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.

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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodes_Rogers>

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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>

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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>

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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>