William McKinley (1843–1901) was the 25th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1897, until his death. McKinley served in the Civil War and rose from private to brevet major. In 1876, he was elected to Congress, where he advocated a protective tariff, which he promised would bring prosperity. His controversial 1890 McKinley Tariff, together with a Democratic redistricting effort aimed at gerrymandering him out of office, led to his defeat in the Democratic landslide of 1890. He then served four years as Governor of Ohio. In 1896, running a front porch campaign, he defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan, and won a rematch four years later. McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish–American War, raised protective tariffs to promote American industry, and maintained the nation on the gold standard in a rejection of free silver. His administration ended with his assassination in September 1901, but his presidency began a period dominated by the Republican Party. .

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_%28United_States%29

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1752:

In adopting the Gregorian calendar under the terms of the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, the British Empire skipped eleven days, with September 2 being followed directly by September 14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_%28New_Style%29_Act_1750

1914:

HMAS AE1, the Royal Australian Navy's first submarine, was lost at sea; its wreck was not found until 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_AE1

1940:

The Hungarian Army indiscriminately killed at least 150 ethnic Romanians in Ipp, Transylvania, after rumors spread that Romanians were responsible for the recent deaths of two soldiers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ip_massacre

2015:

Physicists of the LIGO and Virgo projects first observed gravitational waves, the existence of which was predicted by Henri Poincaré in 1905. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_observation_of_gravitational_waves

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

rantistirion: (Eastern Orthodoxy) A ritual sprinkler used in some Christian rites. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rantistirion

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Patriotism or any other version of the herd instinct seems to me an entirely inadequate basis of virtue. Christianity is from that point of view an explanation of and a support for an essential ingredient in man's nature — far the best, though necessarily imperfect.   --Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Cecil,_1st_Viscount_Cecil_of_Chelwood