Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) was an American poet. Born in Amherst,
Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she
lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the
Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at
Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in
Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for
her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or,
later in life, even leave her room. Dickinson was a prolific private
poet; fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were
published during her lifetime. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era
in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles,
and often utilize slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization
and punctuation. Many of her poems deal with themes of death and
immortality, two subjects which infused her letters to friends. Despite
unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the
late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be
a major American poet.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Dickinson>
_______________________________
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>
1854:
The British Parliament abolished the Seigneurial system of New France.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigneurial_system_of_New_France>
1941:
World War II: As Nazi Germany began its 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/Lithuanian_Activist_Front>
1978:
Working at the United States 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 6.5 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:
panjandrum (n):
1. An important, powerful or influential person.
2. A self-important or pretentious person
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/panjandrum>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If we glance at the most important revolutions in history, we are at no
loss to perceive that the greatest number of these originated in the
periodical revolutions of the human mind.
--Wilhelm von Humboldt
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wilhelm_von_Humboldt>
Iridium is the chemical element with atomic number 77. A very hard,
brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum family, iridium
is the second densest element and is the most corrosion-resistant
metal, even at temperatures as high as 2000 °C. Although only certain
molten salts and halogens are corrosive to solid iridium, finely
divided iridium dust is much more reactive and can even be flammable.
Iridium was discovered in 1803 by Smithson Tennant among insoluble
impurities in natural platinum from South America. It is one of the
rarest elements in the Earth's crust, with annual production and
consumption of only three tonnes. However, iridium does find a number
of specialized industrial and scientific applications. Iridium is
employed when high corrosion resistance and high temperatures are
needed, as in spark plugs, crucibles for recrystallization of
semiconductors at high temperatures, electrodes for the production of
chlorine in the chloralkali process, and radioisotope thermoelectric
generators used in unmanned spacecraft. Iridium is found in meteorites
with an abundance much higher than its average abundance in the Earth's
crust. It is thought that due to the high density and siderophilic
("iron-loving") character of iridium, most of the iridium on Earth is
found in the inner core of the planet.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1734:
A black slave known as Marie-Joseph Angélique, after having been
convicted of setting the fire that destroyed much of Montreal, was
tortured and then hanged in New France.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Joseph_Ang%C3%A9lique>
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>
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>
1973:
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered its decision in the landmark case
Miller v. California, establishing the "Miller test" for determining
what is obscene material.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_v._California>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
spinet (n):
A short, compact harpsichord
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spinet>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson>
In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American grunge
band Nirvana, released September 13, 1993 on DGC Records. Nirvana
intended the record to be significantly divergent from the polished
production of its previous album Nevermind (1991). To capture a more
abrasive and natural sound, the group hired producer Steve Albini to
record In Utero during a two-week period in February 1993. The music
was recorded quickly with few studio embellishments, and the song
lyrics and album packaging incorporated medical imagery that conveyed
frontman Kurt Cobain's outlook on his newfound fame and personal life.
Soon after recording was completed, rumors circulated in the press that
DGC might not release the album in its original state, as the record
label considered the result "uncommercial". Although Nirvana publicly
denied the statements, the group was not fully satisfied with the sound
Albini had captured. Albini declined to alter the album further, and
ultimately the band hired Scott Litt to make minor changes to the
album's sound and remix the singles "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All
Apologies". Upon release, In Utero entered the Billboard 200 chart at
number one and received critical acclaim as a drastic departure from
Nevermind. The record has been certified five times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America, and has sold over four
million copies in the United States alone.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Utero>
_______________________________
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.
<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>
1789:
French Revolution: Meeting on a tennis court near the Palace of
Versailles, members of France's Third Estate took the Tennis Court
Oath, pledging not to separate until a new constitution was
established.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_Court_Oath>
1837:
Victoria succeeded to the British throne, staring a reign that lasted
for more than 63 years.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_of_the_United_Kingdom>
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:
alluvial (adj):
Pertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alluvial>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
For every man who lives without freedom, the rest of us must face the
guilt.
