The Mascarene parrot (Mascarinus mascarin), now extinct, was endemic to
the Mascarene island of Réunion in the western Indian Ocean. It has
historically been grouped taxonomically with the Psittaculini parrots or
the vasa parrots, with the latest genetic study favouring the former
group. It was 35 cm (14 in) in length with a large red bill and long,
rounded tail feathers. Its legs were red, and it had naked red skin
around the eyes and nostrils. It had a black facial mask and partially
white tail feathers. Very little is known about the bird in life. The
Mascarene parrot was first mentioned in 1674, and live specimens were
later brought to Europe, where they lived in captivity. The species was
scientifically described in 1771. Only two stuffed specimens exist
today, in Paris and Vienna. The date and cause of extinction for the
Mascarene parrot are unclear; it is probable that the species became
extinct prior to 1800, and may have become extinct in the wild even
earlier.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mascarene_parrot>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1914:
World War I: The Royal Navy dreadnought HMS Audacious was sunk
by a mine, but its loss was kept secret for four years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Audacious_%281912%29>
1946:
Inter-religious riots, in which Hindu mobs targeted Muslim
families, began in the Indian state of Bihar, resulting in anywhere
between 2,000 and 30,000 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1946_Bihar_riots>
1958:
General Ayub Khan deposed Iskander Mirza to become the second
President of Pakistan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayub_Khan_%28President_of_Pakistan%29>
2004:
The Boston Red Sox completed a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals
to win the World Series, breaking the so-called "Curse of the Bambino".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_World_Series>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
fruitless:
1. Bearing no fruit; barren.
2. (figuratively) Unproductive, useless.
3. (figuratively, archaic) Of a person: unable to have children; barren,
infertile.
4. (rare) Of a diet, etc.: without fruit.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fruitless>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
All of us, no matter from what land our parents came, no matter
in what way we may severally worship our Creator, must stand shoulder to
shoulder in a united America for the elimination of race and religious
prejudice. We must stand for a reign of equal justice to both big and
small.
--Theodore Roosevelt
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt>