100px|Actor Tom WellingThe first season of Smallville began airing on October 16, 2001, on The WB television network. Smallville recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The first season comprises 21 episodes and concluded its initial airing on May 21, 2002. The season's stories focus on Martha and Jonathan Kent's (O'Toole and Schneider) attempts to help their adopted son Clark cope with his alien origin and control his developing superhuman abilities. Clark must deal with the meteor-infected individuals that begin appearing in Smallville, his love for Lana Lang, and not being able to tell his two best friends, Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan, about his alien nature. Clark also befriends Lex Luthor. "Villain of the week" storylines were predominant during the first season; physical effects, make-up effects, and computer-generated imagery became important components as well. The pilot broke The WB's viewership record for a debut series, and was nominated for various awards. Although the villain of the week storylines became a concern for producers, critical reception was generally favorable, and the series was noted as having a promising start.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

870:

The Fourth Council of Constantinople, the eighth Catholic Ecumenical Council, ended. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Council_of_Constantinople_%28Roman_Catholic%29

1838:

Lower Canada Rebellion: Robert Nelson, leader of the Patriotes, proclaimed the independence of Lower Canada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Nelson_%28insurrectionist%29

1900:

Second Boer War: The 118-day Siege of Ladysmith in South Africa was lifted after British forces finally broke through the Boer positions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Ladysmith

1914:

In the aftermath of the Balkan Wars, Greeks living in southern Albania proclaimed the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_Republic_of_Northern_Epirus

1947:

Civil disorder in Taiwan was brutally suppressed by the Chinese Nationalist military in the 228 Incident. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/228_Incident

1986:

Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated by a lone gunman in Stockholm while walking home from a movie theatre with his wife Lisbet Palme. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Olof_Palme

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

Tom Jones (n): (rare) A desirable man of loose morals, prone to having sex with many women http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Tom_Jones

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I speak the truth, not my fill of it, but as much as I dare speak; and I dare to do so a little more as I grow old. --Michel de Montaigne http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Michel_de_Montaigne