Jochen Rindt (1942–1970) was the only racing driver to be posthumously
awarded the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, after his death
during the 1970 racing season. His debut in Formula One came in 1964 at
the Austrian Grand Prix. He began racing for Cooper in 1965, then moved
to Brabham for 1968 and Lotus in 1969. It was at Lotus that Rindt found
a competitive car, although he had concerns about its safety. He won his
first Formula One race at the 1969 United States Grand Prix. He had a
very successful 1970 season, winning five of the first nine races,
mainly in the revolutionary Lotus 72. In practice for the Italian Grand
Prix, he spun into the guardrails after a failure on his brake shaft,
and died from throat injuries. Overall, he competed in 62 Grand Prix
races, winning 6 and achieving 13 podium finishes. He was also
successful in sports car racing, winning the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans
paired with Masten Gregory in a Ferrari 250LM. Rindt was a popular
figure in Austria and his success increased interest there in
motorsport, and Formula One in particular.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jochen_Rindt>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1264:
King Louis IX of France issued the Mise of Amiens, a settlement
between King Henry III of England and barons led by Simon de Montfort
heavily favouring the former, which later led to the Second Barons' War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_of_Amiens>
1793:
The Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia partitioned the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth for the second time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Partition_of_Poland>
1915:
The Chilembwe uprising, regarded as a key moment in the history
of Malawi, began as rebels, led by a minister, attacked local plantation
owners.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilembwe_uprising>
1997:
Madeleine Albright was sworn in as the first female United
States Secretary of State, becoming the highest-ranking woman in the
history of the U.S. government at that time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Albright>
2001:
Five people attempted to set themselves on fire in Beijing's
Tiananmen Square, an act that many people later claimed was staged by
the Communist Party of China to frame Falun Gong and thus escalate their
persecution.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_self-immolation_incident>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
forspeak:
1. (transitive, dialectal, Northern England and Scotland) To injure or
cause bad luck through immoderate praise or flattery; to affect with the
curse of an evil tongue, which brings ill luck upon all objects of its
praise.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To bewitch, to charm.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To forbid, to prohibit; to oppose.
4. (transitive, obsolete) To say bad things about; to slander.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/forspeak>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Ignorance is king. Many would not profit by his abdication. Many
enrich themselves by means of his dark monarchy. They are his Court, and
in his name they defraud and govern, enrich themselves and perpetuate
their power. Even literacy they fear, for the written word is another
channel of communication that might cause their enemies to become
united. Their weapons are keen-honed, and they use them with skill. They
will press the battle upon the world when their interests are
threatened, and the violence which follows will last until the structure
of society as it now exists is leveled to rubble, and a new society
emerges. I am sorry: But that is how I see it.
--Walter M. Miller, Jr.
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walter_M._Miller,_Jr.>