From today's featured article
Edward the Martyr (c. 962 – 18 March 978) was King of the English from 8 July 975 until he was killed in 978. His father, King Edgar, had been a strong and overbearing monarch who had forced the nobility to surrender land to the monasteries. Edward's reign is remembered as a time of lawlessness, because of the efforts of the nobles to get their land back, sometimes by force, and because of disputes between the leading magnates, although these never led to warfare. His short reign ended in his murder in unclear circumstances. Medieval kings were believed to be sacrosanct, and Edward's violent death deeply troubled contemporaries. He soon came to be regarded as a saint, and his feast of 18 March is still listed by the Church of England. Edward was known in his own time for his violent temper, and the historian Tom Watson comments: "For an obnoxious teenager who showed no evidence of sanctity or kingly attributes and who should have been barely a footnote, his cult has endured mightily well." (Full article...)
Did you know ...
- ... that Sardoine Mia (pictured) creates paintings whose surfaces look like concrete?
- ... that the church that attempted to sell a Kansas radio station could not locate the money allegedly paid by the buyer?
- ... that Rudolf Herzog's novels have been described as characterised by the "sentimentality and harshness, pomp and plainness" of Kaiser Wilhelm II?
- ... that King Faisal Street, one of the main thoroughfares in downtown Amman, has been used as a public space for national events and celebrations?
- ... that "Busy" Beasy was a boxer, a professional American football player and a firefighter, all at the same time?
- ... that a Google Doc written by a high school student has become "part of the online queer canon"?
- ... that the West Bengal relief minister Santosh Roy resigned in 1975 after the Wanchoo Commission found him guilty of securing a government job for his sister?
- ... that Sabrina Carpenter was sad that the song "Busy Woman" could not be included on Short n' Sweet and later released it as a "thank you" to her fans?
- ... that the Caucasian stonecrop frequently escapes, perhaps through birds or garden waste?
In the news
- A nightclub fire (damage pictured) in Kočani, North Macedonia, kills at least 59 people and injures more than 155 others.
- At least 42 people are killed as a result of storms and tornadoes in the Midwestern and Southern United States.
- The People's United Party, led by Johnny Briceño, wins the Belizean general election.
- At least 15 civilians are killed in an Al-Shabaab attack and siege on a hotel in Beledweyne, Hiran, Somalia.
On this day
March 18: Feast day of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (Christianity)
- 363 – A fire began in Rome that resulted in the destruction of the Temple of Apollo Palatinus.
- 1277 – Charles I of Anjou acquired a claim on the Kingdom of Jerusalem in exchange for a significant sum of money.
- 1906 – Romanian inventor Traian Vuia became the first person to fly a heavier-than-air monoplane (pictured) with an unassisted takeoff.
- 1925 – The deadliest tornado in U.S. history spawned in Missouri and traveled more than 219 miles (352 km) across Illinois and Indiana, leaving one of the longest continuous tornado tracks ever recorded.
- 1977 – The punk group the Clash released their first single, "White Riot", described as their "most controversial song" due to its lyrics about class economics and race.
- 2019 – Syrian civil war: The U.S. Air Force carried out an airstrike in al-Baghuz Fawqani, killing 64 civilians.
- Matthew III Csák (d. 1321)
- Clem Hill (b. 1877)
- Johnny Papalia (b. 1924)
- Wali Mohammad Itoo (d. 1994)
Today's featured picture
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The sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), also known as the swordbill, is a neotropical species of hummingbird from the Andean regions of South America. Among the largest species of hummingbird, it is characterized by its unusually long beak, being the only bird to have a beak longer than the rest of its body, excluding the tail. It uses its bill to drink nectar from flowers with long corollas, and has coevolved with the species Passiflora mixta. While most hummingbirds preen using their bills, the sword-billed hummingbird uses its feet to scratch and preen due to its beak being so long. This sword-billed hummingbird was photographed perching on a branch at Hacienda El Bosque in Manizales, Colombia. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
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