The Suicidal Tour took place when Brazilian professional football club Santa Cruz Futebol Clube toured the North Region of Brazil from 2 January to 29 April 1943. Over almost four months, they played either 26 or 28 friendly matches in six cities. The tour gained its name due to the misfortunes endured by the club. Looking to recover from a financial crisis, Santa Cruz arranged five matches in Belém, Pará. Traveling up the Amazon River for another round of matches, they first started experiencing problems in Manaus, where two players left to play for other clubs and seven members of the team's delegation caught dysentery. Two players went on to contract typhoid fever and died. Unable to return home through the sea, and needing to cover growing costs, Santa Cruz had to return to Recife by land, playing matches along the way to earn money. The return had further problems, including a fake arrest warrant for a player, a trip alongside thieves, and two train derailments.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1810:

Napoleonic Wars: British troops rendezvoused at Grand Baie to launch an invasion of Isle de France, now known as Mauritius. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Isle_de_France

1924:

The Bronx County Bird Club was formed and would go on to lead the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count in the eastern US for three years in a row. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronx_County_Bird_Club

1963:

Five minutes after taking off from Montréal–Dorval, Trans- Canada Air Lines Flight 831 crashed in bad weather, killing all 118 people on board. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Canada_Air_Lines_Flight_831

1972:

Atari announced the release of Pong (screenshot pictured), one of the first video games to achieve widespread popularity in both the arcade and home-console markets. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong

2012:

In resolution 67/19, the United Nations General Assembly voted to accord the status of a non-member observer state to Palestine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_resolution_67/19

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

shopdropping: (often art) The covert placing of items in retail stores as a form of advertising, countercultural performance art, protest, etc. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shopdropping

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been a proof that you were not.   --Prince Caspian https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia#Prince_Caspian_%281951%29