The Seattle Center Monorail is an elevated straddle-beam monorail line
in Seattle, Washington, United States. The mile-long (1.4 km) monorail
runs mostly along 5th Avenue between Seattle Center and Westlake Center
in Downtown Seattle, making no intermediate stops. The monorail is a
major tourist attraction but also operates as a regular public transit
service with trains every ten minutes running for up to 16 hours per
day. It was constructed in eight months for the 1962 world's fair,
hosted at Seattle Center, and opened on March 24, 1962. The system
retains its original fleet of two Alweg trains, each capable of carrying
450 people. The monorail's southern terminus was moved into Westlake
Center in 1988 and the rest of the system was designated a historic
landmark in 2003. The system remains under the ownership of the city
government and is operated by a private company. Plans to expand the
monorail's service area have been rejected or shelved several times
since the 1960s.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Center_Monorail>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1898:
The Winton Motor Carriage Company (ad pictured), one of the
first American car companies, sold its first unit.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winton_Motor_Carriage_Company>
1922:
Irish War of Independence: In Belfast, two men wearing police
uniforms broke into a house and murdered a Catholic family in what was
believed to be a reprisal for the deaths of two policemen the day
before.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMahon_killings>
1934:
The Tydings–McDuffie Act came into effect, which provided for
self-government of the Philippines and for Filipino independence from
the United States after a period of ten years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tydings%E2%80%93McDuffie_Act>
1980:
One day after making a plea to Salvadoran soldiers to stop
carrying out the government's repression, Archbishop Óscar Romero was
assassinated while celebrating Mass in San Salvador.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%93scar_Romero>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
get cold feet:
(intransitive, originally US, informal) To become nervous or anxious and
reconsider a decision about an upcoming event.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/get_cold_feet>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
In early 2000, I became the first senior U.S. official to meet
with Vladimir Putin in his new capacity as acting president of Russia.
... I have been reminded in recent months of that nearly three-hour
session with Mr. Putin as he has massed troops on the border with
neighboring Ukraine. After calling Ukrainian statehood a fiction in a
bizarre televised address, he issued a decree recognizing the
independence of two separatist-held regions in Ukraine and sending
troops there. Mr. Putin’s revisionist and absurd assertion that
Ukraine was “entirely created by Russia” and effectively robbed from
the Russian empire is fully in keeping with his warped worldview. Most
disturbing to me: It was his attempt to establish the pretext for a
full-scale invasion. Should he invade, it will be a historic error. ...
Instead of paving Russia’s path to greatness, invading Ukraine would
ensure Mr. Putin’s infamy by leaving his country diplomatically
isolated, economically crippled and strategically vulnerable in the face
of a stronger, more united Western alliance. ... Ukraine is entitled to
its sovereignty, no matter who its neighbors happen to be. In the modern
era, great countries accept that, and so must Mr. Putin.
--Madeleine Albright
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Madeleine_Albright>
"SLAPP Suits" is a 2019 segment of HBO's news-satire television series
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, focusing on strategic lawsuits
against public participation (SLAPPs), expensive lawsuits designed to
scare targets into silence. In the segment, host John Oliver (pictured)
celebrated his victory in a SLAPP initiated by Robert E. Murray; the
lawsuit followed Oliver's criticism of Murray and his coal-mining
company in a 2017 episode that included a man in a giant squirrel
costume holding up an oversized check made payable to "Eat Shit, Bob!"
Murray's lawsuit sought monetary damages and a gag order on the episode.
