Jesse L. Brown (1926–1950) was the first African-American naval
aviator in the United States Navy, and the first naval officer killed in
the Korean War. Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to an impoverished
family, Brown had an avid interest in aircraft from a young age. After
graduating as salutatorian of his high school, he enlisted in the US
Navy in 1946 and became a midshipman one year later after finishing a
degree at Ohio State University. He earned his pilot wings on 21 October
1948, and was subsequently assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the
USS Leyte. At the outset of the Korean War, the Leyte was ordered to
the Korean Peninsula, arriving in October 1950. Brown flew 20 combat
missions before his F4U Corsair aircraft came under fire and crashed on
a remote mountaintop on 4 December 1950 during a mission supporting
ground troops at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Brown died of his
wounds in spite of efforts by wingman Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., who
intentionally crashed his aircraft attempting a rescue and was later
awarded the Medal of Honor. Brown's successes in the segregated US
military were memorialized in several books, and the frigate USS Jesse
L. Brown (FF-1089) was named in his honor.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_L._Brown>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1872:
The American brigantine Mary Celeste was found apparently
abandoned under circumstances which to this day remain unknown.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste>
1893:
First Matabele War: A patrol of British South Africa Company
soldiers was ambushed and annihilated by more than 3,000 Matabele
warriors.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shangani_Patrol>
1954:
The global hamburger fast food chain Burger King, known for its
signature item the Whopper, was founded in Miami, Florida, US.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Burger_King>
1979:
Bruce George Peter Lee set fire to a family home in Hull,
England; after his arrest he revealed that he had started nine other
fatal fires in the area.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_George_Peter_Lee>
1992:
U.S. President George H. W. Bush ordered American troops into
Somalia to help provide humanitarian aid and restore order during the
ongoing Somali Civil War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Task_Force>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
intersperse:
1. To mix two things irregularly, placing things of one kind among things
of other; specifically:
2. To scatter or insert (something) into or among (other things), as Nature
interspersed dandelions among the petunias, or
3. To diversify (something) by placing or inserting other things among
(it), as Nature interspersed the petunias with dandelions.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/intersperse>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
You need to laugh more. Life is filled with too many problems, to not
laugh every day. ... We need to have a sense of humor going into this
because it's too tough without it.
--Ysabella Brave
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ysabella_Brave>
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