On This Day
1362 – Kaunas Castle falls to the Teutonic Order after a month-long siege.
The siege of Kaunas was laid by the Teutonic Order on the newly built Kaunas Castle in spring 1362. It was the first brick castle built by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After a month-long siege, the castle was captured and destroyed. Its commander Vaidotas, son of Kęstutis, and 36 others were taken captive. The defeat, followed by the destruction of Veliuona and Pieštvė the following year, severely weakened Lithuanian defenses along the Neman River and opened central Lithuania to Teutonic attacks.
Born On This Day
1455 – Andrea Gritti, Doge of Venice (d. 1538)[10]
Andrea Gritti (17 April 1455 – 28 December 1538) was the Doge of the Venetian Republic from 1523 to 1538, following a distinguished diplomatic and military career. He started out as a successful merchant in Constantinople and transitioned into the position of Bailo, a diplomatic role. He was arrested for espionage but was spared execution thanks to his good relationship with the Ottoman vizier. After being freed from imprisonment, he returned to Venice and began his political career. When the War of the League of Cambrai broke out, despite his lack of experience, he was given a leadership role in the Venetian military, where he excelled. After the war, he was elected doge, and he held that post until his death.
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
James Clear: 3-2-1: Two steps for better results, the qualities of a great career, and how to handle good luck
James Clear: 3-2-1: On the joy of losing, how to set expectations with others, and notes to myself
Eat Your Words from Edible Alaska #92: Berry Futures
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Hey there,
Yesterday, artist and weaver Lily Hope quoted her friend Scott Burton as having said something like, “You’ll almost never get back from a walk saying, ‘I wish I hadn’t done that!”’ We tend to agree, and it’s because of a few inclement walks lately that we have had an eye level view of changes afoot in the brown-scale world that has surrounded us this early spring. Not quite green-up, but joyful in its own way… these tiny bursts of color have us feeling something that, even in these times, amounts to optimism. Yup. The berry bushes are beginning to bloom in at least some parts of Southeast and maritime Southcentral. Little previews of spring-to-come feel a bit like hearing your best friend is going to visit in a few months. Something to anticipate.
David Sherry: Morning Coffee: 3 Mindsets for Creating More Value
Shawn Ryan Show: Lee Strobel & John Burke – The Resurrection | SRS #192
Ideas
By travisderose: Pee-wee Herman Bike
Recipes
By In The Kitchen With Matt: Air Fryer Potato Chips
By In The Kitchen With Matt: Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs
By half-n-half: German Chocolate Cheesecake Made in an Instant-Pot
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
- Spinach French Onion Cob Dip – Australia’s favourite dip! June 19, 2026Meet Australia’s favourite dip!!! This Spinach French Onion Cob Dip is made using a French Onion Soup mix and is served in a cob bread loaf. It is unapologetically retro, gloriously unfashionable, breaks every real-food rule I preach, and is completely addictive!! Spinach French Onion Cob Dip This dip has been a fixture at Australian... […]Nagi
- 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
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 22 June 22, 2026Picture of the day Chrysomma sinense (Yellow-eyed Babbler) in Bhigwan, Maharashtra, India.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 21 June 21, 2026Picture of the day Bags of organic fertiliser adorn newly-planted fields against a backdrop of the Western Catchment in the Nilgiri mountains. Tamil Nadu, India
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?