"Jack the Ripper" is the best known pseudonym given to an unidentified
serial killer active in the largely impoverished districts in and
around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated
in a letter by someone claiming to be the murderer that was
disseminated in the media. Attacks ascribed to the Ripper typically
involved women prostitutes from the slums whose throats were cut prior
to abdominal mutilations. Rumours that the murders were connected
intensified in September and October 1888, and extremely disturbing
letters from a writer or writers purporting to be the murderer were
received by media outlets and Scotland Yard. Mainly because of the
extraordinarily brutal character of the murders, and because of media
treatment of the events, the public came increasingly to believe in a
single serial killer, Jack the Ripper. Extensive newspaper coverage
bestowed widespread and enduring international notoriety on the Ripper.
An investigation into a series of brutal killings in Whitechapel up to
1891 was unable to connect all the killings conclusively to the murders
of 1888, but the legend of Jack the Ripper solidified. As the murders
were never solved, the legends surrounding them became a combination of
genuine historical research, folklore, and pseudohistory. The term
"ripperology" was coined to describe the study and analysis of the
Ripper cases. There are over one hundred theories about the Ripper's
identity, and the murders have inspired multiple works of fiction.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1788:
Over 15,000 British soldiers launched an attack on Vinegar Hill, the
largest camp and headquarters of the County Wexford United Irish
rebels, marking a turning point in the Irish Rebellion.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vinegar_Hill>
1813:
Peninsular War: The Marquess of Wellington's combined British,
Portuguese, and Spanish allied army defeated the French near Vitoria,
Spain.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vitoria>
1826:
Greek War of Independence: A combined Egyptian and Ottoman army began
their invasion of the Mani Peninsula, but they were initially held off
by the Maniots at the fortifications of Vergas.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman%E2%80%93Egyptian_Invasion_of_Mani>
1898:
In a bloodless event during the Spanish–American War, the United States
captured Guam from Spain.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Guam>
1948:
The Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine , the world's first
stored-program computer, ran its first computer program.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Small-Scale_Experimental_Machine>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
flyblown (adj):
1. Contaminated with flyblows.
2. Tainted
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/flyblown>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the
things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
--Reinhold Niebuhr
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Reinhold_Niebuhr>
Funerary art is any work of art forming, or placed in, a repository for
the remains of the dead. Tomb is a general term for the repository,
while grave goods are objects—other than the primary human
remains—which have been placed inside. Such objects may include the
personal possessions of the deceased, objects specially created for the
burial, or miniature versions of things believed to be needed in an
afterlife. Knowledge of many non-literate cultures is drawn largely
from these sources. Funerary art can serve many cultural functions. It
can play a role in burial rites, serve as an article for use by the
dead in the afterlife, and celebrate the life and accomplishments of
the dead, whether as part of kinship-centered practices of ancestor
veneration or as a publicly directed dynastic display. It can also
function as a reminder of the mortality of humankind, as an expression
of cultural values and roles, and help to propitiate the spirits of the
dead, maintaining their benevolence and preventing their unwelcome
intrusion into the affairs of the living. The deposit of objects with
an apparent aesthetic intention may go back to the Neanderthals over
50,000 years ago, and is found in almost all subsequent cultures—the
Hindu culture, which has little, is a notable exception. Many of the
best-known artistic creations of past cultures—from the Egyptian
pyramids and the Tutankhamun treasure to the Terracotta Army
surrounding the tomb of the Qin Emperor, the Mausoleum of
Halicarnassus, the Sutton Hoo ship burial and the Taj Mahal—are tombs
or objects found in and around them.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funerary_art>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
451:
A coalition led by Roman General Flavius Aetius and Visigothic king
Theodoric I clashed violently with the Hunnic alliance commanded by
Attila the Hun at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, the last major
military operation of the Western Roman Empire.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Catalaunian_Plains>
1685:
Monmouth Rebellion: The Duke of Monmouth declared himself King of
England at Bridgwater.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Scott%2C_1st_Duke_of_Monmouth>
1837:
Victoria succeeded to the British throne, starting a reign that lasted
for more than 63 years.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_of_the_United_Kingdom>
1863:
American Civil War: West Virginia was admitted to the Union after it
seceded from Virginia and the rest of the Confederacy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia>
1973:
Snipers fired into a crowd of Peronists near the Ezeiza Airport in
Buenos Aires, killing at least 13 people and injuring 365 others.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Ezeiza_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
counterplot (v):
To form a plot or plan in opposition to the actions of another
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/counterplot>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Humor — it helps to make the vibe better — it loosens up the
vibrations.
--Brian Wilson
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Brian_Wilson>
A choral symphony is a musical composition for orchestra, choir and
sometimes soloists, which in its internal workings and overall musical
architecture adheres broadly to symphonic musical form. The term
"choral symphony" in this context was coined by Hector Berlioz
(pictured) when describing his Roméo et Juliette in his five-paragraph
introduction to that work. The direct antecedent for the choral
symphony is Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which was the first
time a major composer placed the human voice on the same level with
instruments in a symphony. A few 19th-century composers, notably Felix
Mendelssohn and Franz Liszt, followed Beethoven in producing choral
symphonic works. The genre developed further in the 20th century, with
notable works produced by Benjamin Britten, Gustav Mahler, Sergei
Rachmaninoff, Dmitri Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky and Ralph Vaughan
Williams, among others. The final years of the 20th century and the
opening of the 21st century have seen several new works in this genre,
among them compositions by Tan Dun, Philip Glass, Hans Werner Henze and
Krzystof Penderecki.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choral_symphony>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1846:
The first officially recorded baseball game using modern rules was
played in Hoboken, New Jersey, US, with the New York Nine defeating the
New York Knickerbockers, 23–1.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/baseball>
1850:
Louise of the Netherlands married Crown Prince Karl of Sweden-Norway.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_of_the_Netherlands>
1953:
Americans Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed as spies who passed
U.S. nuclear weapons secrets to the Soviet Union.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg>
1961:
Kuwait declared independence from the United Kingdom.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwait>
2009:
The War in Afghanistan: British forces began Operation Panther's Claw,
in which more than 350 troops made an aerial assault on Taliban
positions in Southern Afghanistan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Panther%27s_Claw>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
quango (n):
An organization that, although financed by a government, acts
independently of it
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quango>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The wellspring of courage and endurance in the face of unbridled power
is generally a firm belief in the sanctity of ethical principles
combined with a historical sense that despite all setbacks the
condition of man is set on an ultimate course for both spiritual and
material advancement. At the root of human responsibility is the
concept of perfection, the urge to achieve it, the intelligence to find
a path towards it, and the will to follow that path if not to the end
at least the distance needed to rise above individual limitations and
environmental impediments. It is man's vision of a world fit for
rational, civilized humanity which leads him to dare and to suffer to
build societies free from want and fear. Concepts such as truth,
justice and compassion cannot be dismissed as trite when these are
often the only bulwarks which stand against ruthless power.
--Aung San Suu Kyi
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi>
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft
developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) introduced in
the 1930s. Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build
200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and more
than met the Air Corps' expectations. Although Boeing lost the contract
because the prototype crashed, the Air Corps was so impressed with
Boeing's design that they ordered 13 B-17s. The B-17 Flying Fortress
evolved through numerous design advancements. The B-17 was primarily
employed by the United States Army Air Forces in the daylight precision
strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial,
civilian, and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force
based in England and the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy
complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in
Operation Pointblank to help secure air superiority over the cities,
factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for
Operation Overlord. The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in
the War in the Pacific where it conducted raids against Japanese
shipping and airfields. With a service ceiling greater than any of its
Allied contemporaries, the B-17 established itself as a superb weapons
system, dropping more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World
War II.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortress>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
618:
Lǐ Yuān became Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of the
Tang Dynasty in China.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Dynasty>
1815:
War of the Seventh Coalition: Napoléon Bonaparte fought and lost his
final battle, the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Waterloo>
1858:
Charles Darwin received a manuscript by fellow naturalist Alfred Russel
Wallace on evolution, which prompted Darwin to publish his theory.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Russel_Wallace>
1908:
The University of the Philippines, the national university of the
Philippines, was established.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Philippines>
1940:
World War II: General Charles de Gaulle , leader of the Free French
Forces, made an appeal to the French people following the fall of
France to Nazi Germany, rallying them to support the Resistance.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_of_June_18>
1972:
British European Airways Flight 548 crashed near the town of Staines
less than three minutes after departing from London Heathrow Airport,
killing all 118 aboard, at the time the worst air disaster in the UK.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_European_Airways_Flight_548>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
lenticular (adj):
1. Of or pertaining to a lens.
2. Shaped like a biconvex lens
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lenticular>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The history of a battle, is not unlike the history of a ball. Some
individuals may recollect all the little events of which the great
result is the battle won or lost, but no individual can recollect the
order in which, or the exact moment at which, they occurred, which
makes all the difference as to their value or importance.
--Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arthur_Wellesley%2C_1st_Duke_of_Wellington>
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American space
opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story
by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. It
was the second film released in the Star Wars saga, and the fifth in
terms of internal chronology. The film is set three years after the
destruction of the Death Star. The villainous Darth Vader and the
forces of the Galactic Empire are in pursuit of Luke Skywalker, Han
Solo, Princess Leia Organa, and the Rebel Alliance. While Vader chases
Han and Leia across the galaxy, Luke studies the Force under Jedi
Master Yoda. Vader uses Luke's friends to set a trap for him, leading
to a fierce confrontation between the black-armored Sith and the young
Jedi which ends with a shocking revelation. Following a difficult
production, The Empire Strikes Back was released on May 21, 1980. The
film initially received mixed reviews from critics, although it has
since grown in esteem, becoming one of the most popular chapters in the
Star Wars saga. It earned more than US$538 million worldwide over the
original run and several re-releases, making it the highest grossing
film of 1980. When adjusted for inflation, it is the 12th highest
grossing film of all time.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_V%3A_The_Empire_Strikes_Back>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1775:
American Revolutionary War: British forces took Bunker Hill outside of
Boston.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bunker_Hill>
1789:
French Revolution: The Third Estate of France declared itself the
National Assembly.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_%28French_Revolution%29>
1963:
Buddhist crisis: Riots involving around 2000 people broke out in South
Vietnam, despite the signing of the Joint Communique to resolve the
crisis one day earlier.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Communique>
1972:
Five men were arrested for attempted burglary on the offices of the
Democratic National Committee in the Watergate complex in Washington,
D.C., igniting the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to the
resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon more than two years later.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_complex>
1982:
The body of Italian banker Roberto Calvi, known as "God's Banker" due
to his close association with the Vatican, was found hanging from
scaffolding beneath London's Blackfriars Bridge.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Calvi>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
dalliance (n):
1. A wasting of time in idleness or trifles.
2. Playful flirtation; amorous play
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dalliance>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Whether one believes in evolution, intelligent design, or Divine
Creation, one thing is certain. Since the beginning of history, human
beings have been at war with each other, under the pretext of religion,
ideology, ethnicity and other reasons. And no civilization has ever
willingly given up its most powerful weapons. We seem to agree today
that we can share modern technology, but we still refuse to acknowledge
that our values — at their very core — are shared values.
--Mohamed ElBaradei
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mohamed_ElBaradei>
Robert Hues (1553–1632) was an English mathematician and geographer who
made observations of the variations of the compass off the coast of
Newfoundland. He either went there on a fishing trip, or joined a 1585
voyage to Virginia arranged by Walter Raleigh and led by Richard
Grenville which passed Newfoundland on the return journey to England.
Between 1586 and 1588, Hues travelled with Thomas Cavendish on a
circumnavigation of the globe, taking the opportunity to measure
latitudes. In 1589, Hues went on the Earl of Cumberland's raiding
expedition to the Azores to capture Spanish galleons. Beginning in
August 1591, Hues travelled with Cavendish again, intending to complete
another circumnavigation of the globe. During the voyage, Hues made
astronomical observations while in the South Atlantic, and also
observed the variation of the compass there and at the Equator.
Cavendish died on the journey, and Hues returned to England in 1593. In
1594, Hues published his discoveries in the Latin work Tractatus de
globis et eorum usu (Treatise on Globes and their Use) which was
written to explain the use of globes that had been made and published
by Emery Molyneux in late 1592 or early 1593, and to encourage English
sailors to use practical astronomical navigation. Hues' work
subsequently went into at least 12 other printings in Dutch, English,
French and Latin.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hues>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1745:
King George's War: British colonial forces led by William Pepperrell
captured the French stronghold at Fortress Louisbourg on Cape Breton
Island after a six-week siege.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Louisbourg>
1815:
Napoleonic Wars: French forces under Napoléon defeated Blücher's larger
Prussian army in the Battle of Ligny, while French Marshal Michel Ney
earned a strategic victory against the Anglo-Dutch army in the Battle
of Quatre Bras.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ligny>
1904:
Irish author James Joyce began his relationship with Nora Barnacle, and
subsequently used the date to set the actions for his 1922 novel
Ulysses.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Joyce>
1960:
The thriller/horror film Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and
based on a novel of the same name by Robert Bloch, was released.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psycho_%281960_film%29>
1963:
Aboard Vostok 6, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first
woman in space.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentina_Tereshkova>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
palliate (v):
1. To lessen the severity of; to extenuate.
2. To cause to seem less serious.
3. To relieve the symptoms of; to
ameliorate
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/palliate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are
the portals to discovery.
