The Dodo is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Its appearance in life is evidenced only by 17th-century paintings and written accounts that vary considerably, so its exact appearance is a mystery. Little is certain about its habitat and behaviour. Subfossil remains show the Dodo was about one 1 metre (3.3 feet) tall and may have weighed 10–18 kg (22–40 lb). It is presumed that the Dodo became flightless because of the ready availability of abundant food sources and a relative absence of predators on Mauritius. The first recorded mention of the Dodo was by Dutch sailors in 1598. In the following years, the bird was preyed upon by hungry sailors, their domesticated animals, and invasive species introduced during that time. The last widely accepted sighting of a Dodo was in 1662. Its extinction within only about a century of its discovery called attention to the previously unrecognised problem of human involvement in the disappearance of entire species. The Dodo achieved widespread recognition from its role in Alice in Wonderland, and it has become a fixture in popular culture, often as a symbol of extinction and obsolescence.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1253:

Mindaugas, the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, was crowned as King of Lithuania, the only person to ever hold that title. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindaugas

1411:

Ming Dynasty Admiral Zheng He returned to Nanjing after his second voyage and presented the Sinhalese king, captured during the Ming–Kotte War, to the Yongle Emperor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming%E2%80%93Kotte_War

1809:

Napoleon's French forces defeated Archduke Charles' Austrian army at the Battle of Wagram, the decisive confrontation of the War of the Fifth Coalition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wagram

1885:

French chemists Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux successfully tested their vaccine against rabies on nine-year-old Joseph Meister after he was bitten by an infected dog. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies_vaccine

1978:

A sleeping car train at Taunton, England, caught fire, killing 12 people and causing British Rail to install state-of-the art fire prevention measures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taunton_sleeping_car_fire

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

Higgs boson: (physics) A hypothetical elementary particle predicted by the Standard Model; a boson with zero spin, it is thought to give mass to other particles. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Higgs_boson

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I feel that the essence of spiritual practice is your attitude toward others. When you have a pure, sincere motivation, then you have right attitude toward others based on kindness, compassion, love and respect. Practice brings the clear realisation of the oneness of all human beings and the importance of others benefiting by your actions.   --Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tenzin_Gyatso,_14th_Dalai_Lama