FYI January 24, 2021

On This Day

1859 – The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (later named Romania) is formed as a personal union under the rule of Domnitor Alexandru Ioan Cuza.

The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia was the personal union of the Principality of Moldavia and the Principality of Wallachia, formed on 5 February [O.S. 24 January] 1859 when Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected as the Domnitor (Ruling Prince) of both principalities, which were autonomous but still vassals of the Ottoman Empire. On 3 February [O.S. 22 January] 1862, Moldavia and Wallachia formally united to create the Romanian United Principalities, the core of the Romanian nation state.[2][3]

In February 1866, Prince Cuza was forced to abdicate and go into exile by a political coalition led by the Liberals; the German Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was offered the Throne and, on 22 May [O.S. 10 May] 1866 he entered Bucharest for the first time. In July the same year, a new constitution came into effect, giving the country the name of Romania; internationally, this name was used only after 1877, since at the time the foreign policy of the state was drafted by the Ottomans. Nominally, the new state remained a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. However, by this time the suzerainty of the Sublime Porte had become a legal fiction. Romania had its own flag and anthem, and conducted its own foreign policy. From 1867, it had its own currency as well.

On 22 May [O.S. 10 May] 1877, Romania proclaimed itself fully independent; the declaration was read in parliament the previous day. Four years later, the 1866 constitution was modified so the Romania became a kingdom, on 22 May [O.S. 10 May] 1881, Domnitor Carol I was crowned as the first King of Romania.

For its triple symbolic meaning, the date of May 10 was celebrated as Romania’s National Day until 1948, when Romanian and Soviet Communists installed the republic via coup d’etat on December 30, 1947.

Read more ->

 
 

Born On This Day

1939 – Ray Stevens, American singer-songwriter and actor
Harold Ray Ragsdale (born January 24, 1939),[1] known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country[2] and pop singer-songwriter and comedian,[3][4] known for his Grammy-winning recordings “Everything Is Beautiful” and “Misty”, as well as comedic hits such as “Gitarzan” and “The Streak”. He has worked as a producer, music arranger, songwriter, television host, and solo artist; been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and the Christian Music Hall of Fame; and received gold albums for his music sales.

In 2019, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Read more ->

 
 
1941 – Neil Diamond, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time.[1][2] He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts: “Cracklin’ Rosie”, “Song Sung Blue”, “Longfellow Serenade”, “I’ve Been This Way Before”, “If You Know What I Mean”, “Desirée”, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”, “America”, “Yesterday’s Songs” and “Heartlight”. 38 songs by Diamond have featured in the Top 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts.

Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, and he received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. In 2011, he was an honoree at the Kennedy Center Honors, and he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.[3]

In 2019, his 1969 signature song “Sweet Caroline” was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.[4]

Read more ->

FYI

Brain Pickings by Maria Popova: Loops, language, the paradoxical loneliness of “I love you,” and what keeps love alive; Einstein on the political power of art; expressionist science
 
 
 
 
Vector’s World: Disappearing acts
 
 
 
 
Bored Panda: 50 Cat Memes Created By People Clearly Living With One; 50 Times People Had No Idea What They Were Looking At, But The Internet Knew What It Was Right Away (New Pics) and more ->

 
 
 
 
Wickersham’s Conscience: Return of Bird of the Week: Crimson-mantled Woodpecker
 
 
 
 
Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog, By Carol Saller: How to Format a Novel for Submission
 
 
Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog, Frank Parker’s author site: Indicted by the Goodreads Police
 
 
 
 
CutterLight: Birds of Chignik: Ruddy Turnstone – Birding, Boating & Procuring Fuel in the Alaska Bush
 
 
CutterLight: Birds of Chignik Lake – Tundra Swan: Harbinger of Springtime at The Lake
 
 
CutterLight: Birds of Chignik Lake: Pelagic Cormorant
 
 
 
 
TRUE STORIES OF THE SUBARCTIC NORTH: Castner’s Cutthroats
 
 
 
 

Recipes

By Makerneer: Sweet and Fluffy Corn Muffin Crack


 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

E-book Deals:

 

BookGorilla

The Book Blogger List

BookBub

The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!

Books A Million

Digital Book Spot

eBookSoda

eBooks Habit

FreeBooksy

Indie Bound

Love Swept & The Smitten Word

Mystery & Thriller Most Wanted

Pixel of Ink

The Rock Stars of Romance

Book Blogs & Websites:

Alaskan Book Cafe

Alternative-Read.com

Stacy, Carol RT Book Reviews

Welcome to the Stump the Bookseller blog!

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.

Thanks to everyone involved to keep this forum going: our blogging team, the well-read Stumper Magicians, the many referrals, and of course to everyone who fondly remembers the wonder of books from their childhood and wants to share or revisit that wonder. Isn’t it amazing, the magic of a book?