The Avery Coonley School is an independent school serving academically
gifted students in Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S. Avery Coonley was
founded in 1906 to promote the progressive educational theories
developed by John Dewey and other turn of the 20th century
philosophers, and was a nationally recognized model for progressive
education well into the 1940s. From 1943 to 1965, Avery Coonley was
part of the National College of Education serving as a living
laboratory for teacher training and educational research. It became a
regional research center in the late 1960s and a school for the gifted
in the early 1970s. The campus, designed in the Prairie and Arts and
Crafts styles, was landscaped by Jens Jensen, who was known as "dean of
the world's landscape architects." Avery Coonley was added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 2007, citing the "long-lasting
influence on schools throughout the country" of the educational program
and the design of the building and grounds.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avery_Coonley_School>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1606:
A royal decree established the Union Flag to symbolise the Union of
the Crowns, merging the designs of the Flag of England and the Flag of
Scotland.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Flag>
1861:
Confederate forces began firing at Fort Sumter in the harbor of
Charleston, South Carolina, starting the American Civil War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Sumter>
1927:
Chinese Civil War: A large-scale purge of communists from the
nationalist Kuomintang began in Shanghai.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_massacre_of_1927>
1961:
Aboard Vostok 3KA-2, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man
to enter outer space, completing one orbit in a time of 108 minutes.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin>
1980:
Terry Fox dipped his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean at St.
John's, Newfoundland, and began running his "Marathon of Hope" towards
the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver, British Columbia, to raise funds across
Canada for cancer research.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Fox>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
moratorium (n):
1. An authorization to a debtor, permitting temporary suspension of
payments.
2. A suspension of an ongoing activity
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moratorium>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
He that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever
shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself
shall be exalted.
--Jesus
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jesus>
John Douglas (1830–1911) was an English architect who designed about
500Â buildings in Cheshire, North Wales and northwest England, in
particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. Douglas' output included the
creation, restoration and renovation of churches, church furnishings,
houses and other buildings. His architectural styles were eclectic and
many of his works incorporate elements of the English Gothic style. He
was also influenced by architectural styles from the mainland of Europe
and included elements of French, German and Netherlandish architecture
into his works. He is remembered for his use of half-timbering,
tile-hanging, pargeting, decorative brick in diapering and the design
of tall chimney stacks. Of particular importance is Douglas' use of
joinery and highly detailed wood carving. Throughout his career he
attracted commissions from wealthy landowners and industrialists. Most
of his works have survived. The city of Chester contains a number of
his structures, the most admired of which are his half-timbered
black-and-white buildings and Eastgate Clock. The highest concentration
of his work is found in the Eaton Hall estate and the surrounding
villages of Eccleston, Aldford and Pulford.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Douglas_%28architect%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1713:
The main agreements of the Treaty of Utrecht were signed in the Dutch
city of Utrecht, helping to end the War of the Spanish Succession.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Utrecht>
1814:
The Treaty of Fontainebleau was signed, ending the War of the Sixth
Coalition, and forcing Napoleon to abdicate as ruler of France and
sending him into exile on Elba.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Fontainebleau_%281814%29>
1888:
The Concertgebouw concert hall in Amsterdam was inaugurated.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concertgebouw>
1945:
World War II: American forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration
camp near Weimar, Germany.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchenwald_concentration_camp>
1965:
Almost 50 confirmed tornadoes struck six states in the Midwestern
United States during the Palm Sunday tornado outbreak, killing over 270
people and injuring 1,500 others.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Sunday_tornado_outbreak_of_1965>
1979:
Ugandan–Tanzanian War: The Uganda National Liberation Army and
Tanzanian forces captured Kampala, forcing Ugandan President Idi Amin
to flee.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idi_Amin>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
frivolous (adj):
1. Silly, especially at an inappropriate time or in an inappropriate
manner.
2. Of little weight or importance; not worth notice
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/frivolous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
No greater mistake can be made than to think that our institutions are
fixed or may not be changed for the worse. ... Increasing prosperity
tends to breed indifference and to corrupt moral soundness. Glaring
inequalities in condition create discontent and strain the democratic
relation. The vicious are the willing, and the ignorant are unconscious
instruments of political artifice. Selfishness and demagoguery take
advantage of liberty. The selfish hand constantly seeks to control
government, and every increase of governmental power, even to meet just
needs, furnishes opportunity for abuse and stimulates the effort to
bend it to improper uses. .. The peril of this Nation is not in any
foreign foe! We, the people, are its power, its peril, and its hope!
