100px|River Parrett near Burrowbridge
The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in
South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the
hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset
and the Somerset Levels to its mouth at Burnham-on-Sea, into the
Bridgwater Bay Nature Reserve on the Bristol Channel, the Parrett
drains about 50 per cent of Somerset's land area. The 37-mile (60 km)
long river is tidal for 27 miles (43 km) up to Oath. Because the fall
of the river between Langport and Bridgwater is only 1 foot per mile
(0.2 m/km), it is prone to frequent flooding in winter and during high
tides. During the Roman era the river was crossed by a ford, and in
Anglo-Saxon times formed a boundary between Wessex and Dumnonia. From
the medieval period the river served the Port of Bridgwater, enabling
cargoes to be transported inland. The arrival of the railways led to a
decline and commercial shipping now only docks at Dunball. The Parrett
along with its connected waterways and network of drains supports an
ecosystem that includes several rare species of flora and fauna. The
River Parrett Trail has been established along the banks of the river.
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1911:
The United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Russia signed the North
Pacific Fur Seal Convention banning open-water seal hunting, the first
international treaty to address wildlife conservation issues.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pacific_Fur_Seal_Convention_of_1911>
1963:
The police of Ngo Dinh Nhu, brother and chief political adviser of
President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem, attacked a group of American
journalists who were covering a protest during the Buddhist crisis.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Seven_Day_scuffle>
1983:
After writing a letter to Soviet premier Yuri Andropov, American
schoolgirl Samantha Smith visited the Soviet Union as Andropov's
personal guest, becoming known as "America's Youngest Ambassador".
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Smith>
1994:
Troops from the former North Yemen captured Aden, ending the Yemeni
civil war.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_civil_war_in_Yemen>
2005:
Suicide bombers killed 52 people in a series of four explosions on
London's public transport system .
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_July_2005_London_bombings>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
vortical (adj):
Like a vortex
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vortical>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable,
I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free
because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.
--Robert A. Heinlein
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein>