Hasan al-Kharrat (1861–1925) was a rebel commander of the Great Syrian Revolt against the French Mandate, operating mainly in Damascus and its Ghouta countryside. As the qabaday (local youths boss) of the al- Shaghour quarter of Damascus, he was connected with Nasib al-Bakri, a nationalist from the quarter's most influential family. At al-Bakri's invitation, he joined the revolt in August 1925 and recruited a group of fighters in and around al-Shaghour. He led the rebel assault against Damascus, briefly capturing the residence of French High-Commissioner Maurice Sarrail before withdrawing amid heavy bombardment. Towards the end of 1925, relations grew tense between al-Kharrat and other rebel leaders, particularly Sa'id al-'As and Ramadan al-Shallash, and they traded accusations of plundering villages or strong-arming local inhabitants. Al-Kharrat continued to lead forays in the Ghouta, where he was ultimately killed in a French ambush. The revolt dissipated by 1927, but he gained a lasting reputation as a martyr of the Syrian resistance to French rule.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasan_al-Kharrat

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1862:

American astronomer Alvan Graham Clark first observed the faint white dwarf companion of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius

1900:

Datu Muhammad Salleh, leader of a series of major disturbances in North Borneo, was shot dead in Tambunan, but his followers did not give up for five more years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat_Salleh_Rebellion

1945:

Second World War: The British 3rd Commando Brigade's victory in the Battle of Hill 170 was crucial in causing the 28th Japanese Army to withdraw from the Arakan peninsula of Burma. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hill_170

2000:

Alaska Airlines Flight 261, experiencing problems with its horizontal stabilizer system, crashed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California's Anacapa Island, killing all 88 people on board. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Airlines_Flight_261

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

roughshod: 1. (farriery) Of a horse: having hooves shod with calks or horseshoes that have projecting nails to prevent slipping. 2. (by extension) Often in ride roughshod over: brutal or domineering. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/roughshod

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

We move from part to whole and back again, and in that dance of comprehension, in that amazing circle of understanding, we come alive to meaning, to value, and to vision: the very circle of understanding guides our way, weaving together the pieces, healing the fractures, mending the torn and tortured fragments, lighting the way ahead — this extraordinary movement from part to whole and back again, with healing the hallmark of each and every step, and grace the tender reward.   --Ken Wilber https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ken_Wilber