A group, in mathematics, is a set together with an operation that
combines any two of its elements to form a third element, in such a way
that the operation is associative, an identity element exists, and every
element has an inverse. These three conditions, called group axioms,
are familiar from number systems. The ubiquity of groups in numerous
areas—both within and outside mathematics—makes them a central
organizational tool in contemporary mathematics. The concept of a group
arose from the study of polynomial equations, starting with Évariste
Galois in the 1830s. After contributions from other fields such as
number theory and geometry, the group notion was generalized and firmly
established around 1870. Today, group theory is a very active
mathematical discipline that studies groups in their own right. Symmetry
groups are widely applied in molecular chemistry and various physical
disciplines.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_%28mathematics%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1489:
Catherine Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, was forced to abdicate and
sell the administration of the island to the Republic of Venice.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Cornaro>
1885:
The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan's most frequently performed
Savoy opera, debuted at the Savoy Theatre in London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mikado>
1969:
Edward M. Burke, the longest-serving alderman in the history of
the Chicago City Council, was sworn into office.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_M._Burke>
1984:
Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Féin, was seriously wounded in an
assassination attempt by Ulster Freedom Fighters in central Belfast,
Northern Ireland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Adams>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Pi Day:
March 14th, an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Pi_Day>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
With an aching heart I add my voice to that of the common people,
who implore the end of the war. In the name of God, listen to the cry of
those who suffer, and put an end to the bombings and the attacks! The
city that bears the name of the Virgin Mary, Mariupol, has become a city
martyred by the ruinous war that is devastating Ukraine. Before the
barbarism of killing children and innocent and defenceless citizens, no
strategic reasons hold: the only thing to be done is to cease the
unacceptable armed aggression before cities are reduced to cemeteries.
--Pope Francis
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pope_Francis>
Farran Zerbe (1871–1949) was an American coin collector and dealer who
was the president of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) in 1908
and 1909. Born in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, he collected coins from
childhood. He joined the ANA in 1900, and served as chief numismatist at
the world's fairs at St. Louis (1904), at Portland (1905) and at San
Francisco (1915). He exhibited his collection at banks across the U.S.
beginning in 1907, the year he was elected ANA president, until he sold
it to the Chase National Bank in 1928, thereafter serving as its
curator. He purchased the journal of the ANA, The Numismatist, for
himself from the widow of its founder in 1908. A factional fight in the
ANA followed but Zerbe's chosen successor was elected. In 1969, he was
posthumously inducted into the Numismatic Hall of Fame. The ANA's
highest honor, awarded annually, had long been called the "Farran Zerbe
Memorial Award", but the ANA removed his name from the honor in 2021.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farran_Zerbe>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1811:
Napoleonic Wars: A British frigate squadron defeated a much
larger squadron of French and Italian frigates and smaller vessels in
the Battle of Lissa in the Adriatic Sea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lissa_%281811%29>
1920:
The Kapp Putsch (participants pictured), an attempted coup
aiming to undo the German Revolution of 1918–1919, briefly ousted the
government of the Weimar Republic.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapp_Putsch>
1988:
The Seikan Tunnel, the longest and deepest tunnel in the world
at the time, opened between the cities of Hakodate and Aomori, Japan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikan_Tunnel>
1997:
A series of unexplained lights appeared in the skies over the
US states of Arizona and New Mexico, and the Mexican state of Sonora.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Lights>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ledger:
1. A book for keeping notes, especially one for keeping accounting
records; a record book, a register.
2. A large, flat stone, especially one laid over a tomb.
3. (accounting) A collection of accounting entries consisting of credits
and debits.
4. (construction) A board attached to a wall to provide support for
attaching other structural elements (such as deck joists or roof
rafters) to a building.
5. (fishing) Short for ledger bait (“fishing bait attached to a floating
line fastened to the bank of a pond, stream, etc.”) or ledger line
(“fishing line used with ledger bait for bottom fishing; ligger”).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ledger>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Putin's war on Ukraine has entered its next phase, one of
destruction and slaughter of civilians. It is also a part of Putin's
World War, a war on the civilized world of international law, democracy,
and any threat to his power, which he declared long ago.
