Australia

Daily Pic 10/22/18 (Wombat Day)

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Posnov/Getty Images

We did not invent this, honest

Wombats, like kangaroos and koalas, are native only to mainland Australia and some of its surrounding islands, including Maria Island National Park, where this photo was taken. We bring you a wombat in celebration of Wombat Day. Why Wombat Day? Why not? Wombat fan groups—which are a thing—loosely tie the October celebration to spring planting festivals from Australia’s past. (Yes, it’s spring in the Southern Hemisphere.) But many admit that it’s also just a good excuse to share photos of wombats and eat cake, preferably chocolate.

Daily Pic 10/22/17

© Inge Johnsson/age fotostock

Amalfi Cathedral in Amalfi, Italy



Today in History 10/20 (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

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The wreckage of a Convair 240 plane near McComb, Miss. Six were killed in the crash, including three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd. (© AP Photo)(1977) Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane goes down, killing six
The band’s chartered plane runs out of fuel due to a faulty engine and crashes in Mississippi. Singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines are killed, along with three crew members. Lynyrd Skynyrd would disband after the accident, with the remaining members reuniting a decade later.
Lynyrd Skynyrd, is an American rock band best known for popularizing the Southern rock genre during the 1970s. With roots tracing to the formation of My Backyard in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964, the band was also known by names such as The Noble Five and One Percent, before finally deciding on “Lynyrd Skynyrd” in 1969. The band gained worldwide recognition for its live performances and signature songs “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird”. At the peak of their success, band members Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines, died in an airplane crash in 1977, putting an abrupt end to the 1970s era of the band.
Movies: Freebird… The Movie
Lead singers: Ronnie Van Zant (1964 – 1977) · Johnny Van Zant (Since 1987)
Tours: One More from the Road Tour · Rock N Rebels Tour II
Awards: Grammy Hall of Fame (2009, 2008)

Trade ad for Lynyrd Skynyrd's single
Trade ad for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s single “Gimme Three Steps”.
wiki/Lynyrd_Skynyrd
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(1977) Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane goes down, killing six.
Also on this day,

1720 | Calico Jack protects the rum while Anne and Mary fight
Crossed swords and a grinning skull distinguish Calico Jack Rackham’s flag, and that’s just what pirate hunters find while prowling Jamaican waters. When they attack Pirate Jack’s ship, his female crew, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, return the fight while the men, drunk on rum, wait it out in the hold.
1947 | Hollywood’s ‘Red Scare’ as Cold War paranoia breeds hysteria
In Washington, DC, the House Un-American Activities Committee holds its first hearings into possible Communist infiltration of the US film industry. Soon after, a career-killing blacklist will be drawn up with the help of famous informants, and Hollywood will be held in the jaws of the ‘Red Scare.’
1973 | Sydney Opera House opens as an architectural wonder graces Australia
Queen Elizabeth II and Ben Blakeney, a Bennelong Aborigine descendant, help mark the official opening of a new and spectacular performance space seemingly caught in full sail at the tip of a Sydney Harbor peninsula. The breathtaking Sydney Opera House will become an Australian icon.

Today in History 10/20/17

Actor Robert Montgomery tells House investigators of Hollywood "reds" in Washington, October 23, 1947 (© Byron Rollins/AP)(1947) Cold War paranoia breeds Hollywood hysteria
In Washington, DC, the House Un-American Activities Committee holds its first hearings into possible Communist infiltration of the US film industry. Soon after, a career-killing blacklist will be drawn up with the help of famous informants, and Hollywood will be held in the jaws of the 'Red Scare.'
A "Red Scare" is promotion, real and imagined, of widespread fear by a society or state about a potential rise of communism, anarchism, or radical leftism. The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States with this name. The First Red Scare, which occurred immediately after World War I, revolved around a threat from the American labor movement, anarchist revolution and political radicalism. The Second Red Scare, which occurred immediately after World War II, was preoccupied with national or foreign communists infiltrating or subverting U.S. society or the federal government.
First occurred: 1917
1919 Political Cartoon
Political cartoon from 1919 depicting the Russian revolution's impact on the Paris peace talks

wiki/Red_Scare
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Today in History 08/05 (Cowra Breakout)

