Racer's hurricane was a destructive tropical cyclone that affected
Jamaica, northeastern Mexico, the Republic of Texas, and the
Southeastern United States in September and October 1837, killing an
estimated 105 people. It was named after the Royal Navy ship HMS Racer,
which encountered the cyclone in the northwestern Caribbean Sea.
Matamoros, on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, faced hurricane
conditions for several days, with significant damage to ships. Towns
along the Texas shoreline were inundated, and Galveston Island was
devastated, with nearly every building washed away. A water-level rise
of 8 ft (2.4 m) on Lake Pontchartrain wrecked buildings along its
shores and submerged low-lying areas of New Orleans. As the weakening
storm buffeted the Outer Banks of North Carolina on October 9, the
passenger steamship SS Home ran aground off Cape Hatteras and broke up
in the pounding surf (pictured), killing about 90 passengers and crew
members.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racer%27s_hurricane>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1842:
Nabucco, an opera by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi that
established his reputation, premiered at La Scala in Milan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Verdi>
1847:
Mexican–American War: The Siege of Veracruz began, the first
large-scale amphibious assault conducted by United States military
forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Veracruz>
1932:
Éamon de Valera, one of the dominant political figures in
20th-century Ireland, became President of the Executive Council of the
Irish Free State.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89amon_de_Valera>
1959:
The popular fashion doll known as Barbie debuted at the
American International Toy Fair in New York City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
ply:
1. (transitive, obsolete) To bend; to fold; to mould; (figuratively) to
adapt, to modify; to change (a person's) mind, to cause (a person) to
submit.
2. (intransitive) To bend, to flex; to be bent by something, to give way
or yield (to a force, etc.). […]
3. (transitive) To work at (something) diligently.
4. (transitive) To wield or use (a tool, a weapon, etc.) steadily or
vigorously.
5. (transitive) To press upon; to urge persistently.
6. (transitive) To persist in offering something to, especially for the
purpose of inducement or persuasion.
7. (transitive, transport) To travel over (a route) regularly.
8. (intransitive, obsolete) To work diligently.
9. (intransitive, nautical, obsolete) To manoeuvre a sailing vessel so
that the direction of the wind changes from one side of the vessel to
the other; to work to windward, to beat, to tack.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ply>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The past eight years of conflict in Ukraine have already
inflicted profound and lasting harm to children. With the escalation of
the conflict, the immediate and very real threat to Ukraine’s 7.5
million children has grown. Homes, schools, orphanages, and hospitals
have all come under attack. Civilian infrastructure like water and
sanitation facilities have been hit, leaving millions without access to
safe water. For many, life has moved underground as families seek
safety in shelters, subways, or basements, often for hours on end. Women
are giving birth in makeshift maternity wards with limited medical
supplies. Most stores are closed, making it hard for people to buy
essential items, including basic necessities for children like diapers
and medication. And even if stores were open, millions of people are
too afraid to venture outside for food or water because of continuous
shelling and shooting. The intensification of the armed conflict is
posing severe human costs, which are increasing exponentially by the
day.
--Catherine M. Russell
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Catherine_M._Russell>