On This Day
1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy.
The Sixth Crusade started in 1228 as an attempt to regain Jerusalem. It began seven years after the failure of the Fifth Crusade and involved very little actual fighting. The diplomatic maneuvering of the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, Frederick II, resulted in the Kingdom of Jerusalem regaining some control over Jerusalem for much of the ensuing fifteen years (1229–39, 1241–44)[1] as well as over other areas of the Holy Land.
Born On This Day
1745 – Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist, invented the battery (d. 1827)
Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta (Italian: [alesˈsandro ˈvɔlta]; 18 February 1745 – 5 March 1827) was an Italian physicist, chemist, and a pioneer of electricity and power,[2][3][4] who is credited as the inventor of the electric battery and the discoverer of methane. He invented the Voltaic pile in 1799, and reported the results of his experiments in 1800 in a two-part letter to the President of the Royal Society.[5][6] With this invention Volta proved that electricity could be generated chemically and debunked the prevalent theory that electricity was generated solely by living beings. Volta’s invention sparked a great amount of scientific excitement and led others to conduct similar experiments which eventually led to the development of the field of electrochemistry.[6]
Alessandro Volta also drew admiration from Napoleon Bonaparte for his invention, and was invited to the Institute of France to demonstrate his invention to the members of the Institute. Volta enjoyed a certain amount of closeness with the Emperor throughout his life and he was conferred numerous honours by him.[1] Alessandro Volta held the chair of experimental physics at the University of Pavia for nearly 40 years and was widely idolised by his students.[1]
Despite his professional success, Volta tended to be a person inclined towards domestic life and this was more apparent in his later years. At this time he tended to live secluded from public life and more for the sake of his family until his eventual death in 1827 from a series of illnesses which began in 1823.[1] The SI unit of electric potential is named in his honour as the volt.
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FYI
By Eliott C. McLaughlin and Chuck Johnston, CNN: Man identified as kissing sailor in WWII Times Square photo dies at 95
By Rebecca Onion: Did We Forget to Memorialize Spanish Flu Because Women Were the Heroes? Sure, it came on the heels of World War I, but it was way more deadly.
By Sophia Chen: Why a Grape Turns Into a Fireball in a Microwave
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Open Culture: Jimi Hendrix Arrives in London in 1966, Asks to Get Onstage with Cream, and Blows Eric Clapton Away: “You Never Told Me He Was That F-ing Good”; A New Collection of Official, Authorized Prince GIFs!; Famous Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci Celebrated in a New Series of Stamps and more ->
JJ Luna:
I was interviewed on the Mark Kohler Show a few days ago. When you next have a bit of time to kill, you might enjoy it.
OTHER NEWS
Simon Black’s letter today is on “1984.” He is right on the mark.
The Passive Voice: This Post-Breakup Concierge Service Handles All Your Moving-Out Needs–and More; Amazon’s Tax, Financial and Moral Obligations; The Road Is a Strange Place; Presidents Day
By MessyNessy 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCCXLI): A Fun House tour with Dominic West; Explore a Hidden Village Carved into a Cliff; This Breathtaking Trip through Myanmar and more ->
The Rural Blog: Could new strawberry harvester replace human workers?; Bill would make online access to federal court records free; 5G will widen tech gap between rural and urban U.S., and U.S. and China, says Progressive Farmer editor emeritus and more ->
Ideas
By Hometalk Highlights: 9 Natural Weed Killers That Will Save Your Summer Garden
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for November 24 November 24, 2024Picture of the day The Scroll of Eighty-Seven Immortals, drawn by an unknown painter, measuring 30cm high and 292cm wide, is a line-drawing Chinese figure painting. Drawn on a long silk scroll with lines, the painting depicts 87 taoist immortals, including three supreme gods with halo, ten divine generals, seven deities and 67 celestial maidens […]
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for November 23 November 23, 2024Picture of the day Rainbow yarn for knitting displayed in front of a needlework shop in Graz, Austria
Recipes
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