The Hogwarts Express is an 1,800 mm (5 ft 10 7⁄8 in) broad gauge railway, people mover, and attraction within the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, in the United States. The route runs 676 meters (2,218 ft) between Hogsmeade station in the Islands of Adventure theme park and King's Cross station in the London area of the Universal Studios Florida theme park. The railway provides a connection between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade within the resort's Wizarding World of Harry Potter section, based on the Harry Potter film series. The system, which was manufactured by the Doppelmayr Garaventa Group, is operated with two replicas of the Hogwarts Express. The two directions of travel provide different experiences. The railway opened to the public in July 2014, along with the rest of the Diagon Alley expansion. The service was immediately popular, providing one million rides within one month of opening.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogwarts_Express_(Universal_Orlando_Resort)

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1345:

Inspecting a new prison without being escorted by his bodyguard, Alexios Apokaukos, megas doux of the Byzantine Navy, was lynched by the prisoners. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_Apokaukos

1775:

The Battle of Machias, the first naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War, took place in and around the port of Machias in what is now eastern Maine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Machias

1917:

Alexander was crowned King of Greece, succeeding his father Constantine, who had abdicated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Greece

1955:

More than 80 people were killed after cars driven by Pierre Levegh and Lance Macklin collided during the 23rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Le_Mans_disaster

2008:

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologised to the First Nations for past governments' policies of forced assimilation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_system

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

fossick: 1. (intransitive, Australia, Britain, New Zealand) To search for something; to rummage. 2. (intransitive, Australia, Britain, New Zealand, specifically) To search for gems, gold, etc., on the surface or in abandoned workings. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fossick

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Depression is a disorder of mood, so mysteriously painful and elusive in the way it becomes known to the self — to the mediating intellect — as to verge close to being beyond description. It thus remains nearly incomprehensible to those who have not experienced it in its extreme mode, although the gloom, “the blues” which people go through occasionally and associate with the general hassle of everyday existence are of such prevalence that they do give many individuals a hint of the illness in its catastrophic form.   --William Styron https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Styron