The Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the ancient ceremony wherein individuals participated in a vigil of fasting, prayer, and bathing on the day before being knighted. Apart from the Sovereign and the Great Master, before 1815 there were a maximum of thirty six 'Knights of the Bath' (K.B.). After 1815 the number of classes and members were increased several times; the Order now includes three classes in civil and military divisions. The Order's motto is Tria juncta in uno (Latin for "Three joined in one"), a reference to either the union of England, Scotland and Ireland, or to the Holy Trinity. The Order is the fourth-most senior in the British honours system, after Order of the Garter, Order of the Thistle, and Order of St Patrick. The last of the aformentioned Orders—which relates to Ireland, no longer a part of the United Kingdom—still exists but is in disuse; no appointments have been made to it since 1934.
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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1429: Battle of Orléans: French troops led by Joan of Arc lifted the English siege of Orléans, a turning point in the Hundred Years' War. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Orl%E9ans)
1862: Union forces under David Farragut captured New Orleans, securing access into the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Farragut)
1945: Adolf Hitler dictated his last will and testament to his secretary in the Führerbunker, and then married Eva Braun in a brief ceremony. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_will_and_testament_of_Adolf_Hitler)
1992: The acquittal of policemen who had beaten Rodney King sparked civil unrest in Los Angeles. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots)
_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:
"Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason." -- Jerry Seinfeld (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jerry_Seinfeld)