William IV (1765–1837) was King of Britain and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death on 20 June 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded his elder brother George IV, becoming the last king and penultimate monarch of Britain's House of Hanover. William served in the Royal Navy in his youth, and was later nicknamed the "Sailor King". As his two older brothers died without leaving legitimate issue, he inherited the throne when he was 64 years old. His reign saw several reforms: the poor law was updated, child labour restricted, slavery abolished in nearly all of the British Empire, and the British electoral system refashioned by the Reform Act 1832. Although William did not engage in politics during his reign as much as earlier kings, he was the last British monarch to appoint a prime minister against the will of Parliament. He granted his German kingdom a short-lived liberal constitution. William was succeeded by his niece Victoria in Britain and his brother Ernest Augustus in Hanover.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1792:

The French Army achieved its first major victory in the War of the First Coalition at the Battle of Valmy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Valmy

1971:

Hurricane Irene (satellite image pictured) moved into the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic, making it the first actively tracked tropical cyclone to do so. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Irene%E2%80%93Olivia

1977:

A series of celestial phenomena of disputed nature was observed in the western Soviet Union, Finland and Denmark. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrozavodsk_phenomenon

2011:

The United States military ended its "don't ask, don't tell" policy, consequently allowing gay and lesbian people to serve openly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_ask,_don%27t_tell

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

missing in action: 1. (chiefly military) The designation for a member of an organization (usually military) with whom contact is lost and whose whereabouts are not known, but whose death is not confirmed. 2. (by extension) Not present when one is expected to be. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/missing_in_action

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Religious belief, trust, a sense of connection to the universe — no matter what you call it, there is a spiritual component to strong families. They see their lives as imbued with purpose, reflected in the things they do for one another and the community. Small problems provide a chance to grow; large ones are a lesson in courage. … It takes a certain type of spiritual grace to see beyond one’s own misery to the needs of others. Strong families try to live so they can look outward — and inward — every single day.   --Joyce Brothers https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joyce_Brothers