Pedro Afonso (1848–1850) was the Prince Imperial and heir apparent to
the throne of the Empire of Brazil. Born at the Palace of São
Cristóvão in Rio de Janeiro, he was the second son and youngest child
of Emperor Pedro II and Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, and thus a
member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza. His aunt was
the reigning Queen of Portugal, Dona Maria II. Pedro Afonso was seen as
vital to the future viability of the monarchy, which had been put in
jeopardy by the death of his older brother Afonso almost three years
earlier. Pedro Afonso's early death from fever at the age of one
devastated the Emperor, and the imperial couple had no further children.
Pedro Afonso's older sister Isabel became heiress, but Pedro II was
unconvinced that a woman could ever be accepted as monarch by the ruling
elite. He excluded Isabel from matters of state, and failed to provide
training for her possible role as empress. With no surviving male
children, the Emperor started to believe that the imperial line was
destined to end with his own death.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Afonso,_Prince_Imperial_of_Brazil>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1553:
Lady Jane Grey was replaced by Mary I as Queen of England after
holding that title for just nine days.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_I_of_England>
1843:
SS Great Britain, the first ocean-going ship that had both an
iron hull and a screw propeller, launched from Bristol, UK.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Great_Britain>
1903:
French cyclist Maurice Garin won the first Tour de France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1903_Tour_de_France>
1916:
First World War: "The worst 24 hours in Australia's entire
history" occurred when Australian forces suffered heavy losses in their
unsuccessful assault on the Germans at the Battle of Fromelles in
France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fromelles>
1981:
French President François Mitterrand privately revealed to US
President Ronald Reagan documents showing that the Soviets had been
stealing American technological research and development.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farewell_Dossier>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
awkward:
1. Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments.
2. Not easily managed or effected; embarrassing.
3. Lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction.
4. Perverse; adverse; difficult to handle.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/awkward>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
You must aim high, not in what you are going to do at some future
date, but in what you are going to make yourself do to-day. Otherwise,
working is just a waste of time.
--Edgar Degas
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edgar_Degas>