On This Day
1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Catholic Church. He is best known for initiating the Crusades.[2]
The 1088 papal election subsequent to the death of Pope Victor III in 1087 was held on 12 March 1088. Six cardinal-bishops, assisted by two lower-ranking cardinals, elected Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia Odon de Lagery as the new Pope. He assumed the name Urban II.
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1323 – Siege of Warangal: Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq sends an expeditionary army led by his son, Muhammad bin Tughluq, to the Kakatiya capital Warangal – after ruler Prataparudra has refused to make tribute payments. He besieges the city and finally, after a campaign of 8 months, Prataparudra surrenders on November 9.[4]
In 1323, the Delhi Sultanate ruler Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq sent an army led by his son Ulugh Khan (later Muhammad bin Tughluq) to the Kakatiya capital Warangal, after the Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra refused to make tribute payments. Ulugh Khan’s first siege of Warangal failed because of a rebellion resulting from a false rumour about Ghiyath al-Din’s death in Delhi. Ulugh Khan had to retreat to Devagiri, but he returned to Warangal within four months, this time with reinforcements from Delhi. Prataparudra was defeated and taken captive, resulting in the end of the Kakatiya dynasty.
1647 – Thirty Years’ War: Bavaria, Cologne, France and Sweden sign the Truce of Ulm.[3]
The Truce of Ulm (German: Waffenstillstand von Ulm) (also known as the Treaty of Ulm) was signed in Ulm on 14 March 1647 between France, Sweden, and Bavaria. This truce was developed after France and Sweden invaded Bavaria during the Thirty Years’ War. Both invading nations forced Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, to conclude the truce and renounce his alliance with Emperor Ferdinand III. However, Maximilian broke the truce on 14 September and returned to his alliance with Ferdinand. [1] [2]
Born On This Day
1607 – Paul Gerhardt, German poet and composer (d. 1676)[39]
Paulus or Paul Gerhardt (12 March 1607 – 27 May 1676) was a German theologian, Lutheran minister and hymnodist.
1593 – Georges de La Tour, French painter (probable;[49] d. 1652)
Georges de La Tour (13 March 1593 – 30 January 1652) was a French Baroque painter, who spent most of his working life in the Duchy of Lorraine, which was temporarily absorbed into France between 1641 and 1648. He painted mostly religious chiaroscuro scenes lit by candlelight.
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1737 – Ioan Nicolidi of Pindus, Aromanian physician and noble (d. 1828)[43]
Ioan Nicolidi of Pindus (14 March 1737 – 12 October 1828; Aromanian: Ioan Nicolidi di Pind; German: Johann Nicolides von Pindo; Greek: Ιωάννης Νικολίδης Πίνδος, romanized: Ioannis Nikolidis Pindos) was an Aromanian physician and noble. Born in Gramos (Aromanian: Gramosta), he migrated to Siatista and then to Vienna to complete his studies in medicine. He gained great popularity as a physician in Vienna, being awarded the nobiliary particle von Pindo (“of Pindus”) for his services.
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: On the secret to youth, how to achieve what you want, and the challenge of being yourself
Caitlin & Andromeda from Present Tense: New reading list, let’s talk writing groups, and Happy 100th to Us! In which we pat our backs and scratch yours with some recs and tips—hopefully!
NPR: This Women’s History Month, readers tell NPR about the women who changed their lives
Story by Alana Francis-Crow: One-Of-A-Kind Orange Snowy Owl Leaves Scientists Scratching Their Heads
Car camping and displaying vans…
By Iona Brannon, CN Traveler: The Ultimate Guide to Car Camping We asked experts where to stay, what to pack, and how to organize your gear.
Bongino Report: Dan Bongino’s Last Interview (Ep.160)
Cleared Hot Podcast: Full Auto Friday – With Leah Stumpf
Emergence Magazine: The Nightingale’s Song – Official Trailer
Eric Whitacre: Deep Field: The Impossible Magnitude of our Universe
Jack CarrUSA: John L. Plaster, MACV-SOG: THE SECRET WAR
Jocko Podcast: SOGCast 036: Barry Pencek “Scarface” Story on Historic SOG Operation Tailwind Mission
Cleared Hot Podcast: Full Auto Friday – With Leah Stumpf
Recipes
Taste of Home: Doritos Chicken Casserole
The kitchn: 7 Dolly Parton Recipes We Can’t Live Without
By Betty Crocker Kitchens: Mexican Night Done Lighter & Brighter
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 23 June 23, 2026Picture of the day As the sun fades away you get to see a real beauty, you get to see some gazelles, you can't actually see any details but their silhouettes glazing within the sun rays
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 22 June 22, 2026Picture of the day Chrysomma sinense (Yellow-eyed Babbler) in Bhigwan, Maharashtra, India.
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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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