Aaliyah (1979–2001) was an American recording artist, actress and model. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and Blackground Records by her uncle, Barry Hankerson. He introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed to Atlantic Records. Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat". Since then, Aaliyah's music has achieved commercial success with several posthumous releases. She has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop, earning her the nickname "Princess of R&B".

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1527:

Spanish and German troops sacked Rome, marking the symbolic end of the Italian Renaissance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Renaissance

1863:

American Civil War: The Army of Northern Virginia, led by Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson , scored a Confederate victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville

1882:

Irish Under-Secretary Thomas Henry Burke and Irish Chief Secretary Lord Frederick Cavendish were stabbed to death by members of the radical group Irish National Invincibles as they walked through the Phoenix Park in Dublin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Park_Murders

1937:

The German zeppelin Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed while trying to land at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, killing over 30 people on board. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_129_Hindenburg

2002:

Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn was assassinated by Volkert van der Graaf for his controversial statements regarding Muslims. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pim_Fortuyn

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

percept (n): The object of perception; something which has been perceived http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/percept

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing. Ultimately, after endlessly repeated rebuffs, it succeeds. This is one of the few points in which it may be optimistic about the future of mankind, but in itself it signifies not a little. --Sigmund Freud http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud