Ernest Roberts (21 February 1868 – 2 December 1913) was a Labor member of the South Australian House of Assembly, and then the Australian House of Representatives. Roberts emigrated to Australia from the UK and worked in Port Pirie, South Australia, where he was a member of its town council. In 1896, aged 28, he became the youngest person elected to the House of Assembly and quickly gained a reputation for his oratory. He served in South Africa twice during the Second Boer War, rising to the rank of captain. During his second period of service his term in the South Australian parliament expired. After returning home, he was the editor of a political newspaper before being elected to the House of Assembly again in 1905. He was elected to the federal House of Representatives in a by-election in 1908 and was appointed as an honorary minister in 1911. After a fiery parliamentary debate on 2 December 1913, Roberts collapsed and died, aged 45. His state funeral was attended by around 6,000 people.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Roberts_%28Australian_politician%29

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1943:

World War II: The Luftwaffe conducted a surprise air raid on Allied ships in Bari, Italy, sinking twenty-eight vessels and releasing one ship's secret cargo of mustard gas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_raid_on_Bari

1956:

Cuban Revolution: The yacht Granma, carrying Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement, reached the shores of Cuba. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_of_the_Granma

1988:

Benazir Bhutto took office as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of a Muslim-majority state. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto

2001:

Less than two months after disclosing accounting violations, the Texas-based energy firm Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, evaporating nearly $11 billion in shareholder wealth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron_scandal

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

computer literacy: (computing) The ability to operate a personal computer, including its associated hardware and software (but not necessarily to understand the underlying electronics or a programming language). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/computer_literacy

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

It is the individual who can and does make a difference even in this increasingly populous, complex world of ours. The individual can make things happen. It is the individual who can bring a tear to my eye and then cause me to take pen in hand. It is the individual who has acted or tried to act who will not only force a decision but also have a hand in shaping it. Whether acting in the legal, governmental, or private realm, one concerned and dedicated person can meaningfully affect what some consider an uncaring world. So give freely of yourself always to your family, your friends, your community, and your country. The world will pay you back many times over.   --Sandra Day O'Connor https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sandra_Day_O%27Connor