Bill McCann (1892–1957) was a decorated soldier of World War I, a barrister, and a prominent figure in the military and ex-service community of South Australia during the interwar period. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force as a private in 1914, and rose through the ranks to be commissioned during the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915. In 1916–1918 he fought on the Western Front in France and Belgium, was wounded twice, and rose to the rank of major. For his gallantry on 10 August 1918 at Crépey Wood, he was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. Returning home, McCann became a barrister, and was active in returned servicemen's organisations. He was state prices commissioner and deputy Commonwealth prices commissioner from 1938 to 1954. In recognition of his work with the ex-service community, McCann was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935, and a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1956.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_McCann

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1793:

The Louvre (Louvre Pyramid pictured), today the world's most visited museum, officially opened in Paris with an exhibition of 537 paintings and 184 objets d'art. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre

1897:

German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovered an improved way of synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_aspirin

1953:

First Indochina War: The French Union withdrew its forces from Operation Camargue against the Viet Minh in central modern-day Vietnam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Camargue

1988:

Japanese American internment: The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 became law, authorizing US$20,000 in reparations to each surviving internee. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Liberties_Act_of_1988

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

doofer:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/doofer

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Certain truths about human beings have never changed. We are tribal creatures in our very DNA; we have an instinctive preference for our own over others, for "in-groups" over "out-groups"; for hunter- gatherers, recognizing strangers as threats was a matter of life and death. We also invent myths and stories to give meaning to our common lives. Among those myths is the nation — stretching from the past into the future, providing meaning to our common lives in a way nothing else can. Strip those narratives away, or transform them too quickly, and humans will become disoriented. Most of us respond to radical changes in our lives, especially changes we haven’t chosen, with more fear than hope. … If we ignore these deeper facts about ourselves, we run the risk of fatal errors. It’s vital to remember that multicultural, multiracial, post-national societies are extremely new for the human species, and keeping them viable and stable is a massive challenge.   --Andrew Sullivan https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andrew_Sullivan