Sid Barnes (1916–1973) was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War. He helped create an enduring record when scoring 234 in the second Test against England at Sydney in December 1946; exactly the same score as his captain, Don Bradman, in the process setting a world-record 405 run fifth wicket partnership. Barnes averaged 63.05 over 19 innings in a career that, like most of his contemporaries, was interrupted by the Second World War. Barnes had a reputation as an eccentric and was frequently the subject of controversy. This included a celebrated libel case, following his exclusion from the national team in 1951–52 for "reasons other than cricket ability". He was later involved in an incident where, acting as twelfth man, he performed his duties on the ground in a suit and tie (rather than 'whites'), carrying a bizarre range of superfluous items. Despite this reputation, Barnes was a shrewd businessman who used the opportunities afforded by cricket to supplement his income through trading, journalism and property development.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1368:

Zhu Yuanzhang ascended to the throne of China as the Hongwu Emperor, initiating Ming Dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_Dynasty

1556:

The deadliest earthquake in history killed about 830,000 people in Shaanxi Province, China. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1556_Shaanxi_earthquake

1656:

Under the pseudonym Louis de Montalte, French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher Blaise Pascal published the first of his Lettres provinciales, attacking the Jesuits and their use of casuistic reasoning. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettres_provinciales

1960:

The bathyscaphe Trieste reached the record depth of 10,916 m (35,813 feet) in Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathyscaphe_Trieste

1968:

USS Pueblo was seized by North Korean forces, who claimed that it had violated their territorial waters while spying. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pueblo_%28AGER-2%29

2001:

Five people attempted to set themselves on fire in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, an act that many people later claimed was staged by the Communist Party of China to frame Falun Gong and thus escalate their persecution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_self-immolation_incident

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

tsuris (n): (US, colloquial) Problems or troubles http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tsuris

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

One can acquire everything in solitude — except character. --Stendhal http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stendhal