The A and B Loop is a streetcar circle route of the Portland Streetcar
system in Portland, Oregon, United States. Operated by Portland
Streetcar, Inc. and TriMet, it consists of two services within the
Central City that travel a loop between the east and west sides of the
Willamette River by crossing the Broadway Bridge (pictured) in the north
and Tilikum Crossing in the south. The services connect Portland's
downtown, Pearl District, Lloyd District, Central Eastside, and South
Waterfront. Portland city officials considered an eastside streetcar
extension upon authorizing the Central City Streetcar project in 1997.
After several years of planning, the Portland Streetcar Loop Project was
approved and held its groundbreaking in 2009. It opened between the
Broadway Bridge and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry on
September 22, 2012. The opening of Tilikum Crossing in 2015 further
extended its tracks from the museum to the South Waterfront and
completed the loop.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_and_B_Loop>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1869:
Das Rheingold, the first of four operas in Der Ring des
Nibelungen by the German composer Richard Wagner, was first performed in
Munich.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Rheingold>
1934:
One of Britain's worst mining accidents took place when an
explosion at Gresford Colliery in Wales killed 266 men.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gresford_disaster>
1979:
An American Vela satellite detected an unidentified flash of
light near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be
a nuclear weapons test.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vela_incident>
1994:
The Nordhordland Bridge, crossing Salhusfjorden between
Klauvaneset and Flatøy in Vestland, and Norway's second-longest bridge,
officially opened.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordhordland_Bridge>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
alexipharmic:
1. (pharmacology, chiefly archaic or historical) Synonym of alexipharmac
(“of or pertaining to an alexipharmac; also, acting as an alexipharmac
by protecting against or warding off the ill effects of a harmful
substance, especially a poison or venom”)
2. (pharmacology, chiefly archaic or historical, also figuratively)
Synonym of alexipharmac (“a medical remedy for protecting the body, or
an antidote, against harmful substances, especially a poison or venom
(specifically, that of a snake)”); an antidote.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alexipharmic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Let us speak plainly. A permanent member of the United Nations
Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase a sovereign
state from the map. Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of
the United Nations Charter … the clear prohibition against countries
taking the territory of their neighbor by force. Again, just today,
President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe and a
reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation
regime. Now Russia is … calling up more soldiers to join the fight.
And the Kremlin is organizing a sham referenda to try to annex parts of
Ukraine, an extremely significant violation of the U.N. Charter. This
world should see these outrageous acts for what they are. Putin claims
he had to act because Russia was threatened. But no one threatened
Russia, and no one other than Russia sought conflict. … Putin’s own
words make his true purpose unmistakable. Just before he invaded, Putin
asserted — and I quote — Ukraine was "created by Russia" and never
had, quote, "real statehood." … This war is about extinguishing
Ukraine’s right to exist as a state, plain and simple, and Ukraine’s
right to exist as a people. Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever
you believe … that should make your blood run cold. That’s why 141
nations in the General Assembly came together to unequivocally condemn
Russia’s war against Ukraine. … We chose principles to which every
party to the United Nations Charter is beholding. We stood with Ukraine.
--Joe Biden
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden>
Alexander Cameron Rutherford (1857–1941) was the first premier of
Alberta. Born in Ormond, Canada West, he became a lawyer in Ottawa
before moving to the North-West Territories in 1895. He won a seat in
the North-West Legislative Assembly, and in 1905 he was asked to form
the new province's first government. As premier, with a majority in the
Legislative Assembly of Alberta, he created the apparatus of government
and supported the controversial selection of Edmonton as capital. Faced
with labour unrest in the coal mining industry, the government
established a commission to examine the problem. A project to develop
new railways led to the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal;
Rutherford eventually resigned but kept his legislative seat. He was
defeated in the 1913 election by Herbert Crawford, a Conservative, but
was made King's Counsel afterwards. After leaving politics, he continued
his law practice and became chancellor of the University of Alberta
until his death by a heart attack.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Cameron_Rutherford>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
American Revolutionary War: The Great Fire of New York
(depicted) broke out during the British occupation of New York City,
destroying up to 1,000 buildings.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_New_York_%281776%29>
1934:
The Muroto typhoon, the strongest in Japanese history at the
time, made landfall on the mainland, killing more than 3,000 and leaving
around 200,000 homeless.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1934_Muroto_typhoon>
1937:
J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy children's novel The Hobbit, which
later served as a prelude to The Lord of the Rings, was first published.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit>
1968:
The Soviet Union's Zond 5 landed in the Indian Ocean, becoming
the first spacecraft to safely return to Earth after circling the Moon.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zond_5>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
cheeselet:
1. (chiefly Malta) A small, usually roundish lump of cheese; a baby
cheese; specifically, a particular type made with sheep's milk in Malta.
