On This Day
1311 – The Council of Vienne convenes for the first time.[3]
The Council of Vienne was the fifteenth ecumenical council of the Catholic Church and met between 1311 and 1312 in Vienne, France. One of its principal acts was to withdraw papal support for the Knights Templar at the instigation of Philip IV of France. The Council, unable to decide on a course of action, tabled the discussion. In March 1312 Philip arrived and pressured the Council and Clement to act. Clement passed papal bulls dissolving the Templar Order, confiscating their lands, and labeling them heretics.
Read more ->
690 – Empress Wu Zetian establishes the Zhou Dynasty of China.[1]
Zhou, known in historiography as the Wu Zhou (Chinese: 武周), was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty that existed between 690 and 705. The dynasty consisted of the reign of one empress regnant, Wu Zhao (Wu Zetian), who usurped the throne of her son, the Emperor Ruizong of Tang, in 690. The dynasty lasted until another one of Wu Zhao’s sons, the Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, was restored to the throne in the Shenlong Coup in 705, marking the restoration of the Tang dynasty. Historians generally regard the Wu Zhou as an interregnum of the Tang dynasty.
320 – Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philosopher, observes an eclipse of the Sun and writes a commentary on The Great Astronomer (Almagest).
Pappus of Alexandria (/ˈpæpəs/; Greek: Πάππος ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς; c. 290 – c. 350 AD) was a Greek mathematician of late antiquity known for his Synagoge (Συναγωγή) or Collection (c. 340),[1] and for Pappus’s hexagon theorem in projective geometry. Almost nothing is known about his life except for what can be found in his own writings, many of which are lost. Pappus apparently lived in Alexandria, where he worked as a mathematics teacher to higher level students, one of whom was named Hermodorus.[2]
1386 – The Universität Heidelberg holds its first lecture, making it the oldest German university.
Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (German: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; Latin: Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis), is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386 on instruction of Pope Urban VI, Heidelberg is Germany’s oldest university and one of the world’s oldest surviving universities; it was the third university established in the Holy Roman Empire after Prague (1347) and Vienna (1365). Since 1899, it has been a coeducational institution.
1572 – Eighty Years’ War: Three thousand Spanish soldiers wade through fifteen miles of water in one night to effect the relief of Goes.[2]
In August 1572, during the course of the Eighty Years’ War, the city of Goes, in the Spanish Netherlands, was besieged by Dutch forces with the support of English troops sent by Queen Elizabeth I. This was a menace to the safety of the nearby city of Middelburg, also under siege. Given the impossibility of rescue of Goes by sea, 3,000 soldiers of the Spanish Tercios under the command of Cristóbal de Mondragón waded across the river Scheldt at its mouth, walking 15 miles overnight in water up to chest deep. The surprise arrival of the Tercios forced the withdrawal of the Anglo-Dutch troops from Goes, allowing the Spanish to maintain control of Middelburg, capital of Walcheren Island.
1520 – João Álvares Fagundes discovers the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, bestowing them their original name of “Islands of the 11,000 Virgins”.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (/ˈmɪkəlɒn/),[4] officially the Overseas Collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (French: Collectivité d’outre-mer de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon [sɛ̃ pjɛʁ e miklɔ̃] ⓘ), is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, located near the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.[5][6] An archipelago of eight islands, St. Pierre and Miquelon is a vestige of the once-vast territory of New France.[5] Its residents are French citizens. The collectivity elects its own deputy to the National Assembly and participates in senatorial and presidential elections. It covers 242 km2 (93 sq mi) of land and had a population of 6,008 as of the March 2016 census.[2]
1383 – The male line of the Portuguese House of Burgundy becomes extinct with the death of King Fernando, leaving only his daughter Beatrice. Rival claimants begin a period of civil war and disorder.[4]
The 1383–1385 Portuguese interregnum was a war of succession in Portuguese history during which no crowned king of Portugal reigned. The interregnum began when King Ferdinand I died without a male heir and ended when King John I was crowned in 1385 after his victory during the Battle of Aljubarrota.
Read more ->
Born On This Day
1430 – James II of Scotland (d. 1460)
James II (16 October 1430 – 3 August 1460) was King of Scots from 1437 until his death in 1460. The eldest surviving son of James I of Scotland, he succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of six, following the assassination of his father. The first Scottish monarch not to be crowned at Scone, James II’s coronation took place at Holyrood Abbey in March 1437. After a reign characterised by struggles to maintain control of his kingdom, he was killed by an exploding cannon at Roxburgh Castle in 1460.
Read more ->
1493 – Bartolommeo Bandinelli, Italian sculptor (d. 1560)
Baccio Bandinelli (also called Bartolomeo Brandini; 12 November 1493 – shortly before 7 February 1560[1]), was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, draughtsman, and painter.[2]
1405 – Pope Pius II (d. 1464)[15]
Pope Pius II (Latin: Pius PP. II, Italian: Pio II), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (Latin: Aeneas Silvius Bartholomeus; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August 1458 to his death.
