On This Day
856 – Michael III, emperor of the Byzantine Empire, overthrows the regency of his mother, empress Theodora (wife of Theophilos) with support of the Byzantine nobility.[4]
Michael III (Greek: Μιχαήλ; 9 January 840 – 24 September 867), also known as Michael the Drunkard, was Byzantine emperor from 842 to 867. Michael III was the third and traditionally last member of the Amorian (or Phrygian) dynasty. He was given the disparaging epithet the Drunkard (ὁ Μέθυσος) by the hostile historians of the succeeding Macedonian dynasty, but modern historical research has rehabilitated his reputation to some extent, demonstrating the vital role his reign played in the resurgence of Byzantine power in the 9th century.[1][2] He was also the youngest person to bear the imperial title, as well as the youngest to succeed as senior emperor.
1660 – The Long Parliament of England is dissolved so as to prepare for the new Convention Parliament.[3]
The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In September 1640,[1] King Charles I issued writs summoning a parliament to convene on 3 November 1640.[a] He intended it to pass financial bills, a step made necessary by the costs of the Bishops’ Wars in Scotland. The Long Parliament received its name from the fact that, by Act of Parliament, it stipulated it could be dissolved only with agreement of the members;[2] and those members did not agree to its dissolution until 16 March 1660, after the English Civil War and near the close of the Interregnum.[3]
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Born On This Day
1493 – Anne de Montmorency, French captain and diplomat (d. 1567)[44]
Anne, Duke of Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter (15 March 1493, Chantilly, Oise – 12 November 1567, Paris) was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France and served five kings.[1]
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1399 – The Xuande Emperor, ruler of Ming China (d. 1435)
The Xuande Emperor (16 March 1399[1] – 31 January 1435), personal name Zhu Zhanji (朱瞻基), was the fifth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1425 to 1435. His era name “Xuande” means “proclamation of virtue”. Ruling over a relatively peaceful period within Ming history, he was also personally fond of painting and literature. The Emperor ordered tax reductions on burdened farmers and attempted to purge corruption from the revenue collectors. His attempts to reform meritocracy within the military was unsuccessful, and he was forced to recognize the independence of Vietnam when the Mongol threat diverted his attention.[2]
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Interesting Facts
Word Genius: Word of the Day
Robert Hunter Caldwell (August 15, 1951 – March 14, 2023)[1] was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He released several albums spanning R&B, soul, jazz, and adult contemporary. He is known for his soulful and versatile vocals. Caldwell released the hit single and his signature song “What You Won’t Do for Love” from his double platinum debut album Bobby Caldwell in 1978. After several R&B and smooth jazz albums, Caldwell turned to singing standards from the Great American Songbook. He wrote many songs for other artists, including the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “The Next Time I Fall” for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera.[2] Caldwell’s music is frequently sampled by hip hop and R&B artists.
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Bobby Caldwell “What You Won’t Do for Love” Live at Java Jazz Festival 2008
BOBBY CALDWELL LIVE IN TOKYO 1991
By James Clear: 3-2-1: Focus, self care, and making better decisions
Al Cross and Heather Close at The Rural Blog: Railroads merge to connect Canada, U.S. & Mexico; stricter rules to prevent black-lung disease and fibrosis; tools for reporting on ag . . .
High Country News: Landline: ☎️ Energy-colonialism news round-up: Willow Project a go, decline of coal and the lithium boom
ILSR’s Community Broadband Initiative: Recently in Community Networks… Week of 3/13
By Ernie Smith, Tedium: Point, Shoot, and Forget Before Instagram, the disposable camera helped pave the way for digital photography. But the basic idea was a century old by the time it went mainstream.
By Ernie Smith, Tedium: On “Ernie” Having learned that Baidu is about to steal my first name for its AI chatbot that’s launching this month, let’s talk about the name Ernie for a bit. (Can I stop them?)
By Helen Carefoot, Well + Good: How (and Why) To Protect Your Mental Health While Using LinkedIn
Recipes
By Erin Carke, Well Plated: Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe This pasta tastes rich and creamy, and even has surprising notes of umami. It’s almost—and we are talking about Hamburger Helper here so I do not say this lightly—gourmet.
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
- Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef June 16, 2026Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef is what you make when you want a big batch of crowd-pleasing food with relatively little effort. The succulent pulled beef is smothered in an incredible homemade barbecue sauce, and there’s so many ways to serve it – pile into sliders, heap onto plates or stuff into baked potatoes! Easy... […]Nagi
- Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel June 12, 2026Firstly, thank you for the Jaffle love. 🥰 Hit the Jaffle button above to see what he got up to today! Secondly – cake. Specifically, Coffee Cake! A classic crumb cake with a jammy cinnamon ribbon, loaded with lots and lots of nubbly, extra crunchy cinnamon streusel. Outrageously good. Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel This... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 19 June 19, 2026Picture of the day Alley on Escheckstraße (and part of the cuckoo clock trail), Schönwald im Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 18 June 18, 2026Picture of the day Red-headed weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps leuconotus) male building nest in the Soysambu Conservancy, Kenya.
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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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