On This Day
1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Catholic Church. He is best known for initiating the Crusades.[2]
Pope Urban II (Latin: Urbanus II; c. 1035 – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery,[2][A] was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening the Council of Clermont which ignited the series of Christian conquests known as the Crusades.[3][4]
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624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Muslims and Quraysh.[1]
The Battle of Badr (Arabic: غَزْوَةُ بَدْرٍ Arabic pronunciation: [ɣazwatu badr]), also referred to as The Day of the Criterion (Arabic: يَوْمُ الْفُرْقَانْ, Arabic pronunciation: [jawm’ul fur’qaːn]) in the Qur’an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan, 2 AH),[2] near the present-day city of Badr, Al Madinah Province in Saudi Arabia. Muhammad, commanding an army of his Sahaba, defeated an army of the Quraysh led by Amr ibn Hishām, better known as Abu Jahl. The battle marked the beginning of the six-year war between Muhammad and his tribe. Prior to the battle, the Muslims and the Meccans had fought several smaller skirmishes in late 623 and early 624.
Born On This Day
1515 – Caspar Othmayr, German Lutheran pastor and composer (d. 1553)[38]
Caspar Othmayr (12 March 1515 – 4 February 1553) was a German Lutheran pastor and composer.
Othmayr was born in Amberg, Upper Palatinate, and studied in Heidelberg as a pupil of Lorenz Lemlin, among others. Later, he became rector of the monastery school of Heilsbronn near Ansbach. From 1548 on he was provost in Ansbach, but soon lost the position because of theological differences.
Othmayr is considered one of the masters of melodic phrasing (Liedsatz) of the middle of the 16th century. The most important works were written from 1545 to 1550. He composed numerous hymns inspired by Martin Luther, and in 1546 wrote Epitaphium a Lutheri in memory of him.
His works are found in numerous collections of his time, as in Georg Forster’s Frische teutsche Liedlein.
Othmayr died in Nuremberg in 1553 at the age of 38.
1479 – Lazarus Spengler, German hymnwriter (d. 1534)[37]
Lazarus Spengler (March 13, 1479 in Nuremberg – September 7, 1534 in Nuremberg) was a prominent supporter of Martin Luther and leader of the Protestant Reformation in Nuremberg, as well as a famous hymnwriter.[1]
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FYI
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Full press conference: Pinellas deputies were ‘ambushed’ by suspect in Pinellas Park
Cal Newport: On Michael Crichton’s Busy Ambition
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Cal Newport: Ann Patchett on Scheduling Creativity
Ideas
By rajiscrafthobby: Quick and Easy Crochet Twisted Ear Warmer Headband
Recipes
From ChatGPT:
Moose’s Tooth is a popular pizzeria in Anchorage, Alaska known for their delicious ranch dressing. Here’s a recipe that is said to closely replicate Moose’s Tooth’s ranch:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon dried chives 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and sour cream until smooth. Add the dill, parsley, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld. This ranch is perfect for dipping pizza crusts, veggies, and more.
Enjoy!
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Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.
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- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 13 June 13, 2026Picture of the day An image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on a stained-glass window located in a church in St. Peters, Missouri. Today is the feast day of the Immaculate Heart in the Roman Catholic Church.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 12 June 12, 2026Picture of the day A memorial to victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in front the Stonewall Inn in New York City. On June 12, 2016, a terrorist shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, USA.
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Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.
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