The Cross of Gold speech was delivered by William Jennings Bryan, a former congressman from Nebraska, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on July 9, 1896. In the address, Bryan supported bimetallism or "free silver", which he believed would bring the nation prosperity. He decried the gold standard, concluding the speech, "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold". Bryan's address helped catapult him to the Democratic Party's presidential nomination; it is considered one of the greatest political speeches in American history. For twenty years, Americans had been bitterly divided over the nation's monetary standard. Many Americans believed bimetallism (making both gold and silver legal tender) was necessary to the nation's economic health. Bryan's speech, delivered at the close of the debate on the party platform, electrified the convention and is generally credited with getting him the nomination for president. However, he lost the general election to William McKinley and the United States formally adopted the gold standard in 1900.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Gold_speech

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

455:

Roman military commander Avitus was proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avitus

869:

An estimated magnitude 8.6 Ms earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck the area around Sendai, Japan, leaving sand deposits up to 4 km (2.5 mi) inland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/869_Jogan_Sanriku_earthquake

1850:

Following Zachary Taylor's death, Millard Fillmore became President of the United States, the last member of the Whig Party to hold that office. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millard_Fillmore

1962:

In a seminal moment for pop art, Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans exhibition opened at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell%27s_Soup_Cans

2008:

Under the belief that Israel and the United States were planning to attack its nuclear programme, Iran conducted the Great Prophet III missile test and war games exercise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Prophet_III

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

penitent: 1. Feeling pain or sorrow on account of sins or offenses; repentant; contrite; sincerely affected by a sense of guilt, and resolved on amendment of life. 2. Doing penance. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/penitent

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

If you have the courage to touch life for the first time, you will never know what hit you. Everything man has thought, felt and experienced is gone, and nothing is put in its place. --U. G. Krishnamurti https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/U._G._Krishnamurti