The United States Military Academy is a four year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. Established in 1802, USMA is the oldest of the United States' five service academies. The entire central campus is a national landmark and home to scores of historic sites, buildings, and monuments. Candidates for admission must both apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a congressman. Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as cadets. Tuition for cadets is fully funded by the Army in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation. Approximately 1,000 cadets graduate each spring and are commissioned as second lieutenants. The academic program grants a bachelor of science degree with a curriculum that grades cadets' performance upon a broad academic program, military leadership performance, and mandatory participation in competitive athletics. Cadets are required to adhere to the Cadet Honor Code, which states that "a cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do". Its alumni are collectively referred to as "The Long Gray Line" and its ranks include two Presidents of the United States, numerous famous generals, and seventy-four Medal of Honor recipients.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1521:

The Diet of Worms declared Protestant Reformer Martin Luther an outlaw and a heretic, banning his literature, and requiring his arrest. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther

1946:

Abdullah bin Husayn , Emir of the Emirate of Transjordan, was proclaimed King of the renamed "Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_I_of_Jordan

1961:

During a speech to a Joint Session of the United States Congress, U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced his support for the Apollo space program, with "the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program

1977:

Star Wars, a science fantasy film written and directed by George Lucas, was released, becoming one of the most successful films of all time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_IV%3A_A_New_Hope

2000:

Israel withdrew its army from most of Lebanese territory, 22 years after its first invasion in 1978. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Lebanon_conflict_%281982%E2%80%932000%29

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

chagrin (n): Distress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, by mistakes, or by want of appreciation http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chagrin

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with. --Douglas Adams http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Douglas_Adams