Mark Latham is an Australian politician and was leader of the federal
parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition in
Australia from December 2003 to January 2005. He succeeded Simon Crean
as leader in December 2003, defeating former leader Kim Beazley in a
close vote. Latham captured national attention with his innovative
policies and approaches, but also attracted controversy regarding his
interesting past. In the October 2004 federal election, Latham and his
party were soundly defeated by the incumbent Prime Minister John
Howard. Ill-health and deteriorating relations with his own party
forced him to step down as Leader on 18 January 2005.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Latham
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1488:
Bartholomeu Diaz of Portugal sailed around the Cape of Good Hope at
the southern tip of Africa and landed in Mossel Bay.
1867:
Crown Prince Mutsuhito ascended to the Japanese throne, beginning the
Meiji Era.
1959:
Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash on
"The Day The Music Died".
1966:
The Soviet spacecraft Luna 9 became the first probe to land on the
Moon and transmit pictures from the lunar surface to Earth.
1969:
Yasser Arafat became the leader of the Palestine Liberation
Organization.
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Wikiquote of the day:
"Anything different is good." -- Bill Murray as "Phil" in
Groundhog
Day
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day_%28movie%29)