Starship Troopers is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1959. The first-person narrative is about a young soldier named Juan Rico and his exploits in the Mobile Infantry, a futuristic military unit equipped with powered armor. Rico's military career progresses from recruit to non-commissioned officer and finally to officer against the backdrop of an interstellar war between mankind and an insectoid species known as "The Bugs". Through Rico's eyes, Heinlein examines moral and philosophical aspects of capital punishment, juvenile delinquency, civic virtue, and necessity of war. Starship Troopers won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960 and helped create a sub-genre of literature known as military science fiction. Starship Troopers has been adapted into several films and games, most famously the 1997 film by Paul Verhoeven. The novel has attracted controversy and criticism of its social and political themes, which some critics believe are militaristic.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1786: The Marriage of Figaro, an opera buffa composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marriage_of_Figaro)

1840: The Penny Black, the first official adhesive postage stamp, was issued in the United Kingdom. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Black)

1893: The World's Columbian Exposition, a World's Fair to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, opened in Chicago, United States. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_Columbian_Exposition)

1931: The Empire State Building, at the time the tallest building in the world, opened in New York City. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building)

1941: Citizen Kane, a widely acclaimed film by Orson Welles, premiered. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Kane)

1960: Bombay State, India was partitioned into Gujarat and Maharashtra along linguistic lines. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarat)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"I react pragmatically. Where the market works, I'm for that. Where the government is necessary, I'm for that. I'm deeply suspicious of somebody who says, 'I'm in favor of privatization,' or, 'I'm deeply in favor of public ownership.' I'm in favor of whatever works in the particular case." -- John Kenneth Galbraith (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Kenneth_Galbraith)