Alister Murdoch (9 December 1912 – 29 November 1984) was a senior
commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Joining the Air
Force in 1930, Murdoch trained as a seaplane pilot, and went on an
Antarctic rescue mission in 1935. During World War II, he commanded
No. 221 Squadron RAF in Europe and the Middle East, and later occupied
senior positions on the staff of RAAF formations in the South West
Pacific. His post-war appointments included Commandant of RAAF College
from 1952 to 1953, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Training Command from
1953 to 1955, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff from 1958 to 1959, AOC
Operational Command from 1962 to 1965, and finally Chief of the Air
Staff (CAS) from 1965 to 1969, when he retired. His term as CAS
coincided with increased Australian participation in the Vietnam War,
and he came into conflict with Australian Army commanders over the
employment of helicopters in battle.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alister_Murdoch>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1911:
A mine explosion near Briceville, Tennessee, killed 84 miners
despite a well-organized rescue effort led by the United States Bureau
of Mines.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_Mountain_Mine_disaster>
1940:
Second World War: British and Commonwealth forces began
Operation Compass, the first major Allied military operation of the
Western Desert campaign.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Compass>
2017:
Same-sex marriage in Australia became legal as the Marriage
Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017 came into effect.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_Amendment_%28Definition_and_Religious_Freedoms%29_Act_2017>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
out of kilter:
(idiomatic) Askew, disturbed; not adjusted or working properly; out of
order.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/out_of_kilter>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
While science and technology play critical roles in sustaining
modern civilization, they are not part of our culture in the sense that
they are not commonly studied or well comprehended. Neither the
potential nor the limitations of science are understood so that what can
be achieved and what is beyond reach are not comprehended. The line
between science and magic becomes blurred so that public judgments on
technical issues can be erratic or badly flawed. It frequently appears
that some people will believe almost anything. Thus judgments can be
manipulated or warped by unscrupulous groups. Distortions or outright
falsehoods can come to be accepted as fact.
--Henry Way Kendall
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_Way_Kendall>