Thoughts for the Day

Today in History (February 19th):

1473: Birthdays: Nicolaus Copernicus, the father of modern astronomy, was born in Torun, a city in north-central Poland.

1717: Birthdays: British actor David Garrick.

1807: Aaron Burr, a former U.S. vice president, was arrested in Alabama on charges of plotting to annex Spanish territory in Louisiana and Mexico to be used toward the establishment of an independent republic.

1876: Birthdays: Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi.

1878: Thomas Edison patented the first gramophone.

1911: Birthdays: Actor Merle Oberon.

1915: The Battle of Gallipoli began.

1916: Birthdays: Jockey Eddie Arcaro.

1917: Birthdays: Novelist Carson McCullers.

1922: Vaudeville star Ed Wynn became the first big name in show business to sign for a regular radio show.

1924: Birthdays: Actor Lee Marvin.

1930: Birthdays: Television and movie director John Frankenheimer.

1940: Birthdays: Singer William Smokey Robinson, an inductee at the rock ‘n roll Hall of Fame.

1942: As a security measure during World War II, the U.S. government began relocating Japanese-Americans living in coastal Pacific areas to internment camps in remote areas of several states. They were allowed to return to their homes in January 1945.

1943: Birthdays: Singer Lou Christie.

1945: U.S. Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima, opening one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific during World War II.

1952: Birthdays: Author Amy Tan.

1953: Birthdays: Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

1955: Birthdays: Actor Jeff Daniels.

1960: Birthdays: Britain’s Prince Andrew.

1963: Birthdays: Singer Seal.

1966: Birthdays: Actor Justine Bateman.

1967: Birthdays: Actor Benicio Del Toro.

1986: The U.S. Senate endorsed the U.N. convention against genocide, 37 years after U.S. President Harry Truman first sought approval of the accord. The Soviet Union launched the Mir space station. It was occupied for 10 of its 15 years in orbit.

1997: China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping died at age 92.

2003: All 289 people aboard an Iranian military transport plane were killed when it crashed in a mountainous region of southeastern Iran.

2005: U.S. Roman Catholic officials said they received 1,092 charges of clergy sex abuse, most involving boys.

2007: European environment ministers called or a 20 percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions by EU member states by 2020.

2008: Cuban President Fidel Castro, 81, who temporarily handed power to his brother Raul in July 2006, when he fell ill, stepped down permanently after 49 years in power. Raul, 76, formally succeeded him as chief of state, promising few changes in governing of the Communist island nation.

2009: Mexican President Felipe Calderon says the military will help fight drug cartels until police are retrained to do the job. More than 6,000 people died in drug-related violence in 2008.
Where there are people who are unaware that what all disorders a person could face on the other hand there are men who are infertile are motivated to consume various supplements that contain vitamin C and vitamin E, zinc, ginseng, amino acid, and selenium in higher quantity. cialis 40 mg As science and technology develops, the unnatural tendencies also noticed to happen in more frequency. buy super cialis This article aims to provide an explanation of the various drugs and sildenafil india wholesale is a child?s play in these online pharmacies. Get More Information best prices cialis Prescription ED medicine:Names mentioned above are prescription ED medicines.
2010: U.S. President Barack Obama announced a $1.3 billion funding program to help families in states hardest hit by the plunging housing market. Tiger Woods accepted responsibility for his reckless actions, apologizing to a global audience and telling the media to leave his family alone. Admitting his infidelity, he said, I am the only person to blame.

2011: A U.S. intelligence report said Iran had resumed research on development of a nuclear bomb.

2012: 44 inmates died and 30 escaped during a prison riot in northern Mexico, reportedly fueled by a fierce rivalry between drug cartels. Iran halted crude oil exports to British and French companies, following up on a threat to cut oil supplies to some EU countries in retaliation for imposed sanctions.



Quotes

“Every charitable act is a stepping stone toward heaven.” – Henry Ward Beecher



Carson McCullers (1917-1967) American novelist:

“I live with the people I create and it has always made my essential loneliness less keen.”

“The mind is like a richly woven tapestry in which the colors are distilled from the experiences of the senses, and the design drawn from the convolutions of the intellect.”

“The theme is the theme of humiliation, which is the square root of sin, as opposed to the freedom from humiliation, and love, which is the square root of wonderful.”

“There’s nothing that makes you so aware of the improvisation of human existence as a song unfinished. Or an old address book.”



collyrium

PRONUNCIATION: (kuh-LIR-ee-ehm)

MEANING: (noun), plural collyriums or collyria – A medicinal lotion applied to the eye; eyewash.

ETYMOLOGY: Latin, from Greek kollurion, eye salve, poultice, diminutive of kollura, roll of bread.

USAGE: “After accidently splashing his eyes with a virulent chemical, Albert found it necessary to apply a collyrium four times each day lest he lose his eyesight.”



Freudian slip

PRONUNCIATION: (FROI-dee-uhn slip)
http://wordsmith.org/words/freudian_slip.mp3

MEANING: (noun), An error that reveals someone’s subconscious mind. For example, “I wish you were her” instead of “I wish you were here.”

ETYMOLOGY: After Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis, who proposed the idea that errors in speech, writing, etc. reveal what is in one’s subconscious mind. Earliest documented use: 1959.

USAGE: “The Freudian slip is invoked to explain some strange and embarrassing behavior. ‘Nice to beat you,’ smiles a woman when she meets the ex-girlfriend of her husband.” – Jena Pincott; Terrorized by the Tongue; Psychology Today (New York); Mar/Apr 2012.

Explore “freudian slip” in the Visual Thesaurus.
http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=freudian+slip



truce

PRONUNCIATION: (troos)
http://wordsmith.org/words/truce.mp3

MEANING: (noun)
1. A suspension of hostilities by mutual agreement; armistice; cease-fire.
2. A temporary respite from something unpleasant.

ETYMOLOGY: Respelling of trewes, plural of Middle English trewe (agreement, pledge), from Old English treow (belief, trust). Ultimately from the Indo-European root deru-/dreu- (to be firm), which is also the source of truth, trust, betroth, tree, endure, and druid. Earliest documented use: around 1330.

USAGE: “The government has instigated a policy of peace talks and truces, although a number of rebel groups remain in conflict.” – Hundreds of India Separatists Lay Down Arms; BBC News (London, UK); Jan 24, 2012.

Explore “truce” in the Visual Thesaurus.
http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=truce


This entry was posted in Quotes, Thoughts for the Day, Vocabulary and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.