On This Day
1759 – The British Museum opens.
The British Museum, located in the Bloomsbury area of London, in the United Kingdom, is a public institution dedicated to human history, art and culture. Its permanent collection numbers some 8 million works,[3] and is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence[3] having been widely sourced during the era of the British Empire, and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.[a] It is the first national public museum in the world.[4]
The British Museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the Irish physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane.[5] It first opened to the public on 15 January 1759, in Montagu House, on the site of the current building. Its expansion over the following two and a half centuries was largely a result of expanding British colonisation and has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions, the first being the British Museum (Natural History) – now the Natural History Museum – in 1881.
In 1973, the British Library Act 1972 detached the library department from the British Museum, but it continued to host the now separated British Library in the same Reading Room and building as the museum until 1997. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and as with all other national museums in the United Kingdom it charges no admission fee, except for loan exhibitions.[6]
Its ownership of some of its most famous objects originating in other countries is disputed and remains the subject of international controversy, most notably in the case of the Parthenon Marbles.[7]
Born On This Day
1803 – Marjorie Fleming, Scottish poet and author (d. 1811)
Marjorie Fleming (also spelt Marjory; 15 January 1803 – 19 December 1811) was a Scottish child writer and poet. She was appreciated by Robert Louis Stevenson, Leslie Stephen, and possibly Walter Scott.
FYI
By Maiysha Kai: Broadway Legend Carol Channing Dies at 97, ‘Proud as Can Be’ of Her Black Heritage
Carol Elaine Channing (January 31, 1921 – January 15, 2019) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian. Known for starring in Broadway and film musicals, her characters typically radiated a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, whether singing or for comedic effect. Channing also studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.
She began as a Broadway musical actress, starring in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949 and Hello, Dolly! in 1964, when she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She revived both roles several times throughout her career, most recently playing Dolly in 1995. Channing was nominated for her first Tony Award in 1956 for The Vamp followed by a nomination in 1961 for Show Girl. She received her fourth Tony Award nomination for the musical Lorelei in 1974.
As a film actress, she won the Golden Globe Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). Her other film appearances include The First Traveling Saleslady (1956) and Skidoo (1968). On television, she appeared as an entertainer on variety shows, from The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s to Hollywood Squares. She had a standout performance as The White Queen in the TV production of Alice in Wonderland (1985), and had the first of many TV specials in 1966, An Evening with Carol Channing.[2]
Channing was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981 and received a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1995. She continued to perform and make appearances well into her 90s, singing songs from her repertoire and sharing stories with fans, cabaret style. She released an autobiography, Just Lucky I Guess, in 2002, and Larger Than Life, a documentary film about her career, was released in 2012.[3]
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By Ashley: Trucker says he’ll ‘never talk smack’ again after loaded semi saved by a pickup
By Elizabeth Werth: Denise Mueller-Korenek Hits 184 MPH on a Bicycle and Sets New Land Speed Record
By Elizabeth Werth: What Unique Feature Do You Look for When Buying a Car?
By Raphael Orlove: This Car Is S O L O U D
Fun comments~
By Ryan F. Mandelbaum: Potatoes Have a Form of ‘Depression,’ but Scientists Have an Idea to Cure Them
By Clayton Purdom: Here come the nightmare eels, swarming a wet pizza like worms into a corpse
By Tom McKay: If You’re Missing a Colossal Disk of Ice, This City in Maine Definitely Found It
Gary Price: Open, Public, Electronic and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act Signed Into Law
Tonight [Jan. 14, 2019], President Trump signed into law the Open, Public, Electronic and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act. The bill requires federal agencies to publish government data in machine-readable and open formats, and to use open licenses.
By Melissa Horwitz Google for Education: Google for Education Certified Innovator in 2019
The Google for Education Certified Innovator Program supports educators in developing new projects for their classrooms and school districts. Members participate in a year-long mentorship program that begins with workshops called Innovator Academies where teachers, coaches and Google experts learn from each other. Today, applications for the 2019 Innovator Academies are open.
We’re sharing a few of the projects that have been started at past Innovator Academies—plus, alumni tips for educators who might want to develop their own.
Noise pollution? Sand, temperatures, etc. are not going to damage the gear?
By Joshua Bote: It’s Waiting There For You: Toto’s ‘Africa’ Is Playing On Repeat In A Desert
By Ryan Browne: China sprouts plants on the moon for the first time ever
By Padraig Belton: The former homeless man bringing web access to the Bronx
By Lacy Caruthers Director, Google.org: Introducing the Google.org Fellowship
Samantha Ainsley usually spends her days as a software engineer and technical lead for Google Cloud Platform, but for six months last year, she applied her skills to a different cause: stopping human trafficking. Samantha, along with four other Googlers, were part of a pilot that allowed them to step away from their jobs and dedicate their time to helping Thorn, a Google.org grantee that builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse. The goal of the pilot was to test what happens when we combine Google.org funding with full-time support from Googlers with experience in AI, machine learning and other technical skills. The Fellows and Thorn built tools to find patterns in data that law enforcement can use to identify and find child victims faster.
By Caitlin O’Kane: Baby gets first hearing aids, giggles uncontrollably at sound of big sister’s voice
By Heather Chapman: More women lead cattle ranches as men leave family farms
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for October 13 October 13, 2024Picture of the day In 1909, US Navy engineer Robert Peary completed an expedition that he claimed was to the North Pole. Although this is heavily disputed by modern historians, he was credited for the achievement at the time.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for October 12 October 12, 2024Picture of the day View of the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida with the walkway called "Passarela da Fé", connecting the old and the new church, in the foreground. Today is the feast of Our Lady of Aparecida and public holiday in Brazil.
Recipes
Cari at Everything Pretty: 55 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes
By vmarquez: Mexican Conchas
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