2. (US, archaic) A baked dish of bread and cheese covered with a mixture
of eggs and milk.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cheeselet>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Oh the sisters of mercy, they are not departed or gone. They
were waiting for me when I thought that I just can't go on. And they
brought me their comfort and later they brought me this song. Oh I hope
you run into them, you who've been travelling so long.
--Leonard Cohen
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leonard_Cohen>
A.C. Monza is a professional football club that is based in Monza,
Lombardy, Italy. The team plays in the Serie A, the first tier of
Italian football, following promotion in the 2021–22 Serie B season.
The club was founded in 1912 (first lineup pictured), with its first
recorded win on 20 September 1912. On multiple occasions in the 1970s,
the club came close to promotion to the Serie A, but were twice
declared bankrupt, in 2004 and 2015. Following Silvio Berlusconi's 2018
takeover of the club, Monza was promoted to the Serie B in 2020 after a
19-year absence; no Italian team had played more Serie B seasons (40)
without playing in the Serie A. Monza have won the Coppa Italia
Serie C a record four times, the Serie C championship four times, and
an Anglo-Italian Cup. Monza's colours were initially blue and white but
were changed to red and white in 1932; as a result, they are nicknamed i
biancorossi ('the white and reds'). They have played home matches at the
Stadio Brianteo since 1988.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.C._Monza>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1643:
First English Civil War: The First Battle of Newbury was fought
in Berkshire; Parliamentarian forces were allowed to pass Royalist
troops to retreat the next morning.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Newbury>
1943:
World War II: Australian troops led by Gordon Grimsley King
defeated Imperial Japanese forces at the Battle of Kaiapit in New
Guinea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kaiapit>
1967:
L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, announced the
story of Xenu in a taped lecture sent to all Scientologists.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu>
1977:
A series of celestial phenomena of disputed nature was observed
in the western Soviet Union, Finland and Denmark.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrozavodsk_phenomenon>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
shanti:
1. (Hinduism) A call for peace, often recited three times as a prayer
for peace of the soul.
2. (Hinduism) Peace, tranquility.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shanti>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Strong families use the word "we" a lot, but "I" is never
forgotten.
--Joyce Brothers
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joyce_Brothers>
Elizabeth II (1926–2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other
Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death. The first
child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen
Elizabeth), she became heir presumptive when the duke became king in
1936 upon the abdication of Edward VIII. During the Second World War,
she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She married Philip
Mountbatten in 1947; they were wed for 73 years until his death in 2021.
She became queen on her father's death in 1952, and reigned for seven
decades through dramatic changes in her realms, attaining the oldest age
of any British monarch (96), and having the longest reign. She endured
media criticism of her family over the breakups of her children's
marriages, and after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.
However, support for the monarchy in Britain remained high, as did her
popularity. Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle and was succeeded by her
eldest son, Charles III.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1944:
World War II: Finland, the Soviet Union, and the United
Kingdom signed the Moscow Armistice to end the Continuation War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuation_War>
1950:
Korean War: A North Korean attack was repelled by Allied forces
at the Battle of Nam River.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nam_River>
1985:
An earthquake registering Mw 8.0 struck Mexico City, killing
at least 9,000 people and leaving up to 100,000 homeless.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Mexico_City_earthquake>
2011:
Mariano Rivera surpassed Trevor Hoffman to become Major League
Baseball's all-time leader in saves.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariano_Rivera>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
unwavering:
1. Not wavering.
2. Always on course and steady.
3. Not doubting or unsure; decisive, firm, resolute.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unwavering>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors —
a noble motto, "I serve". Those words were an inspiration to many bygone
heirs to the Throne when they made their knightly dedication as they
came to manhood. I cannot do quite as they did. But through the
inventions of science I can do what was not possible for any of them. I
can make my solemn act of dedication with a whole Empire listening. I
should like to make that dedication now. It is very simple. I declare
before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be
devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to
which we all belong.