--James Joyce
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_Joyce>
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota
and the county seat of Grand Forks County. Originally called Les
Grandes Fourches by French fur traders, the city was founded on June
15, 1870, by steamboat captain Alexander Griggs and incorporated on
February 22, 1881. Grand Forks is located on the western banks of the
Red River of the North across from where the river meets the Red Lake
River, in an extremely flat region known as the Red River Valley; the
city is prone to flooding and was struck by the devastating Red River
Flood of 1997. In July 2008, its population was estimated at 51,313,
and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 97,190. Grand Forks,
along with its twin city of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, forms the
center of the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which
is often called Greater Grand Forks or The Grand Cities. Historically
dependent on local agriculture, the city's economy now encompasses
higher education including the University of North Dakota, defense
including Grand Forks Air Force Base, health care, manufacturing, food
processing, and scientific research.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Forks%2C_North_Dakota>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1667:
French physician Jean-Baptiste Denys administered the first fully
documented human blood transfusion, giving the blood of a sheep to a
15-year old boy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/blood_transfusion>
1846:
To settle the Oregon boundary dispute, the United Kingdom and the
United States signed the Oregon Treaty, extending the United States –
British North America border west along the 49th parallel north that
was first established by the Treaty of 1818.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Treaty>
1978:
King Hussein of Jordan married American Lisa Halaby , who became known
as Queen Noor of Jordan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Noor_of_Jordan>
1996:
The Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated a bomb in the
commercial centre of Manchester, England, injuring over 200 people and
causing widespread damage to buildings.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Manchester_bombing>
2001:
Leaders of the People's Republic of China, Russia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisation>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
hollow leg (n):
1. Capacity to eat large quantities.
2. Ability or tendency to drink large quantities of alcohol
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hollow_leg>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The world belongs to the enthusiast who keeps cool.
--William McFee
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_McFee>
Sydney Newman was a Canadian film and television producer, who played a
pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the
late 1960s. After his return to Canada in 1970, Newman was appointed
Acting Director of the Broadcast Programs Branch for the Canadian Radio
and Television Commission and then head of the National Film Board of
Canada. He also occupied senior positions at the Canadian Film
Development Corporation, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and acted as
an advisor to the Secretary of State for Canada. During his time in
Britain in the 1950s and 60s, he worked first with the Associated
British Corporation (ABC) before moving across to the BBC in 1962,
holding the role of Head of Drama with both organisations. During this
phase of his career he was responsible for initiating two hugely
popular fantasy series, The Avengers and Doctor Who, as well as
overseeing the production of groundbreaking social realist drama series
such as Armchair Theatre and The Wednesday Play. The website of the
Museum of Broadcast Communications describes Newman as "the most
significant agent in the development of British television drama".
Shortly after his death, his obituary in The Guardian newspaper
declared that "For ten brief but glorious years, Sydney Newman ... was
the most important impresario in Britain ... His death marks not just
the end of an era but the laying to rest of a whole philosophy of
popular art." In Quebec, as commissioner of the NFB, he attracted
controversy for his decision to suppress distribution of several
politically sensitive films by French Canadian directors.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Newman>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1645:
English Civil War: In the Battle of Naseby, the main army of King
Charles I was defeated by the Parliamentarian New Model Army under Sir
Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Naseby>
1822:
In a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society, English mathematician
Charles Babbage proposed a difference engine, an automatic, mechanical
calculator designed to tabulate polynomial functions.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/difference_engine>
1846:
Anglo-American settlers in the Town of Sonoma began a rebellion against
Mexico, proclaiming the California Republic and eventually raising a
homemade flag with a bear and star .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Republic>
1982:
Argentine forces surrendered to the British, essentially ending the
Falklands War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War>
1985:
TWA Flight 847 was hijacked shortly after takeoff from Athens, where it
with its passengers and crew then endured a three-day intercontinental
ordeal as they were forced to travel back and forth several times
between Beirut and Algiers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_847>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
semese (adj):
Half-eaten
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/semese>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Zen disciple sits for long hours silent and motionless, with his
eyes closed. Presently he enters a state of impassivity, free from all
ideas and all thoughts. He departs from the self and enters the realm
of nothingness. This is not the nothingness or the emptiness of the
West. It is rather the reverse, a universe of the spirit in which
everything communicates freely with everything, transcending bounds,
limitless. ... The disciple must, however, always be lord of his own
thoughts, and must attain enlightenment through his own efforts. And
the emphasis is less upon reason and argument than upon intuition,
immediate feeling. Enlightenment comes not from teaching but through
the eye awakened inwardly. Truth is in "the discarding of words", it
lies "outside words".
--Yasunari Kawabata
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yasunari_Kawabata>
Sargon of Akkad was an Akkadian emperor famous for his conquest of the
Sumerian city-states in the 24th and 23rd centuries BC. The founder of
the Dynasty of Akkad, Sargon reigned from 2334 to 2279 BC. He became a
prominent member of the royal court of Kish, ultimately overthrowing
its king before embarking on the conquest of Mesopotamia. Sargon's vast
empire is known to have extended from Elam to the Mediterranean Sea,
including Mesopotamia, parts of modern-day Iran and Syria, and possibly
parts of Anatolia and the Arabian peninsula. He ruled from a new
capital, Akkad (Agade), which the Sumerian king list claims he built
(or possibly renovated), on the left bank of the Euphrates. Sargon is
the first individual in recorded history to create a multiethnic,
centrally ruled empire, and his dynasty controlled Mesopotamia for
around a century and a half.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargon_of_Akkad>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1525:
Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora , against the celibacy
discipline decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for priests.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharina_Luther>
1886:
King Ludwig II of Bavaria was found dead in Lake Starnberg near Munich
under mysterious circumstances.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria>
1898:
The Yukon Territory was formed in Canada, splitting from the Northwest
Territories after the area's population substantially increased due to
the Klondike Gold Rush.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon>
1971:
The New York Times began to publish the Pentagon Papers, a 7,000-page
top-secret United States Department of Defense history of the United
States' political and military involvement in the Vietnam War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_Papers>
1997:
In one of the worst fire tragedies in recent Indian history, 59 people
died and 103 others were seriously injured during a premiere screening
of the film Border at the Uphaar Cinema in Green Park, South Delhi.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uphaar_Cinema_fire>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
emvowel (v):
(dated, humorous) To replace a portion of a person's name with a dash
in printing, in order to avoid libel
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/emvowel>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
A line will take us hours maybe;
Yet if it does not seem a moment’s thought,
Our stitching and
unstitching has been naught.
Better go down upon your marrow-bones
And scrub a kitchen pavement, or
break stones
Like an old pauper, in all kinds of weather;
For to articulate sweet
sounds together
Is to work harder than all these, and yet
Be thought an idler by the
noisy set
Of bankers, schoolmasters, and clergymen
The martyrs call the world.
--William Butler Yeats
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Butler_Yeats>
Mycena haematopus is a species of fungus in the Mycenaceae family, of
the order Agaricales. It is widespread and common in Europe and North
America, and has also been collected in Japan and Venezuela. It is
saprobic—meaning that it obtains nutrients by consuming decomposing
organic matter—and the fruit bodies appear in small groups or clusters
on the decaying logs, trunks, and stumps of deciduous trees,
particularly beech. The fungus, first described scientifically in 1799,
is classified in the Lactipedes section of the genus Mycena, along with
other species that produce a milky or colored latex. The fruit bodies
of M. haematopus have caps that are up to 4 cm (1.6 in) wide, whitish
gills, and a thin, fragile reddish-brown stem with thick coarse hairs
at the base. They are characterized by their reddish color, the
scalloped cap edges, and the dark red latex they "bleed" when cut or
broken. Both the fruit bodies and the mycelia are weakly
bioluminescent. M. haematopus produces various alkaloid pigments unique
to this species. The edibility of the fruit bodies is not known
definitively.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycena_haematopus>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1864:
Union General Ulysses S. Grant pulled his troops out of the Battle of
Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Virginia, ending one of the bloodiest,
most lopsided battles in the American Civil War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cold_Harbor>
1889:
In one of the worst rail disasters in Europe, runaway passenger
carriages collided with a following train near Armagh, present-day
Northern Ireland, killing 88 people and injuring 170 others.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armagh_rail_disaster>
1942:
On her thirteenth birthday, Anne Frank began keeping her diary during
the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank>
1987:
The Cold War: During a speech at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate by the
Berlin Wall , U.S. President Ronald Reagan issued a challenge to Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall".
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tear_down_this_wall>
1999:
In the aftermath of the bombing of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo War, the
NATO-led Kosovo Force entered Kosovo with the UN-mandated
responsibility of establishing a secure environment for the recently
self-proclaimed, independent and partially recognized country.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo_Force>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
luthier (n):
A person who makes or repairs stringed wooden musical instruments, such
as lutes, violins, and guitars
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/luthier>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
My knowledge of pain, learned with the sabre, taught me not to be
afraid. And just as in dueling when you must concentrate on your
enemy's cheek, so, too, in war. You cannot waste time on feinting and
sidestepping. You must decide on your target and go in.
--Otto Skorzeny
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Otto_Skorzeny>