On This Day
1837 – An earthquake in Valdivia, south-central Chile, causes a tsunami that leads to significant destruction along Japan’s coast.[5]
The 1837 Valdivia earthquake struck south-central Chile on November 17.[1] Together with earthquakes in 1575 and 1737 the earthquake is among the historical predecessors to the great 1960 earthquake.[1] The rupture zone was roughly from Valdivia to the south. It was felt in the cities of Concepción, Valdivia and Ancud. The earthquake was also felt by the crew whaling ships in Guafo Island and Chonos Archipelago. Various landslides were triggered in Chiloé and people are reported to have been thrown to the ground in Valdivia. In contrast in Concepción the shakings were moderate.[1] As reported in various coastal localities the ground rose as result of the earthquake. Decades later while surveying southern Chile’s coasts Francisco Vidal Gormaz was told of islands that been submerged and some that had emerged as a consequence of the earthquake.[1] The earthquake caused a tsunami that struck Hawaii, what is now French Polynesia and Japan.[1]
In Japan the tsunami flooded rice fields, destroyed salmon traps and broke into salt evaporation ponds causing significant economic losses.[1]
Born On This Day
1866 – Voltairine de Cleyre, American author and activist (d. 1912)[17]
Voltairine de Cleyre (November 17, 1866 – June 20, 1912)[1] was an American anarchist known for being a prolific writer and speaker who opposed capitalism, marriage[2] and the state as well as the domination of religion over sexuality and women’s lives which she saw as all interconnected. She is often characterized as a major early feminist because of her views.[3]
Born and raised in small towns in Michigan and schooled in a Sarnia, Ontario, Catholic convent, de Cleyre began her activist career in the freethought movement. Although she was initially drawn to individualist anarchism, de Cleyre evolved through mutualism to what she called anarchism without adjectives, prioritizing a stateless society without the use of aggression or coercion above all else.
De Cleyre was a contemporary of Emma Goldman, with whom she maintained a relationship of respectful disagreement on many issues. Many of de Cleyre’s essays were collected in the Selected Works of Voltairine de Cleyre, published posthumously by Goldman’s magazine Mother Earth in 1914.
FYI
The Passive Voice, From The Economist: Britain used to treat her dead soldiers with disdain. One man changed that.
By Josh Jones, Open Culture: How Martin Luther King, Jr. Wrote His Momentous “I Have a Dream” Speech (1963)
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By Ernie Smith, Tedium: Tuned Out Why children’s radio—a format once important enough that Disney undermined a competitor to dominate the radio dial—has largely disappeared from the airwaves.
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Recipes
Julia from The Yummy Bowl: Party Dips you can make already today!
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- 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
- 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
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- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 15 January 15, 2025Picture of the day Cluster of Breath roots (pneumatophores) of a Taxodium distichum at the water's edge. Focus stack of 4 photos.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 14 January 14, 2025Picture of the day Mute swan (Cygnus olor) at Lake Geneva during the golden hour of sunset
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