A carillon is a pitched percussion instrument housed in a bell tower and
played with a keyboard. Consisting of at least 23 cast bronze bells in
fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order, carillons are usually
owned by churches, universities, or municipalities. The bells are struck
with clappers connected to a keyboard of wooden batons played with the
hands and pedals played with the feet. They are among the world's
heaviest instruments, usually between 4.5 and 15 metric tons (5.0 and
16.5 short tons). The tuned carillon was invented in the Netherlands in
1644, cast by Jacob van Eyck and the Hemony brothers. Today, most are
found in and around Belgium, the Netherlands, and northern France,
though nearly 200 are in North America. Almost all existing carillons
were built in the 20th century. In 2014, UNESCO recognized the carillon
cultures of the Netherlands and Belgium as part of their intangible
cultural heritage.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1703:
The great storm of 1703, one of the most severe storms to
strike southern Great Britain, destroyed the first Eddystone Lighthouse
off Plymouth.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_storm_of_1703>
1945:
A consortium of twenty-two U.S. charities founded CARE with the
purpose of delivering food aid to Europe in the aftermath of World
War II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Care_International>
2001:
The Hubble Space Telescope detected sodium in the atmosphere of
the extrasolar planet HD 209458 b (artist's impression pictured), the
first planetary atmosphere outside our solar system to be measured.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_209458_b>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
potluck:
1. (dated) A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of
whatever food is available.
2. (by extension) Whatever is available in a particular situation.
3. (originally Canada, US) A shared meal consisting of whatever guests
have brought (sometimes without prior arrangement); a potlatch; also, a
dish of food brought to such a meal.
4. (obsolete) The last draft or portion of an alcoholic beverage in a
pot or other drinking vessel.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/potluck>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Have you ever been experienced? Not necessarily stoned, but
beautiful.
--Jimi Hendrix
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix>
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