The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season was unusually active, with 17 tropical cyclones, 15 tropical storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes. The first named storm, Subtropical Storm Andrea, developed on May 9, and the last, Tropical Storm Olga, dissipated on December 13. The season was one of only four on record with more than one Category 5 hurricane, Dean and Felix. Tied for the seventh most intense Atlantic hurricane of all time, Dean hit Mexico as the third most intense Atlantic hurricane at landfall. Felix also made landfall at Category 5 intensity, in Central America. None of the season's other hurricanes exceeded Category 1. Five cyclones made landfall in the US: Hurricane Humberto, Tropical Storm Gabrielle, and three tropical depressions. Three storms directly affected Canada, although none severely. The combined storms killed at least 423 people and caused about $3 billion in damage. The names Dean, Felix and Noel were later retired from the list of Atlantic tropical storm names.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Atlantic_hurricane_season

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1662:

The figure who later became Mr. Punch of the Punch and Judy show made his first recorded appearance in England. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_and_Judy

1877:

Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Mihail Kogălniceanu made a speech in the Parliament that declared Romania was discarding Ottoman suzerainty. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihail_Kog%C4%83lniceanu

1918:

First World War: Germany repelled Britain's second attempt to blockade the Belgian port of Ostend. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Ostend_Raid

1960:

The United States Food and Drug Administration announced it would approve the use of Searle's Enovid for birth control, making it the first oral contraceptive pill. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_oral_contraceptive_pill

1977:

The Hotel Polen in Amsterdam was destroyed by fire, which resulted in 33 deaths and 21 injuries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Polen_fire

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

hillman: A native or inhabitant of hilly or mountainous country; a tribesman who lives in the mountains. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hillman

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

We can know America through our flag which is its symbol … In our flag the barriers of time and space vanish. All America that ever was and ever will be lives every moment in our flag. Wherever in the world two or three of us stand together under our flag, all America is there. When we stand proudly and salute our flag, that is what we know wordlessly in the passing moment. … Understand that our flag is not the cloth but the pattern of form and color manifested in the cloth … It could have been any pattern once, but our fathers chose that one. History has made it sacred. The honor paid it in uncounted acts of individual reverence has made it live. Every morning in American schoolrooms children present their hearts to our flag. Every morning and evening we render it our military salutes. And so the pattern lives and it can manifest itself in any number of bits of perishable cloth, but the pattern is indestructible.   --Richard McKenna https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_McKenna