Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae that are found worldwide, generally near the sea, rivers or wetlands. They are slender, lightly built birds with long forked tails, narrow wings, long bills and relatively short legs. Most species are pale grey above and white below, with a contrasting black cap, but the marsh terns, the Inca tern and some noddies have dark plumage for at least part of the year. The sexes are identical in appearance. They are birds of open habitats that typically breed in noisy colonies and lay their eggs on bare ground with little or no nest material. Many terns are long-distance migrants, and the Arctic tern, migrating each year between the Arctic and Antarctic, may see more daylight in a year than any other animal. They are long- lived birds and are relatively free from natural predators and parasites, but most species are declining in numbers through habitat loss, polluted waters, human encroachment and predation by introduced mammals. Three tern species are classed as endangered, and the Chinese crested tern is critically endangered. International agreements provide a measure of protection, but adults and eggs of some species are still used for food in the tropics.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1816:

The United Kingdom formally annexed the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, ruling it from the Cape Colony in South Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_da_Cunha

1888:

A recording of English composer Arthur Sullivan's The Lost Chord (audio featured), one of the first recordings of music ever made, was played during a press conference introducing Thomas Edison's phonograph in London. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Chord

1941:

After a secret meeting off the Canadian coast, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the Atlantic Charter, establishing a vision for a post-World War II world despite the fact that the United States had yet to enter the war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Charter

1975:

The film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is still in limited release today, making it the longest-running theatrical release in film history, premiered in Los Angeles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocky_Horror_Picture_Show

2005:

Helios Airways Flight 522 crashed into a mountain north of Marathon and Varnava, Greece, killing all 121 people on board. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

atend: 1. (transitive, obsolete) To set on fire; kindle. 2. (intransitive, obsolete) To take or catch fire. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/atend

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.   --Jawaharlal Nehru https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jawaharlal_Nehru