Millipedes are a class (Diplopoda) of arthropods, characterised by two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments. Most species have long cylindrical or flattened bodies with more than 20 segments, while pill millipedes are shorter and can roll into a ball. There are around 12,000 named species, making Diplopoda the largest class of myriapods. Despite their name (from the Latin for "thousand feet"), no known species has 1,000 legs; the most recorded is 750. Most species are detritivores, eating decaying leaves and other dead plant matter. Millipedes are generally harmless to humans, although some can become household or garden pests. Most defend themselves with a variety of chemicals secreted from pores along the body, while the tiny bristle millipedes are covered with tufts of detachable bristles. First appearing in the Silurian period, millipedes are some of the oldest known land animals. While the largest modern species can reach lengths of 38 cm (15 in), some prehistoric millipedes grew to over 2 m (6 ft 7 in).

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1202:

The first major action of the Fourth Crusade and the first attack against a Catholic city by Catholic crusaders, the Siege of Zara, began in Zadar, Croatia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Zara

1766:

William Franklin, the last Royal Governor of New Jersey, signed the charter establishing Queen's College, now known as Rutgers University. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutgers_University

1940:

A magnitude 7.7 ML earthquake struck the Vrancea region of Romania, the country's strongest earthquake in the 20th century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_Vrancea_earthquake

1958:

Merchant Harry Winston donated the Hope Diamond, the "most famous diamond in the world", to the Smithsonian Institution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Diamond

2006:

Prominent Sri Lankan Tamil politician and human rights lawyer Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadarajah_Raviraj

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

stemware: Drinking glasses that have a stem, such as wine glasses or champagne flutes. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stemware

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

All your questions can be answered, if that is what you want. But once you learn your answers, you can never unlearn them.   --American Gods https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/American_Gods