Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1660–1744) was one of the most influential women in British history due to her close friendship with Queen Anne of Great Britain. By the time Anne became queen in 1702, Sarah had become a powerful friend and a dangerous enemy, the last in the long line of Stuart favourites. A strong-willed woman who liked to get her own way, Sarah tried the Queen's patience whenever she disagreed with her on political, court or church appointments. Sarah enjoyed an unusually close relationship with her husband, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, whom she married in 1677. When Anne came to the throne, the Duke of Marlborough, together with Sidney Godolphin, rose to head the government, partly due to his wife's friendship with the queen. Sarah campaigned on behalf of the British Whig Party, while also devoting time to building projects such as the construction of Blenheim Palace. The money she inherited from the Marlborough trust made her one of the richest women in Europe. Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Churchill,_Duchess_of_Marlborough> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 320: Pappus of Alexandria, one of the last great Greek mathematicians of antiquity, observed an eclipse that allowed historians to calculate the approximate dates of his life. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pappus_of_Alexandria> 1081: Byzantine–Norman wars: The Normans under Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, defeated the Byzantines outside the city of Dyrrhachium, the Byzantine capital of Illyria. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dyrrhachium_(1081)> 1386: A special Pontifical High Mass in the Church of the Holy Spirit commemorated the opening of Heidelberg University. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg_University> 1954: The first commercial transistor radio, the Regency TR-1 (pictured), was introduced in Indianapolis, Indiana, US. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regency_TR-1> 2007: A suicide attack on a motorcade carrying former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto in Karachi caused at least 139 deaths and 450 injuries. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Karachi_bombing> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: stipulate: (botany; not comparable) Having stipules; that is, having outgrowths borne on either side of the base of the leafstalk. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stipulate> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: Not one man in five cycles, who is wise, will expect appreciative recognition from his fellows, or any one of them. Appreciation! Recognition! Is Jove appreciated? Why, ever since Adam, who has got to the meaning of his great allegory — the world? Then we pigmies must be content to have our paper allegories but ill comprehended. in --Moby-Dick <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Moby-Dick>