From today's featured article
Around June 1447, John Greenwell was poisoned by a monk, William Downom. The abbot of Fountains Abbey (ruins pictured), Greenwell led the richest abbey in England; his office made him an important figure in Yorkshire. The first half of the century saw the abbey wracked with internal strife, including a disputed election which had violent repercussions as well as, possibly, embezzlement. Greenwell appears to have brought a degree of peace to the abbey upon his election, but he does not seem to have been popular. Downom poisoned a dish of pottage, which he attempted to feed to Greenwell while he was sick. He survived the poisoning, and the case became notorious. Although it took over a year and discussions with Fountains' motherhouse of Cîteaux Abbey, Downom was eventually expelled. Greenwell remained controversial and was both accused and accuser in local lawsuits, and incurred the distrust of King Edward IV for his political leanings. ( Full article... )
Did you know ...
- ... that Traum von Monte Carlo (pictured) depicts a casino transformed into an allegorical vision of destruction and moral decay?
- ... that Waverly W. Wray was a quarter-inch from death?
- ... that a senator once brought fake dynamite into an Australian budget estimates hearing to make a point about parliamentary security arrangements?
- ... that Charlie Mitchell 's path to Michelin-starred kitchens started in the valet lot?
- ... that 70 high-ranking party officials were disciplined under the 12th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam ?
- ... that Jan Świerc and eight other Catholic priests murdered at Auschwitz and Dachau were recognized as martyrs by Pope Leo XIV?
- ... that the 2001 Biggin Hill Airshow featured two separate fatal aircraft crashes ?
- ... that gynecologist James Findley Nolan delivered babies and, on one occasion, an atomic bomb?
- ... that scientists at the University of Chicago achieved a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction under the stands of a football stadium?
In the news
- Fatafehi Fakafānua (pictured) is elected prime minister by the Legislative Assembly of Tonga.
- Filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, are found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home.
- José Antonio Kast is elected president of Chile.
- Sixteen people, including a gunman, are killed in a mass shooting attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
On this day
December 17 : International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
- 1790 – The Aztec sun stone (pictured), now a modern symbol of Mexican culture, was excavated in the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City.
- 1862 – American Civil War: Union General Ulysses S. Grant issued General Order No. 11 , expelling Jews from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
- 1939 – World War II: After sustaining moderate damage in the Battle of the River Plate two days earlier, the German cruiser Graf Spee was scuttled by its commander, Hans Langsdorff, to avoid its internment by Uruguay.
- 1945 – The modern flag of Kurdistan was raised for the first time in Mahabad, Iran.
- 1990 – American gay rights activist William E. Woods brought three same-sex couples to fill out marriage licenses in Honolulu, leading to the eventual legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.
- Domenico Cimarosa (b. 1749)
- James White (d. 1825)
- Kenneth E. Iverson (b. 1920)
- Milla Jovovich (b. 1975)
Today's featured picture
 | Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire and span the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic era. His early period, during which he forged his craft, is typically considered to have lasted until 1802. From 1802 to around 1812, his middle period showed an individual development from the styles of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and is sometimes characterised as heroic. During this time, Beethoven began to grow increasingly deaf. In his late period, from 1812 to 1827, he extended his innovations in musical form and expression. This oil-on-canvas portrait, titled Beethoven with the Manuscript of the Missa Solemnis , was painted by Joseph Karl Stieler in 1820, and depicts Beethoven while composing his Missa solemnis, which was first performed in 1824. The painting hangs in the Beethoven House at his birthplace in Bonn, Germany. Painting credit: Joseph Karl Stieler Recently featured: |