Ine was King of Wessex from 688 to 726. He was unable to retain the
territorial gains of his predecessor, Cædwalla, who had brought much of
southern England under his control and expanded West Saxon territory
substantially. By the end of Ine's reign the kingdoms of Kent, Sussex
and Essex were no longer under West Saxon domination; however, Ine
maintained control of what is now Hampshire, and consolidated and
extended Wessex's territory in the western peninsula. Ine is noted for
his code of laws (Ine’s laws or laws of Ine), which he issued in about
694 (12th-century copy pictured). These laws were the first issued by an
Anglo-Saxon king outside Kent. They shed much light on the history of
Anglo-Saxon society, and reveal Ine's Christian convictions. Trade
increased significantly during Ine's reign, with the town of Hamwic (now
Southampton) becoming prominent. It was probably during Ine's reign that
the West Saxons began to mint coins, though none have been found that
bear his name. Ine abdicated in 726 to go to Rome, leaving the kingdom
to "younger men", in the words of the contemporary chronicler Bede. He
was succeeded by Æthelheard.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ine_of_Wessex>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1665:
The London Gazette, the oldest surviving English-language
newspaper, was first published as the Oxford Gazette.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_London_Gazette>
1811:
American forces led by Indiana Territory Governor William Henry
Harrison defeated the forces of Shawnee leader Tecumseh's growing
American Indian confederation at the Battle of Tippecanoe near present-
day Battle Ground, Indiana.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tippecanoe>
1885:
Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the first
transcontinental railroad across Canada, concluded with the driving of
the "last spike" in Craigellachie, British Columbia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Spike_(Canadian_Pacific_Railway)>
1929:
The Museum of Modern Art (pictured), often identified as the
most influential museum of modern art in the world, opened to the
public.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Modern_Art>
1941:
World War II: German aircraft sank the Soviet hospital ship
Armenia while she was evacuating civilians and wounded soldiers from
Crimea, killing an estimated 5,000 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia_(Soviet_hospital_ship)>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
Cassandra:
A person who makes dire predictions, especially those which are not
believed but turn out to be true.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Cassandra>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
In that daily effort in which intelligence and passion mingle
and delight each other, the absurd man discovers a discipline that will
make up the greatest of his strengths. The required diligence and
doggedness and lucidity thus resemble the conqueror's attitude. To
create is likewise to give a shape to one's fate. For all these
characters, their work defines them at least as much as it is defined by
them. The actor taught us this: There is no frontier between being and
appearing.
--Albert Camus
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Albert_Camus>