The St. Johns River, at 310 miles (500 km), is the longest river in the
U.S. state of Florida. From the headwaters to the mouth, its drop in
elevation is less than 30 feet (9 m) as it runs through or alongside
twelve counties, creating a very low flow rate. The river's widest point
is nearly 3 miles (5 km) across, and its narrowest point is in the
headwaters, a marsh in Indian River County. In all, 3.5 million people
live within the various watersheds that feed into the river. The entire
drainage basin of 8,840 square miles (22,900 km2) includes some of
Florida's major wetlands. Residents along or near the St. Johns have
included Paleo-Indians, Archaic people, Timucua, Mocama, French and
Spanish settlers, Seminoles, Colonial-era pioneer settlers, slaves and
freedmen. It has been the subject of William Bartram's journals,
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' books, and Harriet Beecher Stowe's letters. In
1998 the Environmental Protection Agency named the river one of 14
American Heritage Rivers.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Johns_River>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1602:
The Bodleian Library, one of Europe's oldest libraries, opened
at the University of Oxford.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodleian_Library>
1837:
In South Hadley, Massachusetts, US, Mary Lyon founded a
seminary for women that became Mount Holyoke College, the first of the
Seven Sisters group of colleges.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Holyoke_College>
1940:
The Italian invasion of Greece failed as outnumbered Greek
units repulsed the Italians in the Battle of Elaia–Kalamas.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Elaia%E2%80%93Kalamas>
1965:
Vietnam War: In the Battle of Gang Toi, one of the earliest
battles between the two sides, Viet Cong forces repelled an Australian
attack.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gang_Toi>
2013:
Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Visayas region of the
Philippines, killing at least 6,300 people, making it the deadliest
Philippine typhoon recorded in modern history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Haiyan>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
klecksography:
The art of making images from inkblots.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/klecksography>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I saw and understood that every Shewing is full of secret things.
--Julian of Norwich
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Julian_of_Norwich>