The 1906 French Grand Prix was a motor race held on 26 and 27 June 1906, on closed public roads outside the city of Le Mans. The Grand Prix was organised by the Automobile Club de France (ACF) at the prompting of the French automobile industry as an alternative to the Gordon Bennett races, which limited each competing country's number of entries regardless of the size of its industry. The ACF chose a 103.18-kilometre (64.11 mi) circuit, composed primarily of dust roads sealed with tar, which would be lapped six times on both days by each competitor, a combined race distance of 1,238.16 kilometres (769.36 mi). Lasting for more than 12 hours overall, the race was won by Ferenc Szisz driving for the Renault team. Renault's victory contributed to an increase in sales for the French manufacturer in the years following the race. Despite being the second to carry the title, the race has become known as the first Grand Prix. The success of the 1906 French Grand Prix prompted the ACF to run the Grand Prix again the following year, and the German automobile industry to organise the Kaiserpreis, the forerunner to the German Grand Prix, in 1907.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_French_Grand_Prix

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

325:

The First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church, was formally opened in present-day Iznik, Turkey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea

685:

The Picts defeated the Northumbrians near Dunnichen, severely weakening the latter's power in northern Great Britain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dunnichen

1293:

Sancho IV, King of Castile and León, established what is now the Complutense University of Madrid, today one of Spain's top public universities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complutense_University_of_Madrid

1570:

The first modern atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by cartographer Abraham Ortelius, was issued. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Ortelius

1927:

By the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud over Hejaz and Nejd, which later merged to become Saudi Arabia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Saud_of_Saudi_Arabia

2002:

East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, becoming the first new sovereign state of the 21st century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Timor

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

kinematic (adj): Of or relating to motion or to kinematics http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kinematic

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil, in case he do otherwise. --John Stuart Mill http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill