Master Chief is a major character in the Halo multimedia franchise. First appearing in the 2001 video game Halo: Combat Evolved, he is the playable character and protagonist of many of the games in the franchise, and makes additional appearances in spin-offs, novels, and comics. In the story, Master Chief is abducted as a child and raised by the military to fight against human rebels. He and his fellow Spartan supersoldiers instead become humanity's best weapon in the fight against a genocidal collective of alien races known as the Covenant. The character is voiced by Steve Downes. Master Chief was originally designed to be a faceless avatar whom players could inhabit while playing the games, but the relationship between him and his artificial intelligence companion Cortana has become a central part of the franchise. Master Chief serves as a mascot for the Xbox brand, and is an iconic character in gaming culture.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Chief_%28Halo%29

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1917:

Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari was executed by a firing squad for spying for Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_Hari

1982:

Ata'ollah Ashrafi Esfahani was assassinated by the People's Mujahedin of Iran during Friday prayers in Kermanshah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ata%27ollah_Ashrafi_Esfahani

2006:

An earthquake registering 6.7 Mw occurred off the northwestern coast of the island of Hawaii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Kiholo_Bay_earthquake

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

beg to differ: 1. (idiomatic) To offer an opposing opinion humbly. 2. (idiomatic) To differ (strongly) in interpretation or opinion. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beg_to_differ

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage. Intellectual myopia, often called stupidity, is no doubt a reason. But the privileged also feel that their privileges, however egregious they may seem to others, are a solemn, basic, God-given right.   --John Kenneth Galbraith https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Kenneth_Galbraith