Palladian architecture is an architectural style based on the work
of Andrea Palladio. Buildings which adhere to his concepts of symmetry,
perspective and the principles of classical architecture are described
as Palladian. This can be seen at Villa La Rotonda (pictured), one of
Palladio's most influential designs, which he began around 1565. The
style spread from Italy in the early 17th century and was introduced to
England by Inigo Jones. The early 18th century saw a resurgence led by
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, whose own Chiswick House, and
Holkham Hall with William Kent, are among the finest English Palladian
buildings. In North America, Palladianism was taken up by Thomas
Jefferson; his home, Monticello, was based on a design by Palladio. The
style was superseded by Neoclassical architecture in the later 18th
century, and in the 19th both were eclipsed by the Gothic Revival.
Palladio remains an influential architect and works in his style
continue to be built.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palladian_architecture>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1762:
Anglo-Spanish War: The United Kingdom captured Havana after a
five-week siege, holding it until the Treaty of Paris the following
year.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Havana>
1876:
The Bayreuth Festival, now known for showcasing the stage works
of Richard Wagner, was inaugurated under the direction of Wagner and his
wife Cosima.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosima_Wagner>
1999:
The Act on National Flag and Anthem was adopted, formally
establishing the Hinomaru (design illustrated) and "Kimigayo" as the
Japanese national flag and anthem, respectively.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_on_National_Flag_and_Anthem>
2004:
Hurricane Charley struck the U.S. state of Florida, just 22
hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie inflicted its own damage to the
region.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Bonnie_%282004%29>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
sing small:
1. (idiomatic)
2. To assume a humble tone.
3. To not say anything; to keep quiet.
4. To play a minor part.
5. (singing, obsolete) To sing softly.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sing_small>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The symbols of religion are ciphers of which the key is to be
found in moral experience. It is in vain we pore over the ciphers unless
we possess the key. To understand the meaning of a great religious
teacher we must find in our own life experiences somewhat akin to his.
To selfish, unprincipled persons whose heart is wholly set on worldly
ends, what meaning, for instance, can such utterances have as these?
"You must become like little children if you would possess the kingdom
of heaven;" "You must be willing to lose your life in order to save it;"
"If you would be first you must consent to be last." To the worldly-
minded such words convey no sense whatever; they are, in fact, rank
absurdity.
--Felix Adler
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Felix_Adler>
Wipeout 2048 is a racing video game in which players pilot anti-gravity
ships around futuristic race tracks. It was developed by SCE Studio
Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. A launch title
for the PlayStation Vita hand-held console, the game was released on
19 January 2012 in Japan and on 22 February in Europe. It is the ninth
instalment of the series Wipeout and the last game to be developed by
Studio Liverpool. Wipeout 2048 is a prequel to the first game in the
series. It was designed as a test-bed for the Vita. Studio Liverpool's
suggestions of a touchscreen device and two separate analogue sticks
were eventually incorporated into the console. Wipeout 2048 includes
downloadable content and an online multiplayer mode, and allows cross-
platform play with PlayStation 3 owners of Wipeout HD. Reviewers
agreed that the game's graphics and visuals showcased the power of the
Vita, but criticised its long loading times and other technical issues.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wipeout_2048>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1883:
The last known quagga (example pictured), a subspecies of the
plains zebra, died at Natura Artis Magistra, a zoo in Amsterdam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quagga>
1945:
An official administrative history of the Manhattan Project,
written by American physicist Henry DeWolf Smyth, was released to the
public days after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smyth_Report>
2000:
Kursk, an Oscar-class submarine of the Russian Navy, suffered
an on-board explosion and sank in the Barents Sea during a military
exercise with 118 lives lost.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kursk_submarine_disaster>
2016:
The state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company inaugurated the
first beer festival in North Korea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_North_Korea>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
training wheel:
1. (military, historical) A wheel forming part of the machinery of a
cannon or a similar firearm which is turned to train or aim the weapon
at a target.
2. (rail transport, archaic) Synonym of trailing wheel (“on a steam
locomotive, an unpowered wheel or axle located behind the driving
wheels”)
3. (chiefly Canada, US and in the plural, cycling) One of a pair of
small wheels, each attached to one side of a bicycle's rear wheel to
provide support for new riders.
4. (figuratively) Anything designed to make something easier for a
novice. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/training_wheel>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Faithful adherence to the rule of law is the bedrock principle of
the Justice Department and of our democracy. Upholding the rule of law
means applying the law evenly, without fear or favor. Under my watch,
that is precisely what the Justice Department is doing. All Americans
are entitled to the even handed application of the law, to due process
of the law, and to the presumption of innocence. Much of our work is by
necessity conducted out of the public eye. We do that to protect the
constitutional rights of all Americans and to protect the integrity of
our investigations.… Let me address recent unfounded attacks on the
professionalism of the FBI and Justice Department agents and
prosecutors. I will not stand by silently when their integrity is
unfairly attacked. The men and women of the FBI and the Justice
Department are dedicated, patriotic public servants. Every day, they
protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism and other
threats to their safety, while safeguarding our civil rights. They do so
at great personal sacrifice and risk to themselves. I am honored to work
alongside them. This is all I can say right now. More information will
be made available in the appropriate way and at the appropriate time.
--Merrick Garland
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Merrick_Garland>
C. J. Cregg is a fictional character, played by Allison Janney
(pictured), on the American serial television drama The West Wing. From
the beginning of the series in 1999 until the sixth season in 2004, she
is White House press secretary in the administration of President Josiah
Bartlet. After that, she serves as the president's chief of staff until
the end of the show in 2006. The character is said to have been
partially inspired by real-life White House press secretary Dee Dee
Myers, who worked as a consultant on the show. Aaron Sorkin, the show's
creator, designed Cregg to be assertive and independent from the show's
men. She is portrayed as a smart, strong, witty, and thoughtful
character, although she is frequently patronized and objectified by her
male coworkers. Initially, she is portrayed as politically inept, but
she quickly becomes one of the most savvy characters on the show. For
her performance, Janney received four Primetime Emmy Awards and four
Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._J._Cregg>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1309:
Reconquista: Aragonese forces led by King James II landed on
the coast of Almería, beginning an ultimately unsuccessful siege of the
city, then held by the Emirate of Granada.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Almer%C3%ADa_%281309%29>
1786:
Francis Light founded George Town, the first British settlement
in Southeast Asia and the present-day capital of the Malaysian state of
Penang.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Town,_Penang>
1952:
King Talal of Jordan was forced to abdicate due to mental
illness and was succeeded by his eldest son Hussein (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussein_of_Jordan>
2012:
At least 306 people were killed and 3,000 others injured in a
pair of earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_East_Azerbaijan_earthquakes>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
vanity press:
(derogatory) A book publisher that lets the author pay the expenses of
publishing up front, leaving the risk of financial failure with the
author.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vanity_press>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We will not forget that the Russian war against Ukraine began
with the occupation of Crimea. Russia has turned our peninsula, which
has always been and will be one of the best places in Europe, into one
of the most dangerous places in Europe. Russia brought large-scale
repression, environmental problems, economic hopelessness and war to
Crimea. … The presence of Russian occupiers in Crimea is a threat to
the entire Europe and to global stability. The Black Sea region cannot
be safe as long as Crimea is occupied. There will be no stable and
lasting peace in many countries on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea
as long as Russia is able to use our peninsula as its military base.
This Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe
began with Crimea and must end with Crimea — with its liberation.
Today it is impossible to say when this will happen. But we are
constantly adding the necessary components to the formula of liberation
of Crimea. … The history of the global response to Russia's seizure of
Crimea, or rather the lack of such a response, is now one of the best
arguments for strengthening sanctions against Russia. The world is
beginning to recognize that it made a mistake in 2014 when it decided
not to respond with full force to Russia's first aggressive steps. …
>From the Kharkiv region to Kherson, from Donetsk to Enerhodar, from
Stanytsia Luhanska to Yalta, from Berdyansk to Novofedorivka — these
are all parts of our country, this is Ukraine, which will be completely
free. … I thank everyone who defends Ukraine! Eternal glory to all
who fight for freedom! Glory to Ukraine!