--Lillian Hellman
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lillian_Hellman>
The Akutan Zero was a type 0 model 21 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Japanese
fighter plane which crash-landed on Akutan Island during World War II.
It was captured intact by the Americans in July 1942 and became the
first flyable Zero acquired by the United States during the war.
Following its capture, it was repaired and flown by American test
pilots. As a result of information gained during these tests, American
strategists were able to devise tactics to defeat the Zero, which was
the Imperial Japanese Navy's primary fighter plane throughout the war.
The Akutan Zero was "a prize almost beyond value to the United States",
and "probably one of the greatest prizes of the Pacific war". Japanese
historian Masatake Okumiya noted that the acquisition of the Akutan
Zero "was no less serious" than the Japanese defeat at the Battle of
Midway, and that it "did much to hasten [Japan's] final defeat". The
Akutan Zero was destroyed in a training accident in 1945. Pieces of it
are preserved in several museums in the United States.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akutan_Zero>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1850:
Louise of the Netherlands married Crown Prince Karl of Sweden-Norway.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_of_the_Netherlands>
1939:
Former American baseball player Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, now commonly known in the United States
as "Lou Gehrig's Disease".
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Gehrig>
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>
2005:
Only six race cars competed in the United States Grand Prix at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana, after all the
Michelin-shod entrants were withdrawn due to safety concerns.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_United_States_Grand_Prix>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
truss (v):
1. To tie up a bird before cooking it.
2. To secure or bind with ropes
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/truss>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from
fear.
--Aung San Suu Kyi
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi>
The Euclidean algorithm is an efficient method for computing the
greatest common divisor. It is named for the ancient Greek
mathematician Euclid, who first described it. The GCD of two numbers is
the largest number that divides both of them without leaving a
remainder. The Euclidean algorithm is based on the principle that the
greatest common divisor of two numbers does not change if the smaller
number is subtracted from the larger number. Euclid's algorithm was
first described in Euclid's Elements (c. 300 BC), making it one of the
oldest numerical algorithms still in common use. The original algorithm
was described only for natural numbers and geometric lengths (real
numbers), but the algorithm was generalized in the 19th century to
other types of numbers, such as Gaussian integers and polynomials of
one variable. This led to modern abstract algebraic notions such as
Euclidean domains. The Euclidean algorithm has been generalized further
to other mathematical structures, such as knots and multivariate
polynomials. The Euclidean algorithm has many theoretical and practical
applications. It is a key element of the RSA algorithm, a public-key
encryption method widely used in electronic commerce.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclidean_algorithm>
_______________________________
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>
1264:
The Parliament of Ireland met at Castledermot in County Kildare, the
first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Ireland>
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>
1940:
World War II: 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_18_June>
1979:
The United States and the Soviet Union signed the SALT II treaty,
placing specific limits on each side's stock of nuclear weapons.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Arms_Limitation_Talks>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
colliery (n):
1. (UK) An underground coal mine, together with its surface buildings.
2. (US) A facility that supplies coal
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/colliery>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won.
--Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arthur_Wellesley%2C_1st_Duke_of_Wellington>
Richmond Bridge is a Grade I listed 18th-century stone arch bridge
which crosses the River Thames at Richmond, in southwest London,
England, connecting the two halves of the present-day London Borough of
Richmond upon Thames. Because the river meanders from its general west
to east direction to flow from southeast to northwest in this part of
London, what would otherwise be known as the north and south banks are
often referred to as the "Middlesex" (Twickenham) and "Surrey"
(Richmond) banks respectively, after the historic counties to which
each side once belonged. The bridge was built between 1774 and 1777 to
the designs of James Paine and Kenton Couse, as a replacement for a
ferry crossing which connected Richmond town centre on the east bank
with its neighbouring district of East Twickenham (St. Margarets) to
the west. Its construction was privately funded by a tontine scheme, to
pay for which tolls were charged until 1859. The bridge was widened and
slightly flattened in 1937–40, but otherwise still conforms to its
original design. The eighth Thames bridge to be built in what is now
Greater London, it is today the oldest surviving Thames bridge in
London.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Bridge%2C_London>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1462:
Forces led by Vlad III Dracula of Wallachia attacked an Ottoman camp
at night in an attempt to assassinate Mehmed II.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Attack>
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:
duteous (adj):
(archaic) Obsequious; submissively obedient
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/duteous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Our security strategies have not yet caught up with the risks we are
facing. The globalization that has swept away the barriers to the
movement of goods, ideas and people has also swept with it barriers
that confined and localized security threats.
