Ian Johnson (8 December 1917 – 9 October 1998) was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. He was on Don Bradman's Invincibles team, which went undefeated on their tour of England in 1948. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of 22.92 runs per dismissal. He captained the Australian team in 17 Tests, winning seven and losing five, including two consecutive losses in the Ashes series against England. Urbane, well-spoken and popular with his opponents and the public, he was seen by his teammates as a disciplinarian, and his natural optimism was often seen as naive. After retirement, Johnson worked for a time as a sports commentator, and covered the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. In 1957 he was appointed Secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club, remaining in the role for 26 years. In 1982 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to cricket.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Johnson_(cricketer)
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1432:
The first battle of the Lithuanian Civil War between the forces of Švitrigaila and of Sigismund Kęstutaitis was fought near what is now the town of Ashmyany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Civil_War_(1432%E2%80%931438)
1813:
Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 (audio featured) premiered in Vienna, conducted by the composer himself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._7_(Beethoven)
1971:
Indo-Pakistani War: Following their successful attack three days earlier, a small Indian Navy strike force attacked the Port of Karachi again and created a de facto blockade. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Python
1987:
A man shot and killed eight people at the Australia Post building in Melbourne, before jumping to his death. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Street_massacre
2009:
Bombings carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq in Baghdad, Iraq, killed at least 127 people and injured 448. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_2009_Baghdad_bombings
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
glaciology: (geography) The study of ice and its effect on the landscape, especially the study of glaciers. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/glaciology
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Semel emissum volat irrevocabile verbum. Once a word has been allowed to escape, it cannot be recalled. --Horace https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Horace