John FitzWalter, 2nd Baron FitzWalter (c. 1315 – 1361), was a
prominent Essex landowner who waged an armed campaign against the
neighbouring town of Colchester. With connections to the powerful de
Clare family, who had arrived in England at the time of the Norman
conquest, the FitzWalter family was of a noble and ancient lineage. They
held estates across Essex, as well as properties in London and Norfolk.
John FitzWalter played a prominent role during the early years of King
Edward III's wars in France. FitzWalter's dispute with Colchester was
exacerbated when townsmen illegally entered his park in Lexden; in
return, he banned them from one of their own watermills. In 1342, he
ransacked Colchester, destroyed its market, and besieged the town,
preventing anyone from entering or leaving. In 1351, he was arrested and
imprisoned in the Marshalsea. He languished in the Tower of London for
over a year until the king agreed to pardon him.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_FitzWalter,_2nd_Baron_FitzWalter>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1887:
The Parliament of Canada passed the Rocky Mountains Park Act,
creating Banff National Park in Alberta as the country's first national
park.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_National_Park>
1956:
In a nationwide referendum, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected
President of Egypt, a post he held until his death in 1970.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamal_Abdel_Nasser>
1972:
President Richard Nixon signed Title IX into law as part of
the Education Amendments, prohibiting gender discrimination in any
educational program receiving U.S. federal funds.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_IX>
2014:
Under the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 2118, the
last of Syria's declared chemical weapons were shipped out for
destruction.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_Syria%27s_chemical_weapons>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
ithyphallic:
1. (historical, Ancient Rome) Of or pertaining to the erect phallus that
was carried in bacchic processions.
2. (specifically) Of a poem or song: having the metre of an ode sung in
honour of the bacchic phallus.
3. Of or pertaining to an upward pointing, erect penis; (specifically)
of an artistic depiction of a deity or other figure: possessing an erect
penis.
4. (by extension) Lascivious, obscene.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ithyphallic>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The greatest expression of rebellion is joy.
--Joss Whedon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joss_Whedon>
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