Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Manitoba. The name comes from Western Cree words for muddy or brackish water, referring to Lake Winnipeg, which is just north of the city along the Red River. The region was a trading centre for aboriginal peoples long before the arrival of Europeans. French traders built the first fort on the site in 1738. A settlement was founded in 1812 by the Selkirk settlers of the Red River Colony, the nucleus of which was incorporated as the City of Winnipeg in 1873. The census of 2011 lists Winnipeg as the seventh most populous municipality in Canada. Known as the "Gateway to the West", it is a transportation hub with a diversified economy. Its annual festivals include the Festival du Voyageur, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Jazz Winnipeg Festival, the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, and Folklorama. Winnipeg was the first Canadian host of the Pan American Games. It is home to several professional sports franchises, including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Canadian football), Winnipeg Jets (ice hockey), Manitoba Moose (ice hockey) and Winnipeg Goldeyes (baseball).
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1344:
Reconquista: The Muslim city of Algeciras surrendered after a 21-month siege and was incorporated into the Kingdom of Castile. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Algeciras_(1342%E2%80%9344)
1484:
William Caxton printed the first English translation of Aesop's Fables (page pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesop%27s_Fables
1830:
The Book of Mormon, the defining sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, was first published. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Mormon
1978:
Four days before the scheduled opening of Japan's Narita International Airport, a group of protesters destroyed much of the equipment in the control tower with Molotov cocktails. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narita_International_Airport
1999:
Jack Kevorkian, an American advocate for and practitioner of physician-assisted suicide, was found guilty of murder in the death of a terminally ill patient. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kevorkian
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
swear on a stack of Bibles: (idiomatic) To make a promise or give an assurance with great conviction. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/swear_on_a_stack_of_Bibles
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
The years thunder by, The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. --Sterling Hayden https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sterling_Hayden