[Daily article] January 31: Raid at Cabanatuan Published On

The Raid at Cabanatuan was a rescue of Allied prisoners of war (POWs)
and civilians from a Japanese camp near Cabanatuan City in the
Philippines. On January 30, 1945, during World War II, United States
Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas (pictured) liberated
more than 500 from the POW camp. Having survived the Battle of Bataan
and the Bataan Death March, followed by years of torture,
malnourishment, and disease, the prisoners feared they would all be
executed when General Douglas MacArthur and his American forces returned
to Luzon. A group of over a hundred Rangers and Scouts from the Sixth
Army and several hundred Filipino guerrillas were sent to rescue the
prisoners. They traveled 30 miles (48 km) behind Japanese lines to
reach the camp. Under the cover of darkness and a distraction by a P-61
Black Widow, the group surprised the Japanese forces in and around the
camp. Hundreds of Japanese troops were killed in the 30-minute
coordinated attack; the Americans suffered minimal casualties. The raid
was depicted in the book Ghost Soldiers and the films Back to Bataan and
The Great Raid.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_at_Cabanatuan>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1578:

Eighty Years' War: Spain won a crushing victory in the Battle
of Gembloux, hastening the disintegration of the unity of the rebel
provinces and bringing an end to the Union of Brussels.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gembloux_(1578)>

1801:

John Marshall became the fourth Chief Justice of the United
States; his court opinions helped lay the basis for American
constitutional law and made the Supreme Court a coequal branch of
government.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Marshall>

1900:

Datu Muhammad Salleh, leader of a series of major disturbances
in North Borneo, was shot dead in Tambunan, but his followers did not
give up for five more years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat_Salleh_Rebellion>

1942:

Second World War: Allied forces retreated from British Malaya
to Singapore, ceding control of the country to Japan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayan_Campaign>

1996:

Japanese amateur astronomer Yuji Hyakutake discovered Comet
Hyakutake, which was one of the closest cometary approaches of the
previous 200 years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hyakutake>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

adder stone:
A stone of varying forms and usually glassy with a naturally formed
hole, which is often used as amulet or bead.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adder_stone>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  The cynic says "blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for he shall
not be disappointed." I say "blessed is he who expecteth everything, for
he can't always be disappointed.  
--Tallulah Bankhead
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tallulah_Bankhead>

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[Daily article] January 30: Romney Literary Society Published On

The Romney Literary Society, established on January 30, 1819, as the
Polemic Society of Romney, was the first literary society in what is now
West Virginia, and one of the first in the United States. It was founded
by nine prominent Romney men with the objectives of advancing literature
and science, purchasing and maintaining a library, and improving
educational opportunities. The society debated a range of scientific and
social topics, and often violated its own rules banning religious and
political subjects. The society's library began in 1819 and grew to
contain around 3,000 volumes in 1861. The organization also sought to
establish an institution for "the higher education of the youth of the
community". During the Civil War the contents of the library were
plundered by Union Army forces. The society was reorganized in 1869 and
took a leading role in Romney's civil development. In 1870 the group
built the Literary Hall (pictured) and offered its former campus to the
West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind. The Literary Hall housed
the library and group meetings until their last recorded meeting in
1886.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romney_Literary_Society>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1018:

The German–Polish War ended with the signing of the Peace of
Bautzen between Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor, and the Piast ruler of
Poland, Bolesław I.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Bautzen>

1835:

Richard Lawrence became the first person to make an
assassination attempt on a sitting US president when he failed to kill
Andrew Jackson and was subdued by the crowd.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lawrence_(failed_assassin)>

1930:

Soviet meteorologist Pavel Molchanov launched one of the
world's first radiosondes, a device attached to weather balloons to
measure various atmospheric parameters.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiosonde>

1959:

On the return leg of her maiden voyage, the "unsinkable" Danish
ocean liner Hans Hedtoft struck an iceberg and sank with all 95
passengers and crew lost.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Hans_Hedtoft>

2000:

Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near
Côte d'Ivoire shortly after takeoff, killing 169 on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya_Airways_Flight_431>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

wash-ball:
(archaic) A ball or cake of substance used for bathing or personal
cleansing, or to produce a lather for shaving; a ball of soap.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wash-ball>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and civil liberties of
all our citizens, whatever their background. We must remember that any
oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our
civilization.  
--Franklin D. Roosevelt
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt>

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[Daily article] January 29: Columbian mammoth Published On

The Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) was a species of mammoth that
inhabited the western hemisphere from Costa Rica to the northern United
States during the Pleistocene epoch. It evolved from the steppe mammoth,
which entered North America from Asia about 1.5 million years ago.
Reaching 4 m (13 ft) at the shoulders and 8–10 tonnes
(18,000–22,000 lb) in weight, the Columbian mammoth was one of the
largest species of mammoth. It used its tusks and trunk for manipulating
objects, fighting, and foraging. The species preferred open areas and
fed on sedge, grass, and other plants. Its range may have overlapped
with that of the woolly mammoths, which inhabited the Arctic regions of
Canada. Columbian mammoths coexisted in North America for a few thousand
years with Palaeoamericans, who hunted them for food, used their bones
to make tools, and depicted them in art. Columbian mammoth remains have
been found in association with Clovis culture artefacts. The species
disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene around 11,000 years ago, most
likely as a result of habitat loss caused by climate change, hunting by
humans, or both.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_mammoth>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

661:

With the assassination of Ali, the fourth Sunni Rashidun Caliph
and first Shia Imam, the Rashidun Caliphate, the first Arab caliphate
founded after Muhammad's death in 632, effectively ended.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali>

1863:

Indian Wars in North America: The United States Army led by
Patrick Edward Connor massacred Chief Bear Hunter and forces of the
Shoshone at the Bear River Massacre in present-day Franklin County,
Idaho.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_River_Massacre>

1944:

World War II: At least 38 people were killed and about a dozen
injured when the Polish village of Koniuchy (present-day Kaniūkai,
Lithuania) was attacked by Soviet partisan units.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koniuchy_massacre>

1991:

Gulf War: The Battle of Khafji, the first major ground
engagement of the war, as well as its deadliest, began.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khafji>

2006:

India's Irfan Pathan became the first bowler to take a Test
cricket hat-trick in the opening over of a match.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irfan_Pathan>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

predestination:
1. (theology) The doctrine that everything has been foreordained by a God,
especially that certain people have been elected for salvation, and
sometimes also that others are destined for reprobation.
2. Destiny or fate.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/predestination>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are
wise enough to rule themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule
others.  
--Edward Abbey
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edward_Abbey>

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[Daily article] January 28: Shepseskare Published On