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>
The royal necropolis of Byblos is a group of nine Bronze Age underground
shaft and chamber tombs housing the sarcophagi of several kings of the
city. The site of Byblos (ruins pictured) was rediscovered in the late
19th century by French scholar Ernest Renan near modern Jbeil, Lebanon.
Byblos traded with Egypt during the Bronze Age; this influence was shown
in excavated reliefs bearing Egyptian hieroglyphs. In 1922, heavy rains
triggered a landslide exposing an underground tomb containing a massive
stone sarcophagus. The grave was explored by archaeologist Charles
Virolleaud and Egyptologist Pierre Montet, who unearthed eight more
tombs. The earliest tombs dated back to the 19th century BC; some were
unspoiled, and contained royal gifts from pharaohs Amenemhat III and
Amenemhat IV. The more recent graves, some from the Late Bronze Age,
were robbed in antiquity. Seven stone sarcophagi were discovered, all
undecorated except the Ahiram sarcophagus, famed for its Phoenician
inscription.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_necropolis_of_Byblos>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1844:
>From measurements of its motion, German astronomer Friedrich
Bessel deduced that Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, had an
unseen companion (both pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius>
1864:
José Antônio Saraiva announced that the Brazilian military
would exact reprisals after Uruguay's governing Blanco Party refused
Brazil's demands, beginning the Uruguayan War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguayan_War>
1897:
German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovered an improved method of
synthesizing aspirin.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_aspirin>
2007:
Amid large protests against the impending demolition of the
Queen's Pier, in Hong Kong, the High Court dismissed legal attempts to
preserve the landmark.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Pier>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
abstruse:
1. Difficult to comprehend or understand; obscure.
2. (obsolete) Concealed or hidden; secret.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/abstruse>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Novelists talk about their characters starting to do things they
didn’t expect them to. Well, I imagine every writer of biography or
history, as well as fiction, has the experience of suddenly seeing a few
pieces of the puzzle fit together. The chances of finding a new piece
are fairly remote — though I’ve never written a book where I
didn’t find something new — but it’s more likely you see something
that’s been around a long time that others haven’t seen. Sometimes
it derives from your own nature, your own interests. More often, it’s
just that nobody bothered to look closely enough.
--David McCullough
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_McCullough>
Saint Vincent Beer was a Bavarian-style beer brewed by monks at Saint
Vincent Archabbey in Unity Township, Pennsylvania, between 1856 and
1918. It was brewed with the permission of Pope Pius IX after a dispute
with the local diocese. The brewery was in a log cabin near the
gristmill and supplemented by a brick building in 1868. Production
peaked at around 1,100 barrels in 1891. Its popularity brought the
monastery to the attention of the Catholic temperance movement. In 1895,
Francesco Satolli, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, wrote to
Archabbot Leander Schnerr asking for brewing to be stopped. A media
campaign and criticism in Father George Zurcher's Monks and Their
Decline led to the end of external sale by 1900, although the monks
brewed for internal use for another 18 years. After the brewery was
closed in 1918 by Archabbot Aurelius Stehle, the buildings were used for
storage until they burned down in 1926 (restored gristmill pictured).
The recipe may have been lost, sold, or never written down.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Vincent_Beer>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1942:
The Blue Lotus, the fifth volume of The Adventures of Tintin by
the Belgian cartoonist Hergé and noted for its emphasis on countering
negative misconceptions of Chinese people, began serialisation.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Lotus>
1944:
The United States Forest Service authorized the use of Smokey
Bear as its mascot to replace Bambi.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Bear>
1960:
Led by Albert Kalonji, South Kasai, a state of the Republic of
the Congo (Léopoldville), declared its unrecognised secession.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Kasai>
1965:
The state of Singapore (flag pictured) was expelled from the
Malaysian federation due to a heated ideological conflict between their
respective ruling parties.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
sagamore:
1. Synonym of sachem
2. A chief of one or several Native American tribe(s), especially of the
Algonquians.