The case was dismissed in under a year. In "SLAPP Suits", Oliver
highlights Murray's frivolous suits against others, including reputable
newspapers and private citizens, and stages a musical number titled "Eat
Shit, Bob!", in which he jokingly accuses Murray of committing
outlandish acts such as spitting on the Mona Lisa and shooting puppies
into outer space.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SLAPP_Suits>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1775:
American Revolution: Patrick Henry made his "Give me liberty,
or give me death!" speech to the House of Burgesses of Virginia, urging
military action against the British Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_me_liberty,_or_give_me_death!>
1905:
About 1,500 Cretans, led by Eleftherios Venizelos, met at the
village of Theriso to call for the island's unification with Greece,
beginning the Theriso revolt.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theriso_revolt>
1919:
Benito Mussolini and his supporters founded the Fasci Italiani
di Combattimento, the predecessor of the National Fascist Party.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasci_Italiani_di_Combattimento>
1996:
Lee Teng-hui was elected President of the Republic of China in
the first direct presidential election in Taiwan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Teng-hui>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
bulldog clip:
1. A binder clip with rigid handles.
2. (surgery) A surgical instrument with serrated jaws and a spring-
loaded handle used to grip blood vessels or similar organs.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bulldog_clip>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
How many more lives must be lost? How many more bombs must fall?
How many Mariupols must be destroyed? How many Ukrainians and Russians
will be killed before everyone realizes that this war has no winners —
only losers? How many more people will have to die in Ukraine, and how
many people around the world will have to face hunger for this to stop?
Continuing the war in Ukraine is morally] unacceptable, politically
indefensible and militarily nonsensical. What I said from this podium
almost one month ago should be even more evident today. By any measure
– by even the shrewdest calculation - it is time to stop the fighting
now and give peace a chance. It is time to end this absurd war.
--António Guterres
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B3nio_Guterres>
Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) was the 35th vice president of the United
States, serving from 1949 to 1953. He was elected the U.S.
representative from Kentucky's first district in 1912 as a liberal
Democrat, supporting President Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom domestic
agenda and foreign policy. In 1927 he entered the U.S. Senate, where he
supported the New Deal, and was elected to succeed Joseph T. Robinson,
Senate Majority Leader, upon Robinson's death in 1937. He resigned as
majority leader after President Franklin D. Roosevelt ignored his advice
and vetoed the Revenue Act of 1943, but the veto was overridden and he
was unanimously re-elected to the position. Barkley had a better working
relationship with Harry S. Truman, who ascended to the presidency after
Roosevelt's death in 1945. At the 1948 Democratic National Convention,
Barkley gave a keynote address that energized the delegates. Truman
selected him as a running mate for the upcoming election, and the two
scored an upset victory.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alben_W._Barkley>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1784:
The Emerald Buddha, considered to be the sacred palladium of
Thailand, was installed in its current location at Wat Phra Kaew on the
grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Buddha>
1913:
Phan Xích Long, the self-proclaimed emperor of Vietnam, was
arrested for organising a revolt against the colonial rule of French
Indochina, which was nevertheless carried out by his supporters the
following day.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phan_X%C3%ADch_Long>
1942:
Second World War: British and Italian naval forces fought the
Second Battle of Sirte in the Gulf of Sidra north of Libya.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Sirte>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
potable:
1. (formal) Good for drinking without fear of disease or poisoning.
2. Any drinkable liquid; a beverage.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/potable>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
In its Order, which has binding effect, the Court indicates the
following provisional measures: ... The Russian Federation shall
immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24
February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine ... The Russian Federation
shall ensure that any military or irregular armed units which may be
directed or supported by it, as well as any organizations and persons
which may be subject to its control or direction, take no steps in
furtherance of the military operations referred to ... Both Parties
shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the
dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve.
