Alister Murdoch (9 December 1912 – 29 November 1984) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Joining the Air Force in 1930, Murdoch trained as a seaplane pilot, and went on an Antarctic rescue mission in 1935. During World War II, he commanded No. 221 Squadron RAF in Europe and the Middle East, and later occupied senior positions on the staff of RAAF formations in the South West Pacific. His post-war appointments included Commandant of RAAF College from 1952 to 1953, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Training Command from 1953 to 1955, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff from 1958 to 1959, AOC Operational Command from 1962 to 1965, and finally Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1965 to 1969, when he retired. His term as CAS coincided with increased Australian participation in the Vietnam War, and he came into conflict with Australian Army commanders over the employment of helicopters in battle.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alister_Murdoch

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1911:

A mine explosion near Briceville, Tennessee, killed 84 miners despite a well-organized rescue effort led by the United States Bureau of Mines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_Mountain_Mine_disaster

1940:

Second World War: British and Commonwealth forces began Operation Compass, the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert campaign. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Compass

2017:

Same-sex marriage in Australia became legal as the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017 came into effect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_Amendment_%28Definition_and_Religious_Freedoms%29_Act_2017

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

out of kilter: (idiomatic) Askew, disturbed; not adjusted or working properly; out of order. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/out_of_kilter

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

While science and technology play critical roles in sustaining modern civilization, they are not part of our culture in the sense that they are not commonly studied or well comprehended. Neither the potential nor the limitations of science are understood so that what can be achieved and what is beyond reach are not comprehended. The line between science and magic becomes blurred so that public judgments on technical issues can be erratic or badly flawed. It frequently appears that some people will believe almost anything. Thus judgments can be manipulated or warped by unscrupulous groups. Distortions or outright falsehoods can come to be accepted as fact.   --Henry Way Kendall https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_Way_Kendall