On This Day
378 – General Siyaj K’ak’ conquers Tikal, enlarging the domain of King Spearthrower Owl of Teotihuacán.[2]
Siyaj Kʼakʼ (alternative spelling: Siyah Kʼakʼ), also known as Fire is Born (formerly nicknamed “Smoking Frog”), was a prominent political figure mentioned in the glyphs of Classic Period (250–800 CE) Maya civilization monuments, principally Tikal (which he conquered in January 378[1]), as well as Uaxactun and the city of Copan. Epigraphers originally identified him by the nickname “Smoking Frog”, a description of his name glyph, but later deciphered it as Siyaj Kʼakʼ, meaning “Fire is born”. He is believed by some to have been the general of the Teotihuacano ruler Spearthrower Owl.
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1362 – Saint Marcellus’ flood kills at least 25,000 people on the shores of the North Sea.[2]
Saint Marcellus’s flood or Grote Mandrenke (Low Saxon: /ɣroːtə mandrɛŋkə/; Danish: Den Store Manddrukning, ‘Great Drowning of Men’)[1] was an intense extratropical cyclone, coinciding with a new moon, which swept across the British Isles, the Netherlands, northern Germany, and Denmark (including Schleswig/Southern Jutland) around 16 January 1362 (OS), causing at least 25,000 deaths.[1] The storm tide is also called the “Second St. Marcellus flood” because it peaked on 16 January, the feast day of St. Marcellus. A previous “First St. Marcellus flood” drowned 36,000 people along the coasts of West Friesland and Groningen on 16 January 1219.
An immense storm tide from the North Sea swept far inland from England and the Netherlands to Denmark and the German coast, breaking up islands, making parts of the mainland into islands, and wiping out entire towns and districts. These included Rungholt, said to have been located on the island of Strand in North Frisia, Ravenser Odd in East Yorkshire, and the harbour of Dunwich.[2]
This storm tide, along with others of like size in the 13th century and 14th century, played a part in the formation of the Zuiderzee,[3] and was characteristic of the unsettled and changeable weather in northern Europe at the beginning of the Little Ice Age.
1562 – Pope Pius IV reopens the Council of Trent for its third and final session.
Pope Pius IV (Italian: Pio IV; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered itself a branch of the House of Medici and used the same coat of arms. Although modern historians have found no proof of this connection, the Medici of Florence recognized the claims of the Medici of Milan in the early 16th century.[1][2]
Pope Paul III appointed Medici Archbishop of Ragusa, and sent him on diplomatic missions to Germany and Hungary. He presided over the final session of the Council of Trent. His nephew, Cardinal Charles Borromeo, was a close adviser. As pope, Pius IV initiated a number of building projects in Rome, including one to improve the water supply.
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649 – Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surrender after a forty-day siege led by Tang dynasty general Ashina She’er, establishing Tang control over the northern Tarim Basin in Xinjiang.[2]
The Tang campaign against Kucha was a military campaign led by the Tang dynasty general Ashina She’er against the Tarim Basin oasis state of Kucha in Xinjiang, which was aligned with the Western Turkic Khaganate. The campaign began in 648 and ended on 19 January 649, after the surrender of the Kuchan forces following a forty-day siege in Aksu. Kuchean soldiers tried to recapture the kingdom with the assistance of the Western Turkic Khaganate, but were defeated by the Tang army.
Born On This Day
972 – Sheng Zong, emperor of the Liao Dynasty (d. 1031)
Emperor Shengzong of Liao (16 January 972 – 25 June 1031), personal name Wenshunu, sinicised name Yelü Longxu, was the sixth emperor of the Khitan-led Chinese Liao dynasty and its longest reigning monarch.
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1342 – Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (d. 1404)
Philip II the Bold (French: Philippe II le Hardi; Dutch: Filips de Stoute; 17 January 1342 – 27 April 1404) was Duke of Burgundy and jure uxoris Count of Flanders, Artois and Burgundy. He was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg.[1]
Philip II was the founder of the Burgundian branch of the House of Valois. His vast collection of territories made him the undisputed premier peer of the Kingdom of France and made his successors formidable subjects, and later rivals, of the kings of France.
Philip II played an important role in the development of gunpowder artillery in European warfare, making extensive and successful use of it in his military campaigns.[2]
1404 – Sir Philip Courtenay, English noble (d. 1463)
Sir Philip Courtenay (18 January 1404 – 16 December 1463) of Powderham,[a] Devon, was the senior member of a junior branch of the powerful Courtenay family, Earls of Devon.
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1200 – Dōgen Zenji, founder of Sōtō Zen (d. 1253)[21]
Dōgen Zenji (道元禅師; 26 January 1200 – 22 September 1253),[1][2] also known as Dōgen Kigen (道元希玄), Eihei Dōgen (永平道元), Kōso Jōyō Daishi (高祖承陽大師), or Busshō Dentō Kokushi (仏性伝東国師), was a Japanese Buddhist priest, writer, poet, philosopher, and founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan.
Originally ordained as a monk in the Tendai School in Kyoto, he was ultimately dissatisfied with its teaching and traveled to China to seek out what he believed to be a more authentic Buddhism. He remained there for four years, finally training under Tiantong Rujing, an eminent teacher of the Caodong lineage of Chinese Chan. Upon his return to Japan, he began promoting the practice of zazen (sitting meditation) through literary works such as Fukanzazengi and Bendōwa.
He eventually broke relations completely with the powerful Tendai School, and, after several years of likely friction between himself and the establishment, left Kyoto for the mountainous countryside where he founded the monastery Eihei-ji, which remains the head temple of the Sōtō school today.
Dōgen is known for his extensive writing including the Shōbōgenzō (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, considered his magnum opus), the Eihei Kōroku (Extensive Record, a collection of his talks), Japanese poetry, commentaries, and the Eihei Shingi, the first Zen monastic code written in Japan.
FYI
NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day
This Day in Tech History
Interesting Facts
By GMA Team: Veteran helped track down dognappers, save woman’s stolen Yorkie
By Simon Hill, Wired: How to Save Your Smartphone’s Battery Life Shrug off your anxiety with these power-saving tips to extend the juice of your iPhone or Android phone.
By Alex Dalenberg, Pocket Collections: The Best Little Dolly Parton Reader on the Internet Our favorite articles (and one podcast) about the one-and-only Dolly Parton.
By Daniel Parris, Stat Significant: How Has Music Changed Since the 1950s? A Statistical Analysis. How has music composition evolved over time?
Science News: Why chocolate feels so good? It’s down to lubrication
Recipes
By Bettina Makalintal, Eater: Jelly Is Ready for Its Redemption Arc The polarizing format
By macwillow1905, Lembas: Elvish Waybread
By JacquelineR26, Pizza Soup
By Betty Crocker Kitchens: 11 Winner Weeknight Casseroles
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.
DamnDelicious
RecipeTinEats
- Popcorn chicken January 10, 2025This is a KFC popcorn chicken copycat recipe. It’s downright addictive – I challenge you to stop at just one! Surprisingly quick, they take just 2 minutes to cook, and just shallow fried at that. Popcorn chicken Many people have tried this popcorn chicken now, including an entire crew of builders at my home which... […]Nagi
- Honey mustard dipping sauce January 10, 2025This is a lovely dipping sauce that’s creamy, a bit tangy, a bit sweet and takes barely a minute to make. Particularly great with crunchy crumbed chicken tenders, popcorn chicken, nuggets and fish fingers, though I also use it for veggie sticks and spoon it over simple pan-fried chicken or fish. One of my most... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 11 January 11, 2025Picture of the day Sninský kameň, Vihorlatské vrchy in the winter, frost on trees
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 10 January 10, 2025Picture of the day Kapelle St. Martin-Caplutta Sogn Martin. Breil-Brigels. Wooden main door of the chapel. (Detail).
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