In the Know #20

January 24, 2008


Dictionary.com's Word of the Day

nolens volens \NO-lenz-VO-lenz\:
Whether unwilling or willing.


In the news:

- A border wall between Egypt and the Gaza Strip was partially destroyed allowing Palestinians to enter Egypt.

- Iraq removes three stars that referenced Sadaam Hussein's Baath Party from the Iraqi flag (new flag pictured).


Today in History, according to Wikipedia:

41 - Gaius Caesar, a.k.a. Caligula, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guard

1848 - James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter's Mill, sparking the California gold rush.

1918 - Russia finally adopts the Gregorian calendar, stating that the day after January 31st would be February 14th to correct the date.

2003 - The United States Department of Homeland Security (seal pictured) officially begins operating.


Today's Famous Births:

76 - Hadrian, Roman emperor

1705 - Carlo Broschi, a.k.a. Farinelli, Italian castrato

1862 - Edith Wharton, American writer, Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence

1917 - Ernest Borgnine (pictured), American actor

1918 - Oral Roberts, American evangelist

1939 - Ray Stevens, American musician

1941 - Neil Diamond, American musician

1941 - Aaron Neville, American singer

1949 - John Belushi, American actor

1968 - Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast


Trivia
Today's Category - Apartheid

~ The National Party enforced racial segregation in South Africa.

~ Apartheid lasted from 1948 to 1994.

~ In 1973, an International Convention of the United Nations General Assembly ruled that the system of apartheid amounted to a crime against humanity.

~ Apartheid strove to divide the country into sections that would aid in total physical segregation of races.

~ Anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his fight against apartheid.

~ Mandela became an instrument of reconciliation after the fall of apartheid and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.


I always wondered...
...how Communism works...

It doesn't...

[All references from Wikipedia.org unless otherwise noted]