"A Death in the Family" is a 1988 storyline in Batman, an American comic book published by DC Comics. Written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Jim Aparo, it is considered one of the most important Batman stories as it features the death of his sidekick Robin at the hands of his archenemy, the Joker. Jason Todd, the second character to assume the Robin persona, was introduced in 1983 to replace Dick Grayson, but became unpopular among fans. Editor Dennis O'Neil recalled a 1982 Saturday Night Live sketch in which viewers phoned in, voting to boil or spare Larry the Lobster. Similarly, DC set up a 900 number to allow fans to decide Todd's fate, and fans voted to kill him off. Todd's demise had a lasting effect on Batman stories, pushing the comic-book mythos in a darker direction. It remains a popular story among readers and has been reprinted in trade paperback. An animated interactive-film adaptation, Batman: Death in the Family, was released in 2020.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Death_in_the_Family_%28comics%29

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1804:

Irish convicts formerly involved at the Battle of Vinegar Hill during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 began an uprising against British colonial authorities in New South Wales, Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Hill_convict_rebellion

1837:

Chicago, Illinois, was incorporated as a city after its population increased in seven years from 200 to more than 4,000. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago

1943:

The Holocaust: Almost all Jews in Bulgarian-occupied northern Greece were deported to Treblinka extermination camp to be killed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust_in_Bulgarian-occupied_Greece

2012:

A series of blasts occurred at an arms dump in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, killing at least 250 people and injuring 2,300 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazzaville_arms_dump_blasts

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

engineer: 1. (military, also figuratively) 2. A soldier engaged in designing or constructing military works for attack or defence, or other engineering works. 3. (obsolete) A soldier in charge of operating a weapon; an artilleryman, a gunner. 4. (by extension) 5. A person professionally engaged in the technical design and construction of large-scale private and public works such as bridges, buildings, harbours, railways, roads, etc.; a civil engineer. 6. Originally, a person engaged in designing, constructing, or maintaining engines or machinery; now (more generally), a person qualified or professionally engaged in any branch of engineering, or studying to do so. 7. A person trained to operate an engine; an engineman. 8. (chiefly historical) A person who operates a steam engine; specifically (nautical), a person employed to operate the steam engine in the engine room of a ship. 9. (US, firefighting) A person who drives or operates a fire engine. 10. (chiefly US, rail transport) A person who drives or operates a locomotive; a train driver. 11. Preceded by a qualifying word: a person who uses abilities or knowledge to manipulate events or people. 12. (often derogatory) A person who formulates plots or schemes; a plotter, a schemer. 13. (transitive) 14. To employ one's abilities and knowledge as an engineer to design, construct, and/or maintain (something, such as a machine or a structure), usually for industrial or public use. 15. (specifically) To use genetic engineering to alter or construct (a DNA sequence), or to alter (an organism). 16. To plan or achieve (a goal) by contrivance or guile; to finagle, to wangle. 17. (intransitive) 18. To formulate plots or schemes; to plot, to scheme. 19. (rare) To work as an engineer. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/engineer

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Now, at more than any other point in recent history, the United Nations is being challenged. If the United Nations has any purpose, it is to prevent war, it is to condemn war, to stop war. That is our job here today. It is the job you were sent here to do – not just by your capitals, but by all of humanity.   --Linda Thomas-Greenfield https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Linda_Thomas-Greenfield