--Elizabeth II
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II>
Rotavirus is a genus of double-stranded RNA virus and the leading cause
of severe diarrhoea among infants and young children, nearly all of whom
have an infection by age five. Rotavirus A, the most common species,
causes more than 90 per cent of human infections. Rotavirus is
transmitted by the faecal–oral route. It infects cells that line the
small intestine and produces an enterotoxin, which induces
gastroenteritis, leading to severe diarrhoea and sometimes death through
dehydration. Campaigns to combat rotaviruses focus on oral rehydration
therapy for infected children and vaccination. Vaccines introduced in
the 2000s have reduced the severity of infections in children and
lowered hospitalisation rates. Although rotavirus was discovered in 1973
by Ruth Bishop and her colleagues, its importance has historically been
underestimated within the public health community, particularly in
developing countries. Rotavirus also infects animals and is a pathogen
of livestock.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotavirus>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1918:
World War I: The Central Powers' defeat at the Battle of Dobro
Pole played a role in the Bulgarian withdrawal from the war and led to
the subsequent liberation of Vardar Macedonia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dobro_Pole>
1948:
The Australian cricket team's Invincibles tour of England
concluded; they had played 34 matches, including five Tests, without
defeat.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_cricket_team_in_England_in_1948>
1974:
Hurricane Fifi struck Honduras, destroying 182 towns and
villages in the first 24 hours, and ultimately causing more than 8,000
deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Fifi%E2%80%93Orlene>
2014:
Scotland (flag pictured) voted against independence from the
United Kingdom.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Scottish_independence_referendum>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
particularity:
1. (countable)
2. A particular thing.
3. A distinctive characteristic or quality; a peculiarity.
4. (obsolete) A particular case or matter.
5. (uncountable)
6. The condition of being particular rather than general or universal;
specificity.
7. (Christianity, theology) The doctrine of the incarnation of God as
Jesus occurring at a particular place and time.
8. (Christianity, Judaism, theology, obsolete) Synonym of particularism
(“the principle that only certain people are chosen by God for
salvation”)
9. Attention to detail; fastidiousness.
10. (obsolete)
11. The condition of being special; peculiarity, specialness.
12. The condition of being special in an unexpected way; oddness,
strangeness; (countable) an instance of this.
13. The paying of particular close attention to someone; (countable) an
instance of this.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/particularity>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
You can always tell an old battlefield where many men have lost
their lives. The next spring the grass comes up greener and more
luxuriant than on the surrounding countryside; the poppies are redder,
the corn-flowers more blue. They grow over the field and down the sides
of the shell holes and lean, almost touching, across the abandoned
trenches in a mass of color that ripples all day in the direction that
the wind blows. They take the pits and scars out of the torn land and
make it a sweet, sloping surface again. Take a wood, now, or a ravine:
In a year's time you could never guess the things which had taken place
there. … To me it has always seemed that God is so sickened with men,
and their unending cruelty to each other, that he covers the places
where they have been as quickly as possible.
--William March
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_March>
NASA Astronaut Group 2 was the second group of astronauts selected by
NASA; their names were announced on September 17, 1962. President
Kennedy had announced Project Apollo, with the goal of putting a man on
the Moon by the end of the decade, and more astronauts were required to
fly the two-person Gemini spacecraft and three-person Apollo spacecraft
then under development. The Mercury Seven had been selected for the
simpler task of orbital flight, but the challenges of space rendezvous
and lunar landing led to the selection of candidates with advanced
engineering degrees (for four of the nine) as well as test pilot
experience. The nine were Neil Armstrong, Frank Borman, Pete Conrad, Jim
Lovell, James McDivitt, Elliot See, Tom Stafford, Ed White and John
Young. Six of the nine flew to the Moon (Lovell and Young twice), and
Armstrong, Conrad and Young walked on it as well. Seven of the nine were
awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. (This article is part
of a featured topic: NASA Astronaut Group 2.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/NASA_Astronaut_Grou…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1775:
American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army under Richard
Montgomery began the Siege of Fort St. Jean in the British province of
Quebec.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_St._Jean>
1939:
World War II: The Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east,
sixteen days after Nazi Germany's attack on the country from the west.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland>
1958:
Tintin in Tibet, the twentieth volume of The Adventures of
Tintin by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé and which he regarded as his
favourite in the series, began serialisation.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tintin_in_Tibet>
1970:
The Jordanian army entered Amman as part of operations to oust
Palestinian fedayeen from the country in events later known as Black
September (smoke over city pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_September>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
true blue:
1. Steadfastly faithful or loyal; unwavering in loyalty; staunch, true.
2. (specifically)
3. Patriotic.
4. (Britain) Of or pertaining to the (historical) Tory, and now the
Conservative, political party; hence, steadfastly conservative.
5. (Scotland, historical) Of or pertaining to the Scottish Presbyterian
or Whig political party in the 17th century; hence, steadfastly
Presbyterian.
