The Wire is an American television drama set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland. Created by writer/producer and former police reporter David Simon, the series is broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States. The Wire premiered on June 2, 2002, with 50 episodes airing over the course of its first four seasons. HBO has ordered a fifth season, which Simon has said will be the show's last. The plot of the first season centers on the ongoing struggles between police units and drug-dealing gangs on the west side of the city, and is told from both points of view. Subsequent seasons have focused on other facets of the city. The large cast consists mainly of character actors who are little known for their other roles. The Wire has received critical acclaim for its realistic portrayal of urban life and uncommonly deep exploration of sociological themes, and has been called the best show on television by TIME, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Philadelphia Daily News. Despite the positive reviews, the show has failed to draw a large audience.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1772: HMS Resolution set sail from Plymouth, England, under the command of Captain James Cook. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Resolution_%28Cook%29)

1793: Jean-Paul Marat, a leader in the French Revolution, was murdered in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Marat)

1863: Three days of rioting began in New York City by opponents of new laws passed by the United States Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Draft_Riots)

1878: The major powers in Europe redrew the map of the Balkans in the Treaty of Berlin. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Berlin_%281878%29)

1985: Live Aid benefit concerts, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia, were held at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Aid)

_____________________ Wiktionary's Word of the day:

umbrage: A feeling of anger or annoyance caused by something offensive. (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/umbrage)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

Changes in the structure of society are not brought about solely by massive engines of doctrine. The first flash of insight which persuades human beings to change their basic assumptions is usually contained in a few phrases. -- Kenneth Clark (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kenneth_Clark)