Garret Hobart (1844–1899) was the 24th Vice President of the United States (1897–1899), serving under President William McKinley. He was the sixth American vice president to die in office. Hobart served in local governmental positions, and then successfully ran for office as a Republican, serving in both the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate. Hobart was a longtime party official, and New Jersey delegates went to the 1896 Republican National Convention determined to nominate the popular lawyer for vice president. Hobart's political views were similar to those of McKinley, who was the presumptive Republican presidential candidate. With New Jersey a key state in the upcoming election, McKinley and his close adviser, future senator Mark Hanna, decided to have the convention select Hobart. The vice-presidential candidate emulated his running mate with a front porch campaign, though spending much time at the campaign's New York City office. McKinley and Hobart were elected. As vice president, Hobart proved a popular figure in Washington and was a close adviser to McKinley. Hobart's tact and good humor were valuable to the President. Hobart died in November 1899 of heart disease at age 55; his place on the Republican ticket in 1900 was taken by New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1610:

Polish–Muscovite War: The outnumbered forces of the Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth defeated the Russians at the Battle of Klushino. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Klushino

1862:

In a rowing boat on the River Thames from Oxford to Godstow, author Lewis Carroll told Alice Liddell and her sisters a story that would eventually form the basis for his book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice%27s_Adventures_in_Wonderland

1950:

The United States' anti-communist propaganda source Radio Free Europe made its first broadcast aimed at Czechoslovakia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Free_Europe/Radio_Liberty

1965:

The first Annual Reminder, a series of early pickets organized by homophile organizations, one of the earliest LGBT demonstrations in the United States, took place at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annual_Reminder

1976:

Israel Defense Forces raided Uganda's Entebbe International Airport to free hostages taken by hijackers on Air France Flight 139. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Entebbe

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

auteur: A creative artist, especially a film director, seen as having a specific, recognisable artistic vision, and who is seen as the single or preeminent ‘author’ of their works. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/auteur

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

So many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible. in --Alice's Adventures in Wonderland https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alice%27s_Adventures_in_Wonderland