Shepseskare (Egyptian for "Noble is the Soul of Ra") was an Ancient
Egyptian pharaoh, the fourth or fifth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty
(2494–2345 BC) during the Old Kingdom period. He lived in the mid-25th
century BC, and was probably the owner of an unfinished pyramid platform
in Abusir that was abandoned after a few weeks of work in the earliest
stages of its construction. Very few artefacts are attributable to this
most obscure ruler of the dynasty, and historians disagree on whether he
reigned for a few months or for as long as seven years, between the
reigns of Neferirkare Kakai and Neferefre. Shepseskare's relations to
his predecessor and successor are not known for certain. The
Egyptologist Miroslav Verner, who favours the shorter reign, has
proposed that he was a son of Sahure and a brother to Neferirkare Kakai,
who briefly seized the throne following the premature death of his
predecessor and probable nephew, Neferefre. Shepseskare may himself have
died unexpectedly or he may have lost the throne to another of his
nephews, the future pharaoh Nyuserre Ini.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepseskare>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1547:

Nine-year-old Edward VI became the first Protestant ruler of
England, during whose reign Protestantism was established for the first
time in the country with reforms that included the abolition of clerical
celibacy and the mass.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VI_of_England>

1754:

Horace Walpole coined the word "serendipity" in a letter he
wrote to a friend, saying that he derived the term from the Persian
fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Walpole>

1933:

Choudhry Rahmat Ali published a pamphlet entitled "Now or
Never" in which he called for the creation of a Muslim state in
northwest India that he termed "Pakstan".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Declaration>

1958:

The Danish toy company Lego Group patented their design of Lego
bricks.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego>

1984:

Tropical Storm Domoina made landfall in southern Mozambique,
causing some of the most severe flooding recorded in the region.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Domoina>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

bathyscaphe:
A self-propelled deep-sea diving submersible for exploring the ocean
depths, consisting of a crew cabin similar to a bathysphere suspended
below a float filled with a buoyant liquid such as petrol.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bathyscaphe>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Everything that divides men, everything that specified, separates
or pens them, is a sin against humanity.  
--José Martí
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mart%C3%AD>

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[Daily article] January 27: Maya civilization Published On

The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization developed by the
Maya peoples in an area that encompasses southeastern Mexico, all of
Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El
Salvador. The earliest villages developed before 2000 BC. The first Maya
cities developed around 750 BC, and by 500 BC these cities possessed
monumental architecture. Two hundred years later, the Maya were using
Hieroglyphic writing, the most advanced script in the pre-Columbian
Americas. Only three of their books of history and ritual knowledge are
known for certain to remain. Beginning in the mid third century, the
Classic period saw the Maya civilization develop a large number of city-
states linked by a complex trade network. In the 9th century, there was
a widespread political collapse in the central Maya region. In the 16th
century, the Spanish Empire colonised the region; the last Maya city
fell in 1697. The Maya developed highly sophisticated artforms, complex
calendars, and mathematics that included one of the earliest instances
of the explicit zero in the world. Maya architecture included palaces,
pyramid-temples, and ceremonial ballcourts.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_civilization>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1142:

Despite having saved the Southern Song dynasty from attempts by
the northern Jin dynasty to conquer it, Chinese general Yue Fei was
executed by the Song government.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yue_Fei>

1785:

The University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, one of the oldest
public universities in the United States, was founded.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Georgia>

1868:

Boshin War: The Battle of Toba–Fushimi, where pro-Imperial
forces defeated those of the Tokugawa shogunate and which was a catalyst
for the Meiji Restoration, began in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Toba%E2%80%93Fushimi>

1974:

The Brisbane River, which runs through the heart of Brisbane,
broke its banks and flooded the surrounding areas (pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_Brisbane_flood>

1996:

Mahamane Ousmane, the first democratically elected president of
Niger, was deposed by Colonel Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara in a military
coup d'état.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahamane_Ousmane>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

whenwe:
(slang) A former British settler or expatriate who talks nostalgically
about his or her former home in colonial Africa.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/whenwe>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  It is said that a wise man who stands firm is a statesman, and a
foolish man who stands firm is a catastrophe.  
--Hyman G. Rickover
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover>

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[Daily article] January 26: Mass Effect 2 Published On

Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare
and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Microsoft Windows
and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010, and for PlayStation 3 a year later.
This sequel to Mass Effect is set in our galaxy in the 22nd century,
when humanity is threatened by the insectoid Collectors. BioWare
emphasized third-person shooter aspects in the sequel, including limited
ammunition and regenerable health. A variety of downloadable content
packs extend the game with new character outfits and missions. Mass
Effect 2 was a commercial success and received considerable acclaim from
video game publications, including a score of 96 out of 100 for the Xbox
360 version at the review aggregate website Metacritic. Critics praised
the interactive storytelling, characterization, and combat, but some
reviewers expressed concerns about the sequel's simplified gameplay. The
game received numerous year-end awards, including Game of the Year at
the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards and the 2011 BAFTA Games
Award. It is frequently cited in top-100 lists of video games.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_Effect_2>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1699:

The signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz to conclude the Austro-
Ottoman War marked the end of Ottoman control in much of Central Europe
and the rise of the Habsburg Monarchy as the dominant power in the
region.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Karlowitz>

1856:

Puget Sound War: United States Marines from the USS Decatur
defeated Native American forces after an all-day battle with settlers in
Seattle, Washington.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Seattle_(1856)>

1918:

A group of Red Guards hung a red lantern atop the tower of
Helsinki Workers' Hall to symbolically mark the start of the Finnish
Civil War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Civil_War>

1966:

The three Beaumont children disappeared from a beach in
Glenelg, South Australia, resulting in one of the country's largest-ever
police investigations.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaumont_children_disappearance>

1991:

Factions led by warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid and his rebel
group, the United Somali Congress, ousted President of Somalia Siad
Barre from office.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siad_Barre>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

beyond the black stump:
(Australia, informal, idiomatic) In an extremely isolated place, remote
from populated areas; in the middle of nowhere. Typically used to refer
to outback areas.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beyond_the_black_stump>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Everybody should fear only one person, and that person should be
himself.  
--Philip José Farmer
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Philip_Jos%C3%A9_Farmer>

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[Daily article] January 25: 1804 dollar Published On

The 1804 dollar is one of the rarest and most valuable American coins.
Proof coin sets, including the dollar, were created for use as
diplomatic gifts carried by envoy Edmund Roberts on his trips to Siam
and Muscat. Though the dollars are dated 1804, none were struck until
the 1830s; the earlier date was a mistake based on misunderstood U.S.
Mint records from 1804. Later, Mint officials struck some of the coins
to trade with collectors in exchange for rare coins needed for the
Mint's coin cabinet. In response to numismatic demand, Mint officials
surreptitiously produced several coins, one of which lacked the correct
edge lettering. The coins produced for the diplomatic mission, the
dollar struck without edge lettering and the later examples with
lettering are known as "Class I", "Class II" and "Class III" dollars,
respectively. Altogether, only fifteen specimens are known to exist, and
in 1999, one sold for $4.14 million, the highest price paid for any coin
up to that time. These coins have been frequent targets of
counterfeiting and other deceptions.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1804_dollar>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1554:

Jesuit missionaries José de Anchieta and Manoel da Nóbrega
established a mission at São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga, which
grew to become São Paulo, Brazil.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Paulo>

1890:

American journalist Nellie Bly completed a circumnavigation of
the globe, inspired by Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, in
a then-record 72 days.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Bly>

1949:

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presented the first
Emmy Awards to honor excellence in the American television industry.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Award>

