The Rodrigues night heron is an extinct species of heron that was
endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues. It was first mentioned in
two accounts, from around 1692 and around 1725, which were correlated
with subfossil remains found and described in the latter part of the
19th century. The Rodrigues night heron was robust, its bill was large,
stout, and straight, and its legs were short and strong. It is estimated
to have been 60 cm (24 in) long, and its appearance in life is
uncertain. Little is known about its behaviour, but the contemporary
accounts indicate that it ate lizards, was adapted to running, and was
able to fly but rarely did so. Examinations of the known remains have
confirmed its terrestrial adaptations; one researcher thought the
species flightless but this idea has not been accepted by others. The
species could not be found by 1763, and it is thought to have been
driven to extinction by human-related factors such as the introduction
of cats.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigues_night_heron>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1863:
American Civil War: A Union brigade defeated a Confederate
force at the Battle of Droop Mountain in Pocahontas County, West
Virginia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Droop_Mountain>
1917:
First World War: Canadian forces captured Passendale, Belgium,
after three months of fighting against the Germans at the Battle of
Passchendaele.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Passchendaele>
1963:
Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ was appointed by the junta of General
Dương Văn Minh to head the South Vietnamese government, five days
after Minh deposed and assassinated President Ngô Đình Diệm.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_Ng%E1%BB%8Dc_Th%C6%A1>
2012:
Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay politician to be
elected to the United States Senate.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammy_Baldwin>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
cronyism:
1. (originally US, derogatory) Favouritism to friends without regard for
their qualifications; especially (politics), in their appointment to
political positions.
2. (archaic) The condition of being friends; friendship; also, the
ability or inclination to make friends.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cronyism>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
As we speak, the world feels more unstable and more dangerous
than it has in a very long time. Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine
continues to challenge the international order. This summer delivered
record breaking temperatures across the planet, with an uptick in
drought and flooding and wildfires. Right here in America, but also
around the world, we’ve seen a continued assault on democratic norms,
escalating political polarization, a lot of it fueled by a steady stream
of misinformation, and bile on social media. And of course, over the
last few weeks, we have watched a deadly struggle unfold in the Middle
East, triggered by the horrific murder of more than 1,400 mostly
civilian Israelis, many of them children, at the hands of Hamas, as well
as the abduction of over 200 hostages; and then an Israeli response that
has so far resulted in the displacement of well over a million people,
the death of at least 9,000 Palestinian civilians, thousands of them
also children, the cutoff of water, food, electricity to a captive
population that risks creating an even greater humanitarian crisis. And
all of this is taking place against the backdrop of decades of failure
to achieve a durable peace for both Israelis and Palestinians, one that
is based on genuine security for Israel, a recognition of its right to
exist, and a peace that is based on an end of the occupation and the
creation of a viable state and self-determination for the Palestinian
people. I will admit it is impossible to be dispassionate in the face
of this carnage. It is hard to feel hopeful. The images of families
mourning, of bodies being pulled from rubble force a moral reckoning on
all of us. … And yet, as heartbreaking as the news is right now —
and it is heartbreaking — as daunting as all the challenges that we
face may be, I stand here convinced that it is within our power, or more
specifically within your power to make this world better.
--Barack Obama
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barack_Obama>