The Fort Vancouver Centennial half dollar is a commemorative fifty-cent piece struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1925 in honor of the founding of Fort Vancouver in present-day Vancouver, Washington. The obverse of the commemorative coin (pictured) depicts John McLoughlin, who built the fort for the Hudson's Bay Company in 1825. The reverse shows an armed frontiersman standing in front of the fort. Representative Albert Johnson of Washington state was able to get Congress to authorize a coin for Fort Vancouver's centennial celebrations, and President Calvin Coolidge signed the authorizing act on February 24, 1925. Laura Gardin Fraser was engaged to design the coin on the recommendation of the United States Commission of Fine Arts. The coins were struck at the San Francisco Mint, and then were flown to Washington state by airplane as a publicity stunt. They sold badly, and are valuable today since few of the coins survive.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1760:

In a treaty with Dutch colonial authorities, the Ndyuka people of Suriname gained territorial autonomy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ndyuka_people

1846:

English astronomer William Lassell discovered Triton, the largest moon of Neptune. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triton_%28moon%29

1973:

U.S. vice president Spiro Agnew resigned after being charged with tax evasion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiro_Agnew

1992:

After 20 years of construction, Vidyasagar Setu, the longest cable-stayed bridge in India, was opened, joining Kolkata and Howrah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vidyasagar_Setu

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

Weltschmerz: An apathetic or pessimistic view of life; depression concerning or discomfort with the human condition or state of the world; mal du siècle, world-weariness. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Weltschmerz

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

By awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 to Ales Bialiatski, Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honour three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful co-existence in the neighbour countries Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Through their consistent efforts in favour of humanist values, anti-militarism and principles of law, this year’s laureates have revitalised and honoured Alfred Nobel’s vision of peace and fraternity between nations — a vision most needed in the world today.   --Norwegian Nobel Committee https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Norwegian_Nobel_Committee