1995:

A team of Norwegian and American scientists launched a Black
Brant XII sounding rocket, which was mistaken for a Trident missile by
Russian forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_rocket_incident>

2006:

Three independent observing campaigns announced the discovery
of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb, a super-Earth extrasolar planet 21,500 ±3,300
light years away from Earth near the center of the Milky Way.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

Birds' Wedding:
A custom among the Sorbs (Wends) of Lusatia in Germany, whereby on the
evening of 24 January children put empty plates outside, and on the
morning of 25 January they find pastries, meringues and candy in the
form of birds, which are said to have been left for them by birds
celebrating their wedding.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Birds%27_Wedding>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Once you begin to take yourself seriously as a leader or as a
follower, as a modern or as a conservative, then you become a self-
conscious, biting, and scratching little animal whose work is not of the
slightest value or importance to anybody.  
--Virginia Woolf
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Virginia_Woolf>

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[Daily article] January 24: A Weekend in the City Published On

A Weekend in the City is the second studio album by British indie rock
band Bloc Party. It was recorded at Grouse Lodge Studios in Westmeath,
Ireland, in mid-2006, and was produced by Jacknife Lee. The album was
mixed later that year and released on 24 January 2007, with Wichita
Recordings as its primary label. The band aimed to create an album that
distanced them from conventional guitar band music, incorporating more
electronically processed beats and hiring a string sextet for certain
tracks. Frontman and chief lyricist Kele Okereke (pictured) themed the
lyrics on life in modern cities, including issues such as drug abuse,
sexuality and terrorism, as exemplified respectively on the singles "The
Prayer", "I Still Remember" and "Hunting for Witches". Critical
reception was split on the band's new musical directions and more
forthright lyrics. A Weekend in the City, named by The Guardian as one
of "1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die", was re-released in November
2007 to coincide with Bloc Party's touring schedule. It peaked at number
2 on the UK Album Chart and Irish Album Chart, and at number 12 on the
Billboard 200.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Weekend_in_the_City>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1458:

The 14-year-old Matthias Corvinus was unanimously proclaimed
King of Hungary, after the Estates were persuaded to do so by his uncle
Michael Szilágyi.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthias_Corvinus>

1857:

The University of Calcutta, the first modern university in the
Indian subcontinent, was established.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Calcutta>

1900:

Second Boer War: Boer forces stopped a British attempt to break
the Siege of Ladysmith in the Battle of Spion Kop.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Spion_Kop>

1978:

The Soviet nuclear powered satellite Kosmos 954 burned up
during reentry, scattering radioactive debris across Canada's Northwest
Territories.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954>

1993:

Turkish journalist and writer Uğur Mumcu was assassinated by a
car bomb outside his home in Ankara.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U%C4%9Fur_Mumcu>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

obsidional:
Pertaining to a siege.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/obsidional>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  It was part of her discernment to be aware that life is the only
real counselor, that wisdom unfiltered through personal experience does
not become a part of the moral tissues.  
--Edith Wharton
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edith_Wharton>

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[Daily article] January 23: December 1969 nor'easter Published On

The December 1969 nor'easter was an intense winter storm that most
notably impacted the Northeastern United States and southern Quebec on
December 25–28. The multi-faceted storm system was blamed for at least
20 deaths in the United States and 15 in Canada. After developing over
Texas and spawning several damaging tornadoes in the Deep South, the
cyclone advanced to the Eastern Seaboard, dropping more than 1 ft
(30 cm) of snow as far south as Washington, D.C. The nor'easter
intensified and slowed as it moved into New England, delivering 40
inches (100 cm) of snowfall in some places, with heavy rain near the
coast and a severe ice storm in Vermont and New Hampshire. In Canada,
Montreal received 27.5 in (70 cm) of snow over a period of 60 hours.
Equipment failures and drifts up to 30 ft (9 m) left roadways blocked
for many days throughout the affected region, and some communities
became inaccessible except by snowmobile. The weight of the snow and
ice, combined with gale-force winds, collapsed roofs and brought down
power lines. Ice jams and excessive rainfall created widespread flooding
in eastern New England.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_1969_nor%27easter>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1264:

King Louis IX of France issued the Mise of Amiens, a settlement
between King Henry III of England and barons led by Simon de Montfort
heavily favouring the former, which later led to the Second Barons' War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_of_Amiens>

1795:

War of the First Coalition: In a rare battle between cavalry
and naval ships, a French Hussar regiment captured a Dutch fleet frozen
at anchor between the port of Den Helder and the island of Texel.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_the_Dutch_fleet_at_Den_Helder>

1849:

Elizabeth Blackwell received her M.D. from Geneva Medical
College in New York, making her the first female physician in the United
States and the first openly identified woman to graduate from medical
school.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Blackwell>

1967:

The English new town of Milton Keynes was formed in
Buckinghamshire as an amalgamation of several towns and villages.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Keynes>

2001:

Five people attempted to set themselves on fire in Beijing's
Tiananmen Square, an act that many people later claimed was staged by
the Communist Party of China to frame Falun Gong and thus escalate their
persecution.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_self-immolation_incident>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

psychopomp:
(religion) A spirit, deity, person, etc., who guides the souls of the
dead to the afterlife.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/psychopomp>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  I see but one rule: to be clear. If I am not clear, all my world
crumbles to nothing.  
--Stendhal
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stendhal>

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[Daily article] January 22: HMS Agincourt (1913) Published On

HMS Agincourt was a British dreadnought built with more turreted heavy
guns (fourteen) and more main turrets (seven) than any other battleship,
before or since. Originally ordered by Brazil during a South American
naval arms race, the ship was purchased from Brazil by the Ottoman
Empire while under construction and renamed Sultan Osman I, after the
empire's founder. When the dreadnought was nearly complete, World War I
broke out. The British Admiralty, fearing an Ottoman–German alliance,
seized the ship for the Royal Navy, together with another Ottoman
dreadnought being built in Britain, the Reşadiye. This act contributed
to the decision of the Ottoman government to join the Central Powers, as
the payments for both ships were complete. The renamed Agincourt joined
the Grand Fleet in the North Sea and, apart from the Battle of Jutland
in 1916, spent most of the war on patrols and exercises. The dreadnought
was put into reserve in 1919 and—after abortive attempts to sell the
ship back to Brazil—was sold for scrap in 1922 to comply with the
Washington Naval Treaty.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Agincourt_(1913)>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1506:

The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards (modern soldier
pictured) arrived at the Vatican in Rome to serve as security for the
Pope.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Guard>

1689:

The Convention Parliament convened to justify the overthrow of
James II, the last Roman Catholic king of England, who had vacated the
throne when he fled to France in 1688.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_II_of_England>

1905:

Russian Revolution: Peaceful demonstrators, led by Father
Gapon, a Russian Orthodox priest, were massacred outside the Winter
Palace in St. Petersburg.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(1905)>

1946:

Iran Crisis: The Republic of Mahabad declared its independence,
seeking autonomy for the Kurds within Iran.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Mahabad>

2006:

Aymaran Evo Morales was inaugurated as President of Bolivia,
the country's first democratically elected, fully Amerindian leader.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evo_Morales>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

come out of the woodwork:
(idiomatic) to appear or emerge unexpectedly or inexplicably, frequently
in large numbers or quantity.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/come_out_of_the_woodwork>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Man, whence is he? Too bad to be the work of a god, too good for
the work of chance.  
--Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gotthold_Ephraim_Lessing>

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[Daily article] January 21: Banker horse Published On

The Banker horse is a small, hardy, and docile feral horse (Equus ferus
caballus) living on barrier islands in North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Descended from domesticated Spanish horses and possibly brought to the
Americas in the 16th century, the foundation bloodstock may have become
feral after surviving shipwrecks or being abandoned on the islands by
one of the exploratory expeditions led by Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón or
Sir Richard Grenville. Populations are found in the Rachel Carson
Estuarine Sanctuary and on Ocracoke Island, Shackleford Banks, and
Currituck Banks. Although not considered indigenous to the islands,
Bankers are allowed to remain because of their historical significance.
They survive by grazing on marsh grasses—for water as well as
food—supplemented by temporary freshwater pools. To prevent
overpopulation and inbreeding, and to protect their habitat from
overgrazing, the horses are managed by the National Park Service, the
State of North Carolina, and private organizations; populations are
limited through adoptions and birth control. Bankers taken from the wild
and trained have been used for trail riding, driving, and mounted
patrols.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banker_horse>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

763:

The Abbasid Caliphate crushed the Alid Revolt when one of the
rebellion leaders was mortally wounded in battle near Basra in what is
now Iraq.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alid_Revolt_(762%E2%80%9363)>

1840:

The French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville discovered Adélie
Land, Antarctica.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Dumont_d%27Urville>

1912:

Raymond Poincaré, who would pursue hardline anti-German
policies, began his first term as Prime Minister of France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Poincar%C3%A9>

1963:

Following a period of chaos in Congo-Léopoldville and United
Nations intervention, the secession of Katanga came to an end.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Katanga>

1976:

The Concorde supersonic transports began scheduled commercial
flights to London, Paris, Bahrain, and Rio de Janeiro.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concorde>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

scanno:
A typographical error introduced by optical character recognition (OCR)
software, which may mistake a letter or set of letters for a letter or
set of letters of similar shape, as *tum for turn, or *Dosition for
Position.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scanno>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  I yield to no man in sympathy for the gallant men under my
command; but I am obliged to sweat them tonight, so that I may save
their blood tomorrow.  
--Stonewall Jackson
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stonewall_Jackson>

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[Daily article] January 20: Oriental Film Published On

Oriental Film was a film production company in Batavia, Dutch East
Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia). Established by ethnic Chinese
businessman Tjo Seng Han in 1940, it completed four black-and-white
films before it was closed in 1941. All the company's films were
screened into the mid-1940s but may now be lost. They were directed by
two men, Njoo Cheong Seng and Sutan Usman Karim, and launched the
careers of actors such as Dhalia and Soerip. Established during the
revival of the Indies film industry, Oriental released its first film,
Kris Mataram, in July 1940. It starred Njoo's wife Fifi Young, and
relied on her fame as a stage actress to draw audiences. This was
followed by three more films, targeted at low-income audiences and
scored with kroncong music. Njoo showed a proclivity for sensation,
using bright, extravagant costumes. Oriental's final production was
Panggilan Darah, completed in 1941 after Njoo and Young had left the
company. Oriental's Dutch-owned studio facilities made them the largest
and most modern studio in the Indies, but they were unable to recoup the
rental fees on the property, and in 1941 the company was shut down.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Film>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1156:

According to legend, freeholder Lalli slew Bishop Henry of
Finland with an axe on the ice of the lake Köyliönjärvi in Köyliö,
Finland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_(bishop_of_Finland)>

1785:

Tây Sơn forces of Vietnam annihilated an invading Siamese
army who were attempting to restore Nguyễn Ánh to the throne.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_R%E1%BA%A1ch_G%E1%BA%A7m-Xo%C3%A0i_M%C3%BAt>

1843:

Honório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Marquis of Paraná, became the
de facto first prime minister of the Empire of Brazil.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hon%C3%B3rio_Hermeto_Carneiro_Le%C3%A3o,_Marquis_of_Paran%C3%A1>

1946:

Favouring stronger executive power than the draft constitution
for the French Fourth Republic provided, Charles de Gaulle resigned as
President of the Provisional Government.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_de_Gaulle>

2009:

In Washington, D.C., over 1 million people attended the
inauguration of Barack Obama as the first African American President of
the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_inauguration_of_Barack_Obama>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

rove:
1. (intransitive) To roam, or wander about at random, especially over a
wide area.
2. (transitive) To roam or wander through. […]
3. To practice robbery on the seas; to voyage about on the seas as a
pirate.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rove>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  There is no conflict in the absolute universe, but there is
conflict in the relative world.  
--Koichi Tohei
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Koichi_Tohei>

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[Daily article] January 19: Arthur Morris Published On

Arthur Morris (1922–2015) was an Australian cricketer who played 46
Test matches between 1946 and 1955. He is best known as a prominent
member of the "Invincibles", a team that went undefeated on their tour
of England in 1948. In his teens, Morris became the first player ever to
score two centuries on his first-class debut. After serving in the
Australian Army during the Second World War, he made his Test debut
against England. He scored a century in his third match and two more
hundreds in the following Test, becoming only the second Australian to
score a hundred in each innings of an Ashes Test. By 1950, he was
Australia's vice-captain and had amassed nine Test centuries with a
batting average over 65. Thereafter his form declined, and his career
ended after his first wife became terminally ill in 1955. In later life,
Morris served as a trustee of the Sydney Cricket Ground for over twenty
years. Selected in the Australian Cricket Board's Team of the Century in
2000 and inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2001, he
is widely regarded as one of Australia's most successful left-handed
batsmen.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Morris>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

649:

War against the Western Turks: The forces of Kucha surrendered
after a siege led by Tang Dynasty general Ashina She'er, establishing
Tang control over the northern Tarim Basin in what is now Xinjiang.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_campaign_against_Kucha>

1764:

English radical and politician John Wilkes was expelled from
the British Parliament and declared an outlaw for seditious libel.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes>

1853:

Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il trovatore was first performed at the
Teatro Apollo in Rome.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_trovatore>

1996:

A tank barge and a tug grounded on a beach in South Kingstown,
Rhode Island, US, spilling an estimated 828,000 US gallons
(3,130,000 l) of home heating oil.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Cape_oil_spill>

2006:

In the deadliest aviation accident in Slovak history, an
Antonov An-24 aircraft operated by the Slovak Air Force crashed in
northern Hungary, killing 42 of the 43 people on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Slovak_Air_Force_Antonov_An-24_crash>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

bust:
1. (slang) To arrest for a crime.
2. (slang) To catch someone in the act of doing something wrong, socially
and morally inappropriate, or illegal, especially when being done in a
sneaky or secretive state. […]
3. (US, informal) To reduce in rank. […]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bust>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Man, no doubt, owes many other moral duties to his fellow men;
such as to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, care
for the sick, protect the defenceless, assist the weak, and enlighten
the ignorant. But these are simply moral duties, of which each man must
be his own judge, in each particular case, as to whether, and how, and
how far, he can, or will, perform them. But of his legal duty — that
is, of his duty to live honestly towards his fellow men — his fellow
men not only may judge, but, for their own protection, must judge. And,
if need be, they may rightfully compel him to perform it. They may do
this, acting singly, or in concert. They may do it on the instant, as
the necessity arises, or deliberately and systematically, if they prefer
to do so, and the exigency will admit of it.  
--Lysander Spooner
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lysander_Spooner>

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[Daily article] January 18: The Negro Motorist Green Book Published On

The Negro Motorist Green Book was an annual guidebook for African-
American travelers in the United States. It was originated and published
by New York City mail carrier Victor H. Green from 1936 to 1966, during
the Jim Crow era, when racial discrimination was widespread. Although
discrimination and poverty limited African-American car ownership, many
middle-class blacks took to driving to avoid segregation on public
transportation. They faced inconveniences such as businesses refusing to
serve them or repair their vehicles and hotels refusing them
accommodation or food. They even faced threats of physical violence and
forcible expulsion from whites-only sundown towns. Green intended the
book "to give the Negro traveler information that will keep him from
running into difficulties". It became the definitive Jim Crow travel
guide for blacks, but was little known outside the African-American
community. Its publication ceased shortly after the passage of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964. Interest in it has revived in the early 21st century
in connection with studies of black travel during the Jim Crow era.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Negro_Motorist_Green_Book>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1778:

English explorer James Cook became the first known European to
reach the Sandwich Islands, now known as the Hawaiian Islands
(pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Islands>

1866:

Wesley College, the largest school in Australia by enrolment,
was established in Melbourne.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_College_(Victoria)>

1919:

World War I: The Paris Peace Conference opened in Versailles,
France, to set the peace terms for the Central Powers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Conference,_1919>

1943:

World War II: As part of Operation Iskra, the Soviet Red Army
broke the Siege of Leningrad, opening a narrow land corridor to the
city.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Iskra>

1990:

In a sting operation conducted by the FBI, Mayor of Washington,
D.C., Marion Barry was arrested for possession of crack cocaine.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Barry>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

slingshot:
1. To move in a manner resembling a slingshot.
2. (especially) To use the gravity of a moving planet to add momentum to a
spacecraft.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/slingshot>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  You simply cannot invent any conspiracy theory so ridiculous and
obviously satirical that some people somewhere don't already believe it.
 
--Robert Anton Wilson
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Anton_Wilson>

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[Daily article] January 17: Gather Together in My Name Published On

Gather Together in My Name (1974) is a memoir by African-American writer
and poet Maya Angelou, the second of her seven autobiographies. The
narrative follows Rita (Angelou) from the age of 17 to 19 as she becomes
closer to her mother and tries to provide for her young son, but
ultimately descends into a life of crime and misery. It expands on many
of the themes from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, including motherhood
and family, race and racism, identity, and education and literacy. Like
many of Angelou's autobiographies, Gather Together describes her ongoing
self-education. Though not as critically acclaimed as her first
autobiography, it is considered better written and received mostly
positive reviews. The book's title comes from the Bible, Matthew
18:19–20, and is meant to evoke loving relationships, in which adults
can be honest with their children about their past. Consisting of a
series of episodes loosely tied together by theme and content, the book
intentionally parallels the chaos of adolescence; some critics found
this structure unsatisfactory.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gather_Together_in_My_Name>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1377:

Pope Gregory XI entered Rome after a four-month journey from
Avignon, returning the Papacy to its original city and effectively
becoming the last Avignon Pope.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Gregory_XI>

1524:

Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano set sail westward from
Madeira to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_da_Verrazzano>

1946:

The United Nations Security Council, the organ of the United
Nations charged with the maintenance of international peace and
security, held its first meeting at Church House in London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council>

1966:

A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress collided with a KC-135
Stratotanker during aerial refueling over the Mediterranean Sea,
dropping three hydrogen bombs on land near Palomares, Spain, and a
fourth one into the sea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_Palomares_B-52_crash>

1991:

Harald V, the current King of Norway, succeeded to the throne
upon the death of his father Olav V.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_V_of_Norway>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

slug:
1. Any of many terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks, having no (or only
a rudimentary) shell. […]
2. (journalism) A title, name or header, a catchline, a short phrase or
title to indicate the content of a newspaper or magazine story for
editing use. […]
3. (web design) The last part of a clean URL, the displayed resource name,
similar to a filename.
4. (obsolete) A hindrance, an obstruction. […]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/slug>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  As we enjoy great Advantages from the Inventions of Others, we
should be glad of an Opportunity to serve others by any Invention of
ours, and this we should do freely and generously.  
--Benjamin Franklin
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin>

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[Daily article] January 16: Wandsworth Bridge Published On

Wandsworth Bridge crosses the River Thames in west London. It carries
the A217 road between Battersea, near Wandsworth Town Station, in the
London Borough of Wandsworth on the south side of the river, and Sands
End and Parsons Green in Hammersmith and Fulham on the north side. The
first bridge on the site was a toll bridge, built in 1873 in the
expectation that the western terminus of the Hammersmith and City
Railway would shortly be built on the north bank. The terminus was not
built, and problems with drainage on the approach road made access to
the bridge difficult for vehicles. Wandsworth Bridge was commercially
unsuccessful, and in 1880 it was taken into public ownership and made
toll-free. Narrow and too weak to carry buses, the bridge was demolished
in 1937. The present bridge, an unadorned steel cantilever bridge, was
opened in 1940. It was painted in dull shades of blue as camouflage
against air raids, a colour scheme it retains. Wandsworth Bridge is one
of the busiest bridges in London, carrying over 50,000 vehicles daily.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandsworth_Bridge>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

27 BC:

Gaius Octavianus was given the title Augustus by the Roman
Senate when he became the first Roman emperor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus>

1809:

Peninsular War: French forces under Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult
attacked the amphibious evacuation of the British under Sir John Moore
in Corunna, Galicia, Spain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Corunna>

1938:

Benny Goodman performed a concert at New York City's Carnegie
Hall which has been considered instrumental in establishing jazz as a
legitimate form of music.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman>

1986:

The Internet Engineering Task Force, a standards organization
that develops and promotes Internet standards, held its first meeting,
consisting of twenty-one United States-government-funded researchers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Engineering_Task_Force>

2008:

Five days after proposing lyrics for the wordless Marcha Real,
the Spanish national anthem, the Spanish Olympic Committee withdrew the
proposal due to widespread criticism.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcha_Real>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

hearsay:
1. Information that was heard by one person about another.
2. (law) Evidence based on the reports of others rather than on personal
knowledge, which is normally inadmissible because it was not made under
oath.
3. (law) An out-of-court statement offered in court for the truth of the
matter asserted, which is normally inadmissible because it is not
subject to cross-examination unless the hearsay statement falls under
one of a number of exceptions.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hearsay>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  One cannot condemn tendencies in art; one can only condemn works
of art. To be categorically against a current art tendency or style
means, in effect, to pronounce on works of art not yet created and not
yet seen. It means inquiring into the motives of artists instead of into
results. Yet we all know — or are supposed to know — that results
are all that count in art.  
--Clement Greenberg
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Clement_Greenberg>

