
reason, truth, and love.
--John Wesley
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Wesley>
The Terra Nova Expedition was led by Robert Falcon Scott with the
objective of being the first to reach the geographical South Pole.
Scott and four companions attained the pole on 17 January 1912, to find
that a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had preceded them by 33
days. Scott's entire party died on the return journey from the pole;
some of their bodies and journals were discovered by a search party in
November 1912. The expedition, named after its supply ship, was a
private venture, financed by public contributions augmented by a
government grant. As well as its polar attempt the expedition carried
out a comprehensive scientific programme, explored Victoria Land and
the Western Mountains, and made the first-ever extended sledging
journey in the depths of an Antarctic winter (to Cape Crozier, to
collect Emperor Penguin eggs). For many years after his death Scott's
status as tragic hero was unchallenged, and few questions were asked
about the causes of the disaster which overtook his party. In the final
quarter of the 20th century the expedition came under closer scrutiny,
and more critical views were expressed about its organisation and
management. The degree of Scott's personal culpability remains a matter
of controversy among commentators.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Nova_Expedition>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1571:
Elizabeth I of England issued a royal charter establishing Jesus
College , the first Protestant college at the University of Oxford.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_College%2C_Oxford>
1844:
Latter Day Saint movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr. and his brother
Hyrum were killed by an armed mob who stormed the prison where they
were incarcerated in Carthage, Illinois.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Joseph_Smith%2C_Jr.>
1898:
Canadian-American seaman and adventurer Joshua Slocum completed the
first solo circumnavigation of the globe sailing on his refitted
sloop-rigged fishing boat Spray, a distance of more than 46,000 miles
(74,000 km).
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Slocum>
1989:
The International Labour Organization Convention 169, a major binding
international convention concerning indigenous peoples, and a
forerunner of the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
was adopted.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_and_Tribal_Peoples_Convention%2C_19…>
1991:
Yugoslavia invaded Slovenia, two days after the latter's declaration of
independence from the former, starting the Ten-Day War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-Day_War>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
brachyuran (adj):
Of or pertaining to crabs
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brachyuran>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done
without hope.
--Helen Keller
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Helen_Keller>
The Privilege of Peerage is the body of special privileges belonging to
members of the British Peerage. It is distinct from Parliamentary
privilege, which applies to those peers serving in the House of Lords,
and members of the House of Commons, during and forty days before and
after a Parliamentary session. The privileges have been lost and eroded
over time. Only three survived into the 20th century: the right to be
tried by other peers of the realm instead of juries of commoners,
freedom from arrest in civil (but not criminal) cases, and access to
the Sovereign to advise him or her on matters of state. The right to be
tried by other peers was abolished in 1948. Legal opinion considers the
right of freedom from arrest as obsolete. The remaining privilege was
recommended for formal abolition in 1999, and may be retained,
arguably, by peers whether members of the House of Lords or not. Peers
have other rights that do not formally comprise the Privilege of
Peerage. For example, they are entitled to use coronets and supporters
on their achievements of arms.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privilege_of_Peerage>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1409:
In an attempt to end the Western Schism, during which Gregory XII in
Rome and Benedict XIII in Avignon simultaneously claimed to be the true
pope, the Council of Pisa instead ended up electing a third one,
Alexander V.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Schism>
1541:
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro was assassinated in Lima by
supporters of his rival Diego de Almagro's son.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Pizarro>
1918:
World War I: The 26-day Battle of Belleau Wood near the Marne River in
France ended with American forces finally clearing that forest of
German troops.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood>
1945:
At a conference in San Francisco, delegates from 50 nations signed a
charter establishing the United Nations.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Nations_member_states%23Origina…>
2003:
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered its decision in District of Columbia
v. Heller, ruling that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms for private use in
Washington, D.C., and other federal enclaves.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_v._Heller>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
reprobate (adj):
1. Rejected by God; damned, sinful.
2. Immoral, having no religious or principled character
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reprobate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Heal the world, make it a better place,
For you and for me and the entire human race,
There are people
dying, but if you care enough for the living,
Make a better place for you and for me.
--Michael Jackson
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson>
Michael Jackson (1958–2009) was an American recording artist,
entertainer, and philanthropist. He debuted on the professional music
scene as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971
while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in
subsequent years, Jackson became an influential figure in popular music
and the first African-American to have a strong crossover following on
MTV. He donated and raised hundreds of millions of dollars for
beneficial causes, and is recognized by Guinness World Records for
supporting more charities than any other musician. Other aspects of
Jackson's life—including his changing appearance and personal
relationships—generated controversy. Though he was accused of child
sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack
of evidence and Jackson was not charged. In 2005, he was tried and
acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other
charges. Jackson's achievements include multiple world
records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—the
estimated sale of over 750Â million albums worldwide, and dozens of
awards, which have made him the most awarded recording artist in the
history of music.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1530:
The Augsburg Confession, the primary confession of faith of the
Lutheran Church, was presented to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at
the Diet of Augsburg.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augsburg_Confession>
1876:
Black Hills War: United States Army Colonel George Armstrong Custer
was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in present-day Big Horn
County, Montana.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Armstrong_Custer>
1938:
Douglas Hyde became the first President of Ireland after the office was
established by the Constitution of Ireland in 1937.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Hyde>
1950:
The Korean War began with North Koreans forces launching a pre-dawn
raid over the 38th parallel into South Korea.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War>
1996:
The Khobar Towers bombing in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, left 19 American
servicemen dead and 372 of many nationalities wounded.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khobar_Towers_bombing>
2006:
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped in a cross border raid from
the Gaza Strip on the crossing Kerem Shalom, and has been held hostage
by Hamas since.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilad_Shalit>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
prolix (adj):
1. Tediously lengthy.
2. Tending to use large or obscure words that few understand
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prolix>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people
what they do not want to hear.
