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From today's featured article

Jeremy Thorpe (29 April 1929 – 4 December 2014) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament for North Devon from 1959 to 1979, and as leader of the Liberal Party between 1967 and 1976. After graduating from Oxford University, he became one of the Liberals' brightest stars in the 1950s. As party leader, Thorpe capitalised on the growing unpopularity of the Conservative and Labour parties to lead the Liberals through a period of electoral success. This culminated in the general election of February 1974, when the party won 6 million votes. In May 1979 he was tried at the Old Bailey on charges of conspiracy and incitement to murder, arising from an earlier relationship with Norman Scott, a former model. Thorpe was acquitted on all charges, but the case, and the scandal, ended his political career. By the time of his death he was honoured for his record as an internationalist, a supporter of human rights, and an opponent of apartheid and all forms of racism. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

Aporometra wilsoni

... that the crinoid Aporometra wilsoni broods its young in cavities in the feathery pinnules on its arms?

... that Bunny Ahearne was inducted into three different ice hockey halls of fame, but never played the game?

... that, on average, Greece has changed its electoral law regarding apportionment in the Hellenic Parliament once every 1.5 elections?

... that Bent Norup, a Danish heldenbaritone, recorded the role of Orest live in France, alongside Ute Vinzing as Elektra and Leonie Rysanek as Chrysothemis?

... that upon its completion at Silver Dollar City in 2018, Time Traveler became the world's first spinning roller coaster to feature three inversions?

... that Typhoon Ofelia was the worst typhoon to hit eastern Taiwan in 30 years?

... that the arrest of Gilberto García Mena marked when the Mexican government stopped treating drug cartels passively and instead hunted them down?

... that a book-length interview with Stanisław Lem was subject to cuts due to censorship in Communist Poland?

... that Flaps Rendall flew ball bearings across occupied Denmark at night in Mosquitos?

In the news

Cyclone Kenneth

Flooding and winds from Cyclone Kenneth (satellite image shown) kill at least 45 people, injure more than 200 others, and cause serious damage in Mozambique and the Comoro Islands.

An earthquake in Luzon, the Philippines, kills at least 18 people.

Volodymyr Zelensky wins the Ukrainian presidential election.

At least 250 people are killed and hundreds of others are injured in multiple bombings at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka.

On this day

April 29

Replica of HMS Endeavour

1770 – British explorer James Cook and the crew of HMS Endeavour (replica pictured), the first European ship to land in eastern Australia, reached the coast of Botany Bay near present-day Sydney.

1945 – The Holocaust: The Seventh U.S. Army liberated Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, and allegedly wounded and killed German prisoners of war.

1975 – Vietnam War: North Vietnam concluded its East Sea Campaign by capturing all of the Spratly Islands that were being held by South Vietnam.

2011 – A worldwide television audience of tens of millions of people watched the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London.

Catherine of Siena (d. 1380) · James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde (b. 1665) · Rae Johnstone (d. 1964)

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From today's featured list

Tamar Braxton

Twenty-three participants have competed on Celebrity Big Brother, the American adaptation of Celebrity Big Brother and second spin-off of the United States version of Big Brother. It premiered on CBS on February 7, 2018. The series is hosted by Julie Chen Moonves. The Celebrity HouseGuests for the first season were revealed during a live pre-show of the 2018 Grammy Awards on January 28, 2018. The first season began filming on January 31, 2018 and concluded twenty-six days later on February 25, 2018, when Marissa Jaret Winokur and Ross Mathews were announced as the winner and runner-up of the season, respectively. On May 5, 2018, CBS renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on January 21, 2019. The second season lasted for twenty-nine days and ended on February 13, 2019, when Tamar Braxton (pictured) won in a unanimous vote over Ricky Williams. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

A Winter Scene with Skaters near a Castle is an oil-on-oak painting undertaken between 1608 and 1609 by the Dutch artist Hendrick Avercamp. As with a number of Avercamp's works, the picture is part of the Flemish tradition of painting "the harmony of human activity and the cycle of nature". He was influenced in his subject by the Little Ice Age, particularly the cold winter of 1607–08, and was the first of the Dutch painters to specialise in snow scenes. The painting was acquired by the National Gallery in London in 1891 and remains in its collection today. On acquisition it was square in shape, but during cleaning in 1983 it was established that Avercamp's original was circular, and the surrounding pieces were made by another artist. The gallery removed the additions.

Painting credit: Hendrick Avercamp

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