Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978), was a landmark Supreme Court decision upholding affirmative action. It found diversity in the classroom to be a compelling state interest and allowed race to be one of several factors in college admission policy, but rejected specific quotas, such as the 16 out of 100 seats set aside for minority students by the UC Davis School of Medicine. Although the court had outlawed segregation in schools, it had not resolved the legality of voluntary affirmative action programs initiated by universities. Proponents deemed such programs necessary to make up for past discrimination, while opponents believed they violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case fractured the court: the nine justices issued a total of six opinions. The judgment of the court was written by Justice Lewis Powell, and two different blocs of four justices joined various parts of Powell's opinion. The decision had little practical effect on most affirmative action programs. In 2003 the court upheld Powell's position in a majority opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger. Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regents_of_the_University_of_California_v._Bakke> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1752: Alaungpaya, a village chief in Upper Burma, founded the Konbaung Dynasty; by the time of his death, he had unified all of Myanmar, and driven out the French and the British. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaungpaya> 1768: A group of Polish nobles established the Bar Confederation to defend the internal and external independence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth against Russian influence and against King Stanisław II Augustus. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_Confederation> 1944: The Admiralty Islands campaign during the Pacific War of World War II began when American forces assaulted Los Negros Island, the third largest of the Admiralty Islands. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiralty_Islands_campaign> 1960: Morocco's deadliest earthquake struck the city of Agadir, killing at least 12,000 people. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Agadir_earthquake> 2012: Construction of Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest tower and second-tallest structure, was completed. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Skytree> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: leap day: The extra day in a leap year, currently February 29th in countries that use the Gregorian calendar and February 24th in the few communities using the Julian calendar. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/leap_day> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:   The Church is indeed, in its real Intent, An Assembly where Nothing but Friendship is meant; And the utter Extinction of Foeship and Wrath By the Working of Love in the Strength of its Faith. This gives it its holy and catholic Name, And truly confirms its apostolic Claim; Showing what the One Saviour's One Mission had been: "Go and teach all the World," — every Creature therein. In the Praise ever due to the Gospel of Grace Its Universality holds the first Place.   --John Byrom <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Byrom>