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[Daily article] January 15: History of Liverpool F.C. (1892–1959) Published On

During Liverpool Football Club's first 68 years, they won five Football
League championships before being relegated to the Second Division in
the 1950s. They were founded in 1892 when John Houlding needed a team
for the Anfield stadium, recently vacated by Everton Football Club.
After winning the Lancashire League title in their first season, they
were accepted into the Football League for the 1893–94 season. With
Tom Watson as manager, they were promoted to the top tier of English
football, winning their first League championships in 1901 and 1906 and
reaching the FA Cup final in 1914. Liverpool's fortunes fluctuated
during the inter-war years, when the club often finished in midtable,
although they did win two further championships in 1922 and 1923. An
expansion to the Spion Kop terracing in the 1920s increased Anfield's
capacity. Liverpool became League champions again in 1947, in the first
season after the Second World War, but, following a gradual decline,
they were back in the Second Division by the time of Bill Shankly's
appointment as manager in 1959. (

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Liverpool_F.C._(1892%E2%80%931959)>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1759:

The British Museum in London, today containing one of the
largest and most comprehensive collections in the world, opened to the
public in Montagu House, Bloomsbury.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum>

1815:

War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by
Commodore Stephen Decatur, was captured by a squadron of four British
frigates.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_USS_President>

1933:

A teenage girl in Banneux, Belgium, reported the first of
several Marian apparitions, now known as Our Lady of Banneux.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Banneux>

1951:

Ilse Koch, the wife of the commandant of the Buchenwald and
Majdanek concentration camps, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a
West German court.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilse_Koch>

2009:

After US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese
during its initial climb out from New York City, Captain Chesley
Sullenberger successfully made an emergency landing in the Hudson River.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airways_Flight_1549>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

lather:
1. The foam made by rapidly stirring soap and water.
2. Foam from profuse sweating, as of a horse.
3. A state of agitation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lather>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  I must say that I recognized at once that we had never understood
the meaning of these words, so common and yet so sacred: Justice,
Equity, Liberty; that concerning each of these principles our ideas have
been utterly obscure; and, in fact, that this ignorance was the sole
cause, both of the poverty that devours us, and of all the calamities
that have ever afflicted the human race.  
--Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pierre-Joseph_Proudhon>

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[Daily article] January 14: Brachychiton rupestris Published On

Brachychiton rupestris in the family Malvaceae, commonly known as the
Queensland bottle tree, is native to Queensland, Australia. Discovered
and described by Sir Thomas Mitchell and John Lindley in 1848, it gained
its name from its bulbous trunk, which can be up to 3.5 metres (11 ft)
diameter at breast height. Reaching 10–25 metres (33–82 ft) high,
the tree is deciduous, losing its leaves between September and December.
Cream flowers appear from September to November, followed by woody boat-
shaped follicles that ripen from November to May. It is an emergent tree
in the endangered central semi-evergreen vine thickets of the Brigalow
Belt. Remnant trees are often left by farmers on cleared land to provide
shade and fodder. As a drought-deciduous succulent tree, the bottle tree
adapts readily to cultivation and is tolerant of a range of soils and
temperatures. It is found planted in streets, parks, and gardens and on
farms. An avenue in Roma, Queensland, was planted between 1918 and 1920,
each tree representing one of 93 local men killed in World War I. The
species is also cultivated as an indoor plant and a bonsai subject.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachychiton_rupestris>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1724:

Philip V, the first Bourbon ruler of Spain, abdicated in favor
of his eldest son Louis.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_V_of_Spain>

1814:

Sweden and Denmark–Norway signed the Treaty of Kiel, whereby
Frederick VI of Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden in return for the Swedish
holdings in Pomerania.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Kiel>

1943:

Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles de Gaulle,
and Henri Giraud (all pictured) met in Casablanca to plan the Allied
European strategy for the next phase of World War II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_Conference>

1960:

The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country's central bank and
banknote-issuing authority, was established.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_Bank_of_Australia>

1978:

Austrian logician Kurt Gödel, who suffered from an obsessive
fear of being poisoned, died of starvation after his wife was
hospitalized and unable to cook for him.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_G%C3%B6del>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

scale:
1. Part of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard pieces
of keratin covering the skin of an animal, particularly a fish or
reptile.
2. A small piece of pigmented chitin, many of which coat the wings of a
butterfly or moth to give them their color.
3. A flake of skin of an animal afflicted with dermatitis.
4. A pine nut of a pinecone.
5. The flaky material sloughed off heated metal.
6. Scale mail (as opposed to chain mail).
7. Limescale.
8. A scale insect.
9. The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a pocketknife. […]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scale>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Let me give you a definition of ethics: It is good to maintain and
further life — it is bad to damage and destroy life. And this ethic,
profound and universal, has the significance of a religion. It is
religion.  
--Albert Schweitzer
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Albert_Schweitzer>

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[Daily article] January 13: No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF Published On

No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS) was one of the original units
of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), dating back to the service's
formation in 1921 at Point Cook, Victoria. It was re-formed several
times in the ensuing years, initially as No. 1 Service Flying Training
School in 1940, under the wartime Empire Air Training Scheme. After
graduating nearly 3,000 pilots, it was disbanded in late 1944, when
there was no further need to train Australian aircrews for service in
Europe. The school was re-established in 1946 at Uranquinty, New South
Wales, and transferred to Point Cook the following year. To cope with
the demands of the Korean War and Malayan Emergency, it was re-formed as
No. 1 Applied Flying Training School in 1952 and moved to Pearce,
Western Australia, in 1958. Another school was meanwhile formed at
Uranquinty, No. 1 Basic Flying Training School (No. 1 BFTS), which
transferred to Point Cook in 1958. In 1969, No. 1 AFTS was re-formed as
No. 2 Flying Training School and No. 1 BFTS was re-formed as No. 1 FTS.
Rationalisation of RAAF flying training resulted in the disbandment of
No. 1 FTS in 1993.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._1_Flying_Training_School_RAAF>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1797:

French Revolutionary Wars: A naval battle off the coast of
Brittany between two British frigates and a French ship of the line
ended with over 900 deaths when the latter ran aground.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_13_January_1797>

1822:

The design of the current flag of Greece was adopted by the
First National Assembly at Epidaurus for their naval flag.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Greece>

1953:

An article published in Pravda accused some of the most
prestigious physicians in the Soviet Union, mostly Jews, of taking part
in a vast plot to poison members of the top Soviet political and
military leadership.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors%27_plot>

1986:

The month-long South Yemen Civil War began in Aden between
supporters of President Ali Nasir Muhammad and his predecessor Abdul
Fattah Ismail, resulting in thousands of casualties.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Yemen_Civil_War>

2001:

The first of two large earthquakes struck El Salvador, killing
at least 944 people and destroying over 100,000 homes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2001_El_Salvador_earthquake>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

peel:
1. (transitive) To remove the skin or outer covering of.
2. (transitive) To remove something from the outer or top layer of.
3. (intransitive) To become detached, come away, especially in flakes or
strips; to shed skin in such a way.
4. (intransitive) To remove one's clothing.
5. (intransitive) To move, separate (off or away). […]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/peel>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  It is the greatest mistake to think that man is always one and the
same. A man is never the same for long. He is continually changing. He
seldom remains the same even for half an hour.  
--G. I. Gurdjieff
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/G._I._Gurdjieff>

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[Daily article] January 12: Keen Johnson Published On

Keen Johnson was the 45th Governor of Kentucky (1939–1943) and the
only journalist to have held that office. Born on January 12, 1896, he
served in World War I and earned a journalism degree from the University
of Kentucky. Johnson served as lieutenant governor under Governor A. B.
"Happy" Chandler from 1935 to 1939. He had already secured the
Democratic gubernatorial nomination when Chandler resigned and elevated
him to governor so that he could appoint Chandler to the U.S. Senate.
Johnson went on to win a full gubernatorial term in the general
election. He ran a fiscally conservative administration and took the
state from a $7 million shortfall to a surplus of $10 million by the
end of his term. Afterwards, Johnson joined Reynolds Metals as a special
assistant to the president. He took a one-year leave of absence to serve
as the first U.S. Undersecretary of Labor in 1946, then continued
working for the company until 1961. He unsuccessfully ran for a seat in
the U.S. Senate in 1960, losing to incumbent Republican John Sherman
Cooper. He died in 1970 in Richmond, Kentucky.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keen_Johnson>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1808:

John Rennie's scheme to defend St Mary's Church, Reculver, from
coastal erosion was abandoned in favour of demolition, despite the
church being an exemplar of Anglo-Saxon architecture.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary%27s_Church,_Reculver>

1899:

During a storm, the crew of the Lynmouth Lifeboat Station
transported their 10-ton lifeboat 15 mi (24 km) overland in order to
rescue a damaged schooner.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynmouth_Lifeboat_Station>

1921:

Seeking to restore confidence after the Black Sox Scandal,
owners of Major League Baseball teams elected former United States
district court judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the league's first
commissioner.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenesaw_Mountain_Landis>

1967:

Seventy-three-year-old psychology professor James Bedford
became the first person to be cryonically frozen with intent of future
resuscitation.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryonics>

2007:

Comet McNaught reached perihelion and became the brightest
comet in over 40 years with an apparent magnitude of −5.5.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2006_P1>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

liege:
1. A free and independent person; specifically, a lord paramount; a
sovereign.
2. The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/liege>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Look up here, I'm in heaven I've got scars that can't be
seen I've got drama, can't be stolen Everybody knows me now Look up
here, man, I'm in danger I've got nothing left to lose I'm so high
it makes my brain whirl Dropped my cell phone down below Ain't that
just like me  
--David Bowie
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Bowie>

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[Daily article] January 11: Dishonored Published On

Dishonored is a 2012 stealth action-adventure video game developed by
Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released
worldwide in October 2012 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox
360. Set in the plague-ridden industrial city of Dunwall, Dishonored
follows the story of Corvo Attano, who is framed for murder and forced
to become an assassin, seeking revenge on those who conspired against
him. Susan Sarandon, Brad Dourif, Carrie Fisher, Michael Madsen, Lena
Headey, and Chloë Grace Moretz did some of the voice work. The game is
played from a first-person perspective and emphasizes player choice,
including the choice of stealth or combat to accomplish missions.
Dishonored received generally positive reviews, focusing on the
missions' individual narratives and the wide range of mission choices.
Criticism fell on the predictability of the overarching narrative and on
problems in controlling the player's character. The game won several
awards, including the 2012 Spike Video Game award for Best Action-
Adventure Game and the 2013 BAFTA Games award for Best Game.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishonored>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1055:

Theodora, the daughter of Constantine VIII and Helena, daughter
of Alypius, became Byzantine Empress.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_(11th_century)>

1693:

An intensity XI earthquake, the most powerful in Italian
history, struck the island of Sicily.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1693_Sicily_earthquake>

1787:

German-born British astronomer William Herschel discovered two
Uranian moons, later named, by his son, Oberon and Titania.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titania_(moon)>

1879:

British forces under Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand without
authorisation from the British Government, beginning the Anglo-Zulu War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Zulu_War>

1946:

Enver Hoxha, First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania,
declared the People's Republic of Albania with himself as head of state.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enver_Hoxha>

1986:

The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, Australia, at the time the
longest prestressed concrete free-cantilever bridge in the world,
opened.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

adder:
1. (obsolete) A snake.
2. A name loosely applied to various snakes more or less resembling the
viper; a viper.
3. (chiefly Britain) A small venomous serpent of the genus Vipera. The
common European adder is the Vipera berus. The puff adders of Africa are
species of the genus Oecobius.
4. (US, Canada) Any of several small nonvenomous snakes resembling the
adder, such as the milk snake.
5. The sea-stickleback or adder-fish.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adder>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Men often oppose a thing, merely because they have had no agency
in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they
dislike. But if they have been consulted, and have happened to
disapprove, opposition then becomes, in their estimation, an
indispensable duty of self-love. They seem to think themselves bound in
honor, and by all the motives of personal infallibility, to defeat the
success of what has been resolved upon contrary to their sentiments.
 
--Alexander Hamilton
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton>

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[Daily article] January 10: Ursa Minor Published On

Ursa Minor (Little Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky. It is
colloquially known as the Little Dipper because its seven brightest
stars appear to form the shape of a ladle (diagram pictured). It was one
of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy,
and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Polaris, its
brightest star, is currently less than one degree away from the north
celestial pole. Because this position stays nearly fixed as the Earth
rotates, the star has traditionally been important for navigation,
particularly by mariners. Polaris is a yellow-white supergiant and the
brightest Cepheid variable star in the night sky, ranging in apparent
magnitude from 1.97 to 2.00. Beta Ursae Minoris, also known as Kochab,
is an aging star that has swollen and cooled to become an orange giant
with an apparent magnitude of 2.08, only slightly fainter than Polaris.
The constellation also contains an isolated neutron star—Calvera—and
H1504+65, the hottest white dwarf yet discovered, with a surface
temperature of 200,000 degrees Kelvin. Planets have been detected
orbiting four of the constellation's stars, including Kochab.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursa_Minor>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

9:

The Western Han dynasty of China ended after the throne was
usurped by Wang Mang, who founded the Xin Dynasty.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty>

236:

Pope Fabian, who is said to have been chosen by the Holy Spirit
by having a dove land on his head, began his papacy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Fabian>

1645:

William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury and a fervent supporter
of King Charles I, was beheaded in the midst of the English Civil War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Laud>

1901:

The first great gusher of the Texas Oil Boom was discovered in
the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont, Texas, US.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindletop>

1941:

Greco-Italian War: The Greek army captured the strategically
important Klisura Pass in Albania.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Klisura_Pass>

1993:

