Tecumseh (c. 1768 – October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. During Tecumseh's childhood, the Shawnee lost territory to the American colonies in a series of border conflicts. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and promoting tribal unity. He proclaimed that Native Americans owned their lands in common, and urged tribes not to cede more territory unless all agreed. In the War of 1812, Tecumseh joined his cause with the British, recruiting warriors and helping to capture Detroit in 1812. In 1813, he retreated with the British into Upper Canada, where American forces engaged them at the Battle of the Thames, in which Tecumseh was killed. His death led to the collapse of his confederacy, but he became an iconic folk hero in American, Indigenous, and Canadian history.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1869:

During construction of the Eastman tunnel in St. Anthony, Minnesota (now Minneapolis), the Mississippi River broke through the tunnel's limestone ceiling, nearly destroying Saint Anthony Falls. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastman_tunnel

1903:

Samuel Griffith became the first Chief Justice of Australia, while Edmund Barton and Richard O'Connor became the first Puisne Justices of the High Court of Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Edward_O%27Connor

1973:

Seven nations signed the European Patent Convention, providing an autonomous legal system according to which European patents are granted. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Patent_Convention

2011:

Two Chinese cargo ships were attacked on a stretch of the Mekong River in the Golden Triangle area of Southeast Asia, and their crews murdered. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_River_massacre

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

wh-question: (chiefly linguistics) A question that is introduced by a wh-word (what, where, why, etc.) and cannot be answered by yes or no. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wh-question

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The dissident does not operate in the realm of genuine power at all. He is not seeking power. He has no desire for office and does not gather votes. He does not attempt to charm the public, he offers nothing and promises nothing. He can offer, if anything, only his own skin — and he offers it solely because he has no other way of affirming the truth he stands for. His actions simply articulate his dignity as a citizen, regardless of the cost.   --Václav Havel https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Havel