Alodia was a medieval Nubian kingdom in what is now Central and Southern Sudan. Its capital was Soba, near modern-day Khartoum at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers. In 580 it became a part of the Christian world, following the other two Nubian kingdoms, Nobadia and Makuria. Alodia reached its peak during the 9th–12th centuries, when it exceeded its northern neighbor and close ally, Makuria, in size, military power and economic prosperity. A large, multicultural state, Alodia was ruled by a powerful king and provincial governors appointed by him. Soba was a prosperous town and trading hub, and literacy in Nubian and Greek flourished. Goods arrived from Makuria, the Middle East, western Africa, India and even China. Alodia began a slow decline in the 12th century, possibly because of invasions from the south, droughts and a shift of trade routes, before finally collapsing around 1500.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1644:

The Ming dynasty of China fell when the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide during a peasant rebellion led by Li Zicheng. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_dynasty

1792:

The French highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier became the first person to be executed by guillotine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Jacques_Pelletier

1920:

At the San Remo conference, the principal Allied Powers of World War I decided upon the League of Nations mandates for administration of the former Ottoman-ruled lands of the Middle East. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Remo_conference

1960:

The U.S. Navy submarine USS Triton (SSRN-586) completed the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sandblast

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

chur: 1. (New Zealand, informal) A strong voicing of agreement, approval, or thanks: awesome!, cheers!, ta!, thanks!. 2. (New Zealand, informal) A parting salutation: bye, see you later. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chur

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The layman always means, when he says "reality" that he is speaking of something self-evidently known; whereas to me it seems the most important and exceedingly difficult task of our time is to work on the construction of a new idea of reality.   --Wolfgang Pauli https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Pauli