| << | Today's featured articles for April 2025 | >> | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |||
April 1
Bart Simpson is a character from the American animated television series The Simpsons part of the Simpson family. Described as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time, Matt Groening created and designed Bart in James L. Brooks's office. Bart, alongside the rest of the family, debuted in the short "Good Night" on The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After two years on the show, the family received their own series, which premiered on Fox on December 17, 1989. Born April Fools' Day according to Groening, Bart is ten years old; he is the eldest child and only son of Homer and Marge Simpson, and has two sisters, Lisa and Maggie. Voiced by Nancy Cartwright (pictured), Bart is known for his mischievousness, rebelliousness, and disrespect for authority, as well as his prank calls to Moe, chalkboard gags in the opening sequence, and catchphrases. Bart is considered an iconic fictional television character of the 1990s and has been called an American cultural icon. (Full article...)
April 2
The 2012 Aston Martin Vanquish was the second generation of the Vanquish, a grand touring car. It was produced between 2012 and 2018 by the British carmaker Aston Martin. It succeeded the DBS, resurrected the name of the 2001–2007 model, and was available as both a coupe and a convertible, the latter known as the Volante. The Vanquish, which is based upon the DB9's architecture, extensively incorporates aluminium throughout its construction. The Vanquish was designed by Marek Reichman and showcased at several events in 2012. It was produced in Gaydon, a village in Warwickshire, England. Aston Martin unveiled the Vanquish Volante in August 2013 and began deliveries late that year. In 2014, they implemented minor modifications to the Vanquish's engine performance. A significantly modified version, the Vanquish S, was launched in 2016; its Volante version was released the following year. The Vanquish S introduced such updates as increased horsepower and torque, and a new body kit. (Full article...)
April 3
Big Butte Creek is a 12-mile (19 km) long tributary of the Rogue River located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains approximately 245 square miles (630 km2) of Jackson County. The north fork of the creek begins on Rustler Peak and the south fork's headwaters are near Mount McLoughlin. They meet near Butte Falls, and Big Butte Creek flows generally northwest until it empties into the Rogue River about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of Lost Creek Dam (William L. Jess Dam). Big Butte Creek's watershed was originally settled over 8,000 years ago by the Klamath, Upper Umpqua, and Takelma tribes of Native Americans. In the Rogue River Wars of the 1850s, most of the Native Americans were either killed or forced into Indian reservations. The first non-indigenous settlers arrived in the 1860s, and the area was quickly developed. The creek was named after Snowy Butte, an early name for Mount McLoughlin. The small city of Butte Falls was incorporated in 1911. (Full article...)
April 4
A British Army helicopter was destroyed in a friendly fire incident during the Falklands War, killing its four occupants. In the early hours of 6 June 1982, the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Cardiff was looking for aircraft supplying the Argentine forces on the Falkland Islands. An Army Air Corps Gazelle helicopter was making a delivery to British troops on East Falkland. Cardiff's crew assumed it was hostile and fired two missiles, destroying it. The loss was attributed to enemy fire. Although Cardiff was suspected, scientific tests on the wreckage were inconclusive. No formal inquiry was held until four years later. Defending their claim that the helicopter had been lost in action, the Ministry of Defence stated that they had not wanted to upset relatives until they ascertained how it had been shot down. A board of inquiry identified factors including a lack of communication between the army and the navy and the army's decision to turn off helicopters' identification friend or foe transmitters. (Full article...)
April 5
The giant anteater is a large insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is one of four living species of anteater and is classified with sloths in the order Pilosa. This species is mostly terrestrial, in contrast to other living anteaters, which are arboreal or semi-arboreal. It is the largest of its family, stretching 182–217 cm (5.97–7.12 ft) and weighing 33–41 kg (73–90 lb) for males and 27–39 kg (60–86 lb) for females. It is recognizable by its elongated snout, bushy tail, long foreclaws and distinctively colored pelage. The anteater's habitats include grassland and rainforest and it feeds primarily on ants and termites, using its foreclaws to dig them up and its long, sticky tongue to collect them. The giant anteater is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Threats to its survival include habitat destruction and hunting. The anteater has been featured in pre-Columbian myths and folktales, and modern popular culture. (Full article...)
April 6
The Suicide of Rachel Foster is a 2020 adventure video game developed by One-O-One Games and published by Daedalic Entertainment. It focuses on Nicole Wilson returning to her family's hotel ten years after she and her mother left, once her father's affair with the teenaged Rachel Foster was discovered, who then killed herself while pregnant. Trapped in the hotel due to a snowstorm, Nicole seeks to uncover the mystery of Rachel's suicide. Borne out of the studio's desire to create a horror game relying on suspense over monsters, it was set in a hotel to elicit fear and claustrophobia in players. The developers sought professional advice to portray topics like child sexual abuse and suicide compassionately. Released on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, the game received mixed reviews. The handling of child sexual abuse and suicide was heavily criticized, particularly over an interactive suicide attempt. A sequel, The Fading of Nicole Wilson was announced in October 2024. (Full article...)
April 7
What a Merry-Go-Round is the eighteenth collection by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, made for the Autumn/Winter 2001 season of his eponymous fashion house. The collection drew on imagery of clowns and carnivals, inspired by McQueen's feelings about childhood and his experiences in the fashion industry. The designs were influenced by military chic, cinema such as Nosferatu (1922) and Cabaret (1972), 1920s flapper fashion and the French Revolution. The palette comprised dark colours complemented with neutrals and muted greens. The collection's runway show was staged in February 2001 and was staged in a dark room with a carousel at the centre. It was McQueen's final show in London. Sixty-two looks were presented in the main runway show. Critical response to the collection was generally positive, and it has attracted some academic analysis for the theme and messaging. It served as a critique of the fashion industry, which he sometimes described as toxic and suffocating. (Full article...)
April 8
Empress Matilda (1102–1167) was the claimant to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I, she moved to Germany to marry the future Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. Her younger brother died in 1120, leaving a succession crisis. On Henry V's death in 1125, her father arranged for her to marry Geoffrey of Anjou. Henry I nominated her as his heir before his death in 1135, but she faced opposition from the Norman barons and the throne was taken by her cousin Stephen of Blois. In 1139 Matilda crossed to England to take the crown by force. She captured Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, but London crowds blocked her attempt to be crowned and she was never formally declared queen. Her half-brother was captured and Matilda exchanged him for Stephen. A stalemate developed. She returned to Normandy in 1148, leaving her eldest son—later Henry II—to continue the campaign. She then focused on leading Normandy and giving her son political advice. (Full article...)
April 9
William D. Hoard (October 10, 1836 – November 22, 1918) was an American politician, newspaper publisher, and agriculture advocate who served as the 16th governor of Wisconsin from 1889 to 1891. Called the "father of modern dairying", Hoard's advocacy for scientific agriculture and the expansion of dairy farming has been credited with changing Wisconsin's agricultural economy. In his magazine Hoard's Dairyman, he promoted the use of silos and alfalfa for cattle feed, testing for bovine tuberculosis, and raising particular breeds of cattle for milk or meat. His work with the Wisconsin Dairymen's Association led to the export of Wisconsin dairy products to the East Coast where they were renowned. As governor of Wisconsin, Hoard established the Dairy and Food Commission—one of the first food inspection agencies in the United States—and passed a short-lived education law that required all students in the state to be taught in English as part of the Americanization process for immigrants. (Full article...)
April 10
"Abyssinia, Henry" is the 72nd episode of the M*A*S*H television series, and the final episode of the third season. First aired on March 18, 1975, and written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, the episode was most notable for its shocking and unexpected ending. The plot of the episode centers on the honorable discharge and subsequent departure of the 4077th MASH's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, played by McLean Stevenson. The controversial ending to the episode, which has since been referenced and parodied many times, prompted an estimated 1,000-plus letters to series producers Gene Reynolds and Larry Gelbart, and drew fire from both CBS and 20th Century Fox. After the production of this episode, both Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, who played the character of Trapper John McIntyre, left the series to pursue other interests. These combined departures and their subsequent replacements signaled the beginning of a major shift in focus of the M*A*S*H series as a whole. (Full article...)
