The 13th Airborne Division was a U.S. Army airborne formation in World
War II. Although it was active between August 1943 and February 1946,
it never saw combat. The division's training was disrupted by providing
reinforcements for the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and by a lack
of transport aircraft for training exercises, as divisions in combat had
priority for their use. The division was combat-ready by January 1945
and was transferred to France, but arrived too late to participate in
Operation Market Garden, the third major airborne operation conducted by
the Allies. The division was selected for Operation Varsity, supporting
21st Army Group crossing the River Rhine, but there were insufficient
transport aircraft to carry it into combat. Several other operations
were planned for the division, but these were cancelled because of the
rapid advance of Allied ground forces. After the end of the conflict in
Europe, it was shipped home before the planned invasion of Japan, but
the conflict in the Far East ended before it was required. After
deactivation of the division, combat personnel transferred to the
82nd Airborne Division.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_Airborne_Division_(United_States)>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1805:
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the longest and highest aqueduct in
Great Britain, opened.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontcysyllte_Aqueduct>
1922:
Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon became the first people to
enter the tomb (burial chamber pictured) of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in over
3,000 years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KV62>
1950:
Korean War: With the battles of Chosin Reservoir and the
Ch'ongch'on River, China launched a massive counterattack against United
Nations forces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ch%27ongch%27on_River>
1983:
Six robbers broke into the Brink's-MAT warehouse at London
Heathrow Airport and stole three tonnes (6,612 lb) of gold bullion,
much of which has never been recovered.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brink%27s-MAT_robbery>
2008:
A coordinated group of shooting and bombing attacks across
Mumbai began, ultimately killing a total of 173 people and wounding more
than 300 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mumbai_attacks>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
unearthly:
1. Not of the earth; non-terrestrial.
2. Preternatural or supernatural.
3. Strange, enigmatic, or mysterious.
4. Ideal beyond the mundane.
5. Ridiculous, ludicrous, or outrageous.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unearthly>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Why do people always expect authors to answer questions? I am an
author because I want to ask questions. If I had answers, I'd be a
politician.
--Eugène Ionesco
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Ionesco>