Emery Molyneux was an Elizabethan maker of globes, mathematical instruments and ordnance. His terrestrial and celestial globes, first published in 1592, were the first to be made in England and the first to be made by an Englishman. Molyneux was known as a mathematician and maker of mathematical instruments such as compasses and hourglasses. He became acquainted with many prominent men of the day, including the writer Richard Hakluyt and the mathematicians Robert Hues and Edward Wright. He also knew the explorers Thomas Cavendish, Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh and John Davis. Davis probably introduced Molyneux to his own patron, the London merchant William Sanderson, who largely financed the construction of the globes. When completed, the globes were presented to Elizabeth I. Molyneux emigrated to Amsterdam with his wife in 1596 or 1597. He succeeded in interesting the States-General, the parliament of the United Provinces, in a cannon he had invented, but he died suddenly in June 1598, apparently in poverty. The globe-making industry in England died with him. Only six of his globes are believed to be still in existence.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emery_Molyneux

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1759:

The British Museum in London, today containing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections in the world, opened to the public in Montagu House, Bloomsbury. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum

1777:

The Republic of New Connecticut declared its independence from several jurisdictions and land claims of the British colonies of New Hampshire and New York. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Republic

1885:

American photographer Wilson Bentley took the first known photograph of a snowflake by attaching a bellows camera to a microscope. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Bentley

1908:

Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women, was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. by nine students. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Kappa_Alpha

1943:

The highest-capacity office building in the world, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense known as the Pentagon, was dedicated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/the_Pentagon

1993:

Salvatore "The Beast" Riina, one of the most powerful members of the Sicilian Mafia, was arrested after three decades as a fugitive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvatore_Riina

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

damask (n): 1. An ornate silk fabric originating from Damascus. 2. A damask rose. 3. A grayish-pink color, like that of the damask rose http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/damask

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. And I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn't popular to talk about it in some circles today. I'm not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love, I'm talking about a strong, demanding love. And I have seen too much hate... I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who has love has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality. --Martin Luther King, Jr. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King%2C_Jr.