Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. The city has a population of almost 5 million, with an extended metropolitan population of over 13 million, thus making it the second-largest urban agglomeration and the fourth-largest city in India. To the south of the city is the Sundarbans delta, the world's largest mangrove forest. The city served as the capital of British India, untill 1911. Once the centre of modern education, science, culture and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India's independence in 1947. Since 2000 however, an economic rejuvenation has arrested the morbid decline, leading to a spurt in the city's growth. Like other large cities, Kolkata continues to struggle with urbanisation problems like poverty, pollution and traffic congestion. A vibrant city with a distinct socio-political culture, Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the leftist Naxalite and trade union movements.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1409: Western Schism: The Catholic church is led into a double schism as Petros Philargos is crowned Pope Alexander V after the Council of Pisa, joining Pope Gregory XII in Rome and Avignon Pope Benedict XIII in Avignon. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Schism)

1940: Under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union gave Romania an ultimatum requiring it to cede territory. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov-Ribbentrop_Pact)

1945: The United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco, California. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Charter)

1959: The Saint Lawrence Seaway, a system of canals connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, was officially opened. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lawrence_Seaway)

1963: John F. Kennedy uttered "Ich bin ein Berliner." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"For the future, let all people live in harmony ... Men should be taught and won over by reason, not by blows, insults, and corporal punishments." -- Julian (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Julian)