On This Day
1881 – The USS Jeannette is crushed in an Arctic Ocean ice pack.
USS Jeannette was a naval exploration vessel which, commanded by George W. De Long, undertook the Jeannette expedition of 1879–1881 to the Arctic. After being trapped in the ice and drifting for almost two years, the ship and her crew of 33 were released from the ice, then trapped again, crushed and sunk some 300 nautical miles (560 km; 350 mi) north of the Siberian coast. The entire crew survived the sinking, but eight died while sailing towards land in a small cutter. The others reached Siberia, but 12 subsequently perished in the Lena Delta, including De Long.
The vessel had begun her active career in 1861 as HMS Pandora, a Royal Navy gunboat. After more than a decade’s service off the West African coast and in the Mediterranean, Pandora was retired from duty and sold as a private yacht to a British explorer, Allen Young. Young took her on two voyages to the Arctic, in 1875 and 1876, before selling her to James Gordon Bennett Jr., proprietor of The New York Herald, who changed her name to Jeannette. Although she sailed to the Arctic under the U.S. flag as USS Jeannette, subject to naval laws and discipline, Bennett remained responsible for the costs of the expedition.
1216 – First Barons’ War: Prince Louis of France takes the city of Winchester, abandoned by John, King of England, and soon conquers over half of the kingdom.[2]
The First Barons’ War (1215–1217) was a civil war in the Kingdom of England in which a group of rebellious major landowners (commonly referred to as barons) led by Robert Fitzwalter waged war against King John of England. The conflict resulted from King John’s disastrous wars against King Philip II of France, which led to the collapse of the Angevin Empire, and John’s subsequent refusal to accept and abide the “Magna Carta”, which he had sealed on 15 June 1215.
The rebellious barons, faced with an uncompromising king, turned to King Philip’s son, Prince Louis, who, in 1216, then sailed to England with an army despite his father’s disapproval, as well as the Pope’s, who subsequently excommunicated him. Louis captured Winchester and soon controlled over half of the English kingdom.[1] He was proclaimed “King of England” in London by the barons, although never actually crowned.
Louis’ ambitions of ruling England faced a major setback in October 1216 when King John’s death led to the rebellious barons deserting him in favour of John’s nine-year-old son, Henry III of England and the war dragged on. Louis’ army was finally beaten at the Battle of Lincoln on 20 May 1217. And, after a fleet assembled by his wife, Blanche of Castile, attempting to bring him French reinforcements was defeated off the coast of Sandwich on 24 August 1217, he was forced to make peace on English terms. He signed the Treaty of Lambeth and surrendered the few remaining castles he held. The effect of the treaty was that Prince Louis agreed he had never been the legitimate king of England. This formalised the end of the civil war and the departure of the French from England.[2]
Born On This Day
839 – Charles the Fat, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 888)
Charles III (839 – 13 January 888), also known as Charles the Fat, was the emperor of the Carolingian Empire[a] from 881 to 888. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German and Hemma, and a great-grandson of Charlemagne. He was the last Carolingian emperor of legitimate birth and the last to rule over all the realms of the Franks.
Over his lifetime, Charles became ruler of the various kingdoms of Charlemagne’s former empire. Granted lordship over Alamannia in 876, following the division of East Francia, he succeeded to the Italian throne upon the abdication of his older brother Carloman of Bavaria who had been incapacitated by a stroke. Crowned emperor in 881 by Pope John VIII, his succession to the territories of his brother Louis the Younger (Saxony and Bavaria) the following year reunited the kingdom of East Francia. Upon the death of his cousin Carloman II in 884, he inherited all of West Francia, thus reuniting the entire Carolingian Empire.
Usually considered lethargic and inept—he is known to have had repeated illnesses and is believed to have had epilepsy—he twice purchased peace with Viking raiders, including at the infamous Siege of Paris which led to his downfall.
The reunited empire did not last. During a coup led by his nephew Arnulf of Carinthia in November 887, Charles was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and the Kingdom of Italy. Forced into quiet retirement, he died of natural causes in January 888, just a few weeks after his deposition. The Empire quickly fell apart after his death, splintering into five separate successor kingdoms; the territory it had occupied was not entirely reunited under one ruler until the conquests of Napoleon.
1444 – Nilakantha Somayaji, Indian astronomer and mathematician (d. 1544)
Keļallur Nilakantha Somayaji (14 June 1444 – 1544), also referred to as Keļallur Comatiri,[1] was a major mathematician and astronomer of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. One of his most influential works was the comprehensive astronomical treatise Tantrasamgraha completed in 1501. He had also composed an elaborate commentary on Aryabhatiya called the Aryabhatiya Bhasya. In this Bhasya, Nilakantha had discussed infinite series expansions of trigonometric functions and problems of algebra and spherical geometry. Grahapariksakrama is a manual on making observations in astronomy based on instruments of the time. Known popularly as Kelallur Chomaathiri, he is considered an equal to Vatasseri Parameshwaran Nambudiri.
FYI
NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day
By Jake Coyle, 11Alive: Philip Baker Hall, of ‘Hard Eight,’ ‘Seinfeld,’ dies at 90
Philip Baker Hall (September 10, 1931 – June 12, 2022) was an American actor. Although known primarily as a prolific character actor known for his collaborations with Robert Altman and Paul Thomas Anderson, he starred in leading roles on films, such as Secret Honor (1984), Hard Eight (1996), and Duck (2005). His other supporting roles in films include ones in Say Anything… (1989), Boogie Nights (1997), The Truman Show (1998), Magnolia (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Contender (2000), Dogville (2003), Zodiac (2007), and Argo (2012). He received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Hard Eight and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Boogie Nights and Magnolia.
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By Alisa Freedman, The Conversation: How Cup Noodles Became One of the Biggest Transpacific Business Success Stories of All Time There was a time when eating out of Cup Noodle’s iconic packaging exuded cosmopolitanism.
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By Leila Sackur, NBC Science News: One of Europe’s ‘largest ever’ predatory dinosaurs discovered in the U.K. “This was a huge animal,” said Chris Barker, a doctoral student who led the study.
By Travis Hartman: Why is English so hard to spell? Decoding English from spoken to spelled is a tradition that’s almost 100 years old at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but how did the language get so convoluted in the first place?
By Erica Gies,The Guardian: Slow water: can we tame urban floods by going with the flow? As we face increased flooding, China’s sponge cities are taking a new course. But can they steer the country away from concrete megadams?
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By Sandee LaMotte, CNN: How psilocybin, the psychedelic in mushrooms, may rewire the brain to ease depression, anxiety and more
By tommy Trenchard, Goats & Soda NPR: PHOTOS: Angola thought women couldn’t clear landmines. These women proved them wrong
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Betty Crocker Kitchens: Slab Strawberry Shortcake
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- 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
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- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for November 28 November 28, 2024Picture of the day Gjipe Beach, Albania. Today is Albania's Independence Day.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for November 27 November 27, 2024Picture of the day Eruption of Strokkur (Icelandic for "churn"), a fountain geyser located in the Haukadalur geothermal area, southwest of Iceland.
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