Fakhr al-Din II (c. 1572 – 1635) was the paramount Druze emir of Mount Lebanon and the strongman over much of the Levant from the 1620s to 1633. For uniting Lebanon's constituent communities, he is generally regarded as the country's founder. Fakhr al-Din succeeded his father as the emir of the Chouf mountains around 1591, and the Ottoman Empire gave him control over other districts, but attacked him in 1613 for allying with Tuscany. He escaped into exile but returned in 1618, resuming control of his former domains and greatly expanding them in the following years. Despite the empire being in a long economic crisis, Fakhr al-Din's territories thrived. He promoted commercial agriculture, focusing on the lucrative silk trade of Mount Lebanon. He surrendered to the Ottomans during a siege of his Chouf hideout in 1633 and was executed in Constantinople in 1635. His main enduring legacy is the symbiotic relationship between Maronites and Druze, foundational for the creation of a Lebanese state.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fakhr_al-Din_II

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1881:

Andrew Watson captained the Scotland national football team against England, becoming the world's first black international footballer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Watson_%28footballer,_born_1856%29

1934:

Supported by the Estonian army, Konstantin Päts staged a coup d'état, beginning the Era of Silence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_P%C3%A4ts

1952:

British diplomat Lord Ismay was appointed the first secretary general of NATO. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastings_Ismay,_1st_Baron_Ismay

2014:

A gas leak caused an explosion in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City, destroying two apartment buildings and causing eight deaths. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_East_Harlem_gas_explosion

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

impostor syndrome: (psychology) A psychological phenomenon in which a person is unable to internalize his or her accomplishments, remaining convinced that he or she does not deserve any accompanying success. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/impostor_syndrome

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

We — Russia — want to be a nation of peace. Alas, few people would call us that now. But let's at least not become a nation of frightened silent people. Of cowards who pretend not to notice the aggressive war against Ukraine unleashed by our obviously insane czar. I cannot, do not want and will not remain silent watching how pseudo- historical nonsense about the events of 100 years ago has become an excuse for Russians to kill Ukrainians, and for Ukrainians to kill Russians while defending themselves. It's the third decade of the 21st century, and we are watching news about people burning down in tanks and bombed houses. We are watching real threats to start a nuclear war on our TVs. I am from the USSR myself. I was born there. And the main phrase from there — from my childhood — was "fight for peace." I call on everyone to take to the streets and fight for peace.   --Alexei Navalny https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alexei_Navalny