Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and for its architecture. The original motte- and-bailey castle, built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror, was designed to protect Norman dominance around the outskirts of London and to oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames. The castle's lavish early 19th-century State Apartments are architecturally significant, and the 15th-century St George's Chapel is an outstanding example of English Perpendicular Gothic design. Since the time of Henry I it has been used by a succession of monarchs and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. A popular tourist attraction, it is used as a venue for hosting state visits, and is the Queen's preferred weekend home. It was used as a refuge for the royal family during the Second World War and survived a fire on 20 November 1992. More than five hundred people live and work in Windsor, making it the largest inhabited castle in the world.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1845:

Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata: The Argentine Confederation were defeated in the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado, but Chile and Brazil were inspired to join forces with them afterwards. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vuelta_de_Obligado

1936:

Spanish Civil War: Founder of the fascist Falange Española José Antonio Primo de Rivera was executed by the republican government. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Antonio_Primo_de_Rivera

1969:

A group of Native American activists began a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_Alcatraz

1979:

A group of armed insurgents attacked and took over the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, declaring that one of their leaders, Muhammad bin abd Allah al-Qahtani, was the Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Mosque_Seizure

1994:

In accordance with the Lusaka Protocol, the Angolan government signed a ceasefire with UNITA rebels in a failed attempt to end the Angolan Civil War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusaka_Protocol

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

bleg: (Internet slang) To create an entry on a blog requesting information or contributions. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bleg

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever. --Nadine Gordimer https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nadine_Gordimer