George Tucker (August 20, 1775 – April 10, 1861) was an American lawyer, politician, author, and educator. He wrote the first in-depth biography of Thomas Jefferson, the first fictional account of colonial life in Virginia, and the four-volume History of the United States. Despite a social life which had been profligate, and at times even scandalous, at age 50 he was named Professor of Moral Philosophy at Jefferson’s newly founded University of Virginia and served in that post for twenty years. A son of the first mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda, he immigrated to Virginia at age 20, was educated at the College of William and Mary, and was admitted to the bar. He was elected in 1816 to the Virginia House of Delegates, then served in the United States House of Representatives from 1819 to 1825. In 1827 he wrote A Voyage to the Moon, one of America's earliest works of science fiction. He also produced diverse compositions on slavery, suffrage, morality, intracoastal navigation, wages, and banking.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tucker_%28politician%29

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1882:

The 1812 Overture by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky debuted in Moscow, conducted by Ippolit Al'tani. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1812_Overture

1920:

The American Professional Football Association, a predecessor of the National Football League, was founded. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League

1950:

Korean War: United Nations forces repelled an attempt by North Korea to capture the city of Taegu. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Taegu

2008:

Spanair Flight 5022 crashed just after take-off from Madrid's Barajas Airport, killing 154 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanair_Flight_5022

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

gamin: (dated, also attributively) A homeless boy; a male street urchin; also (more generally), a cheeky, street-smart boy. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gamin

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

To see a promising solution to a dilemma and then just leave it to questionable development at its own pace without trying to aid its implementation would seem a dereliction.   --Roger Wolcott Sperry https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Roger_Wolcott_Sperry