--International Court of Justice
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/International_Court_of_Justice>
Computer Space is a space-combat arcade game released in 1971. Created
by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in partnership as Syzygy Engineering,
it was the first arcade video game and the first commercially available
video game. In the game the player controls a rocket engaged in a
missile battle against a pair of hardware-controlled flying saucers set
against a starfield background. The goal is to score more hits than the
enemy within a set time period. The game is enclosed in a custom
fiberglass cabinet, which Bushnell designed to look futuristic. Bushnell
and Dabney created the game to be a coin-operated version of Spacewar!,
a 1962 computer game. They could not economically run the game on a
general-purpose minicomputer, so they built specialized hardware for the
game. They ran their first location test in August 1971, and it was
shown to industry press and distributors at the annual Music Operators
of America Expo in October. More than one thousand cabinets were sold by
mid-1972.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Space>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1814:
War of the Sixth Coalition: At the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube in
north-central France, Napoleon suddenly realized that his French army
was vastly outnumbered by Allied forces, and hurriedly ordered a
retreat.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Arcis-sur-Aube>
1952:
The Moondog Coronation Ball (poster pictured), generally
considered to be the first major rock and roll concert, took place at
the Cleveland Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moondog_Coronation_Ball>
2019:
A major explosion at a chemical plant in Yancheng, China,
killed 78 people and injured 617 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Xiangshui_chemical_plant_explosion>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Muzak:
1. (music, trademark) Recorded background music characterized by soft,
soothing instrumental sounds which is transmitted by wire, radio, or
recorded media (originally on a subscription basis) to doctors' offices,
shops, and other business premises.
2. (music) Easy listening music, whether played live or recorded,
especially if regarded as uninteresting.
3. (figuratively) Something (such as speech) regarded as droning on and
often boring, or soothing but undemanding.
4. To provide (premises, etc.) with Muzak.
5. To adapt or reduce (a piece of music, etc.) to the status of Muzak.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Muzak>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The besieged Mariupol will go down in history of responsibility
for war crimes. The terror the occupiers did to the peaceful city will
be remembered for centuries to come. And the more Ukrainians tell the
world about it, the more support we find. The more Russia uses terror
against Ukraine, the worse the consequences will be for it.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>
Synthetic diamond is diamond produced in a technological process. Claims
of diamond synthesis were documented between 1879 and 1928 but none have
been confirmed. In the 1940s, research began in the United States,
Sweden and the Soviet Union to grow diamond using chemical vapor
deposition (CVD) and high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) processes.
The first reproducible synthesis was in 1953. CVD and HPHT still
dominate the production of synthetic diamonds, whose properties vary
depending on the process used. The hardness, thermal conductivity and
electron mobility of some manufactured diamonds are superior to those
of natural diamonds. Synthetic diamond is used in cutting and polishing
tools, abrasives and heat sinks. Electronic applications of synthetic
diamond are being developed, including high-power switches at power
stations, high-frequency field-effect transistors and light-emitting
diodes. Both CVD and HPHT diamonds can be cut into gems and produced in
various colors (pictured).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_diamond>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1815:
After escaping from exile in Elba, Napoleon entered Paris,
beginning the period known as the Hundred Days.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Days>
1922:
The United States Navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier,
USS Langley.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Langley_%28CV-1%29>
1942:
World War II: After being forced to flee the Philippines for
Australia, U.S. Army general Douglas MacArthur announced: "I came
through and I shall return."
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthur>
2014:
Taliban militants carried out a mass shooting at the Kabul
Serena Hotel in Afghanistan, killing nine civilians.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Kabul_Serena_Hotel_attack>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
felicity:
1. (uncountable) Happiness; (countable) an instance of this.
2. (uncountable) An apt and pleasing style in speech, writing, etc.;
(countable) an apt and pleasing choice of words.
3. (uncountable, rare) Good luck; success; (countable) An instance of
unexpected good luck; a stroke of luck; also, a lucky characteristic.
4. (uncountable, semiotics) Reproduction of a sign with fidelity.
5. (countable) Something that is either a source of happiness or
particularly apt.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/felicity>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What is happening in Ukraine is a crime. Russia is an aggressor
country and the responsibility for this aggression rests on the
conscience of only one person. That person is Vladimir Putin. My father
is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian, and they've never been enemies. This
necklace I'm wearing is a symbol of the fact that Russia must
immediately end this fratricidal war and our fraternal peoples will
still be able to reconcile. Unfortunately, I've spent the last few years
working for Channel One, doing Kremlin propaganda, and I'm very ashamed
of this. Ashamed that I allowed lies to be broadcast from TV screens.
Ashamed that I allowed others to zombify Russian people. We were silent
in 2014 when all this started. We didn't protest when the Kremlin
poisoned Navalny. We just silently watched this inhuman regime at work.
And now the whole world has turned its back on us. And the next 10
generations won't wash away the stain of this fratricidal war. We
Russians are thinking and intelligent people. It's in our power alone to
stop all this madness. Go protest. Don't be afraid of anything. They
can't lock us all away.
--Marina Ovsyannikova
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Marina_Ovsyannikova>
Fearless is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor
Swift (pictured), released on November 11, 2008. Produced by Swift and
Nathan Chapman, the album was written largely by Swift while she was
promoting her 2006 self-titled debut album in 2007 and 2008. Fearless is
a country pop record featuring traditional country instruments such as
banjos. The lyrics explore themes of teenage romance, heartache, and
aspirations. The album's title refers to the overarching theme of all of
its tracks, which depict Swift gaining courage to embrace love's
challenges. After the release of Fearless, Swift embarked on the
Fearless Tour, which ran from April 2009 to July 2010. Two singles
from the album, "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", were successful
on both country and pop radio. The album spent eleven weeks atop the US
Billboard 200 and was certified diamond by the Recording Industry
Association of America.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fearless_%28Taylor_Swift_album%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1808:
King Charles IV of Spain was forced to abdicate in favour of
his son Ferdinand VII as a result of the Tumult of Aranjuez.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_IV_of_Spain>
1962:
Influential American musician Bob Dylan released his eponymous
debut album, mainly comprising traditional folk songs.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan>
1998:
An unscheduled Ariana Afghan Airlines flight crashed into a
mountain on approach into Kabul, killing all 45 people aboard.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Ariana_Afghan_Airlines_crash>
2008:
The gamma-ray burst GRB 080319B, the farthest object that could
be seen by the naked eye, was observed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GRB_080319B>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
skulduggery:
1. (countable) A devious device or trick.
2. (uncountable) Dishonest, underhanded, or unscrupulous activities or
behaviour.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/skulduggery>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I urge the Russian people and the Russian soldiers in Ukraine to
understand the propaganda and the disinformation that you are being
told. I ask you to help me spread the truth so that your fellow Russians
will know the human catastrophe that is happening in Ukraine. To
President Putin, I say: You started this war. You’re leading this war.
You can stop this war now. And to the Russians who have been protesting
on the streets against the invasion of Ukraine: the world has seen your
bravery. We know that you have suffered the consequences of your
courage. You have been arrested. You have been jailed and you’ve been
beaten. You are my new heroes. You have the strength of Yury Petrovich
Vlasov. You have the true heart of Russia.
--Arnold Schwarzenegger
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger>
The Pali-Aike volcanic field is a volcanic field in Argentina that
straddles the border with Chile. It is part of a family of back-arc
volcanoes in Patagonia that formed from the collision of the Chile Ridge
with the Peru–Chile Trench. There are approximately 467 vents in an
area of 4,500 square kilometres (1,700 square miles). The field was
first active 3.78 million years ago, and is noteworthy for the presence
of large amounts of xenoliths in its rocks. The latest eruptions
occurred during the Holocene, as indicated by the burial of
archaeological artifacts; the Laguna Azul maar formed about 3,400 years
before present. Humans have lived in the region for thousands of years,
and a number of archaeological sites such as the Fell Cave are located
in the field. Presently, parts of the volcanic field are protected areas
in Chile and Argentina. The city of Río Gallegos in Argentina is
within 23 kilometres (14 mi) of the volcanic field.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali-Aike_volcanic_field>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1892:
Canadian governor general Lord Stanley of Preston pledged to
donate an award to Canada's top-ranked amateur ice hockey club, now
known as the Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North
America.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cup>
1906:
Romanian inventor Traian Vuia became the first person to fly a
heavier-than-air monoplane with an unassisted takeoff.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traian_Vuia>
1965:
Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov donned a space suit and ventured
outside the Soviet spacecraft Voskhod 2 spacecraft, becoming the first
person to walk in space.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexei_Leonov>
1985:
The first episode of the soap opera Neighbours was broadcast on
the Seven Network, later becoming the longest-running drama in
Australian television history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighbours>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
jar:
1. (transitive) To preserve (food) in a jar. […]
2. (transitive) To knock, shake, or strike sharply, especially causing a
quivering or vibrating movement.
3. (transitive) To harm or injure by such action.
4. (transitive, figuratively) To shock or surprise.
5. (transitive, figuratively) To act in disagreement or opposition, to
clash, to be at odds with; to interfere; to dispute, to quarrel.
6. (transitive, intransitive) To (cause something to) give forth a
rudely tremulous or quivering sound; to (cause something to) sound
discordantly or harshly.
7. (intransitive) To quiver or vibrate due to being shaken or struck.
8. (intransitive, figuratively) Of the appearance, form, style, etc., of
people and things: to look strangely different; to stand out awkwardly
from its surroundings; to be incongruent.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jar>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
President Biden said that in his opinion, war crimes have been
committed in Ukraine. Personally, I agree. Intentionally targeting
civilians is a war crime. After all the destruction of the past three
weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing
otherwise.
--Antony Blinken
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken>
HMS Erin was a dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy, originally
ordered under the name Reşadiye by the Ottoman government from the
British company Vickers. She was designed to be at least the equal of
any ship afloat or under construction. Nearly complete when the First
World War was beginning in August 1914, the ship was seized at the
orders of Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, to keep her in
British hands and prevent her from being used by Germany or its allies.
Aside from a minor role in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 and the
inconclusive Action of 19 August the same year, Erin's service during
the war generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North
Sea. Deemed obsolete after the war, the ship was reduced to reserve and
used as a training ship. Erin served as the flagship of the reserve
fleet at the Nore sandbank for most of 1920. She was sold for scrap in
1922.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Erin>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1891:
The transatlantic steamship Utopia accidentally collided with
the battleship HMS Anson in the Bay of Gibraltar, sinking in less than
twenty minutes and killing 562.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Utopia>
1942:
The Holocaust: The first mass killings of Jews began at Belzec
extermination camp in occupied Poland, the first of the Operation
Reinhard camps to begin operation.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Reinhard>
1955:
Ice hockey fans in Montreal rioted to protest the suspension of
Montreal Canadiens star Maurice Richard for hitting an official.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Riot>
1985:
American serial killer Richard Ramirez, known as "the Night
Stalker", began a home invasion burglary and killing spree that resulted
in 13 deaths and 11 sexual assaults over the following five months.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Ramirez>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
clarsach:
(music) A small triangular wire-strung harp of Gaelic origin; a Celtic
harp.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/clarsach>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The wars of the past have prompted our predecessors to create
institutions that should protect us from war, but they unfortunately
don’t work. We see it, you see it, so we need new ones, new
institutions, new alliances and we offer them. We propose to create an
association U-24 united for peace, a union of responsible countries that
have the strength and consciousness to stop conflicts immediately,
provide all the necessary assistance in 24 hours, if necessary, even
weapons if necessary, sanctions, humanitarian support, political
support, finances, everything you need to keep the peace and quickly
save the world, save lives. In addition, such association, such union
would provide assistance to those who are experiencing natural
disasters, man-made disasters, who fell victims to humanitarian crisis
or epidemic.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>
The Colossus of Rhodes is a 1954 oil painting by the Spanish artist
Salvador Dalí (pictured). One of a series of seven paintings created
for the 1956 film Seven Wonders of the World, it shows the Colossus of
Rhodes, the ancient statue of the Greek titan-god of the sun, Helios.
