Oliver Bosbyshell (1839–1921) was Superintendent of the United States
Mint at Philadelphia from 1889 to 1894. He also claimed to have been the
first Union soldier wounded by enemy action in the Civil War, stating
that he received a bruise on the forehead from an object thrown by a
Confederate sympathizer while his unit was marching through Baltimore in
April 1861. After briefly working on the railroad and then studying law,
Bosbyshell enlisted in the Union cause on the outbreak of war. He joined
the 48th Pennsylvania, remaining in that regiment for three years. He
saw action in such battles as Second Bull Run and Antietam. He rose to
the rank of major and led his regiment, but was mustered out upon the
expiration of his term of service in October 1864. He was appointed to a
post at the Philadelphia Mint in 1869, and became chief coiner in 1876
and superintendent in 1889, serving for four years. One of Bosbyshell's
underlings at the mint stole gold bars and Bosbyshell was held
responsible for the loss by virtue of his office. He was absolved of
this liability by act of Congress in 1899. In his later years, he was an
officer of an insurance company; he died in 1921.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Bosbyshell>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1848:
Joseph Jenkins Roberts began his term as the first President of
Liberia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Jenkins_Roberts>
1888:
The 36 in (91 cm) refracting telescope at the Lick
Observatory near San Jose, California, at the time the largest in the
world, was used for the first time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lick_Observatory>
1919:
Emir Faisal of Iraq signed an agreement with Zionist leader
Chaim Weizmann on the development of a Jewish homeland in Palestine and
an Arab nation in a large part of the Middle East.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal%E2%80%93Weizmann_Agreement>
1949:
The first Central Bank of the Philippines was formally
inaugurated with Miguel Cuaderno, Sr. as the first governor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangko_Sentral_ng_Pilipinas>
1976:
The multilateral International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, part of the International Bill of Human Rights, came
into effect.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Covenant_on_Economic,_Social_and_Cultural_Rights>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
cacophonous:
Containing, consisting of, or producing harsh, unpleasant or discordant
sounds.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cacophonous>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy
(philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control not whiskered
men with bombs) … The most improper job of any man, even saints (who
at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other
men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek
the opportunity.
--J. R. R. Tolkien
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien>