Todd Manning is a fictional character from the American daytime drama
One Life to Live. Created by writer Michael Malone, the role was
originated in 1992 by actor Roger Howarth, recast with Trevor St. John
in 2003, and given back to Howarth in 2011. Todd became part of a
groundbreaking storyline in which Marty Saybrooke was gang raped. Todd's
popularity with the audience and critics, even after the rape, persuaded
the writers to retain the character. While keeping aspects of his
personality dark and violent, they had Todd exhibit a conscience and
compassion. They took steps to redeem him, borrowing from nineteenth-
century melodrama, Gothic traditions, and literature such as
Frankenstein, despite Howarth's objections to a redemption storyline for
a rapist. Todd has been the subject of many scholarly feminist studies.
He has remained a popular and controversial figure since his creation,
and is considered one of soap opera's breakout characters. The main
players in the rape storyline—Howarth, Susan Haskell (Marty), and
Hillary B. Smith (Todd's lawyer Nora Hanen)—won Emmys in 1994, as did
Malone and his writing team.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Manning>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1258:
George Mouzalon, regent of the Empire of Nicaea, was
assassinated as part of a conspiracy led by the nobles under future
emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mouzalon>
1537:
The Honourable Artillery Company, currently the oldest
surviving regiment in the British Army, was formed by Royal Charter from
King Henry VIII.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honourable_Artillery_Company>
1920:
Polish forces under Józef Piłsudski successfully forced the
Russians to withdraw from Warsaw at the Battle of Warsaw, the decisive
battle of the Polish–Soviet War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Warsaw_(1920)>
1942:
Second World War: Japanese forces attacked the Australian base
at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Milne_Bay>
2001:
American singer Aaliyah and various members of her record
company were killed when their overloaded aircraft crashed shortly after
takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport in Marsh Harbour, The Bahamas.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaliyah>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
unchecked:
1. Unrestrained, not held back.
2. Not examined for accuracy, efficiency, etc.
3. (chiefly computing) Of a check box: not checked (ticked or enabled).
4. (crossword puzzles) Of a square: part of only one entry (that is, across
or down, but not both).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unchecked>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
In my experience of fights and fighting, it is invariably the
aggressor who keeps getting everything wrong.
--Martin Amis
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martin_Amis>