April 11
The banded sugar ant (Camponotus consobrinus) is a species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus Camponotus in the subfamily Formicinae, it was described by German entomologist Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1842. Its common name refers to the ant's preference for sweet food and the distinctive orange-brown band around its gaster. The ant is polymorphic and relatively large, with castes called major workers (soldiers) and minor workers. Ants in these groups measure around 5 to 15 millimetres (0.20 to 0.59 inches) in length. Mainly nocturnal, the ants prefer a mesic habitat, and are commonly found in forests and woodlands; they are also found in urban areas, where they are considered a household pest. The ant's diet includes sweet secretions they obtain from aphids and other insects. Workers prey on some insects, killing them with a spray of formic acid. Banded sugar ants are prey for other ants, echidnas and birds. The eggs of this species were consumed by Indigenous Australians. (Full article...)
April 12
Dolly de Leon (born 1969) is a Filipino actress. De Leon began her career on stage, and made her film debut in Shake, Rattle & Roll III (1991). She was later cast in minor and uncredited roles in films and took on guest parts in television shows. Her breakthrough came in the crime drama Verdict (2019), for which she won a FAMAS Award for Best Supporting Actress. De Leon achieved international recognition and acclaim for her role in Triangle of Sadness (2022), winning the Guldbagge Award and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Performance, in addition to nominations for a Golden Globe Award and for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first Filipino to be nominated for the latter two. She is the co-founder of Ladies Who Launch, a social services group which supports disadvantaged communities. British Vogue named her one of the 31 most famous stars in the world in 2023. (Full article...)
April 13
The Boat Race 2020 was a side-by-side rowing race scheduled to take place on 29 March 2020. Held annually, The Boat Race is contested between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. This would have been the 75th women's race and the 166th men's race. Cambridge led the longstanding rivalry 84–80 and 44–30 in the men's and women's races, respectively. The races were cancelled on 16 March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Other than as a result of war, it was the first time the men's race had been cancelled since it has taken place annually from 1845. It was also the first cancellation of the women's race since its 1964 revival. It would have been the first time in the history of the event that both senior races had been umpired by women. The members of each crew were announced on the date that the race would have been conducted. (Full article...)
April 14
Muhammad IV (14 April 1315 – 25 August 1333) was the ruler of the Emirate of Granada on the Iberian Peninsula from 1325 to 1333. He was the sixth sultan of the Nasrid dynasty, succeeding to the throne at age 10 when his father, Ismail I, was assassinated. The initial years of his reign were marked by civil war between his ministers, drawing in Castile, Granada's neighbour to the north. The civil war ended in 1328 when Muhammad took a more active role in government. Castile and the kingdom of Aragon invaded Granada in 1330. In 1332, Muhammad sailed to the Marinid court at Fez to request help and the new Marinid Sultan Abu al-Hasan Ali sent 5,000 troops, who besieged the Castilians at Gibraltar. The town surrendered in June 1333 but was in turn besieged. After confused fighting a truce was agreed on 24 August 1333 that restored the 1331 treaty. One day later, Muhammad was assassinated, aged 18. He was succeeded by his brother Yusuf I. (Full article...)
April 15
Lady Blue is an American detective and action-adventure television series that originally aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Produced by David Gerber, the show's pilot aired as a television film on April 15, 1985 before being picked up for a full series between September 15, 1985, to January 25, 1986. The show revolves around Chicago detective Katy Mahoney (Jamie Rose) and her violent methods of handling cases. The supporting cast includes Danny Aiello, Ron Dean, Diane Dorsey, Bruce A. Young, Nan Woods, and Ricardo Gutierrez. Lady Blue was criticized by several watchdog organizations as the most violent show on television with critics calling Mahoney "Dirty Harriet" (after Clint Eastwood's character Dirty Harry). ABC cancelled it in early 1986, partially due to the complaints about excessive violence. Critical reception to the series was primarily negative during its run and the series has not been released on DVD, Blu-ray, or an online streaming service. (Full article...)
April 16
The mind is that which thinks, feels, perceives, imagines, remembers, and wills, including both conscious and unconscious processes. Its exact nature is debated, like whether mental phenomena are internal activities of transforming information or dispositions to engage in observable behavior. The mind–body problem is the challenge of explaining the relation between matter and mind. According to physicalism, minds are not independent entities but certain aspects of material objects. The evolutionary history of the mind is tied to the development of brains, but it is controversial at which point minds emerged and which non-human animals possess minds. Similar theoretical challenges concern the possibility of artificial minds powered by computers. The main fields studying the mind include psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and philosophy of mind. Their methods range from empirical observation and neuroimaging to conceptual analysis and thought experiments. (Full article...)
April 17
Bæddel and bædling are Old English terms referring to non-normative sexual or gender categories. Occurring in a small number of medieval glossaries and penitentials (guides for religious penance), the exact meaning of the terms (and their distinction, if any) are debated by scholars. Both terms are often connected to effeminacy and adultery. Bæddel is glossed as "hermaphrodite" and a "man of both sexes" in its two extant glosses, while bædling is often glossed with terms associated with effeminacy and softness. The Oxford English Dictionary supports bæddel as the etymological root of the English adjective bad, although scholars propose alternative origins, including a shared root with both bæddel and bædling. The term bædlings may have included people assigned female at birth who took on masculine social roles or referred to intersex people. Scholars suggest that bædlings could represent a third gender outside the gender binary or a form of gender nonconformity in Anglo-Saxon society. (Full article...)
April 18
The Battle of Poison Spring was fought on April 18, 1864, as part of the Camden Expedition during the American Civil War. In support of the Red River campaign in Louisiana, a Union force commanded by Frederick Steele had moved from Little Rock, Arkansas, and occupied Camden, Arkansas. Short on supplies, Steele sent a detachment commanded by James M. Williams to forage for corn that was reported to be in the area. Confederate cavalry commanded by John S. Marmaduke and Samuel B. Maxey attacked the foraging party. Marmaduke's men formed a roadblock to the east, while Maxey's men attacked from the south. The first two Confederate attacks were unsuccessful, but the third broke the Union line. Williams's command was routed, losing its wagon train. African-American soldiers from the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment were massacred during and after the battle. The defeat at Poison Spring and another defeat at the battle of Marks' Mills led Steele to retreat to Little Rock. (Full article...)
April 19
Edgar Towner (19 April 1890 – 18 August 1972) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, awarded for his actions during an attack on Mont Saint-Quentin during World War I. Born in Queensland, Towner enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1915. Posted to the transport section of the 25th Battalion, he served in Egypt until his unit was sent to the Western Front. He then transferred to the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion where he was commissioned as a lieutenant. In June 1918, Towner led a machine gun section attack near Morlancourt while under heavy fire, for which he was awarded the Military Cross. In September he was involved in the Allied counteroffensive that broke the German lines at Mont St. Quentin and Péronne. Discharged in August, Towner returned to Australia. He was appointed a director of the Russleigh Pastoral Company and re-enlisted during World War II, when he was promoted to major. He was awarded the Dr Thomson Foundation Gold Medal in 1956 for his geographical work. (Full article...)
April 20
Fantastic Novels was an American science fiction and fantasy pulp magazine published by the Munsey Company of New York from 1940 to 1941, and by Popular Publications from 1948 to 1951. It was launched as a bimonthly companion magazine to Famous Fantastic Mysteries in response to heavy demand for book-length reprints of stories from pulp magazines such as Amazing Stories and Argosy. It ran science fiction and fantasy classics from earlier decades, including novels by A. Merritt, George Allan England, Victor Rousseau and others, and occasionally published reprints of more recent work, such as Earth's Last Citadel by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore. There were five issues in the magazine's first incarnation and another twenty in the revived version from Popular Publications, along with seventeen Canadian and two British reprints. Mary Gnaedinger edited both series; her interest in reprinting Merritt's work helped make him one of the better-known fantasy writers of the era. (Full article...)
