Woodes Rogers (c. 1679 – 1732) was an English sea captain, privateer and
later the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas. He is known as the captain of
the vessel that rescued the marooned Alexander Selkirk, who was
fictionalized by Daniel Defoe as Robinson Crusoe. Rogers came from an
affluent seafaring family, grew up in Poole and Bristol, and served a marine
apprenticeship to a Bristol sea captain. His father, who held shares in many
ships, died when Rogers was in his mid-twenties, leaving Rogers in control
of the family shipping business. In 1707, Rogers was approached by Captain
William Dampier, who sought support for a privateering voyage against the
Spanish, with whom the British were at war. Rogers led the expedition, which
consisted of two well-armed ships, the Duke and the Duchess, and was the
captain of the Duke. In three years, Rogers and his men went around the
world, capturing several ships in the Pacific Ocean. En route, the
expedition rescued Selkirk, finding him on Juan Fernandez Island on 1
February 1709.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodes_Rogers>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1790:
The Supreme Court of the United States, the highest judicial body in the
United States and the head of the judicial branch of the U.S. federal
government, first convened at the Merchants' Exchange Building in New York
City.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States>
1884:
The first fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary, a 352-page volume that
covered words from A to Ant, was published.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_English_Dictionary>
1946:
As a result of a compromise between the major powers within the United
Nations, Norwegian politician Trygve Lie was elected as the first UN
Secretary-General.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trygve_Lie>
1957:
Invented by German mechanical engineer Felix Wankel, the first working
prototype of the Wankel rotary engine ran for the first time at the research
and development department of German manufacturer NSU Motorenwerke AG.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_engine>
2003:
The NASA Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during reentry into
the Earth's atmosphere on its 28th and final mission, killing all seven crew
members.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Columbia_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
splinter (v):
1. To come apart into long sharp fragments.
2. To cause to break apart into long sharp fragments.
3. (figuratively) To break, or cause to break, into factions
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/splinter>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Reason is the life of the law; nay, the common law itself is nothing else
but reason. --Edward Coke
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edward_Coke>