The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Rising in the Rocky Mountains, it flows south into Washington, then turns west to form most of that state's border with Oregon before emptying into the Pacific, 1,243 miles (2,000 km) from its source. By volume it is the fourth-largest river in the US and the largest in North America that enters the Pacific. The river system hosts salmon and other fish that migrate between freshwater habitats and the saline waters of the Pacific Ocean. In the late 18th century, a private American ship became the first non-indigenous vessel to enter the river. Overland explorers entered the Willamette Valley through the scenic but treacherous Columbia River Gorge. Railroads were built in the valley in the late 19th century, many running along the river. Since the early 20th century, the river has been dammed for power generation, navigation, irrigation, and flood control. The 14 hydroelectric dams on the Columbia (Bonneville Dam pictured), the Snake River, and the Columbia's other tributaries produce more than 44 percent of total US hydroelectric power.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1806:
A gunpowder magazine explosion in Birgu, Malta, killed around 200 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1806_Birgu_polverista_explosion
1841:
Pedro II, the last Emperor of Brazil, having reigned in minority since 1831, was acclaimed, crowned and consecrated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_II_of_Brazil
1969:
After a party on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts, United States Senator Ted Kennedy drove his car off a bridge, killing his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne, a former campaign worker. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chappaquiddick_incident
1976:
At the Olympic Games in Montreal, Nadia Comăneci became the first person to score a perfect 10 in a modern Olympics gymnastics event. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadia_Com%C4%83neci
2012:
A suicide bomber attacked an Israeli tour bus at Burgas Airport, Bulgaria, which led the European Union to list the military branch of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Burgas_bus_bombing
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
hostis humani generis: (international law) A person who has committed a criminal act so grave – originally maritime piracy and slave-trading, and now torture as well – that any nation may put on trial and, upon conviction, punish him or her. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hostis_humani_generis
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
When I first made Night of the Living Dead, it got analyzed and overanalyzed way out of proportion. The zombies were written about as if they represented Nixon’s Silent Majority or whatever. But I never thought about it that way. My stories are about humans and how they react, or fail to react, or react stupidly. I’m pointing the finger at us, not at the zombies. I try to respect and sympathize with the zombies as much as possible. --George A. Romero https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_A._Romero