Francis Walsingham (c.1532–1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death, and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". A committed Protestant, during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I of England he joined other expatriates in exile in Switzerland and northern Italy until Mary's death and the accession of her Protestant half-sister, Elizabeth. Walsingham rose from relative obscurity to become one of the small coterie who directed the Elizabethan state, overseeing foreign, domestic and religious policy. He served as English ambassador to France in the early 1570s, and witnessed the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. As principal secretary, he was a supporter of exploration, colonization, the plantation of Ireland, and the use of England's maritime power. He worked to bring Scotland and England together. Overall, his foreign policy demonstrated a new understanding of the role of England as a maritime, Protestant power in an increasingly global economy. He oversaw operations that penetrated the heart of Spanish military preparation, gathered intelligence from across Europe, disrupted a range of plots against Elizabeth, and secured the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1622:

Dutch–Portuguese War: An outnumbered Portuguese force repelled a Dutch attack in the Battle of Macau, the only major military engagement that was fought between two European powers on the Chinese mainland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Macau

1812:

Napoleonic Wars: The French Grande Armée under Napoleon crossed the Neman River, marking the start of their invasion of Russia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_invasion_of_Russia

1932:

A group of military and civilians engineered a bloodless coup in Siam, ending the absolute rule of the Chakri Dynasty. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_revolution_of_1932

1981:

The Humber Bridge opened, connecting the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire in England, at the time the longest single-span suspension bridge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humber_Bridge

1982:

British Airways Flight 9 flew into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Indonesia's Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four of its engines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_9

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

dead tree edition: (idiomatic, pejorative, humorous) Paper version of a publication that can be found online. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dead_tree_edition

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The very pure spirit does not bother about the regard of others or human respect, but communes inwardly with God, alone and in solitude as to all forms, and with delightful tranquility, for the knowledge of God is received in divine silence. --John of the Cross https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_of_the_Cross