The royal baccarat scandal was a British gambling scandal of the late
19th century involving the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). In
September 1890 he was invited to a house party at Tranby Croft,
Yorkshire, the home of Arthur Wilson and his family. During Edward's
stay, lieutenant colonel Sir William Gordon-Cumming (pictured) was
accused of cheating at baccarat and pressured into signing a document
that stated he would never play cards again, in exchange for the silence
of the guests. The secret was not kept for long, and Gordon-Cumming
demanded a retraction from the Wilson family, who he considered to blame
for divulging the news. They refused and he sued for slander. The
atmosphere at trial in June 1891 was described as being like a theatre.
Edward was called as a witness, the first time the heir to the throne
had been compelled to appear in court since 1411. Despite discrepancies
in the evidence and a strong closing speech by Gordon-Cumming's
barrister, the jury found against him after a summing-up from the judge
that was described by some as biased. Gordon-Cumming was dismissed from
the army and ostracised from society for life, though public opinion was
on his side.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_baccarat_scandal>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1201:
John Komnenos the Fat briefly seized the throne of the
Byzantine Empire from Alexios III Angelos, but he was soon caught and
executed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Komnenos_the_Fat>
1423:
Hundred Years' War: The English and their Burgundian allies
were victorious over the French at the Battle of Cravant near Auxerre,
France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cravant>
1948:
New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport was
dedicated as New York International Airport.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_International_Airport>
1954:
A team of Italian climbers led by Ardito Desio became the first
to reach the summit of K2 (pictured), the world's second-highest
mountain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2>
2006:
Following intestinal surgery, Fidel Castro provisionally
transferred the duties of the Cuban presidency to his brother Raúl.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006%E2%80%9308_Cuban_transfer_of_presidential_duties>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
coppice:
A grove of small growth; a thicket of brushwood; a wood cut at certain
times for fuel or other purposes, typically managed to promote growth
and ensure a reliable supply of timber.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coppice>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless
you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all —
in which case, you fail by default.
--J. K. Rowling
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling>