Hastings Ismay (1887–1965) was a British soldier and diplomat, remembered primarily for his role as Winston Churchill's chief military assistant during World War II and his service as the head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the 1950s. After serving with the Camel Corps during World War I, Ismay became an Assistant Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, he became the Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence and began planning for the impending war. In May 1940, when Churchill became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he selected Ismay as his chief military assistant and staff officer. In that capacity, Ismay served as the principal link between Churchill and the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He also accompanied Churchill to many of the Allied war conferences. After the war, Ismay remained in the British Armed Forces and helped reorganise the Ministry of Defence. When Churchill again became Prime Minister in 1951, he appointed Ismay Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. Six months later, Ismay resigned to become the first Secretary General of NATO. He served as Secretary General from 1952 to 1957. After retiring from NATO, Ismay wrote his memoirs, The Memoirs of General Lord Ismay.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1191:

Third Crusade: Forces under Richard I of England defeated Ayyubid troops under Saladin in Arsuf, present-day Israel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Arsuf

1812:

Napoleonic Wars: The French Grande Armée forced the Russians to withdraw at the Battle of Borodino. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Borodino

1901:

With Peking occupied by foreign troops from the Eight-Nation Alliance, Qing China was forced to sign the Boxer Protocol, an unequal treaty ending the Boxer Rebellion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_Protocol

1940:

World War II: The German Luftwaffe changed their strategy in the Battle of Britain and began bombing London and other British cities and towns for over 50 consecutive nights. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz

1979:

The cable television network ESPN made its debut, broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESPN

1986:

Desmond Tutu became the first black person to lead the Anglican Church in South Africa. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

amnicolist (n): (rare) One who dwells by a river http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/amnicolist

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I have written my life in small sketches, a little today, a little yesterday, as I have thought of it, as I remember all the things from childhood on through the years, good ones, and unpleasant ones, that is how they come out and that is how we have to take them.

I look back on my life like a good day's work, it was done and I am satisfied with it. I was happy and contented, I knew nothing better and made the best out of what life offered. And life is what we make it, always has been, always will be. --Grandma Moses http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Grandma_Moses