RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, 2 NM (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights; its location near to the A40 road link with central London and close proximity to Ruislip Gardens tube station has also made it popular with business people and politicians. Northolt has one runway in operation, spanning 1,684 m × 46 m (5,525 ft × 151 ft), with a grooved asphalt surface. Originally established for the Royal Flying Corps, it has the longest history of continuous use of any RAF airfield. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the station was the first to take delivery of the Hawker Hurricane. The station played a key role during the Battle of Britain, when fighters from several of its units, including No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, engaged enemy aircraft as part of the defence of London. More recently the station has become the hub of British military flying operations in the London area. RAF squadrons, including No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron are based at RAF Northolt.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1227:

High Duke of Poland Leszek I the White was assassinated during a diet of the Piast dukes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leszek_I_the_White

1642:

A Dutch expedition led by Abel Tasman reached present-day Tasmania, Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel_Tasman

1863:

American Civil War: As part of the Chattanooga Campaign in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Union forces captured Lookout Mountain, helping them to begin breaking the Confederate siege of the city. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lookout_Mountain

1922:

Irish Civil War: Author and Irish nationalist Robert Erskine Childers was executed by the Irish Free State for illegally carrying a semi-automatic pistol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Erskine_Childers

1976:

The Çaldıran-Muradiye earthquake in eastern Turkey killed at least 4,000 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_%C3%87ald%C4%B1ran-Muradiye_earthquake

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

scriptorium: A room set aside for the copying, writing, or illuminating of manuscripts and records, especially such a room in a monastery. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scriptorium

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

As men's habits of mind differ, so that some more readily embrace one form of faith, some another, for what moves one to pray may move another to scoff, I conclude ... that everyone should be free to choose for himself the foundations of his creed, and that faith should be judged only by its fruits; each would then obey God freely with his whole heart, while nothing would be publicly honoured save justice and charity. --Baruch Spinoza https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza