The "infinite monkey theorem" is a popular misnomer for an idea from Émile Borel's book on probability, published in 1909. The book introduced the concept of "dactylographic monkeys" seated in front of typewriter keyboards and hitting keys at random. Borel exemplified a proposition in the theory of probability called Kolmogorov's zero-one law by saying that the probability is one that such a monkey will eventually type every book in France's Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library). There need not be infinitely many monkeys; a single monkey who executes infinitely many keystrokes suffices. Subsequent restatements by other people have replaced the National Library not only with the British Museum but also with the Library of Congress; a popular retelling says that the monkeys would eventually type out the collected works of William Shakespeare.

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Today's selected anniversaries: 1517 - Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses onto the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/95_Theses 1863 - The Maori Wars resumed as British forces in New Zealand led by General Duncan Cameron began their Invasion of the Waikato along the Waikato River. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_the_Waikato 1922 - Benito Mussolini became the youngest Premier in the history of Italy at age 39. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini 1941 - Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers completed the colossal busts of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln at Mount Rushmore. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rushmore_National_Memorial 1984 - Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India was assassinated by two of her own bodyguards. Riots soon broke out in New Delhi. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhi

Wikiquote of the day: ("It's always worthwhile to make others aware of their worth.") ~Malcolm Forbes (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Malcolm_Forbes)