Thekla (820s or 830s – after 870) was a princess of the Amorian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire. The eldest of seven children of the emperor Theophilos and empress Theodora, she was proclaimed augusta (an imperial title) in the late 830s. After her father's death in 842, her mother became regent for her younger brother Michael III, and Thekla was associated with the regime as a co-empress alongside Theodora and Michael. Thekla was deposed by Michael, possibly alongside her mother, in 856 and consigned to a convent in Constantinople. In one narrative, accepted by some Byzantinists and rejected by others, she became the mistress of Michael's friend and co-emperor Basil I, but was neglected after Basil murdered Michael in 867 and took power as the sole emperor. In this narrative, she took another lover, was discovered, and fell out of favor, then was beaten and had her property confiscated.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thekla_%28daughter_of_Theophilos%29

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1864:

American Civil War: Confederate forces unsuccessfully attacked Union troops at the Battle of Atlanta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Atlanta

1894:

Jules-Albert de Dion finished first in the world's first motor race, but did not win as his steam-powered car was against the rules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules-Albert_de_Dion

1944:

World War II: In opposition to the government-in-exile based in London, the Soviet-backed Polish Committee of National Liberation was proclaimed to govern territory recaptured from Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Committee_of_National_Liberation

1954:

A limited state of martial law was declared in Russell County, Alabama, due to organized crime. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_martial_law_in_Russell_County,_Alabama

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

shabby: 1. Of clothing, a place, etc.: unkempt and worn or otherwise in poor condition due to age or neglect. 2. Of a person: wearing ragged or very worn, and often dirty, clothing. 3. (figurative) 4. Of a person, their behaviour, etc.: despicable, mean; also, not generous; stingy, tight-fisted. 5. (often in the negative) Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent. 6. (medicine, archaic) Of the pulse: thready, weak. 7. (UK, dialectal or informal) Of weather: wet and dreary. 8. (UK, dialectal, veterinary medicine) Chiefly of sheep: affected by shab or scab (“a skin disease”); scabby. 9. (transitive) To make (something) shabby (adjective sense 1); to shabbify. 10. (intransitive) To become shabby; to shabbify. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shabby

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today. I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We've protected and preserved our Democracy. And we've revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world. It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.   --Joe Biden https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden