Charles Domery (c. 1778 – after 1800) was a Polish soldier who had an unusually large appetite. Serving in the Prussian Army during the War of the First Coalition, he deserted to the French Revolutionary Army in return for better rations. He was voraciously hungry; while stationed near Paris, he was recorded as having eaten 174 cats in a year, and would eat 4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kg) of grass each day if he could not find other food. During service on the French frigate Hoche, he attempted to eat the severed leg of a crew member hit by cannon fire, before it was wrestled from him. In 1799 Hoche was captured by British forces, and Domery and the crew were interned in Liverpool. Despite receiving ten times the rations of other inmates, he remained ravenous, eating the prison cat, at least 20 rats, and many prison candles. Domery's case was brought to the attention of the Sick and Hurt Commissioners, who tested his eating capacity by feeding him four bottles of porter and a total of 16 pounds (7.3 kg) of raw cow's udder, raw beef and tallow candles, all of which he ate and drank in a single day without defecating, urinating, or vomiting.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1398:

The Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great and the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights Konrad von Jungingen signed the Treaty of Salynas, the third attempt to cede Samogitia to the Knights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Salynas

1847:

Werner von Siemens, a German inventor, founded Siemens & Halske, which later became Siemens AG, the largest engineering company in Europe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens_AG

1915:

A German firing squad executed British nurse Edith Cavell for helping Allied soldiers to escape occupied Belgium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell

1960:

Japan Socialist Party leader Inejiro Asanuma was assassinated on live television by a man using a samurai sword. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inejiro_Asanuma

2000:

Two suicide bombers attacked the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole while it was at anchor in Aden, Yemen, killing 17 of its crew members and injuring 39 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cole_bombing

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

umami: 1. One of the five basic tastes, the savory taste of foods such as seaweed, cured fish, aged cheeses and meats. 2. The taste of flavor enhancers added to food to accentuate savoriness, notably monosodium glutamate. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/umami

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Intolerance is evidence of impotence.   --Aleister Crowley https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley