Bill McCann (1892–1957) was a decorated soldier of World War I, a
barrister, and a prominent figure in the military and ex-service
community of South Australia during the interwar period. He enlisted in
the Australian Imperial Force as a private in 1914, and rose through the
ranks to be commissioned during the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915. In
1916–1918 he fought on the Western Front in France and Belgium, was
wounded twice, and rose to the rank of major. For his gallantry on 10
August 1918 at Crépey Wood, he was made a Companion of the
Distinguished Service Order. Returning home, McCann became a barrister,
and was active in returned servicemen's organisations. He was state
prices commissioner and deputy Commonwealth prices commissioner from
1938 to 1954. In recognition of his work with the ex-service community,
McCann was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in
1935, and a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1956.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_McCann>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1793:
The Louvre (Louvre Pyramid pictured), today the world's most
visited museum, officially opened in Paris with an exhibition of 537
paintings and 184 objets d'art.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre>
1897:
German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovered an improved way of
synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_aspirin>
1953:
First Indochina War: The French Union withdrew its forces from
Operation Camargue against the Viet Minh in central modern-day Vietnam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Camargue>
1988:
Japanese American internment: The Civil Liberties Act of 1988
became law, authorizing US$20,000 in reparations to each surviving
internee.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Liberties_Act_of_1988>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
doofer:
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/doofer>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Certain truths about human beings have never changed. We are
tribal creatures in our very DNA; we have an instinctive preference for
our own over others, for "in-groups" over "out-groups"; for hunter-
gatherers, recognizing strangers as threats was a matter of life and
death. We also invent myths and stories to give meaning to our common
lives. Among those myths is the nation — stretching from the past into
the future, providing meaning to our common lives in a way nothing else
can. Strip those narratives away, or transform them too quickly, and
humans will become disoriented. Most of us respond to radical changes in
our lives, especially changes we haven’t chosen, with more fear than
hope. … If we ignore these deeper facts about ourselves, we run the
risk of fatal errors. It’s vital to remember that multicultural,
multiracial, post-national societies are extremely new for the human
species, and keeping them viable and stable is a massive challenge.
--Andrew Sullivan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andrew_Sullivan>