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Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) was the 16thpresident of the United States, serving from 1861 untilhis assassination in 1865. Born ina one-room log cabin in Kentucky, he was self-educated and became a lawyer,Illinois state legislator, andU.S. representative. An anti-slavery advocate, he joined the newRepublican Party and won the1860 presidential election, prompting a majority of slave states in theSouth tosecede and form theConfederate States. As he led the countryduring civil war, Lincoln supervised theUnion army, implemented anaval blockade of Southern ports, and issued theEmancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the Confederate states. On November 19, 1863, he delivered the now famousGettysburg Address. Lincoln wasre-elected in 1864, and on April 14, 1865, five days after theConfederate surrender at Appomattox, he was fatally shot byJohn Wilkes Booth. For his role in preserving the Union and ending slavery, Lincoln isranked as the greatest US president.(Full article...)
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February 16:J'ouvert morning,Carnival begins in Trinidad and Tobago;Chinese New Year's Eve (2026);Day of the Shining Star in North Korea;Presidents' Day in the United States (2026);Elizabeth Peratrovich Day in Alaska;Daisy Gatson Bates Day in Arkansas (2026)
TheWorld Women's Billiards Championship was first held in 1931, when the British cue sports companyBurroughes and Watts organised a women's amateurbilliards championship, which was later recognised as the world championship. As of 1930, manybilliard halls in the UK did not admit women.Ruth Harrison(pictured) was the champion from 23 participants, and the highest break made was 28. TheWomen's Billiards Association took over responsibility for the amateur tournament from the 1932 edition, which had 41 entries. The tournament was held regularly until 1940, but then put on hold until after World War II. From 1947 to 1980, the tournament was held in most years, withVera Selby winning eight titles, andMaureen Baynton (née Barrett) winning six. After a period of dormancy from 1980, the tournament was revived by theWorld Ladies' Billiards and Snooker Association (WLBSA) in 1998.Emma Bonney has won the title a record 13 times, between 2000 and 2018. (Full list...)
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Gangabal Lake is a high-altitude glacial lake situated at the foot ofHarmukh, a mountain in theHimalayas inJammu and Kashmir, India. The lake is calledGangabal, meaning 'place ofGanga' in theKashmiri language, and is considered to be sacred in Hinduism as an abode ofShiva. The lake has been described as a place of pilgrimage in several ancient Hindu texts such as theMahabharata, theNilamata Purana and theVishnu Smriti, and an annualHindu pilgrimage to the lake starts from the nearby 8th-centuryWangath temple complex.Kashmiri Hindus perform their ancestral rites at the lake andimmerse the ashes of the dead into the lake aftercremation. This photograph depicts a shrine dedicated to Shiva carved into a boulder at the shore of Gangabal Lake. Photograph credit:UnpetitproleX Recently featured: |
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