"From The Doctor to my son Thomas" is a viral video recorded by the Scottish actor Peter Capaldi (pictured) and sent to Thomas Goodall, an autistic nine-year-old who was grieving over the death of his grandmother. Thomas's father Ross posted the video to YouTube on 6 November 2014 so that his whole family could see it, but the video had wide appeal, and was viewed more than 200,000 times over the next 48 hours. Less than a week later it had over 900,000 views. In the video Capaldi portrays his character, the Twelfth Doctor, from the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who. His message had a positive effect on Thomas; the father said the boy smiled for the first time since learning of his grandmother's death, and gained the courage to go to her funeral. The video was praised as a deeply affecting piece in The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Hollywood Life, and various Spanish and Dutch publications, and by CNN and MTV News. It also had a positive impact on many viewers who suffered from autism and other mental health problems.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1665:

The London Gazette, the oldest surviving English-language newspaper, was first published as the Oxford Gazette. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_London_Gazette

1885:

Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the first transcontinental railroad across Canada, concluded with the driving of the "last spike" in Craigellachie, British Columbia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Spike_(Canadian_Pacific_Railway)

1916:

In the Congressional election, Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannette_Rankin

1941:

World War II: German aircraft sank the Soviet hospital ship Armenia while she was evacuating civilians and wounded soldiers from Crimea, killing an estimated 5,000 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_hospital_ship_Armenia

1991:

Professional basketball player Magic Johnson announced his retirement from the game because of his infection with HIV. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Johnson

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

vitriolic: 1. (chemistry) Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from or resembling vitriol; vitriolous. 2. (figuratively) Bitterly scathing, caustic. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vitriolic

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Humanity needs practical men, who get the most out of their work, and, without forgetting the general good, safeguard their own interests. But humanity also needs dreamers, for whom the disinterested development of an enterprise is so captivating that it becomes impossible for them to devote their care to their own material profit.   --Marie Curie https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Marie_Curie