3. (informal, archaic) An eminent member of a group, or an eminent
person in society.
4. (politics) A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political
organization responsible for taking care of its property.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sagamore>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Sometimes there’s a miracle just beyond the pain When you can
see the rainbow in the rain.Live on, live on Brighter skies will come
again Cry the tears you cry and then live on, live on Love is all we
leave when we are gone Live on.
--Olivia Newton-John
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Olivia_Newton-John>
American actor Billy Porter wore a black velvet tuxedo dress designed by
Christian Siriano on the red carpet of the 91st Academy Awards (Oscars)
on February 24, 2019. Porter had recently come into public view for his
breakout role in the FX television series Pose, and his boundary-
pushing red carpet attire during the 2018–19 film awards season.
Following his appearance at the 76th Golden Globe Awards in a custom
silver suit with fuchsia-lined cape, he was invited to host red carpet
interviews at the Oscars pre-show. Porter approached Siriano and
together they conceived the tuxedo gown. It was well-received by fashion
journalists, who highlighted its elegant design and described it as a
favorite Oscars dress and one of Porter's most fashionable red carpet
looks. The gown cemented Porter's status as a celebrity and as a fashion
icon. Porter considers the outfit a piece of political art intended to
drive a conversation about men's fashion and masculinity. It has also
received praise from academics and the general public, as well as
criticism from conservative commentators.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Christian_Siriano_gown_of_Billy_Porter>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1919:
The Third Anglo-Afghan War ended with the United Kingdom
signing a treaty to recognise the independence of the Emirate of
Afghanistan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Afghan_War>
1929:
The German airship Graf Zeppelin departed Lakehurst, New
Jersey, on a flight to circumnavigate the world.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_127_Graf_Zeppelin>
2009:
Nine people died when a tour helicopter and a small private
airplane collided over the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Hudson_River_mid-air_collision>
2014:
The World Health Organization declared the Western African
Ebola virus epidemic, which began in December 2013, to be a public
health emergency of international concern.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_African_Ebola_virus_epidemic>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
incommode:
1. To make (someone) uncomfortable; to discomfort, to disturb, to
trouble.
2. To cause (someone or something) inconvenience; to hinder, to impede,
to inconvenience, to obstruct.
3. (formal, obsolete) Synonym of incommodious
4. Inapt; unsuitable.
5. Inconvenient; troublesome.
6. (formal, obsolete) Something which causes inconvenience or trouble; a
bother, an incommodity, an inconvenience.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/incommode>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I hope that I will have hastened the start of that process of
healing which is so desperately needed in America. I regret deeply any
injuries that may have been done in the course of the events that led to
this decision. I would say only that if some of my judgments were wrong,
and some were wrong, they were made in what I believed at the time to be
the best interest of the Nation. To those who have stood with me during
these past difficult months, to my family, my friends, to many others
who joined in supporting my cause because they believed it was right, I
will be eternally grateful for your support. And to those who have not
felt able to give me your support, let me say I leave with no bitterness
toward those who have opposed me, because all of us, in the final
analysis, have been concerned with the good of the country, however our
judgments might differ. So, let us all now join together in affirming
that common commitment and in helping our new President succeed for the
benefit of all Americans.
--Richard Nixon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon>
The springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) is a medium-sized antelope found
mainly in the dry areas of southern and southwestern Africa. A slender,
long-legged bovid, it reaches 71 to 86 cm (28 to 34 in) at the
shoulder and weighs between 27 and 42 kg (60 and 93 lb). Both sexes
have a pair of long black horns that curve backwards, a white face, a
dark stripe running from the eyes to the mouth, a light-brown coat with
a reddish-brown stripe, and a white rump flap. Primarily browsing at
dawn and dusk, it can live without drinking water for years, subsisting
on succulent vegetation. Breeding peaks in the rainy season, when food
is more abundant. A single calf is weaned at nearly six months of age
and leaves its mother a few months later. Springbok herds in the
Kalahari Desert and the semi-arid Karoo used to migrate in large numbers
across the countryside. This antelope species is one of the few with an
expanding population. The springbok is the national animal of South
Africa.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springbok>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1461:
Ming Chinese general Cao Qin staged a failed coup against the
Tianshun Emperor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebellion_of_Cao_Qin>
1914:
The Battle of Mulhouse began with France's first attack of
World War I in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to recover the region
of Alsace from Germany.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mulhouse>
1942:
World War II: U.S. Marines initiated the first American
offensive of the Guadalcanal campaign, with landings on Tulagi,
Gavutu–Tanambogo and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tulagi_and_Gavutu%E2%80%93Tanambogo>
1985:
Five members of the Bamber family were found murdered at a
farmhouse in Tolleshunt D'Arcy, England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Farm_murders>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
footfall:
1. (countable) The sound made by a footstep; also, the footstep or step
itself.
2. (uncountable, originally and chiefly Britain) The number of
pedestrians going into or passing through a place (especially a
commercial venue such as a shop) during a specified time period; also,
the pedestrians in a particular place regarded collectively; foot
traffic.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/footfall>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
In our nation’s 246 year history, there has never been an
individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He
tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself
in power after the voters had rejected him. He is a coward. A real man
wouldn’t lie to his supporters. He lost his election and he lost big.
I know it, he knows it and deep down I think most Republicans know it.
--Dick Cheney
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dick_Cheney>
"Dear Future Husband" is a song by Meghan Trainor (pictured), included
on her 2014 extended play debut Title, and later on her 2015 studio
album of the same name. Trainor wrote the song with its producer Kevin
Kadish. Epic Records released "Dear Future Husband" as the album's third
single on March 17, 2015. In it, she lists things a suitor needs to do
to win her. Some music critics praised the song's playful nature, while
others were negative about the portrayal of gender roles in its lyrics.
In the U.S., the song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and
was certified 3× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of
America. Fatima Robinson directed the music video for "Dear Future
Husband", which depicts Trainor baking pies in the kitchen and scrubbing
the floor while various men audition to be her partner. It garnered
controversy and online criticism over allegations of antifeminism and
sexism. Trainor performed the song on television and included it on the
set lists of her tours.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Future_Husband>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1945:
World War II: The U.S. Army Air Force bomber Enola Gay
(pictured with crew) dropped the Little Boy atomic bomb on Hiroshima,
Japan, killing about 70,000 people instantly.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boy>
1965:
U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act
into law, outlawing literacy tests and other discriminatory voting
practices that had been responsible for the widespread disfranchisement
of African Americans.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act_of_1965>
2008:
Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was
ousted from power by a group of high-ranking generals that he had
dismissed from office several hours earlier.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mauritanian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
supplicate:
1. (transitive)
2. To make a humble request to (someone, especially a person in
authority); to beg, to beseech, to entreat.
3. (specifically, Oxford University, archaic) Of a member of the
university, or an alumnus or alumna of another university seeking a
degree ad eundem: to make a formal request (to the university) that an
academic degree be awarded to oneself.
4. (specifically, religion) To make a humble request to (a deity or
other spiritual being) in a prayer; to entreat as a supplicant.
5. To ask or request (something) humbly and sincerely, especially from a
person in authority; to beg or entreat for.
6. (intransitive)
7. To humbly request for something, especially to someone in a position
of authority; to beg, to beseech, to entreat.
8. (specifically, Oxford University) Of a member of the university, or
an alumnus or alumna of another university seeking a degree ad eundem:
to formally request that an academic degree be awarded to oneself.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/supplicate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Though much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now
that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we
are, we are — One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time
and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to
yield.
--Alfred, Lord Tennyson
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfred,_Lord_Tennyson>
Herman the Archdeacon (before 1040 – c. 1097) was a member of the
household of Herfast, Bishop of East Anglia, in the 1070s and 1080s, and
then a monk of Bury St Edmunds Abbey in Suffolk. He was probably born in
Germany. Around 1070 he entered Herfast's household and assisted him in
his unsuccessful campaign to move his bishopric to Bury St Edmunds
Abbey. He remained with the bishop until the latter's death in 1084 and
had moved to the abbey as a monk by 1092. Herman was a colourful
character and a theatrical preacher, but he is chiefly known as an able
scholar who wrote the Miracles of St Edmund (excerpt shown), a
hagiographical account of miracles believed to have been posthumously
performed by Edmund, King of East Anglia. Herman's account also covered
the history of the eponymous abbey. Two revised versions of his Miracles
were later written: a shortened anonymous work which cut out the
historical information, and another by Goscelin, which was hostile to
Herman.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_the_Archdeacon>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1916:
First World War: The British Empire's Sinai and Palestine
campaign began with a victory at the Battle of Romani.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Romani>
1949:
An earthquake registering 6.4 Ms struck near Ambato, Ecuador,
killing 5,050 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1949_Ambato_earthquake>
1962:
American actress and model Marilyn Monroe was found dead of a
barbiturate overdose in her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Marilyn_Monroe>
2012:
An American white supremacist carried out a mass shooting at a
Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six people and wounding
four others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Sikh_temple_shooting>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
messuage:
(chiefly law) Originally, a plot of land as the site for a dwelling
house and its appurtenant interests; now, a dwelling house or
residential building together with its outbuildings and assigned land.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/messuage>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Some question why Americans should return to the Moon. "After
all," they say "we have already been there." I find that mystifying. It
would be as if 16th century monarchs proclaimed that "we need not go to
the New World, we have already been there." Or as if President Thomas
Jefferson announced in 1803 that Americans "need not go west of the
Mississippi, the Lewis and Clark Expedition has already been there."
Americans have visited and examined 6 locations on Luna, varying in size
from a suburban lot to a small township. That leaves more than 14
million square miles yet to explore.
--Neil Armstrong
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Neil_Armstrong>
The World Before the Flood is an oil-on-canvas painting by English
artist William Etty, first exhibited in 1828. It depicts a scene from
John Milton's Paradise Lost in which Adam sees a vision of the world
immediately before the Great Flood. The painting illustrates the stages
of courtship as described by Milton: a group of men select wives from a
group of dancing women, take their chosen woman from the group, and
settle down to married life. Behind them looms an oncoming storm, a
symbol of the destruction which the dancers and lovers are about to
bring upon themselves. When first exhibited at the 1828 Royal Academy
Summer Exhibition, the painting attracted large crowds. Many critics
praised it, but others condemned it as crude, tasteless and poorly
executed. The painting, currently in the Southampton City Art Gallery,
and a preliminary oil sketch for it, now in the York Art Gallery, were
exhibited together in a major retrospective of Etty's work in 2011 and
2012.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Before_the_Flood>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1704:
War of the Spanish Succession: A combined Anglo-Dutch fleet
under the command of George Rooke and allied with Archduke Charles
captured Gibraltar from Spain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Gibraltar>
1830:
American surveyor James Thompson produced the first plat of
Chicago for the Illinois and Michigan Canal Commissioners.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Thompson_%28surveyor%29>
2020:
A large explosion of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of
Beirut in Lebanon killed 218 people and caused US$15 billion in damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Beirut_explosion>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
old as the hills:
(idiomatic, simile, chiefly hyperbolic) Extremely old.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/old_as_the_hills>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the
peace. And yet this truth must coexist with another — that no matter
how justified, war promises human tragedy. The soldier's courage and
sacrifice is full of glory, expressing devotion to country, to cause, to
comrades in arms. But war itself is never glorious, and we must never
trumpet it as such. … I believe that all nations — strong and weak
alike — must adhere to standards that govern the use of force. I —
like any head of state — reserve the right to act unilaterally if
necessary to defend my nation. Nevertheless, I am convinced that
adhering to standards, international standards, strengthens those who
do, and isolates and weakens those who don't.
--Barack Obama
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barack_Obama>