--Mohamed ElBaradei
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mohamed_ElBaradei>
William D. Boyce was an American newspaper man, entrepreneur, magazine
publisher, and explorer. He was the founder of the Boy Scouts of
America and the short-lived Lone Scouts of America. Born in Plum
Township, Pennsylvania and an astute businessman, Boyce successfully
established several newspapers. He moved to Chicago to pursue his
entrepreneurial ambitions. There he established the Mutual Newspaper
Publishing Company and the weekly Saturday Blade. With his novel
employment of newsboys to boost newspaper sales, Boyce's namesake
publishing company maintained a circulation of 500,000 copies per week
by 1894. By the early years of the 20th century, Boyce had become a
multi-millionaire and had taken a step back from his businesses to
pursue his interests in civic affairs, devoting more time to traveling
and participating in expeditions. In 1909, he embarked on a two-month
trip to Europe and a large photographic expedition to Africa with
photographer George R. Lawrence and cartoonist John T. McCutcheon.
Boyce learned about Scouting while passing through London, England
during his first expedition to Africa in 1909. From its start, Boyce
focused the Scouting program on teaching self-reliance, citizenship,
resourcefulness, patriotism, obedience, cheerfulness, courage, and
courtesy in order "to make men". After clashing over the Scouting
program with Chief Scout Executive James E. West, he split from the BSA
and founded the LSA in January 1915, which catered to rural boys who
had limited opportunities to form a troop or a patrol. In June 1924, a
merger was completed between the BSA and the struggling LSA.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_D._Boyce>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1487:
Lancastrian forces defeated Yorkist supporters at the Battle of Stoke
Field in East Stoke, Nottinghamshire, England, the final battle of the
Wars of the Roses.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stoke_Field>
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>
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:
rosette (n):
1. An imitation of a rose by means of ribbon or other material, used
especially as a badge.
2. (architecture) An ornament in the form of a rose or roundel.
3.
(botany) One or more whorls of leaves, clustered tightly at the base of
a plant
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rosette>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
When you're 50 you start thinking about things you haven’t thought
about before. I used to think getting old was about vanity — but
actually it's about losing people you love. Getting wrinkles is
trivial.
--Joyce Carol Oates
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joyce_Carol_Oates>
Michael Tritter is a recurring character in the medical drama series
House, portrayed by David Morse. He is the main antagonist of the third
season, which ran between 2006 and 2007. Tritter is a police detective,
who tries to get Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) to apologize for
leaving him in an examination room with a thermometer in his rectum.
After House refuses to do so, Tritter researches House's background and
discovers the doctor's Vicodin addiction. Tritter turns people close to
House against him and forces House to go to rehab. When the case
ultimately comes to court, the judge sentences House to one night in
jail and finishing his rehabilitation, telling Tritter that she
believes House is not the drug addict he tried to make him out to be.
The character was created as somebody who could go "toe-to-toe" with
House. Morse, who had never seen the show before, was unsure if he
would portray the character and was not impressed after familiarizing
himself with the show. The excited reaction of his friends to the
acting opportunity finally convinced him to take the role. Initial
critical responses to the character were mostly positive, but critics
later felt that the seven-episode Tritter story arc became "boring".
However, Morse was praised for his portrayal, and gained an Outstanding
Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Award nomination for his appearance
in the episode "Finding Judas". Morse stated in a 2006 TV Guide
interview that, although he had discussed it with writers of the show,
bringing the character back on the show would be "practically
impossible".
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Tritter>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1219:
Northern Crusades: According to a popular Danish legend, the Dannebrog
(Flag of Denmark), today one of the oldest state flags in the world
still in use, fell from the sky and gave the Danish forces renewed hope
to defeat the Estonians at the Battle of Lyndanisse.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Denmark>
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 is since then
known as Queen Noor of Jordan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Noor_of_Jordan>
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:
mortmain (n):
1. The possession of lands by a corporation or non-personal entity such
as the Church.
2. (figuratively) A strong and inalienable possession
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mortmain>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I protect my right to be a Catholic by preserving your right to believe
as a Jew, a Protestant, or non-believer, or as anything else you
choose. We know that the price of seeking to force our beliefs on
others is that they might some day force theirs on us.
--Mario Cuomo
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mario_Cuomo>
The Sei Whale is a baleen whale, the third largest rorqual after the
Blue Whale and the Fin Whale. It can be found worldwide in all oceans
and adjoining seas, and prefers deep off-shore waters. It tends to
avoid polar and tropical waters and semi-enclosed bodies of water. The
Sei Whale migrates annually from cool and subpolar waters in summer to
temperate and subtropical waters for winter, although in most areas the
exact migration routes are not well known. The whales reach lengths of
up to 20 metres (66 ft) long and weigh up to 45 tonnes (50 tons). It
consumes an average of 900 kilograms (2,000 lb) of food each day,
primarily copepods and krill, and other zooplankton. It is among the
fastest of all cetaceans, and can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometres
per hour (31 mi/hr, 27 knots) over short distances. The whale's name
comes from the Norwegian word for pollock, a fish that appears off the
coast of Norway at the same time of the year as the Sei Whale.
Following large-scale commercial hunting of the species between the
late-nineteenth and late-twentieth centuries when over 238,000
individuals were taken, the Sei Whale is now an internationally
protected species, although limited hunting still occurs under
controversial research programmes conducted by Iceland and Japan. As of
2006, the worldwide population of the Sei Whale was about 54,000, about
a fifth of its pre-whaling population.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sei_Whale>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1645:
English Civil War: In the Battle of Naseby, the main army of King
Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army under Sir
Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Naseby>
1807:
In the last major battle in the War of the Fourth Coalition, the French
defeated the Russians at the Battle of Friedland near present-day
Pravdinsk, Russia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Friedland>
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>
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:
stolid (adj):
Having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stolid>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
True love ennobles and dignifies the material labors of life; and
homely services rendered for love's sake have in them a poetry that is
immortal.
--Harriet Beecher Stowe
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe>
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates,
mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United
Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading
posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a
century, was the foremost global power. By 1922, the British Empire
held sway over a population of about 458 million people, one-quarter of
the world's population, and approximately a quarter of the Earth's
total land area. As a result, its political, linguistic and cultural
legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was often said that
"the sun never sets on the British Empire" because its span across the
globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its
numerous territories. The growth of Germany and the United States
eroded Britain's economic lead by the end of the 19th century.
Subsequent military and economic tensions between Britain and Germany
were major causes of the First World War, for which Britain leaned
heavily upon its Empire. The Second World War accelerated the decline
of the Empire. Within two years of the end of the war, Britain granted
independence to its most populous and valuable colony, India. During
the remainder of the 20th century, most of the territories of the
Empire became independent. After independence, many former British
colonies joined the Commonwealth of Nations, a free association of
independent states. Fourteen territories remain under British
sovereignty, the British overseas territories.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1525:
Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora , against the celibacy
discipline decreed by the Roman Catholic Church on 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/The_New_York_Times>
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:
chunter (v):
1. (British, slang) To speak in a soft, indistinct manner, mutter.
2. (British, slang) To grumble, complain
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chunter>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
So long as all is ordered for attack, and that alone, leaders will
instinctively increase the number of enemies that they may give their
followers something to do.
--William Butler Yeats
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Butler_Yeats>