Richard Gavin Reid (1879–1980) was a Canadian politician who served as the sixth Premier of Alberta from 1934 to 1935. He was the last member of the United Farmers of Alberta to hold the office, and that party's defeat at the hands of the upstart Social Credit League in the 1935 election made him the shortest-serving Premier in Alberta history. When Reid took office, Alberta was experiencing the Great Depression. Reid took measures to ease Albertans' suffering, but believed that inducing a full economic recovery was beyond the capacity of the provincial government. In this climate, Alberta voters were attracted to the economic theories of evangelical preacher William Aberhart, who advocated a version of social credit. Despite Reid's claims that Aberhart's proposals were economically and constitutionally unfeasible, Social Credit routed the UFA in the 1935 election; Reid's party did not retain a single seat.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Gavin_Reid

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1790:

The Supreme Court of the United States first convened at the Merchants' Exchange Building in New York City. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States

1884:

The first fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary, a 352-page volume that covered words from A to Ant, was published. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_English_Dictionary

1896:

Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème premiered at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy, eventually becoming part of the standard Italian opera repertory and one of the most frequently performed operas internationally. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_boh%C3%A8me

1946:

As a result of a compromise between the major powers within the United Nations, Norwegian politician Trygve Lie was elected as the first UN Secretary-General. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trygve_Lie

1957:

Invented by German mechanical engineer Felix Wankel, the first working prototype of the Wankel rotary engine ran for the first time at the research and development department of German manufacturer NSU Motorenwerke AG. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_engine

2003:

The NASA Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere on its 28th and final mission, killing all seven crew members. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Columbia_disaster

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

contemptuously (adv): In a disrespectful or discourteous manner; condescendingly http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/contemptuously

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. --Langston Hughes http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes