and quarter eagle (gold $2.50 piece) for the 150th anniversary of
American independence, were struck in 1926 at the Philadelphia Mint. The
half dollar depicts George Washington and then-president Calvin
Coolidge, making Coolidge the only president to appear on a U.S. coin
while living. The National Sesquicentennial Exhibition Commission was
chartered by Congress in 1925, and was allowed to purchase and resell
for profit 1,000,000 specially designed half dollars and 200,000 quarter
eagles. The Commission had trouble agreeing on designs with Mint Chief
Engraver John R. Sinnock, and asked artist John Frederick Lewis to
submit sketches. These were adapted by Sinnock for the half dollar,
without giving credit to Lewis, whose involvement would not be generally
known for forty years. The maximum number of each coin was struck, with
many melted when they failed to sell at a premium. The Liberty Bell
reverse for the half dollar was reused by Sinnock, again without giving
Lewis credit, on his Franklin half dollar, first minted in 1948.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Sesquicentennial_coinage>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1054:
Chinese astronomers recorded the sudden appearance of a "guest
star", which was in actuality the supernova that created the Crab Nebula
(pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_Nebula>
1610:
Polish–Muscovite War: The outnumbered forces of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth defeated the Tsardom of Russia at the
Battle of Klushino.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Klushino>
1855:
The first edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass was
published, and it went on to become one of the most important
collections of American poetry.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaves_of_Grass>
1941:
German AB-Aktion operation in Poland: After capturing Lwów,
the Nazis executed approximately 45 professors of the University of
Lwów.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Lviv_professors>
1976:
Israel Defense Forces raided Uganda's Entebbe International
Airport to free hostages taken by hijackers on Air France Flight 139.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Entebbe>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
sparerib:
A cut of meat including the rib bones.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sparerib>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Let us cast off our hatreds. Let us candidly accept our treaties
and our natural obligations of peace. We know and everyone knows that
these old systems, antagonisms, and reliance on force have failed. If
the world has made any progress, it has been the result of the
development of other ideals. If we are to maintain and perfect our own
civilization, if we are to be of any benefit to the rest of mankind, we
must turn aside from the thoughts of destruction and cultivate the
thoughts of construction. We can not place our main reliance upon
material forces. We must reaffirm and reinforce our ancient faith in
truth and justice, in charitableness and tolerance. We must make our
supreme commitment to the everlasting spiritual forces of life. We must
mobilize the conscience of mankind.
--Calvin Coolidge
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Calvin_Coolidge>
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