Painted two decades after Dalí's heyday with the surrealist movement,
The Colossus of Rhodes is emblematic of his transition from the avant-
garde to the mainstream. After financial pressures imposed by his move
to the United States in 1940, and influenced by his fascination with
Hollywood, he shifted focus away from his earlier exploration of the
subconscious and perception, and towards historical and scientific
themes. His rendering of the Colossus is heavily influenced by a 1953
presentation by Herbert Maryon, a sculptor and conservator at the
British Museum. None of the commissioned paintings were ultimately used
for the film, and The Colossus of Rhodes was donated in 1981 to the
Kunstmuseum Bern.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Colossus_of_Rhodes_%28Dal%C3%AD%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1872:
In the inaugural final of the FA Cup (trophy pictured), the
world's oldest association football competition, Wanderers defeated
Royal Engineers 1–0 at The Oval in Kennington, London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1872_FA_Cup_Final>
1918:
Finnish Civil War: The Whites won the Battle of Länkipohja,
after which they executed at least 70 Reds.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_L%C3%A4nkipohja>
1962:
Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, a charter flight carrying U.S.
and South Vietnamese soldiers, disappeared without a trace, prompting
one of the largest searches in the history of the Pacific.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tiger_Line_Flight_739>
2014:
Annexation of Crimea: The Autonomous Republic of Crimea held a
controversial referendum in which voters overwhelmingly chose to join
Russia as a federal subject.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Crimean_status_referendum>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
growl:
1. (intransitive) To utter a deep guttural sound, as an angry animal; to
give forth an angry, grumbling sound.
2. (intransitive, jazz) Of a wind instrument: to produce a low-pitched
rumbling sound.
3. (intransitive, software) To send a user a message via the Growl
software library.
4. (transitive) To express (something) by growling.
5. (transitive, jazz) To play a wind instrument in a way that produces a
low-pitched rumbling sound.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/growl>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is here, in war-torn Kyiv, that history is being made. It is
here, that freedom fights against the world of tyranny. It is here that
the future of us all hangs in the balance.
--Mateusz Morawiecki
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mateusz_Morawiecki>
On 15 March 1921, Armenian student Soghomon Tehlirian assassinated
Talaat Pasha, a leading Ottoman politician and the main architect of the
Armenian genocide, in Berlin. About a million Armenians died in the
genocide, including most of Tehlirian's family. He joined a clandestine
assassination campaign seeking revenge. Tehlirian's trial (pictured) was
held on 2 and 3 June 1921, and the defense strategy was to put Talaat
on trial for the Armenian genocide. Several eyewitnesses to the genocide
testified, resulting in "one of the most spectacular trials of the
twentieth century". Tehlirian claimed he had acted alone, telling a
dramatic, but untrue, story of witnessing the deaths of his family
members. He argued: "I have killed a man, but I am not a murderer", and
the jury acquitted him. International news coverage brought attention to
the facts of the Armenian genocide. The coverage inspired Polish-Jewish
lawyer Raphael Lemkin to coin the term genocide and help codify it as a
crime in international law.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Talaat_Pasha>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1147:
Reconquista: Portuguese troops under King Afonso I captured
the city of Santarém from the Almoravids.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquest_of_Santar%C3%A9m>
1875:
John McCloskey, Archbishop of New York, was created the first
cardinal from the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCloskey>
1972:
The Godfather, a gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola
and based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, was released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather>
1990:
Iraqi authorities hanged Iranian freelance reporter Farzad
Bazoft on charges of spying for Israel.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farzad_Bazoft>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
slugabed:
(archaic, now chiefly Canada, US) A lazy person who lies in bed after
the usual time for getting up; a sluggard.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/slugabed>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Ukraine is on fire. The country is being decimated before the
eyes of the world. The impact on civilians is reaching terrifying
proportions. Countless innocent people – including women and children
– have been killed. After being hit by Russian forces, roads,
airports and schools lie in ruins. According to the World Health
Organization, at least 24 health facilities have suffered attacks.
Hundreds of thousands of people are without water or electricity. With
each passing hour, two things are increasingly clear: First — it
keeps getting worse. Second — whatever the outcome, this war will
have no winners, only losers.
--António Guterres
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B3nio_Guterres>