Operation Auca was an attempt by five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States to make contact with the Huaorani people of the rainforest of Ecuador. The Huaorani, also known as the Aucas, were an isolated tribe known for their violence, both against their own people and outsiders who entered their territory. With the intention of being the first Protestants to evangelize the Huaorani, the missionaries began making regular flights over Huaorani settlements in September 1955, dropping gifts. After several months of exchanging gifts, on January 2, 1956, the missionaries established a camp at "Palm Beach", a sandbar along the Curaray River, a few miles from Huaorani settlements. Their efforts culminated on January 8, 1956, when all five—Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian—were attacked and speared by a group of Huaorani warriors. The news of their deaths was broadcast around the world, and Life magazine covered the event with a photo essay. The deaths of the men galvanized the missionary effort in the United States, sparking an outpouring of funding for evangelization efforts around the world. Their work is still frequently remembered in evangelical publications, and in 2006, was the subject of the film production End of the Spear.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1198: Lotario de Conti became Pope Innocent III. His first act was the restoration of the papal power in Rome. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Innocent_III)

1815: War of 1812: The United States Army led by Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans two weeks after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Orleans)

1889: Herman Hollerith received a patent for his electric tabulating machine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Hollerith)

1989: British Midland Flight 92 crashed onto the embankment of the M1 motorway in the Kegworth air disaster. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kegworth_air_disaster)

2004: RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest passenger ship ever built, was christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary_2)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

Some marry the first information they receive, and turn what comes later into their concubine. Since deceit is always first to arrive, there is no room left for truth. -- Baltasar Gracián (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Baltasar_Graci%C3%A1n)