Khalid al-Mihdhar (1975–2001) was one of five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77, which was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon as part of the September 11 attacks. He was born in Saudi Arabia and fought in the Bosnian War during the 1990s. In early 1999, he traveled to Afghanistan where, as an experienced al-Qaeda member, he was selected by Osama bin Laden to participate in the attacks. Mihdhar attended the Kuala Lumpur al-Qaeda Summit in Malaysia and then went to California with fellow hijacker Nawaf al-Hazmi in January 2000. Arriving in San Diego, they were to train as pilots, but spoke English poorly and did not do well with flight lessons. In June 2000, Mihdhar left the United States for Yemen; after spending time in Afghanistan, he returned to the U.S. in early July 2001. On the morning of September 11, he boarded Flight 77. The attack killed all 64 people aboard, along with 125 on the ground.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalid_al-Mihdhar

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1837:

Richard Mentor Johnson became the only person to be elected Vice President of the United States by the Senate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mentor_Johnson

1879:

Enraged by a controversial umpiring decision, cricket spectators rioted and attacked the England cricket team during a match in Sydney, Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Riot_of_1879

1910:

Newspaper and magazine publisher William D. Boyce established the Boy Scouts of America, expanding the Scout Movement into the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_Scouts_of_America

1965:

After taking evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision just after takeoff from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean and exploded, killing all 84 people on board. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_663

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

pipe: 1. (music) A wind instrument consisting of a tube, often lined with holes to allow for adjustment in pitch, sounded by blowing into the tube. […] 2. A rigid tube that transports water, steam, or other fluid, as used in plumbing and numerous other applications. […] 3. (Australia, colloquial, now historical) An anonymous satire or essay, insulting and frequently libellous, written on a piece of paper which was rolled up and left somewhere public where it could be found and thus spread, to embarrass the author's enemies. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pipe

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

There is never vulgarity in a whole truth, however commonplace. It may be unimportant or painful. It cannot be vulgar. Vulgarity is only in concealment of truth, or in affectation.   --John Ruskin https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Ruskin