1433 – Marsilio Ficino, Italian astrologer and philosopher (d. 1499)
Marsilio T. Ficino (Italian: [marˈsiːljo fiˈtʃiːno]; Latin name: Marsilius Ficinus; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was an astrologer, a reviver of Neoplatonism in touch with the major academics of his day, and the first translator of Plato’s complete extant works into Latin.[2] His Florentine Academy, an attempt to revive Plato’s Academy, influenced the direction and tenor of the Italian Renaissance and the development of European philosophy.
Read more ->
1496 – Claude, Duke of Guise (d. 1550)[15]
Claude de Lorraine, Duke of Guise (20 October 1496 – 12 April 1550) was a French aristocrat and general. He became the first Duke of Guise in 1528.
He was a highly effective general for the French crown. His children and grandchildren were to lead the Catholic party in the French Wars of Religion.
1527 – Louis I, Cardinal of Guise (d. 1578)
Louis de Lorraine, cardinal de Guise et prince-évêque de Metz (21 October 1527, in Joinville, Champagne – 29 March 1578, in Paris) was a French Roman Catholic cardinal and Bishop during the Italian Wars and French Wars of Religion. The third son of Claude, Duke of Guise and Antoinette de Bourbon he was destined from a young age for a church career. At the age of 18 he was appointed Bishop of Troyes, a position he could only serve in an administrative capacity as he would not reach the Canonical Age for another 9 years. Having served in this position for 5 years, he transferred to become Bishop of Albi, staying in this role until 1561, when he was replaced due to his lethargic suppression of ‘heresy’. From here he moved to become Archbishop of Sens, a see he would hold from 1561 to 1562, during which time a massacre of Protestants would occur in the city. By 1562 he decided to retire from active episcopal involvement. Nevertheless, he would become Prince-Bishop of Metz in 1568, an office he would hold until his death a decade later. While he lacked much interest in spiritual matters and was renowned for his drinking, he built up a considerable empire of abbeys during his life, which he passed on to his nephew Claude, chevalier d’Aumale.
1197 – Juntoku, Japanese emperor (d. 1242)
Emperor Juntoku (順徳天皇, Juntoku-tennō) (October 22, 1197 – October 7, 1242) was the 84th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1210 through 1221.[1]
Read more ->
FYI
NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day
EarthSky News
This Day in Tech History
This Day In History
Interesting Facts
Word Genius: Word of the Day
Wise Trivia
Mitzi Gaynor (born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber; September 4, 1931 – October 17, 2024) was an American actress, singer and dancer. Her notable films included We’re Not Married! (1952), There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), The Birds and the Bees (1956), and South Pacific (1958) – for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical at the 1959 awards.
Gaynor was one of the last surviving actors of the “Golden Age” of the Hollywood Musical.[1]
Learn more ->
Just think about how lucky I am. I’ve never had to work with a stinker.
Mitzi Gaynor,
actor
1931-2024
Mia McPherson’s On The Wing Photography: Fall Red-breasted Nuthatch Images From Arkansas
Cleared Hot Podcast: Nelson Grant – Motorcycle injuries and Business Plans
Cleared Hot Podcast: Are We Doomed?
Ideas
mcorbin: Halloween Garage Door Silhouette
By chainie: “Discover” a New Mushroom Species
Recipes
By Federica: Edible Intestines
Kickass Baker: Foolproof Soft & Buttery One-Hour Dinner Rolls
By Yumchief: Korean Egg Drop Sandwich
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
- SHEER JOY: 72 hours of a book release! October 18, 2024Coming to you live from the midst of the craziness that is a book release week! Just one word that captures the essence of this week: JOY. ❤️ (Also – busy 😅) Wow, what a week!! We are 3 days into the release of my new cookbook Tonight and it’s been a whirlwind. As someone... […]Nagi
- 5 Minute Fall-apart Massaman Lamb Shoulder October 11, 2024This is a recipe for a succulent fall-apart tender lamb shoulder that is slow cooked in a rich massaman curry sauce, presented in a grand roast lamb centrepiece form. My current most-made lamb shoulder recipe. Got 5 minutes to make it? 🙂 5 Minute Fall-apart Massaman Lamb Shoulder This recipe is going to save you... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for October 22 October 22, 2024Picture of the day The picturesque Manarola village is one of 5 villages in the Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy. The village is situated in a sheltered cove in the rugged coastline. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for October 21 October 21, 2024Picture of the day Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus), female with her young. In Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. This is a subspecies of the Asian elephant.
E-book Deals:
The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!
Mystery & Thriller Most Wanted
Book Blogs & Websites:
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?