Barbara L (1947–1977) was an American Quarter Horse that raced during the early 1950s. A bay daughter of a Thoroughbred stallion named Patriotic and a Quarter Horse broodmare named Big Bess, she often defeated some of the best racehorses of the time. She earned $32,836 (about $290,000 in 2015 dollars) on the race track in 81 starts and 21 wins, including six wins in stakes races, and set two track records during her racing career. After retiring from racing in 1955, she went on to become a broodmare and had 14 foals, including 11 who earned their Race Register of Merit with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). Her offspring earned more than $200,000 in race money. A stakes race was named in her honor and run at Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico, in 1956. She earned a Dam of Distinction award from the AQHA in 2006, and was inducted the next year into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1141:

The Anarchy: Matilda's brief reign as the first female ruler of England ended when Stephen of Blois regained the throne. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen,_King_of_England

1876:

The Colony of New Zealand dissolved its nine provinces and replaced them with 63 counties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_New_Zealand

1928:

The current 29-letter Turkish alphabet was introduced, replacing the Ottoman Turkish alphabet as the official writing system of the Turkish language. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_alphabet

1948:

Athenagoras I was elected as the 268th Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenagoras_I_of_Constantinople

1998:

The European Court of Human Rights was instituted as a permanent court with full-time judges to monitor compliance by the signatory parties of the European Convention on Human Rights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Court_of_Human_Rights

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

xenocide: 1. (science fiction) The genocide of an entire alien species. 2. (US, colloquial) The intentional killing of an entire foreign (plant or animal) species. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/xenocide

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Virtue alone is the unerring sign of a noble soul.   --Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nicolas_Boileau-Despr%C3%A9aux