Ian Fleming (1908–1964) was an English author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer, best known for his James Bond series of spy novels. While working in British Naval Intelligence during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in the planning stages of intelligence and military operations, and his wartime service and subsequent career as a journalist provided much of the background, detail and depth of the James Bond novels. Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952. It was a success, and eleven Bond novels and two short-story collections followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels revolved around James Bond, an officer in the British Secret Service. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-four times, portrayed by seven actors, and the latest screen incarnation, Skyfall, is due to premiere in London on 23 October 2012.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Fleming
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
502:
Pope Symmachus (pictured), who had been accused of various crimes, had all charges dropped by a synod, ending the schism of Antipope Laurentius. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Symmachus
1942:
World War II: Japanese forces began their ill-fated attempt to recapture Henderson Field from the Americans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_Henderson_Field
1972:
Vietnam War: Operation Linebacker, a US bombing campaign against North Vietnam in response to its Easter Offensive, ended after five months. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Linebacker
1989:
A massive explosion and fire ripped through the Phillips 66 Houston Chemical Complex, killing 23 employees and injuring 314 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_Disaster_of_1989
2002:
Chechen separatists seized a crowded theater in Moscow, taking approximately 700 patrons and performers hostage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisis
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
palatal: 1. (anatomy) Pertaining to the palate. 2. (dentistry, not comparable) Of an upper tooth, on the side facing the palate. 3. (phonetics) Articulated at the hard palate. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/palatal
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
In the end, science offers us the only way out of politics. And if we allow science to become politicized, then we are lost. We will enter the Internet version of the dark ages, an era of shifting fears and wild prejudices, transmitted to people who don't know any better. --Michael Crichton https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton
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