Cowra Prisoner of War Compound site in New South Wales, Australia (© Claver Carroll/Getty Images)(1944) More than 1,000 POWs attempt largest WWII escape
A prisoner of war camp near Cowra, Australia, is plunged into chaos as 1,100 Japanese POWs storm barbed wire fences, set fires, and attack guards. Four Australian soldiers and 231 Japanese will be killed, while some 359 POWs manage to flee before later being caught.
The Cowra breakout occurred on 5 August 1944, when at least 1,104 Japanese prisoners of war attempted to escape from a prisoner of war camp near Cowra, in New South Wales, Australia. It was the largest prison escape of World War II, as well as one of the bloodiest. During the escape and ensuing manhunt, four Australian soldiers and 231 Japanese soldiers were killed. The remaining escapees were captured and imprisoned.
Date: Aug 05, 1944

Cowra POW camp
Sourced from: http://www.awm.gov.au/database/collection.asp Copyright: The AWM record for this photo states that the copyright status is ‘clear’. The photo was taken on 1944-07-01. The AWM requests that you assist their record keeping by keeping the image number and watermark intact. Given that this image is in the public domain, it is not clear that the AWM has any legal basis to enforce their request. AWM Caption: Cowra, NSW. 1944-07-01. Japanese prisoners of war practising baseball on their sports ground near their quarters, at the 12th prisoner of war camp. These photographs were taken for the far east liaison office as a basis for propaganda leaflets to be dropped over Japnanese held islands and the Japanese mainland. No. 12 Prisoner of War Camp, Cowra, Australia. 1 July, 1944. Japanese prisoners of war practice baseball on the sportsground near their quarters, several weeks before the Cowra breakout. This photograph was taken for the Allied Far Eastern Liaison Office, with the intention of using it in propaganda leaflets, to be dropped over Japanese held islands and Japan itself. (The copyright was owned by the Australian War Memorial.
wiki/Cowra_breakout
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(1944) More than 1,000 POWs attempt largest WWII escape.
Also on this day,

1926 | A master magician, Houdini, defies death and debunks fraud
Magician Harry Houdini beats rival Rahman Bey today by remaining in a sealed casket at the bottom of a swimming pool for 91 minutes, with honest Houdini admitting the amazing feat was not accomplished with magical powers but instead his own concentration and controlled breathing.
1957 | Philadelphia’s dance show, American Bandstand, debuts on nationwide TV
A low-budget show featuring dancing teens and lip-syncing musical acts is a hit on local Philadelphia stations, and now ‘American Bandstand’ makes its US network debut on ABC. The show, with its host Dick Clark, will prove popular and enduring, lasting another 32 years.
1984 | Women’s marathon makes dramatic Olympic debut
Female runners get their ultimate test of endurance at the first Olympic women’s marathon in Los Angeles. The field includes Joan Benoit of the US, who wins the gold medal with a time of 2:24:52, and Switzerland’s Gabriela Andersen-Schiess, who completes the course despite suffering from heat stroke.

Today in History 08/05/17

Joan Benoit breaks away from the pack of women marathoners during the summer Olympics in Los Angeles on Aug 5, 1984 (© Ron Heflin/International Olympic Photography Pool/AP)(1984) Women's marathon makes dramatic Olympic debut
Female runners get their ultimate test of endurance at the first Olympic women's marathon in Los Angeles. The field includes Joan Benoit of the US, who wins the gold medal with a time of 2:24:52, and Switzerland's Gabriela Andersen-Schiess, who completes the course despite suffering from heat stroke.
The Women's Marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California was held on August 5, 1984. It was the first time a women's marathon had been held at the Olympic Games. The 50 competitors came from 28 countries. 44 finished the race. The world record holder Joan Benoit of the United States won the gold medal, with the silver medal going to the 1983 World champion Grete Waitz of Norway, and bronze to Rosa Mota of Portugal.
Date: Aug 05, 1984
Olympic Athletics

wiki/Athletics_at_the_1984_Summer_Olympics_–_Women's_marathon
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