George Fox was an English Dissenter and the founder of the Society of Friends. At Derby in 1650 Fox was imprisoned for blasphemy; a judge mocked Fox's exhortation to "tremble at the word of the Lord", calling him and his followers "Quakers" — now the common name of the Society of Friends . Living in a time of great social upheaval, he rebelled against the religious and political consensus by proposing an unusual and uncompromising approach to the Christian faith. His journal is a text popular even among non-Quakers for its vivid account of his personal journey.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1867: U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Seward)

1912: Sultan Abdelhafid signed the Treaty of Fez, making Morocco a French protectorate. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Morocco)

1940: World War II: Wang Jingwei was installed by Japan as head of the puppet government in China. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Jingwei)

1954: The Toronto Transit Commission launched the first subway system in Canada. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Transit_Commission)

1964: Merv Griffin's game show Jeopardy! made its debut on television. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy%21)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well." -- Vincent van Gogh (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh)