Faryl Smith (born 1995) is a British soprano who rose to fame after competing on the second series of the ITV television show Britain's Got Talent in 2008. Although she was a favourite to win after the second round, and received praise throughout the competition, she finished outside the top three in the live final. Smith signed a contract with Universal Classics and Jazz for a £2.3 million advance in December 2008, the largest ever granted to a schoolgirl. Her debut album, Faryl, was released in March 2009 and became the fastest-selling solo classical album in British chart history, selling 29,200 copies in the first week. Thanks to the album's success, Smith was nominated for two Classical BRIT awards, becoming the youngest ever double nominee. Her second album, and last with Universal, was Wonderland, which was released in November 2009. Since the end of her contract with Universal, Smith has continued to perform and record music.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faryl_Smith
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1868:
Boshin War: Troops of the Tokugawa shogunate withdrew from the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle and retreated north towards Nikkō and Aizu. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Utsunomiya_Castle
1939:
In Lima, Peru, Lina Medina became the youngest confirmed mother in history, giving birth at the age of five years, seven months and twenty-one days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lina_Medina
1973:
The NASA space station Skylab was launched from Cape Canaveral. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylab
1980:
Salvadoran Civil War: Refugees trying to flee El Salvador were attacked by both Salvadoran Armed Forces and the Honduran military, resulting in at least 300 deaths. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumpul_River_massacre
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
up to something: (idiomatic) Doing something mischievous or scheming. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/up_to_something
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Out of the dark we came, into the dark we go. Like a storm-driven bird at night we fly out of the Nowhere; for a moment our wings are seen in the light of the fire, and, lo! we are gone again into the Nowhere. --H. Rider Haggard https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/H._Rider_Haggard