--Charles Evans Hughes
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Evans_Hughes>
Bill Ponsford (1900–1991) was an Australian cricketer, the only player
to twice break the world record for the highest individual score in
first-class cricket. Predominantly playing as an opening batsman, he
formed a successful and long-lived partnership opening the batting for
Victoria and Australia with Bill Woodfull, his friend and state and
national captain. Aside from Brian Lara, he is the only man to score
400Â runs in an innings on two occasions. Ponsford holds the Australian
record for a partnership in Test cricket, set in 1934 in combination
with Don Bradman—the man who broke many of Ponsford's other individual
records. Despite being heavily built, Ponsford was quick on his feet
and renowned as one of the finest ever players of spin bowling. His
bat, much heavier than the norm and nicknamed "Big Bertha", allowed him
to drive powerfully and he possessed a strong cut shot. However,
critics questioned his ability against fast bowling, and the hostile
short-pitched English bowling in the Bodyline series of 1932–33 was a
contributing factor in his early retirement from cricket a year and a
half later.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ponsford>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1741:
War of the Austrian Succession: Prussia defeated Austria at the Battle
of Mollwitz in present-day Małujowice, Poland, cementing Prussian King
Frederick II's authority over the newly conquered territory of Silesia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mollwitz>
1815:
Mount Tambora in Indonesia began one of the most violent volcanic
eruptions in recorded history, killing at least 71,000 people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tambora>
1925:
The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was first published.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby>
1941:
World War II: The Independent State of Croatia was established, with
Ustaše leader Ante Pavelić as head of the puppet government of the Axis
powers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ante_Paveli%C4%87>
1971:
In an attempt to thaw Sino-American relations, members of the American
Table Tennis Team entered the People's Republic of China for a weeklong
visit.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ping_Pong_Diplomacy>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
turtle (v):
1. To flip over onto the back or top; to turn upside down.
2. To turn and swim upside down.
3. To hunt in the water
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/turtle>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is well that there is no one without a fault; for he would not have
a friend in the world.
--William Hazlitt
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Hazlitt>
Carrington Moss is a large area of peat bog near Carrington in Greater
Manchester, England. It is south of the River Mersey, approximately
10Â miles (16Â km) south-west of Manchester, and occupies an area of
about 1,100 acres (445 hectares). The depth of peat varies between
17Â feet (5Â m) and 20Â feet (6Â m). Originally an unused area of grouse
moorland, the Moss was reclaimed in the latter half of the 19th century
for farming and the disposal of nearby Manchester's waste. A system of
tramways was built to connect the Moss with the Manchester Ship Canal
and a nearby railway line. During World War II the land was used as a
Starfish site, and in the latter half of the 20th century a large
industrial complex was built along its northern edge. More recently
several sporting facilities have been built on Carrington Moss. Today,
the land is still used for farming, and several nature reserves have
been established within its bounds. Parts of the Moss are accessible to
the public over several rights of way.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Moss>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1865:
With their supply trains destroyed by Union troops one day earlier,
Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General
Ulysses S. Grant at the McLean House near the Appomattox Court House in
Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Appomattox_Courthouse>
1940:
World War II: Nazi Germany began Operation Weserübung, invading Denmark
and Norway.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Weser%C3%BCbung>
1959:
NASA announced the selection of the Mercury Seven , the first
astronauts in Project Mercury.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Mercury>
1989:
An anti-Soviet demonstration in Tbilisi, Georgia, was quashed by the
Soviet army, resulting in 20 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_9_tragedy>
2005:
Charles, Prince of Wales, married his long-time mistress Camilla Parker
Bowles, culminating the controversial romantic relationship between the
two.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of_Charles%2C_Prince_of_Wales_and_Cami…>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
eddy (n):
A current of air or water running back, or in an opposite direction to,
the main current
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eddy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
These tall and handsome ships, swaying imperceptibly on tranquil
waters, these sturdy ships, with their inactive, nostalgic appearance,
don’t they say to us in a speechless tongue: When do we cast off for
happiness?
--Charles Baudelaire
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Baudelaire>
Temple Sinai is a Reform congregation located at 2808 Summit Street in
Oakland, California. Founded in 1875, it is the oldest Jewish
congregation in the East Bay. Its early members included Gertrude Stein
and Judah Leon Magnes, who studied at Temple Sinai's Sabbath school,
and Ray Frank, who taught them. Originally traditional, under the
leadership of Rabbi Marcus Friedlander (1893–1915) Temple Sinai
reformed its beliefs and practices. By 1914, it had become a Classical
Reform congregation. That year the current sanctuary was built, a
Beaux-Arts structure designed by G. Albert Lansburgh which is the
oldest synagogue in Oakland. The congregation weathered four major
financial crises by 1934. It has since been led by just three rabbis,
William Stern (1934–1965), Samuel Broude (1966–1989), and Steven
Chester (1989–present). In 2006 Temple Sinai embarked on a $15 million
capital campaign to construct an entirely new synagogue campus adjacent
to its current sanctuary. Groundbreaking took place in October 2007,
and by late 2009 the congregation had raised almost $12Â million towards
the construction. As of 2010, the Temple Sinai had nearly 1,000 member
families. The rabbis were Steven Chester, Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, and
Andrea Berlin, and the cantor was Ilene Keys.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Sinai_%28Oakland%2C_California%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1093:
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire, one of the largest
cathedrals in England, was dedicated by Bishop Walkelin.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Cathedral>
1341:
Italian scholar and poet Petrarch
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrarch>
1886:
British Prime Minister William Gladstone introduced the first Irish
Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Government_Bill_1886>
1904:
Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City was renamed Times
Square after The New York Times building.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square>
1968:
BOAC Flight 712 suffered an engine fire shortly after take off from
London Heathrow Airport, leading to deaths of five people on board,
including flight attendant Barbara Jane Harrison, who was later awarded
a posthumous George Cross for her heroism during the accident.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOAC_Flight_712>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
vindictive (adj):
Having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vindictive>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come
true.
--Yip Harburg
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yip_Harburg>
SMS Moltke was the lead ship of the Moltke-class battlecruisers of the
German Imperial Navy, named after the 19th century German field marshal
Helmuth von Moltke. Commissioned on 30 September 1911, the ship was the
second battlecruiser built for the Imperial Navy. Moltke, along with
her sister ship Goeben, was an enlarged version of the previous German
battlecruiser design, Von der Tann. The ship was very similar to Von
der Tann, but had increased armor protection and two more main guns in
an additional gun turret. Compared to her British rivals—the
Indefatigable class—Moltke and her sister Goeben were significantly
larger and better armored. The ship participated in most of the major
fleet actions conducted by the German Navy during the First World War,
including the Battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland in the North Sea, and
the Battle of the Gulf of Riga and Operation Albion in the Baltic.
Moltke was damaged several times during the war: the ship was hit by
heavy caliber gunfire at Jutland, and torpedoed twice by British
submarines while on fleet advances. Following the end of the war in
1918, Moltke, along with most of the High Seas Fleet, was interned at
Scapa Flow pending a decision by the Allies as to the fate of the
fleet. The ship met her end when she was scuttled, along with the rest
of the High Seas Fleet, in 1919 to prevent them from falling into
British hands.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Moltke_%281910%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
529:
Byzantine Emperor Justinian I issued the first draft of the Corpus
Juris Civilis, a first attempt to codify Roman law.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Juris_Civilis>
1348:
King Charles of Bohemia issued a Golden Bull to establish Charles
University in Prague, the first university in Central Europe.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_University_in_Prague>
1805:
German composer Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Third Symphony, at
the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._3_%28Beethoven%29>
1868:
D'Arcy McGee, a Canadian Father of Confederation, was assassinated; to
date, the only Canadian political assassination at the federal level.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Arcy_McGee>
1945:
World War II: American forces sunk the Japanese battleship Yamato, the
largest battleship in the world, during Operation Ten-Go.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ten-Go>
1948:
The United Nations established the World Health Organization to act as
a coordinating authority on international public health.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
infelicitous (adj):
1. Unhappy or unfortunate.
2. Inappropriate or awkward; not well said, expressed, or done
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/infelicitous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Great minds are to make others great. Their superiority is to be used,
not to break the multitude to intellectual vassalage, not to establish
over them a spiritual tyranny, but to rouse them from lethargy, and to
aid them to judge for themselves.
--William Ellery Channing
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Ellery_Channing>
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Baxter Healthcare was
a decision of the High Court of Australia, which ruled on 29 August
2007 that Baxter Healthcare Pty Limited, a tenderer for various
government contracts, was bound by the Trade Practices Act 1974 (TPA)
(Australian legislation governing anti-competitive behaviour) in its
trade and commerce in tendering for government contracts. More
generally, the case concerned the principles of derivative governmental
immunity: whether the immunity of a government from a statute extends
to third parties that conduct business with the government. The High
Court's judgment marked a successful appeal for the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian regulator of
anti-competitive conduct, having lost at first instance and on appeal
in the Federal Court of Australia. The ACCC was again successful when
the case was remitted to the Federal Court for reconsideration, ending
eight years of litigation between the parties. The High Court's
judgment was received as a significant precedent in the law of
derivative governmental immunity in Australia.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Competition_and_Consumer_Commission…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1721:
Robert Walpole took office as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of
the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons, becoming what would
later be recognised as the first British Prime Minister.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Walpole>
1850:
Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality, five months before
California achieved U.S. statehood.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles>
1949:
Twelve nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty, creating NATO, an
organization that constitutes a system of collective defense whereby
its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by
any external party.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO>
1968:
American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated
on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, US.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King%2C_Jr._assassination>
1975:
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
US, to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
witness (v):
1. To furnish proof of, to show.
2. To take as evidence.
3. To see, note, or gain knowledge of.
4.
(with to) To present personal religious testimony
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/witness>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes
within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their
oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize
that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka, and that this
center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. This is the real
peace, and the others are but reflections of this. The second peace is
that which is made between two individuals, and the third is that which
is made between two nations. But above all you should understand that
there can never be peace between nations until there is known that true
peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men.
--Black Elk
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Black_Elk>
Jay Pritzker Pavilion is a bandshell in Millennium Park in the Loop
community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It
is located on the south side of Randolph Street and east of the Chicago
Landmark Historic Michigan Boulevard District. The pavilion was named
after Jay Pritzker of the Pritzker family, known for owning Hyatt
Hotels. The building was designed by architect Frank Gehry, who
accepted the design commission in April 1999; the pavilion was
constructed between June 1999 and July 2004, opening officially on July
16, 2004. Pritzker Pavilion serves as the centerpiece for Millennium
Park and is the new home of the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and
Chorus and the Grant Park Music Festival, the nation's only remaining
free outdoor classical music series. It also hosts a wide range of
music series and annual performing arts events. Performers ranging from
mainstream rock bands to classical musicians and opera singers have
appeared at the pavilion, which even hosts physical fitness activities
such as yoga. All rehearsals at the pavilion are open to the public.
The construction of the pavilion created a legal controversy, given
that there are historic limitations on the height of buildings in Grant
Park. To avoid these legal restrictions, the city classifies the
bandshell as a work of art rather than a building. With several design
and assembly problems, the construction plans were revised over time,
with features eliminated and others added as successful fundraising
allowed the budget to grow. In the end, the performance venue was
designed with a large fixed seating area, a Great Lawn, a trellis
network to support the sound system and a signature Gehry stainless
steel headdress.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Pritzker_Pavilion>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1043:
Edward the Confessor was crowned King of England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_the_Confessor>
1882:
Jesse James, an outlaw in the American Old West, was shot in the back
and killed for a bounty of US$5,000.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_James>
1895:
The libel trial instigated by Irish author Oscar Wilde began,
eventually resulting in Wilde's arrest, trial and imprisonment on
charges of homosexuality.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde>
1948:
The Marshall Plan , an economic recovery program established by U.S.
Secretary of State George Marshall to assist the post-World War II
re-building of Europe, was signed into law.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan>
1996:
A U.S. Air Force CT-43 crashed into a mountainside while attempting an
instrument approach to Dubrovnik Airport in Dubrovnik, Croatia, killing
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and all the other 34 people on
board.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Croatia_USAF_CT-43_crash>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
potentate (n):
A powerful leader; a monarch, ruler
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/potentate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If you have accomplished all that you have planned for yourself, you
have not planned enough.
--Edward Everett Hale
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edward_Everett_Hale>