--Garry Kasparov
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Garry_Kasparov>
Fakhr al-Din II (c. 1572 – 1635) was the paramount Druze emir of
Mount Lebanon and the strongman over much of the Levant from the 1620s
to 1633. For uniting Lebanon's constituent communities, he is generally
regarded as the country's founder. Fakhr al-Din succeeded his father as
the emir of the Chouf mountains around 1591, and the Ottoman Empire gave
him control over other districts, but attacked him in 1613 for allying
with Tuscany. He escaped into exile but returned in 1618, resuming
control of his former domains and greatly expanding them in the
following years. Despite the empire being in a long economic crisis,
Fakhr al-Din's territories thrived. He promoted commercial agriculture,
focusing on the lucrative silk trade of Mount Lebanon. He surrendered
to the Ottomans during a siege of his Chouf hideout in 1633 and was
executed in Constantinople in 1635. His main enduring legacy is the
symbiotic relationship between Maronites and Druze, foundational for the
creation of a Lebanese state.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fakhr_al-Din_II>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1881:
Andrew Watson captained the Scotland national football team
against England, becoming the world's first black international
footballer.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Watson_%28footballer,_born_1856%29>
1934:
Supported by the Estonian army, Konstantin Päts staged a coup
d'état, beginning the Era of Silence.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_P%C3%A4ts>
1952:
British diplomat Lord Ismay was appointed the first secretary
general of NATO.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastings_Ismay,_1st_Baron_Ismay>
2014:
A gas leak caused an explosion in the East Harlem neighborhood
of New York City, destroying two apartment buildings and causing eight
deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_East_Harlem_gas_explosion>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
impostor syndrome:
(psychology) A psychological phenomenon in which a person is unable to
internalize his or her accomplishments, remaining convinced that he or
she does not deserve any accompanying success.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/impostor_syndrome>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We — Russia — want to be a nation of peace. Alas, few people
would call us that now. But let's at least not become a nation of
frightened silent people. Of cowards who pretend not to notice the
aggressive war against Ukraine unleashed by our obviously insane czar.
I cannot, do not want and will not remain silent watching how pseudo-
historical nonsense about the events of 100 years ago has become an
excuse for Russians to kill Ukrainians, and for Ukrainians to kill
Russians while defending themselves. It's the third decade of the 21st
century, and we are watching news about people burning down in tanks and
bombed houses. We are watching real threats to start a nuclear war on
our TVs. I am from the USSR myself. I was born there. And the main
phrase from there — from my childhood — was "fight for peace." I
call on everyone to take to the streets and fight for peace.
--Alexei Navalny
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alexei_Navalny>
The Draft Eisenhower movement was a widespread political movement to
persuade Dwight D. Eisenhower to contest the presidency of the United
States. Due to his popularity as Army chief of staff, he was widely
expected to run in the 1948 election. Polls ranked him ahead of other
candidates; he was approached by various politicians. James Roosevelt
invited all the Democratic delegates to a caucus attempting to make a
joint appeal, but Eisenhower refused to enter politics. In 1951, the
draft movement re-emerged, while Eisenhower had not announced his
political affiliation. Republican senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. managed
his party's efforts to draft Eisenhower. On March 11, 1952, Eisenhower
won the Republican primary in New Hampshire, and later agreed to run.
Nominated by the Republicans, he won the 1952 election by a huge margin.
The slogan "I like Ike" is associated with this movement (advertisement
shown). The Draft Eisenhower movement has been referenced in various
later draft movements.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_Eisenhower_movement>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1843:
During a period of activity known as the Great Eruption, Eta
Carinae briefly became the second-brightest star in the night sky.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eta_Carinae>
1945:
World War II: Imperial Japan established the Empire of
Vietnam, a short-lived puppet state, with Bảo Đại as its ruler.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Vietnam>
1966:
President Sukarno signed the Supersemar, giving Indonesian
general Suharto the authority to restore order during recent mass
killings.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supersemar>
2012:
U.S. Army officer Robert Bales murdered sixteen civilians and
wounded six others in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandahar_massacre>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
jibe:
1. (transitive) To reproach with contemptuous words; to deride, to mock,
to taunt.
2. (transitive) To say in a mocking or taunting manner.
3. (intransitive) To make a mocking remark or remarks; to jeer. […]
4. (intransitive, Canada, US, informal) To accord or agree.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jibe>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
People underestimate how dangerous dictators are. In 2014, we
spoke to the UK parliament, we spoke at the Senate in the US, we were
asked by a lot of people how they should talk to Putin, how they should
frame the conversation, and I always advised that they should be as
strict as they could. You cannot play nice with Putin.
--Nadezhda Tolokonnikova
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nadezhda_Tolokonnikova>
The Singer Building was an early skyscraper in Manhattan, New York City.
The headquarters of the Singer Manufacturing Company, it was at the
corner of Liberty Street and Broadway in the Financial District.
