The Fifth Test of the 1948 Ashes series, held at The Oval in London from 14–18 August, was the final Test match in a cricket series between Australia and England. Australia won the match by an innings and 149 runs to complete a 4–0 series win. It was the last Test in the career of Australian captain Donald Bradman (pictured), generally regarded as the best batsman in the history of the sport. After a delayed start due to inclement weather, the Australian fast bowlers, led by Ray Lindwall, took all of England's wickets within the first day of the match, England scoring only 52 runs. When Bradman came out to bat, he received a standing ovation from the crowd and three cheers from his opponents. He needed only four runs from his final innings to have a Test batting average of exactly 100, but he failed to score and was out to the second ball he faced (bowled by leg spinner Eric Hollies). The match was followed by speeches from both captains, after which the crowd sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" in Bradman's honour. Having been undefeated in their matches up to this point, the Australians maintained their streak in the remaining matches, gaining them the sobriquet of The Invincibles.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Test,_1948_Ashes_series

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

537:

The current Hagia Sophia building in Istanbul, originally built as a church before it later became a mosque in 1453 and then a museum in 1935, was inaugurated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia

1831:

Aboard HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin left Plymouth, England, on what became a historic expedition to South America that made his name as a naturalist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_voyage_of_HMS_Beagle

1911:

"Jana Gana Mana", the national anthem of India, was first sung in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jana_Gana_Mana

1979:

Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet troops stormed Tajbeg Palace outside of Kabul and killed Afghan President Hafizullah Amin and his 300 elite guards. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafizullah_Amin

2002:

The company Clonaid announced the birth of a cloned human baby, although it has yet to present any verifiable evidence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonaid

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

hooey: (slang) Silly talk or writing; nonsense. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hooey

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Science is the highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain the first which carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence.   --Louis Pasteur https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Louis_Pasteur