The Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional teenage brothers and amateur detectives who appear in various mystery series for children and teens. The characters were created by Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging firm, and the books have been written by many different ghostwriters over the years. The books are published under the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. The Hardy Boys have evolved in various ways since their first appearance in 1927. Beginning in 1959, the books were extensively revised, largely to eliminate racist stereotypes; the books were also written in a simpler style in an attempt to compete with television. Some critics argue that in the process the Hardy Boys changed, becoming more respectful of the law and simultaneously more affluent, "agents of the adult ruling class" rather than characters who aided the poor. A new Hardy Boys series, the Hardy Boys Casefiles, was created in the 1980s, and featured murders, violence, and international espionage. The original Hardy Boys Mystery Stories series ended in 2005. A new series, Undercover Brothers, was launched the same year, featuring updated versions of the characters who narrate their adventures in the first person. Through all these changes, the characters have remained popular. Critics have offered many explanations for the characters' longevity, suggesting variously that the Hardy Boys embody simple wish-fulfillment, homoerotic desire, or American ideals of masculinity.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1569:

The Union of Lublin was signed, merging the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_Lublin

1867:

The British North America Act came into effect, uniting the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into the Canadian Confederation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_Act%2C_1867

1916:

World War I: The first day of the Battle of Albert , the opening phase of the Battle of the Somme, became the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army, with 57,470 casualties of which 19,240 were killed or died of wounds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/first_day_on_the_Somme

1979:

Sony introduced the Walkman portable audio player, changing music listening habits by allowing people to carry their own choice of music with them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkman

1997:

The United Kingdom transferred sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, ending over 150 years of British colonial rule. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_of_sovereignty_of_Hong_Kong

2002:

The Rome Statute entered into force, establishing the International Criminal Court to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome_Statute_of_the_International_Criminal_Court

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

metrology (n): 1. The science of weights and measures or of measurement.

2. A system of weights and measures http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/metrology

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

We're on a mission from God. --w:Dan Aykroyd http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/w%3ADan_Aykroyd