--George Orwell
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Orwell>
Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) was an American writer and journalist. His
distinctive writing style, characterized by economy and understatement,
influenced 20th-century fiction, as did his apparent life of adventure
and the public image he cultivated. He produced most of his work
between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and his career peaked in 1954
when he won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Hemingway's fiction was
successful because the characters he presented exhibited authenticity
that reverberated with his audience. Many of his works are classics of
American literature. After leaving high school he worked for a few
months as a reporter, before leaving for the Italian front to become an
ambulance driver during World War I, which became the basis for his
novel A Farewell to Arms. His first novel, The Sun Also Rises, was
written in 1924. After divorcing Hadley Richardson in 1927 Hemingway
married Pauline Pfeiffer; they divorced following Hemingway's return
from covering the Spanish Civil War, after which he wrote For Whom the
Bell Tolls. Martha Gellhorn became his third wife in 1940, but he left
her for Mary Welsh Hemingway after World War II, during which he was
present at D-Day and the liberation of Paris. Shortly after the
publication of The Old Man and the Sea in 1952 Hemingway went on safari
to Africa, where he was almost killed in a plane crash that left him in
pain or ill-health for much of the rest of his life. Hemingway had
permanent residences in Key West, Florida, and Cuba during the 1930s
and 40s, but in 1959 he moved from Cuba to Idaho, where he committed
suicide in the summer of 1961.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1757:
Seven Years' War: British forces under Robert Clive defeated troops
under Siraj ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey, allowing the British
East India Company to annex Bengal.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Plassey>
1887:
The Parliament of Canada passed the Rocky Mountains Park Act, creating
Banff National Park as Canada's first national park.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_National_Park>
1919:
Estonian War of Independence: Estonian troops engaged the forces of the
Pro-German Government of Latvia near CÄ“sis, Latvia, recapturing the
area four days later.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wenden_%281919%29>
1946:
Canada's largest onshore earthquake, measuring 7.3Â Mw, struck Vancouver
Island, but only caused two casualties since there were no heavily
populated areas near its epicenter.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1946_Vancouver_Island_earthquake>
1961:
The Antarctic Treaty, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific
preserve and bans military activity on the continent, came into force.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
raccoon (n):
1. A nocturnal omnivore, originally of Northern America, typically with
a mixture of grayish fur, a mask-like marking around the eyes, and a
striped tail.
2. Any mammal of the genus Procyon
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/raccoon>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I've woven them a garment that's prepared
out of poor words, those that I overheard,
and will hold fast to
every word and glance
all of my days, even in new mischance,
and if a gag should bind my
tortured mouth,
through which a hundred million people shout,
then let them pray
for me, as I do pray
for them, this eve of my remembrance day.
--Anna Akhmatova
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anna_Akhmatova>
The raccoon is a medium-sized mammal native to North America. As a
result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century,
raccoons are now also distributed across the European mainland, the
Caucasus region and Japan. Their original habitats are deciduous and
mixed forests, but due to their adaptability they have extended their
range to mountainous areas, coastal marshes, and even urban areas,
where some homeowners consider them pests. With a body length of 41 to
72 cm (16.1–28.0 in) and a weight of 3.6 to 9.0 kg (7.9–19.8 lb), the
raccoon is the largest procyonid. The dense underfur, which insulates
against cold weather, accounts for almost 90% of the raccoon's grayish
coat. Two of its most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous
front paws and its facial mask, which are also themes in the mythology
of several Native American tribes. Raccoons are also noted for their
intelligence; studies have shown that they are able to remember the
solution to tasks up to three years later. Raccoons are omnivorous and
usually nocturnal; their diet consists of about 40% invertebrates, 33%
plant foods, and 27% vertebrates. Captive raccoons sometimes douse
their food before eating it, which is most likely a vacuum activity
imitating foraging at shores. After a gestation period of about
65Â days, two to five young are born in spring. The kits are
subsequently raised by their mother until dispersion in late fall.
Although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20Â years, their
average life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1Â years. Hunting
and traffic accidents are the two most common causes of death in many
areas.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
217 BC:
Syrian Wars: Forces under Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeated Antiochus III
the Great of the Seleucid Empire at the Battle of Raphia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Raphia>
1911:
George V and Mary of Teck were crowned King and Queen of the United
KIngdom at Westminster Abbey in London.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_V_of_the_United_Kingdom>
1941:
World War II: As over 4.5 million Axis troops began their invasion of
the Soviet Union, the Lithuanian Activist Front took the opportunity to
start an uprising to liberate Lithuania from Soviet occupation and
establish a new government.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Uprising_in_Lithuania>
1978:
Working at the U.S. Naval Observatory, American astronomer James W.
Christy discovered Charon , then considered the sole moon of Pluto.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charon_%28moon%29>
1986:
Argentine footballer Diego Maradona scored both the "Hand of God goal"
and the "Goal of the Century" against England during the quarter-final
match of the FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_v_England_%281986_FIFA_World_Cup_qua…>
2002:
An earthquake measuring 6.5Â Mw struck a region of northwestern Iran,
killing at least 261 people and injuring 1,300 others, and eventually
causing widespread public anger due to the slowness of the victims
receiving aid and supplies.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Bou%27in-Zahra_earthquake>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ortolan (n):
A small European migratory bunting, Emberiza hortulana, once eaten
whole as a delicacy
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ortolan>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
This earth is one of the rare spots in the cosmos where mind has
flowered. Man is a product of nearly three billion years of evolution,
in whose person the evolutionary process has at last become conscious
of itself and its possibilities. Whether he likes it or not, he is
responsible for the whole further evolution of our planet.
--Julian Huxley
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Julian_Huxley>