The Braer Storm, the strongest extratropical cyclone ever
recorded in the North Atlantic, reached its peak intensity.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braer_Storm_of_January_1993>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

constraint:
1. Something that constrains; a restriction.
2. (mathematics) A condition that a solution to an optimization problem
must satisfy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/constraint>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  No obstacle has been so constant, or so difficult to overcome, as
uncertainty and confusion touching the nature of true liberty. If
hostile interests have wrought much injury, false ideas have wrought
still more; and its advance is recorded in the increase of knowledge, as
much as in the improvement of laws.  
--John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton,_1st_Baron_Acton>

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[Daily article] January 9: Falcon's Fury Published On

Falcon's Fury is a freestanding Sky Jump drop tower attraction at the
Busch Gardens Tampa amusement park in Tampa, Florida. Manufactured by
Intaride, a subsidiary of Intamin, the ride is North America's tallest
freestanding drop tower, at a maximum height of 335 feet (102 m). It is
also the first drop tower to use 90-degree tilting seats, facing riders
straight down through five seconds of free fall. They reach a speed of
60 miles per hour (100 km/h) before rotating back into a vertical
position and decelerating at about 3.5 Gs. The ride's name is meant to
suggest a falcon's ability to dive steeply at high speed to capture
prey. Due to the height of the attraction, approval from the Federal
Aviation Administration was required. Construction was delayed until
2013, and the opening date was also delayed by mechanical and technical
issues. Falcon's Fury opened to park employees in August before a soft
opening on August 16, 2014, and an official opening on September 2,
2014.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon%27s_Fury>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

475:

Basiliscus became Byzantine Emperor after Zeno was forced to
flee Constantinople.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basiliscus>

1816:

Inventor Humphry Davy first tested his Davy lamp (examples
pictured), a safety lamp containing a candle for use in coal mines.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_lamp>

1909:

Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition, planted the
British flag 97 nautical miles (180 km) from the South Pole, the
furthest south anyone had ever reached at that time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farthest_South>

1991:

Representatives from the United States and Iraq met at the
Geneva Peace Conference to try to find a peaceful resolution to the
Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Peace_Conference_(1991)>

1996:

First Chechen War: Chechen separatists launched raids in the
city of Kizlyar, Republic of Dagestan, which turned into a massive
hostage crisis involving thousands of civilians.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kizlyar-Pervomayskoye_hostage_crisis>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

strife:
Conflict, sometimes violent, usually brief or limited in scope.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/strife>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  You can't decide how you're going to die. Or when. What you can
decide is how you're going to live now.  
--Joan Baez
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joan_Baez>

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[Daily article] January 8: Bruce Kingsbury Published On

Bruce Kingsbury (1918–1942) was an Australian soldier of the Second
World War. After serving in the Middle East, he gained renown for his
actions during the Battle of Isurava, one of many battles of the Kokoda
Track campaign in New Guinea. His bravery was recognised with the
Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the
enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth
armed forces. Kingsbury was a member of the 2/14th Infantry Battalion.
During the Battle of Isurava, he was one of the few survivors of a
platoon that had been overrun by the Japanese. He immediately
volunteered to join a different platoon, which had been ordered to
counterattack. Rushing forward and firing his Bren gun from the hip, he
cleared a path through the enemy and inflicted several casualties.
Kingsbury was then seen to fall, shot by a Japanese sniper and killed
instantly. His actions, which delayed the Japanese long enough for the
Australians to fortify their positions, were instrumental in saving the
battalion headquarters. He was the first serviceman to receive the
Victoria Cross for actions in Australian territory.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Kingsbury>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1198:

Lotario de Conti was elected as Pope Innocent III; he later
worked to restore papal power in Rome.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Innocent_III>

1815:

American forces led by General Andrew Jackson defeated the
British Army at the Battle of New Orleans, two weeks after the United
States and the United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Ghent to end the War
of 1812.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Orleans>

1956:

Five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States
were killed by the Huaorani in the rainforest of Ecuador shortly after
making contact with them.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Auca>

1979:

The oil tanker Betelgeuse exploded at the offshore jetty of the
Whiddy Island Oil Terminal off Bantry Bay, Ireland, killing
approximately 50 people (memorial pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiddy_Island_Disaster>

1996:

An Antonov An-32 cargo aircraft crashed into a crowded market
in Kinshasa, Zaire, killing up to 237 on the ground.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Air_Africa_crash>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

raze:
1. (transitive) To demolish; to level to the ground.
2. (transitive) To scrape as if with a razor.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/raze>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  Virtue alone is for real; all else is sham. Talent and greatness
depend on virtue, not on fortune. Only virtue is sufficient unto
herself. She makes us love the living and remember the dead.  
--Baltasar Gracián
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Baltasar_Graci%C3%A1n>

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[Daily article] January 7: Upper and Lower Table Rock Published On

Upper and Lower Table Rock are two prominent volcanic plateaus just
north of the Rogue River in Jackson County, Oregon, US. Created by a
medium-grained lava flow around seven million years ago and shaped by
erosion, they now stand about 800 feet (240 m) above the surrounding
Rogue Valley. They are jointly owned by The Nature Conservancy and the
Bureau of Land Management. The Takelma tribe of Native Americans
inhabited the Table Rocks for at least 15,000 years before being forced
into reservations during a mid-19th-century gold rush. A post office was
established nearby in 1872, an airstrip was built atop Lower Table Rock
in 1948, and an aviation beacon was constructed on Upper Table Rock in
the 1960s. These plateaus, which were not protected until the 1970s, are
home to over 70 species of animals and 340 species of plants, including
the dwarf woolly meadowfoam. They are popular hiking locations in the
Rogue Valley, with over 45,000 visitors annually.

Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_and_Lower_Table_Rock>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1558:

Francis, Duke of Guise, retook Calais, England's last
continental possession, for France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calais>

1610:

Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei made his first observation
of the four Galilean moons through his telescope: Ganymede, Callisto, Io
and Europa, although he was not able to distinguish the latter two until
the following day.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon)>

1797:

The first official Italian tricolour was adopted by the
government of the Cispadane Republic.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Italy>

1948:

Air National Guard pilot Thomas Mantell fatally crashed his
P-51 Mustang while in pursuit of a UFO near Fort Knox, Kentucky.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantell_UFO_incident>

1979:

The Vietnam People's Army captured Phnom Penh, deposing Pol Pot
and the Khmer Rouge, which marked the end of large-scale fighting in the
Cambodian–Vietnamese War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian%E2%80%93Vietnamese_War>

2010:

In Nag Hammadi, Egypt, Muslim gunmen opened fire on a crowd of
Coptic Christians leaving church after celebrating a Christmas Mass,
killing eight of them as well as one Muslim bystander.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nag_Hammadi_massacre>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

spade:
1. To turn over soil with a spade to loosen the ground for planting.
2. (videogaming) To collect and statistically analyze data, for the purpose
of determining the underlying random number generator structure or
numeric formula.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spade>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

  We now stand so aloof from nature that we think we are God. This
has always been a dangerous supposition.  
--Gerald Durrell
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gerald_Durrell>

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