April 21
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a play written by Thomas Russell Sullivan in collaboration with the actor Richard Mansfield (pictured). It is an adaptation of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, an 1886 novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. The story focuses on the respected London doctor Henry Jekyll, who uses a potion to transform into Edward Hyde, a loathsome criminal. Intrigued by the opportunity to play a dual role, Mansfield secured the stage rights and asked Sullivan to write the adaptation. The play debuted in Boston on May 9, 1887 and opened on Broadway in that September. Mansfield's performance was acclaimed by critics. The play opened in London in August 1888, just before the first Jack the Ripper murders. The press compared the murderer to the Jekyll character, and Mansfield was suggested as a suspect. Mansfield performed the play until shortly before his death in 1907. Sullivan made changes from Stevenson's story that have been adopted by subsequent adaptations, including film versions. (Full article...)
April 22
Terry Fox (1958–1981) was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete and fundraiser. He was a distance runner and basketball player, and continued both pursuits after his right leg was amputated upon being diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 1977. His chemotherapy inspired him to attempt the Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada run, in the hopes of raising funds for cancer research. He began on April 12, 1980, at St. John's, Newfoundland, and ran west for 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi) – the equivalent of a marathon a day – until forced to stop near Thunder Bay, Ontario, after cancer returned in his lungs. Fox captivated the country; he was named Newsmaker of the Year in both 1980 and 1981 and was named a Companion of the Order of Canada. His run led to millions of dollars in donations. He inspired the Terry Fox Run, held in over 60 countries and the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research. Considered a national hero, buildings, roads and parks have been named in his honour across Canada. (Full article...)
April 23
The Aineta aryballos is an Ancient Greek aryballos (a small, spherical flask or vase), made between approximately 625 and 570 BCE in the city of Corinth in southern Greece. Approximately 6.35 centimetres (2.50 in) in both height and diameter, it was intended to contain perfumed oil or unguent, and is likely to have been owned by a high-class courtesan (hetaira) by the name of Aineta. The vase's illegal sale to the British Museum in 1865 led to the prosecution of its seller, the Athenian professor and art dealer Athanasios Rhousopoulos, and exposed his widespread involvement in antiquities crime. The vase is inscribed with a portrait, probably that of Aineta, who is named in the inscription on the vase. The aryballos is likely to have been found in a grave, probably that of Aineta. In 1877, Rhousopoulos was fined for selling the vase in contravention of Greek law. The case represented a relatively rare successful use of state power against the illegal trade in Ancient Greek artefacts. (Full article...)
April 24
"I'm God" is an instrumental song by the American producer Michael Volpe, known professionally as Clams Casino, and the British singer Imogen Heap (pictured). Volpe created "I'm God" in 2009 by sampling Heap's 2005 song "Just for Now". Volpe sent the track to the rapper Lil B; the instrumental is featured on a song of the same name on Lil B's 2009 debut album, 6 Kiss. Volpe self-released "I'm God" in 2011 and, in 2012, it appeared on his Instrumentals 2 mixtape. It was officially released on streaming on April 24, 2020, appearing on Volpe's Instrumental Relics compilation. A cloud rap song, "I'm God" is noted for its ethereal and dream-like aspects. It received a cult following on the Internet, being unofficially reuploaded by fans to social media, including in the form of a music video that incorporates clips from the 1989 French film Perdues dans New York. "I'm God" went on to be influential to the cloud rap genre. It was certified gold in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America. (Full article...)
April 25
The 1925 FA Cup final was an association football match contested by Sheffield United and Cardiff City on 25 April 1925 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The final was the showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup), organised by the Football Association. Sheffield United won the game with a single goal. Both teams entered the competition in the first round and progressed through five stages to reach the final. Both clubs conceded only two goals each en route to the final. This was the second time a team from outside England had reached an FA Cup final. It was also the first time a Welsh team had reached the final of the competition. Nearly 92,000 spectators attended the final. The only goal of the game was scored by Sheffield United's Fred Tunstall after 30 minutes and the match finished 1–0. The match remains the last time Sheffield United won the competition. Cardiff played in the 1927 final which they won. (Full article...)
April 26
Black Slave's Cry to Heaven (traditional Chinese: 黑奴籲天錄; simplified Chinese: 黑奴吁天录; pinyin: Hēinú Yūtiān Lù) was a 1907 stage play performed by the Spring Willow Society, a Chinese student troupe, in Tokyo, Japan. Adapted by Zeng Xiaogu from a translation of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, the play focused on the experiences and eventual escape of two slaves, Eliza and George, after killing several of their pursuers. Modified to allegorically call attention to the experiences of Chinese migrants in the United States, Black Slave's Cry to Heaven was innovative in its use of spoken dialogue and realistic set designs. Performed twice at the Hongō-za Theatre, the show was well received by critics and audiences. Although its script has been lost, the play has inspired subsequent works. Due to its technical innovations and nationalist themes, Black Slave's Cry to Heaven has been canonized as the first modern, Western-style Chinese drama. (Full article...)
April 27
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a 2000 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It makes use of enhanced 3D graphics and features several gameplay changes, but reuses elements and character models from Ocarina of Time (1998). It follows Link, who arrives in a parallel world, Termina, and becomes embroiled in a quest to prevent the moon from crashing in three days' time. The game introduces gameplay concepts revolving around a perpetually repeating three-day cycle and the use of various masks that transform Link into different forms, and requires the Expansion Pak add-on for the Nintendo 64, which provides additional memory for more refined graphics. Majora's Mask was acclaimed by critics, and generated a cult following. It was rereleased for the GameCube in 2003, and for the online services of the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch. An enhanced remake for the Nintendo 3DS was released in 2015. (Full article...)
April 28
Lemurs of Madagascar is a 2010 reference work and field guide for the lemurs of Madagascar, giving descriptions and biogeographic data for the known species. The primary contributor is Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International, and the cover art and illustrations are by Stephen D. Nash. Currently in its third edition, the book provides details about all known lemur species, general information about lemurs and their history, and tips for identifying species. Four related pocket field guides have also been released, containing color illustrations of each species, miniature range maps, and species checklists. The first edition was reviewed favorably. The first edition identified 50 lemur species and subspecies, compared to 71 in the second edition and 101 in the third. The taxonomy promoted by these books has been questioned by researchers, such as Ian Tattersall, who view these growing numbers of lemur species as insufficiently justified inflation of species numbers. (Full article...)
April 29
The Portland spy ring was an espionage group active in the United Kingdom between 1953 and 1961. It comprised five people who obtained classified research documents from the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment (AUWE) on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, and passed them to the Soviet Union. Two of the group, Harry Houghton and Ethel Gee worked at the AUWE and had access to classified information. They passed this to their handler, Konon Molody (pictured), a KGB agent acting under a Canadian passport in the name Gordon Lonsdale. Lonsdale would pass the documents to Lona and Morris Cohen, American communists living under the names Helen and Peter Kroger; they passed the information to Moscow. The ring was exposed in 1960 after a tip-off from the Polish spy Michael Goleniewski. The information he supplied was enough to identify Houghton. MI5 surveillance uncovered the rest of the group, who were arrested in January 1961 and tried that March. Sentences for the group ranged from 15 to 25 years. (Full article...)
April 30
The initial campaign of the Breton Civil War took place in 1341. Duke John of Brittany had died on 30 April 1341 and the Duchy of Brittany was claimed by both his younger half-brother, John of Montfort; and his niece's husband, Charles of Blois, a nephew of the king of France, Philip VI. John quickly installed friendly garrisons in most of the towns and castles of Brittany. Rumours of John's discussions with English emissaries reached Philip, causing him to recognise Charles as the new duke. John refused to give way and Philip sent an army to Brittany to impose Charles. Within a month John had been defeated and was a prisoner. His wife, Joanna, took command of her husband's army, stormed the town of Redon and moved to the small but strongly walled port of Hennebont. There she set up her two-year-old son, also named John, as the faction's figurehead. The Hundred Years' War between France and England had been ongoing since 1337, so she despatched a senior counsellor to encourage English military intervention. (Full article...)
You must be logged in to post a comment.