The Shawshank Redemption is an American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, first released on September 23, 1994. Based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, it tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary (prison pictured) for the murder of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. Over the following two decades, he befriends a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), and becomes instrumental in a money laundering operation led by the prison warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton). The film received positive reviews, but earned only $16 million during its initial theatrical run. After garnering seven Academy Award nominations, it was one of the top rented films of 1995, and totaled $58.3 million at the box office after a theatrical re- release. In 2015, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1803:

Maratha troops were defeated by forces of the British East India Company at the Battle of Assaye, one of the decisive battles of the Second Anglo-Maratha War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Assaye

1952:

U.S. vice-presidential candidate Richard Nixon delivered the "Checkers speech", one of the first political uses of television to appeal directly to the populace. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkers_speech

2002:

The initial version of the Firefox web browser was released by the Mozilla Organization. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox

2016:

Following a number of high-profile sexual assaults, major reforms were enacted to strengthen laws related to rape in Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_in_Germany

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

tellurian: 1. (formal or literary) Of or relating to the earth; (specifically, chiefly science fiction) inhabiting planet Earth as opposed to other planets. 2. (mineralogy) Of a mineral: containing tellurium. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tellurian

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

For all their laughter, ghouls are a dull lot. Hunger is the fire in which they burn, and it burns hotter than the hunger for power over men or for knowledge of the gods in a crazed mortal. It vaporizes delicacy and leaves behind only a slag of anger and lust. They see their fellows as impediments to feeding, to be mauled and shrieked at when the mourners go home.   --Brian McNaughton https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Brian_McNaughton