Architect Ernest Flagg designed it in multiple phases from 1897 to 1907,
with elements of the French Beaux-Arts and Second Empire styles. When
completed in 1908, the building had a marble-clad lobby, 16 elevators,
410,000 square feet (38,000 m2) of office space, and an observatory.
With a roof height of 612 feet (187 m), the Singer Tower was the
tallest building in the world from 1908 to 1909, when it was surpassed
by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower. The base occupied the
building's entire land lot; the tower's floors took up just one-sixth of
that area. Despite being regarded as a city icon, the Singer Building
was razed between 1967 and 1969 to make way for One Liberty Plaza. At
the time of its destruction, the Singer Building was the tallest
building ever to be demolished.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singer_Building>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1916:
The final letter in the McMahon–Hussein Correspondence was
written, agreeing that Britain would recognise Arab independence in
return for the Sharif of Mecca launching a revolt against the Ottoman
Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMahon%E2%80%93Hussein_Correspondence>
1949:
Mildred Gillars, nicknamed Axis Sally, was convicted of treason
for working with the Nazis as a broadcaster.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Gillars>
1967:
British progressive-rock band Pink Floyd released their first
single, "Arnold Layne".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd>
2019:
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (aircraft pictured) crashed
shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa, with the deaths of all 157
people on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Airlines_Flight_302>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
audiation:
(music) The comprehension and internal realization of music by an
individual in the absence of any physical sound.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/audiation>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
What happened just over a week ago was impossible to believe. Our
country was peaceful; our cities, towns, and villages were full of life.
On February 24th, we all woke up to the announcement of a Russian
invasion. Tanks crossed the Ukrainian border, planes entered our
airspace, missile launchers surrounded our cities. Despite assurances
from Kremlin-backed propaganda outlets, who call this a "special
operation" — it is, in fact, the mass murder of Ukrainian civilians.
--Olena Zelenska
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Olena_Zelenska>
Racer's hurricane was a destructive tropical cyclone that affected
Jamaica, northeastern Mexico, the Republic of Texas, and the
Southeastern United States in September and October 1837, killing an
estimated 105 people. It was named after the Royal Navy ship HMS Racer,
which encountered the cyclone in the northwestern Caribbean Sea.
Matamoros, on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, faced hurricane
conditions for several days, with significant damage to ships. Towns
along the Texas shoreline were inundated, and Galveston Island was
devastated, with nearly every building washed away. A water-level rise
of 8 ft (2.4 m) on Lake Pontchartrain wrecked buildings along its
shores and submerged low-lying areas of New Orleans. As the weakening
storm buffeted the Outer Banks of North Carolina on October 9, the
passenger steamship SS Home ran aground off Cape Hatteras and broke up
in the pounding surf (pictured), killing about 90 passengers and crew
members.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racer%27s_hurricane>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1842:
Nabucco, an opera by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi that
established his reputation, premiered at La Scala in Milan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Verdi>
1847:
Mexican–American War: The Siege of Veracruz began, the first
large-scale amphibious assault conducted by United States military
forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Veracruz>
1932:
Éamon de Valera, one of the dominant political figures in
20th-century Ireland, became President of the Executive Council of the
Irish Free State.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89amon_de_Valera>
1959:
The popular fashion doll known as Barbie debuted at the
American International Toy Fair in New York City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
ply:
1. (transitive, obsolete) To bend; to fold; to mould; (figuratively) to
adapt, to modify; to change (a person's) mind, to cause (a person) to
submit.
2. (intransitive) To bend, to flex; to be bent by something, to give way
or yield (to a force, etc.). […]
3. (transitive) To work at (something) diligently.
4. (transitive) To wield or use (a tool, a weapon, etc.) steadily or
vigorously.
5. (transitive) To press upon; to urge persistently.
6. (transitive) To persist in offering something to, especially for the
purpose of inducement or persuasion.
7. (transitive, transport) To travel over (a route) regularly.
8. (intransitive, obsolete) To work diligently.
9. (intransitive, nautical, obsolete) To manoeuvre a sailing vessel so
that the direction of the wind changes from one side of the vessel to
the other; to work to windward, to beat, to tack.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ply>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The past eight years of conflict in Ukraine have already
inflicted profound and lasting harm to children. With the escalation of
the conflict, the immediate and very real threat to Ukraine’s 7.5
million children has grown. Homes, schools, orphanages, and hospitals
have all come under attack. Civilian infrastructure like water and
sanitation facilities have been hit, leaving millions without access to
safe water. For many, life has moved underground as families seek
safety in shelters, subways, or basements, often for hours on end. Women
are giving birth in makeshift maternity wards with limited medical
supplies. Most stores are closed, making it hard for people to buy
essential items, including basic necessities for children like diapers
and medication. And even if stores were open, millions of people are
too afraid to venture outside for food or water because of continuous
shelling and shooting. The intensification of the armed conflict is
posing severe human costs, which are increasing exponentially by the
day.
--Catherine M. Russell
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Catherine_M._Russell>
The hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) is a large African antelope.
Standing just over 1 m (3.3 ft) at the shoulder, it has a typical
head-and-body length of 200 to 250 cm (80 to 90 in) and weighs 100 to
200 kg (220 to 440 lb). Coat colour varies among the eight subspecies,
from the sandy brown of the western hartebeest to the chocolate brown of
Swayne's hartebeest. Both sexes have an elongated forehead, back-curving
horns, a short neck, pointed ears, and unusually long legs. Herds
typically have up to 300 individuals, grazing mainly on grasses in dry
savannas and wooded grasslands, and often moving to more arid places
after rainfall. The hartebeest was formerly widespread in Africa, but
populations have undergone drastic decline due to habitat destruction,
hunting, human settlement, and competition with livestock for food. The
species is extinct in Algeria, Egypt, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Somalia,
and Tunisia, but has been reintroduced into Eswatini and Zimbabwe.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartebeest>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1736:
Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty, was crowned
Shah of Iran.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nader_Shah>
1919:
During the Egyptian Revolution, British authorities arrested
rebel leader Saad Zaghloul and exiled him to Malta.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Revolution_of_1919>
1983:
Cold War: In a speech to the National Association of
Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida, U.S. president Ronald Reagan described
the Soviet Union as an "evil empire".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Empire_speech>
2017:
The Azure Window, a limestone natural arch in Gozo, Malta,
collapsed during a storm.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azure_Window>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle:
(figuratively, humorous, simile) A woman is capable of living a complete
and independent life without a man.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/a_woman_without_a_man_is_like_a_fish_without…>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
We are #Anonymous We are involved in the biggest Anonymous op
ever seen. That being said, we are worried that some governments will
indeed see us as a threat and create some scenario to make us look bad
(false flag). We only want peace, not war. We've been in the limelight
before. We've made the news plenty of times, but never anything like
what we are experiencing right now. ... We abhor violence. We are anti-
war.
--Anonymous
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29>
Robert Roberts (1905–1974) was an English writer, teacher and social
historian, noted for the evocative accounts of his working-class youth
he gave in The Classic Slum (1971) and A Ragged Schooling (1976). Born
and raised in a deprived district of Salford, Roberts left school at 14
for a seven-year apprenticeship as a brass finisher. Sacked once it
ended, he spent three years unemployed, and attended evening classes. In
1929, he was hired as a teacher at a commercial college, but was
dismissed in 1940 when he was exempted from conscription as a
conscientious objector. He then spent years working as a farmhand, as
well as teaching and writing. In 1957, he was hired to teach at
Strangeways Prison in Manchester; his experiences there inspired his
first book, Imprisoned Tongues (1968). In 1971, Roberts published The
Classic Slum, a book about his boyhood, intermixed with social and oral
history. Widely praised, it has become a key source for understanding
the working-class experience in early-20th-century England.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Roberts_%28author%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1814:
War of the Sixth Coalition: Napoleon's army forced Mikhail
Semyonovich Vorontsov's Russian troops to withdraw from the Chemin des
Dames, but French casualties exceeded Russian losses.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Craonne>
1985:
The charity single "We Are the World" by the supergroup United
Support of Artists for Africa was released, and went on to sell more
than 20 million copies.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World>
2009:
The Kepler space telescope (depicted), designed to discover
Earth-like planets orbiting other stars, was launched.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler_space_telescope>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
nervous:
1. Easily agitated or alarmed; edgy, on edge.
2. Apprehensive, anxious, hesitant, worried.
3. Relating to or affecting the nerves.
4. (archaic) Having nerves; nervose.
5. (obsolete) Showing nervous strength; sinewy, vigorous.
6. (obsolete) Of a piece of writing: forceful, powerful.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nervous>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There was a lot of talk about humanitarian corridors. Every day
they talked about the opportunity for people to get out of the cities
where Russia moved in, the Russian military. I am grateful to every
Ukrainian and everyone who stays around to defend our cities, our
freedom. But I also know that there are people who really need to flee,
who can't stay, and we heard the promise that there will be humanitarian
corridors. There are none! Instead of humanitarian corridors, they can
only ensure bloody ones.
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>
Louis Rwagasore (1932–1961) served as Prime Minister of Burundi from
28 September 1961 until his assassination two weeks later. Born in
Ruanda-Urundi, a Belgian-administered territory, Rwagasore attended
university in Belgium. After he returned to Burundi in the mid-1950s he
founded a series of cooperatives to economically empower Burundians. He
then became a leading figure of a nationalist political party, the Union
for National Progress (UPRONA). He pushed for national independence and
unity, and the institution of a constitutional monarchy. The Belgian
administration placed Rwagasore under house arrest in 1960 during
municipal elections. International pressure led the administration to
back down, and the following year UPRONA won an overwhelming majority in
the legislative elections. As a result, Rwagasore became the prime
minister, but was soon assassinated at the direction of leaders of a
rival political party with the probable support of the Belgian Resident.
Well-known in Burundi, Rwagasore remains relatively unknown
internationally.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Rwagasore>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1853:
Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata premiered at La Fenice in Venice,
but the performance was considered so bad that it caused him to revise
portions of the opera.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_traviata>
1933:
The Nazi Party took the first step in the Gleichschaltung
process by passing the Enabling Act, giving the government the right to
make laws without the involvement of the Reichstag.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleichschaltung>
1964:
In a radio broadcast, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad
announced that American boxer Cassius Clay would change his name to
Muhammad Ali (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali>
1987:
The ferry Herald of Free Enterprise capsized while leaving the
harbour of Zeebrugge, Belgium, killing 193 people on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Herald_of_Free_Enterprise>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
periodic table:
(chemistry) A tabular chart of the chemical elements according to their
atomic numbers so that elements with similar properties are in the same
group (column).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/periodic_table>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
So-called humanitarian corridors or other measures aimed at
providing respite to those affected by conflict must be well planned and
implemented with the agreement of the parties to the conflict.
Regardless of whether humanitarian corridors are implemented in the
coming days, parties must continue to protect civilians and civilian
infrastructure under international humanitarian law both for those who
choose to leave and those who remain.
--International Committee of the Red Cross
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/International_Red_Cross_and_Red_Crescent_Move…>
The Röhm scandal was the public disclosure of the homosexuality of Nazi
politician Ernst Röhm (pictured) by the Social Democratic Party of
Germany (SPD). It began in April 1931, when the SPD newspaper
Münchener Post published a series of front-page stories inaccurately
portraying the Nazi Party as dominated by homosexuals. During the 1932
German presidential election, the SPD released a pamphlet edited by the
ex-Nazi Helmuth Klotz with letters in which Röhm had discussed his
homosexuality. On 12 May 1932, Klotz was beaten by Nazi deputies in the
Reichstag building in revenge for his publication of the pamphlet,
bringing the matter to national attention, and making Röhm the world's
first openly gay politician. The Nazis' electoral performance was not
affected by the scandal. Hitler defended Röhm, but had him murdered in
1934, citing both his homosexuality and alleged treachery. This purge
began the systematic persecution of homosexual men in Nazi Germany.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B6hm_scandal>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1279:
The Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order suffered a great loss
when 71 knights died in the Battle of Aizkraukle.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Aizkraukle>
1824:
The First Anglo-Burmese War, the longest and most expensive war
in British Indian history, began.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Burmese_War>
1966:
BOAC Flight 911 disintegrated and crashed near Mount Fuji
shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport, killing all
113 passengers and 11 crew members on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOAC_Flight_911>
1975:
Computer hobbyists in Silicon Valley held the first meeting of
the Homebrew Computer Club (founder pictured), whose members went on to
have great influence on the development of the personal computer.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_Computer_Club>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
dekulakize:
(transitive, historical) Usually with reference to the Soviet Union and
communist Eastern Europe: to dispossess (a kulak, that is, a prosperous
peasant) of his or her property and/or rights.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dekulakize>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Of all the consequences of Moscow’s unprovoked attack, one of
the most unexpected is the spark it has lit in people around the world
who have come out to demonstrate for freedom, for the rights of
Ukrainians. That includes valiant individuals in places where
protesting the Kremlin’s war means risking arrest, beatings, or worse,
as thousands of Russians and Belarusians have done. For years, we’ve
seen the dangerous tide rolling back democracy and human rights and
undercutting the rules-based order, fueled in no small part by Moscow.
With this brutal invasion, we, our European allies and partners, and
people everywhere are being reminded of just how much is at stake. Now,
we see the tide of democracy rising to the moment.
--Antony Blinken
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken>