Avery Brundage (1887–1975) was the fifth president of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), the only American to hold that
office. In 1912, he competed in the Summer Olympics, contesting the
pentathlon and decathlon; both events were won by Jim Thorpe. Brundage
became a sports administrator, rising rapidly through the ranks in U.S.
sports groups. He fought zealously against a boycott of the 1936 Summer
Olympics in Berlin, Nazi Germany. Although Brundage was successful, the
U.S. participation was controversial, and has remained so. Brundage was
elected to the IOC that year, and quickly became a major figure in the
Olympic movement. Elected IOC president in 1952, Brundage fought
strongly for amateurism. On September 6, 1972, at the Munich Olympics,
his final as president, when addressing the memorial service following
the murder of eleven Israelis by terrorists, Brundage refused to cancel
the remainder of the Olympics, declaring that "the Games must go on".
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Brundage>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1901:
William McKinley, President of the United States, was fatally
wounded by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in
Buffalo, New York, and died eight days later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_William_McKinley>
1952:
A prototype aircraft crashed at the Farnborough Airshow in
Hampshire, England, killing the pilot and test observer on board, and 29
spectators.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_Farnborough_Airshow_crash>
1997:
An estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide watched the funeral
of Diana, Princess of Wales, on television.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_of_Diana,_Princess_of_Wales>
1999:
The Parliament of Singapore relocated from the Old Parliament
House to its current meeting place (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Singapore>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
I'll be blowed:
(Britain, informal, dated) Used to express amazement and surprise.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/I%27ll_be_blowed>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I have wedded the cause of human improvement, staked on it my
fortune, my reputation and my life.
--Frances Wright
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Frances_Wright>
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