6. Representing the true essence of something; authentic, genuine,
honest.
7. (specifically, Australia, informal) Representing authentic Australian
culture, values, etc.
8. (Britain) Aristocratic by birth. [...]
9. (countable) A faithful partisan or supporter of a cause, person,
political party, etc.
10. (uncountable, historical) A blue dye from Coventry, England, famous
for not washing out.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/true_blue>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Man will not always stay on earth; the pursuit of light and space
will lead him to penetrate the bounds of the atmosphere, timidly at
first, but in the end to conquer the whole of solar space.
--Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Konstantin_Tsiolkovsky>
In September 2019, there was a sudden and unexpected spike in interest
rates on overnight repurchase agreements (or "repos") – short-term
loans between financial institutions. The interest rate on overnight
repos in the United States increased from 2.43 percent on September 16
to 5.25 percent (graph shown). During the trading day, interest rates
reached 10 percent. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York injected
$75 billion into the repo market on September 17 and every morning for
the rest of the week. On September 19, the Federal Reserve lowered the
interest paid on bank reserves. These actions calmed the markets and, by
September 20, rates had returned to a stable level. The Federal Reserve
Bank of New York continued to regularly provide liquidity to the repo
market until June 2020. Economists identified the main cause of the
spike as a temporary shortage of cash available in the financial system,
caused by the deadline for the payment of quarterly corporate taxes and
the issuing of new Treasury securities.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_2019_events_in_the_U.S._repo_market>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1940:
Second World War: Italian forces captured the town of Sidi
Barrani, but their invasion of Egypt progressed no further.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_invasion_of_Egypt>
1961:
The U.S. National Hurricane Research Project sought to weaken
Hurricane Esther by seeding it with silver iodide, leading to the
establishment of Project Stormfury.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Stormfury>
1982:
A Lebanese militia under the direct command of Elie Hobeika
carried out a massacre in the Palestinian refugee camp of Sabra and
Shatila, killing at least 460 civilians.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre>
1990:
Construction of the Northern Xinjiang railway was completed
between Ürümqi South and Alashankou, linking the railway lines of
China and Kazakhstan, and adding a sizeable portion to the Eurasian Land
Bridge.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Land_Bridge>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
pellucid:
1. Allowing the passage of light; translucent or transparent.
2. (figuratively)
3. Easily understood; clear.
4. Of music or some other sound: not discordant or harsh; clear and
pure-sounding.
5. Of a person, their mind, etc.: able to think and understand clearly;
not confused; clear, sharp.
6. (archaic) Easily recognized or seen through; apparent, obvious.
7. (obsolete, rare) Something which allows the passage of light; a
translucent or transparent object.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pellucid>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of
incompetence.
--Laurence J. Peter
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Laurence_J._Peter>
The Uskok class was a class of two motor torpedo boats, Uskok and
Četnik, built for the Royal Yugoslav Navy. Laid down on 15 September
1926 and launched in May 1927, they were lightly built using mahogany
and powered by two petrol engines. Their main armament was two British-
designed 456 mm (18 in) torpedoes. They were also fitted with
hydrophones and could carry depth charges instead of torpedoes if used
in an anti-submarine role. When the Axis invaded Yugoslavia in
April 1941, Italian forces captured both boats. Commissioned in the
Royal Italian Navy, the boats operated out of the Dalmatian port of
Šibenik, their pre-war base. Their aged condition meant they were only
used for patrolling and second-line duties. Uskok sank near the
Dalmatian island of Mljet in July 1942 when its hull failed. Četnik
was no longer fully operational by September 1943. Soon after Italy
capitulated, its crew escaped and sailed it to Taranto in Allied-held
southern Italy. Četnik survived the war but sources differ on its fate.
(This article is part of a featured topic: Ships of the Royal Yugoslav
Navy.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Ships_of_the_Royal_…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1830:
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&M;), the first
locomotive-hauled railway to connect two major cities, opened with the
Duke of Wellington in attendance.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opening_of_the_Liverpool_and_Manchester_Railw…>
1902:
The first hydroelectric dam in Turkey began operations at
Tarsus.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity_in_Turkey>
1935:
Nazi Germany enacted the Nuremberg Laws, which deprived Jews of
their citizenship.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Laws>
1972:
Three armed members of the Croatian National Resistance
hijacked Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 130 in an attempt to force
the release of those arrested for the assassination of the Yugoslav
ambassador the previous year.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavian_Airlines_System_Flight_130>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
electorate:
1. The collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who
are entitled to vote.
