Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Founded in 1701 by French fur traders, it is a major port city north of Windsor, Ontario located on the Detroit River in the Midwestern region of the United States. In 2005, Detroit ranked as the United States's 11th most populous city with 886,675 residents; this is less than half of the peak population it had in 1950, and Detroit leads the nation in terms of declining urban population. It is the focus city of the nation's tenth-largest metropolitan area, and the fourth-largest if Windsor and its environs are included. Detroit's crime rate has brought it notoriety while the city continues to struggle with the burdens of racial disharmony between itself and its suburban neighbors.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1187: The Siege of Jerusalem: Ayyubid forces led by Saladin captured Jerusalem, prompting the Third Crusade. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(1187))

1535: French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed along the St. Lawrence River and reached an Iroquois fort on the island now known as Montréal. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Montreal)

1835: Mexican dragoons dispatched to disarm settlers at Gonzales, Texas encountered stiff resistance from a Texian militia in the Battle of Gonzales, the first armed engagement of the Texas Revolution. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gonzales)

1928: Saint Josemaría Escrivá founded Opus Dei, a worldwide organization of lay members of the Roman Catholic Church. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_Dei)

1950: Peanuts, a syndicated comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, featuring Charlie Brown and his pet beagle Snoopy, was first published in major newspapers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

A man and a woman Are one. A man and a woman and a blackbird Are one. -- Wallace Stevens (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wallace_Stevens)