Chester A. Arthur (1829–1886) was the 21st President of the United States, from 1881 to 1885. After practicing law in New York City, he served as quartermaster general in the New York Militia during the American Civil War. Rising quickly in the Republican political machine run by Senator Roscoe Conkling, he was appointed to the lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York in 1871. In 1878 the new president, Rutherford B. Hayes, fired Arthur as part of a reform measure. When James Garfield won the Republican nomination for president in 1880, Arthur was nominated for vice president to balance the ticket. After Garfield's assassination, Arthur took up the cause of reform, supporting the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. He presided over the rebirth of the U.S. Navy but was criticized for failing to alleviate a growing federal budget surplus. Suffering from poor health, Arthur retired at the close of his term. Journalist Alexander McClure later wrote, "No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted as Chester Alan Arthur, and no one ever retired ... more generally respected, alike by political friend and foe." (Full article...).

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_A._Arthur

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1898:

The United States Navy battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana, Cuba, killing more than 260 people and precipitating the Spanish–American War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Maine_(ACR-1)

1900:

Second Boer War: British cavalry under Major-General John French defeated Boer forces to end a 124-day siege of Kimberley, present-day South Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Kimberley

1954:

The Canadian and American governments agreed to jointly build the Distant Early Warning Line (DEW Line), a line of radar stations running across the high Arctic (radar station pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distant_Early_Warning_Line

1976:

The current Constitution of Cuba, providing for a system of government and law based on those of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, was adopted by a national referendum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Cuba

2003:

In one of the largest anti-war rallies in history, millions around the world in approximately 800 cities took part in protests against the impending invasion of Iraq. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003,_anti-war_protests

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

voluntourist: A tourist who takes part in voluntourism. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/voluntourist

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Life is too short to pursue every human act to its most remote consequences; "for want of a nail, a kingdom was lost" is a commentary on fate, not the statement of a major cause of action against a blacksmith.   --Antonin Scalia https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Antonin_Scalia