Guy Bradley (1870–1905) was an American game warden and deputy sheriff for Monroe County, Florida. Born in Chicago, his family relocated to Florida when he was young. As a boy, he often served as guide to visiting fishermen and plume hunters, although he later denounced poaching after legislation was passed to protect the dwindling number of birds. In 1902, Bradley was hired by the American Ornithologists' Union, at the request of the Florida Audubon Society, to become one of the country's first game wardens. Tasked with protecting the area's wading birds from hunters, he single-handedly patrolled the area stretching from Florida's west coast, through the Everglades, to Key West, enforcing the ban on bird hunting. Bradley was shot and killed in the line of duty, after confronting a man and his two sons who were hunting egrets in the Everglades. His much-publicized death at the age of 35 galvanized conservationists, and served as inspiration for future legislation to protect Florida's bird populations. Several national awards and places have been named in his honor.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1836:

Texas Revolution: Mexican forces captured the Alamo in San Antonio from the Texans after a 13-day siege. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Alamo

1899:

The German chemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer registered Aspirin as a trademark. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin

1913:

First Balkan War: The Greek army captured Bizani Fortress near Ioannina from the Turks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bizani

1987:

In the worst maritime disaster involving a British registered ship in peacetime since 1919, the ferry M/S Herald of Free Enterprise capsized while leaving the harbour of Zeebrugge, Belgium, killing 193 on board. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Herald_of_Free_Enterprise

2008:

A Palestinian gunman shot and killed 8 students and critically injured 11 in the library of the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, in Jerusalem, Israel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercaz_HaRav_massacre

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

contentious (adj): 1. Marked by heated arguments or controversy. 2. Given to struggling with others out of jealousy or discord http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/contentious

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

A man contains all that is needed to make up a tree; likewise, a tree contains all that is needed to make up a man. Thus, finally, all things meet in all things, but we need a Prometheus to distill it. --Cyrano de Bergerac http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cyrano_de_Bergerac