The Rodrigues night heron is an extinct species of heron that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues. It was first mentioned in two accounts, from around 1692 and around 1725, which were correlated with subfossil remains found and described in the latter part of the 19th century. The Rodrigues night heron was robust, its bill was large, stout, and straight, and its legs were short and strong. It is estimated to have been 60 cm (24 in) long, and its appearance in life is uncertain. Little is known about its behaviour, but the contemporary accounts indicate that it ate lizards, was adapted to running, and was able to fly but rarely did so. Examinations of the known remains have confirmed its terrestrial adaptations; one researcher thought the species flightless but this idea has not been accepted by others. The species could not be found by 1763, and it is thought to have been driven to extinction by human-related factors such as the introduction of cats.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1863:

American Civil War: A Union brigade defeated a Confederate force at the Battle of Droop Mountain in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Droop_Mountain

1917:

First World War: Canadian forces captured Passendale, Belgium, after three months of fighting against the Germans at the Battle of Passchendaele. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Passchendaele

1963:

Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ was appointed by the junta of General Dương Văn Minh to head the South Vietnamese government, five days after Minh deposed and assassinated President Ngô Đình Diệm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_Ng%E1%BB%8Dc_Th%C6%A1

2012:

Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay politician to be elected to the United States Senate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammy_Baldwin

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

cronyism: 1. (originally US, derogatory) Favouritism to friends without regard for their qualifications; especially (politics), in their appointment to political positions. 2. (archaic) The condition of being friends; friendship; also, the ability or inclination to make friends. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cronyism

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

As we speak, the world feels more unstable and more dangerous than it has in a very long time. Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine continues to challenge the international order. This summer delivered record breaking temperatures across the planet, with an uptick in drought and flooding and wildfires. Right here in America, but also around the world, we’ve seen a continued assault on democratic norms, escalating political polarization, a lot of it fueled by a steady stream of misinformation, and bile on social media. And of course, over the last few weeks, we have watched a deadly struggle unfold in the Middle East, triggered by the horrific murder of more than 1,400 mostly civilian Israelis, many of them children, at the hands of Hamas, as well as the abduction of over 200 hostages; and then an Israeli response that has so far resulted in the displacement of well over a million people, the death of at least 9,000 Palestinian civilians, thousands of them also children, the cutoff of water, food, electricity to a captive population that risks creating an even greater humanitarian crisis. And all of this is taking place against the backdrop of decades of failure to achieve a durable peace for both Israelis and Palestinians, one that is based on genuine security for Israel, a recognition of its right to exist, and a peace that is based on an end of the occupation and the creation of a viable state and self-determination for the Palestinian people. I will admit it is impossible to be dispassionate in the face of this carnage. It is hard to feel hopeful. The images of families mourning, of bodies being pulled from rubble force a moral reckoning on all of us. … And yet, as heartbreaking as the news is right now — and it is heartbreaking — as daunting as all the challenges that we face may be, I stand here convinced that it is within our power, or more specifically within your power to make this world better.   --Barack Obama https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barack_Obama