On This Day
1014 – Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle.
The Battle of Clontarf (Irish: Cath Chluain Tarbh) took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse-Irish alliance comprising the forces of Sigtrygg Silkbeard, King of Dublin; Máel Mórda mac Murchada, King of Leinster; and a Viking army from abroad led by Sigurd of Orkney and Brodir of Mann. It lasted from sunrise to sunset, and ended in a rout of the Viking and Leinster armies.
It is estimated that between 7,000 and 10,000 men were killed in the battle, including most of the leaders. Although Brian’s forces were victorious, Brian himself was killed, as were his son Murchad and his grandson Toirdelbach. Leinster king Máel Mórda and Viking leaders Sigurd and Brodir were also slain. After the battle, the power of the Vikings and the Kingdom of Dublin was largely broken.
The battle was an important event in Irish history and is recorded in both Irish and Norse chronicles. In Ireland, the battle came to be seen as an event that freed the Irish from foreign domination, and Brian was hailed as a national hero. This view was especially popular during English rule in Ireland. Although the battle has come to be viewed in a more critical light, it still has a hold on the popular imagination.[2]
Born On This Day
1916 – Sinah Estelle Kelley, American chemist (d. 1982)
Sinah Estelle Kelley (April 23, 1916 – December 21, 1982) was an American chemist who worked on the mass production of penicillin.
Early life and education
Sinah Estelle Kelley was born in New York City in 1916. Her father was the managing editor (1922–1934) of the New York Amsterdam News, William Melvin Kelley Sr., and her mother was Gladys Caution Kelley, a probation officer.[1][2] Her much younger brother (from her father’s second marriage) is author William M. Kelley Jr.[3]
Kelley attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School of New York City, and was a 1934 graduate of the high school there.[4] Kelley began her scientific studies at Radcliffe College, under organic chemistry professor Louis Fieser, and during summer internships at Harlem Hospital.[5]
Career
After graduating from Radcliffe in 1938,[6] Sinah Kelley took some graduate courses at New York University, and worked at federal laboratories in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Illinois during World War II. She stayed in Peoria, Illinois after the war, with a team working on the mass production of penicillin for the U. S. Department of Agriculture.[7] More specifically, she worked in the lab as part of the Fermentation Division, where she performed chemical analyses on sugar and other products of fermentation.[8]Though Kelley did not hold an advanced degree, she was listed an author on several scientific papers from this group, with titles such as “Production of Fumaric Acid by Rhizopus arrhizus” (1959)[9] and “Production of Itaconic Acid by Aspergillus terreus in 20-Liter Fermentors” (1952).[10]
In 1958, she returned to New York to work on the effects of strontium 90, working with how to stabilize it with flame photometry[11] at an Atomic Energy Commission laboratory. She retired from that work in the 1970s.[5]
Personal life and legacy
While she lived in Peoria, Kelley was the only African-American member of the Mayor’s Interracial Committee.[12] Sinah Estelle Kelley died in 1982, age 66. Her papers are part of the William Melvin Kelley Family Papers, at Emory University.[3]
FYI
Skill & luck!
Just A Car Guy: places to go, things to do, a race to win, no time for sticking to the track… there’s less friction when you’re airborne anyway
Just A Car Guy: the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse in 1940 exposed a New York insurance agent who’d been embezzling
Just A Car Guy: migrant worker cleverly towing a simple folding portable house. Alexandria Louisiana, 1940. Notice the “license applied for” sign on the back.
Atlas Obscura: How 19th-century German farmers turned caves into homes and more ->
Atlas Obscura: A Look Back at Franklin, America’s Lost State It existed for a brief and treasonous four years.
The Passive Voice, From Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Twelve Years
The Passive Voice, From The New Yorker: Grammar-Nerd Heaven
NSFW
NSFW
Recipes
DamnDelicious
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup November 9, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details. An easy one pot soup using rotisserie chicken and quick-cooking tortellini, made in 40 min start to finish! Cozy, comforting, rich with an oh-so-creamy chicken broth…what more do you need here? Oh that’s right, cheesy tortellini. Yes, please! Not to mention, this […]Chungah @ Damn Delicious
- Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce November 2, 2024This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details. The quickest (BEST!) 25 min dinner. With a nutty garlicky brown butter sauce, crispy sage & toasted pecans! Fall is in full swing and sage brown butter takes all of the glory here. And I really do mean, ALL OF THE GLORY. […]Chungah @ Damn Delicious
RecipeTinEats
- Nutella Stuffed Cookies November 22, 2024Nutella Stuffed Cookies. Yes, they are as naughty and indulgent as they look. But so much easier to make than you think! No electric beater, just a wooden spoon. That moment when the melty Nutella floods in your mouth…. send help! Nutella Stuffed Cookies This is no ordinary cookie. This is a cookie that is... […]Nagi
- New Orleans Chicken Wings November 19, 2024Why settle for plain chicken wings when you can have bold, spicy, New Orleans sass?! Tossed in Creole seasoning and garlic butter then baked until golden, the smell alone will make you drool. Easy enough for dinner, excellent for parties. Get in my belly! New Orleans Chicken Wings Today’s recipe is inspired by New Orleans... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- 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
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for November 22 November 22, 2024Picture of the day Sanderling (Calidris alba) looking for food on the beach of Westkapelle, Netherlands
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