2. (historical) The office, or area of dominion, of an Elector (“a
German prince entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”);
an electorship.
3. (chiefly Australia, New Zealand) A geographical area represented by
one or more elected officials; a constituency, an electoral district.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/electorate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What often prevents us from abandoning ourselves to one vice is
that we have several.
--François de La Rochefoucauld
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_de_La_Rochefoucauld>
The Macintosh Classic is a personal computer sold by Apple Computer from
October 15, 1990, to September 14, 1992. The Classic was similar to its
predecessors: due to limited technological advances, it had the same
9-inch (23 cm) monochrome CRT display, 512 × 342 pixel resolution,
and 4 megabyte (MB) memory limit of older Macintosh computers.
Nevertheless, the Classic featured several improvements over the
Macintosh Plus, which it replaced as Apple's low-end Mac computer. It
was up to 25 percent faster than the Plus and included an Apple
SuperDrive 3.5-inch (9 cm) floppy disk drive as standard. Apple
released two versions that ranged in price from US$1,000 to $1,500.
Reviewers' reactions were mixed; most focused on the slow processor
performance and lack of expansion slots. They also noted that the
Classic was powerful enough for word processing, spreadsheets, and
databases. The price and availability of education software led to the
computer's popularity in education.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Classic>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1723:
António Manoel de Vilhena, Grand Master of the Knights
Hospitaller, laid the first stone of Fort Manoel in Malta.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Manoel>
1960:
At a conference held in Baghdad, the governments of Iran, Iraq,
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela founded OPEC to help coordinate
their petroleum policies and influence global oil prices.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEC>
1979:
Afghan president Nur Muhammad Taraki was overthrown and later
killed on the orders of Hafizullah Amin, who succeeded him.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nur_Muhammad_Taraki>
1992:
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared the
breakaway Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia to be unconstitutional.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_Republic_of_Herzeg-Bosnia>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bespawl:
(transitive, obsolete) To daub, make foul, or soil (someone or
something) with spawl or spittle.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bespawl>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Beauty is composed of an eternal, invariable element whose
quantity is extremely difficult to determine, and a relative element
which might be, either by turns or all at once, period, fashion, moral,
passion.
--Jean-Luc Godard
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean-Luc_Godard>
Tessa Sanderson (born 1956) is a retired British javelin thrower. She
appeared in every Summer Olympics from 1976 to 1996, winning the gold
medal in the javelin at the 1984 Olympics. She was the first Black
British woman to win an Olympic gold medal, and the second track and
field athlete to compete at six Olympics. Sanderson won gold medals at
three Commonwealth Games and at the 1992 IAAF World Cup. She set five
Commonwealth records and ten British national records in the javelin, as
well as records at junior and masters levels. Sanderson had a rivalry
with fellow Briton Fatima Whitbread, who took the bronze in the 1984
Olympics. Sanderson was a sports reporter for Sky News when it began
broadcasting in 1989. She was vice-chair of Sport England from 1999 to
2005, and later established the Tessa Sanderson Foundation and Academy,
which aims to encourage young people and people with disabilities to
take up sport. She became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in 2004.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessa_Sanderson>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1759:
French and Indian War: British forces won the Battle of the
Plains of Abraham near Quebec City, despite General James Wolfe being
mortally wounded.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Plains_of_Abraham>
1959:
The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 (model pictured) impacted the
Moon, becoming the first spacecraft to reach another celestial body.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_2>
1964:
South Vietnamese generals Lâm Văn Phát and Dương Văn
Đức staged a coup attempt after being demoted by junta leader
Nguyễn Khánh.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_1964_South_Vietnamese_coup_attempt>
1985:
Super Mario Bros., one of the most influential and best-selling
video games in history, was first released in Japan for the Nintendo
Entertainment System.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros.>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
babber:
1. A baby.
2. A friend.
3. (East Anglia, fishing) A fisherman using babs (“baits consisting of
bundles of live worms”) to catch eels.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/babber>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Yesterday and today, the Russian army struck the Ukrainian energy
infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians found themselves in
the dark — without electricity. Houses, hospitals, schools, communal
infrastructure … Russian missiles hit precisely those objects that
have absolutely nothing to do with the infrastructure of the Armed
Forces of our country. On the one hand, this is a sign of the
desperation of those who invented this war. This is how they react to
the defeat of Russian troops in the Kharkiv region. They can't do
anything to our heroes on the battlefield, and that's why Russia is
directing its vile strikes against civilian infrastructure.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>