On This Day
457 – Leo I becomes the Eastern Roman emperor.[1]
Leo I (Greek: Λέων, translit. Leōn; c. 401 – 18 January 474), also known as “the Thracian” (Latin: Thrax; Greek: ο Θραξ),[b] was Eastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474. He was a native of Dacia Aureliana near historic Thrace. He is sometimes surnamed with the epithet “the Great” (Latin: Magnus; Greek: ὁ Μέγας), probably to distinguish him from his young grandson and co-augustus Leo II (Greek: ὁ Μικρός, translit. ho Mikrós, lit. “the Small”).[c]
Ruling the Eastern Empire for nearly 20 years, Leo proved to be a capable ruler. He oversaw many ambitious political and military plans, aimed mostly at aiding the faltering Western Roman Empire and recovering its former territories. He is notable for being the first Eastern Emperor to legislate in Koine Greek rather than Late Latin.[6] He is commemorated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, with his feast day on 20 January.[7][8]
Born On This Day
574 – Prince Shōtoku of Japan (d. 622)
Prince Shōtoku (聖徳太子, Shōtoku Taishi, February 7, 574 – April 8, 622[1]), also known as Prince Umayado (厩戸皇子, Umayado no ōjî) or Prince Kamitsumiya (上宮皇子, Kamitsumiya no ōji), was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei’s younger half-sister. But later, he was adopted by Prince Shōtoken. His parents were relatives of the ruling Soga clan[2] and also he was involved in the defeat of the rival Mononobe clan.[3] The primary source of the life and accomplishments of Prince Shōtoku comes from the Nihon Shoki. The Prince is renowned for modernizing the government administration and for promoting Buddhism in Japan.[4] He also had two different families that fought over his custody.[citation needed]
Over successive generations, a devotional cult arose around the figure of Prince Shōtoku for the protection of Japan, the Imperial Family, and for Buddhism. Key religious figures such as Saichō, Shinran and others claimed inspiration or visions attributed to Prince Shōtoku.[3]
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By Messy Nessy, 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DCXXXV): Hundreds of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Designs Were Never Built. Here’s What They Might Have Looked Like; A countryside village frozen-in-time surrounded by massive tower blocks buildings in Berlin; A castle-shaped 1930s-era portable metal diner, FREE if moved; Bell Telephone Launched a Mobile Phone During the 1940s; Navigation signs in Thessaloniki (Greece) show how much calories you burn if you would walk the distance; Bizarre ‘whirlpool’ appears in night sky above Hawaii; The Hunt for Nazi-Buried Treasure in a Dutch Village thanks to an 80 year old map released to the public and more ->
By MessyNessy, 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DCXXXIV): An occult artist whose mysterious work was discovered in a remote cabin after his death; A Wikipedia list of haunted highways; A Collection of Weird and Wonderful Locations on Google Street View; Traditional clothing from Dagestan, Russia; Tiktok’s enshittification; A Small Borough’s Rude Awakening and more ->
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Al Cross and Heather Close at The Rural Blog: exas publisher who made his office a coffee shop offers 30 minutes of free advice for making your paper sustainable . . .and more ->
By Eemine Saner, The Guardian: Forget regret! How to have a happy life – according to the world’s leading expert
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- Mango bars with lime glaze January 17, 2025Summery Mango Bars! A jammy layer of fresh mango sandwiched between a coconut biscuit base and crumbly topping, finished with a lime glaze. Stellar flavour combination that screams of summer! That mango layer is everything – juicy and generous. The annual mango recipe! I intended to kick off this post by cheerfully introducing it as... […]Nagi
- Creamy Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper Risoni (orzo) January 15, 2025The name’s a tongue twister, but this dish is a breeze to make! Goat cheese and roasted red peppers are the shortcuts for this creamy, smoky risoni recipe. Under $20 for 4 servings, ready in 20 minutes. Serve as a meal or side — it’s like a Mediterranean risotto! Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper... […]Nagi
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- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 20 January 20, 2025Picture of the day Scientific diagram of arteries, veins, and capillaries. Also shows cross-sectional area differences.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 19 January 19, 2025Picture of the day Hellenic pond turtle (Emys orbicularis hellenica), Butrint Archaeological Park, Albania
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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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