July 1

Bottled maple syrup

Maple syrup is asyrup usually made from thexylemsap ofsugar maple,red maple orblack maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in the spring. Trees can be tapped by boring holes into their trunks and collecting the sap. This is processed by heating to evaporate some of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup. Maple syrup was first collected and used by the Indigenous people of North America; the practice was adopted by European settlers.Quebec, Canada, is by far the largest producer, making about three-quarters of the world's output. The syrup is graded based on its density and translucency. Maple syrup is often eaten as an accompaniment to food, as an ingredient inbaking and as asweetener and flavouring agent. Maple syrup and the sugar maple tree are symbols of Canada and several US states, in particular Vermont. (Full article...)

July 2

Paul Creston

TheSonata for E♭ Alto Saxophone and Piano,Op. 19, was composed byPaul Creston(pictured) in 1939. Thesonata was commissioned by Creston's frequent collaborator, the American saxophonistCecil Leeson. Creston began composition by June; it was completed by the end of August and slated for publication in 1940, although this was postponed to 1945 due to World War II. The sonata is in threemovements and takes around thirteen minutes to perform. Its form follows a traditional,Classical-era structure. The sonata as a whole is of considerable difficulty for both players. Creston and Leeson premiered the sonata at theCarnegie Chamber Hall on February 15, 1940. No critics were present at the premiere, but the sonata's 1955 debut recording by Vincent Abato and Creston received a mixed response. Most found the sonata enjoyable, but there was criticism of a perceived simplistic andsalon-like styling. (Full article...)

July 3

Happy Feet was anemperor penguin who, in June 2011, arrived atPeka Peka Beach in New Zealand'sNorth Island after travelling about 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) from Antarctica. He was one of the northernmost emperor penguins ever recorded outside of captivity and the second emperor penguin to have been found in New Zealand. After arriving, he ingested sand on the beach, mistaking it for snow, and filled his stomach with it. He soon became unwell and was transported toWellington Zoo, where he was given a 50 per cent chance of survival. Most of the sand was removed and he was kept at the zoo to recover. Happy Feet was released in the Southern Ocean on 4 September 2011. He was fitted with a satellite transmitter to track his location; this ceased transmission on 9 September, possibly due to the transmitter falling off or the penguin being preyed upon. Happy Feet's arrival and recovery attracted worldwide media coverage. He was named after the 2006 filmHappy Feet. (Full article...)

July 4

George Washington was aFounding Father and the firstpresident of the United States. Born inVirginia, he opposed the perceived oppression of the American colonists by theBritish Crown and wascommander-in-chief of the Continental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War. After being forced toretreat from New York City, hecrossed the Delaware River and won the battles ofTrenton andPrinceton. Washington led a decisive victory atYorktown, then served as president of theConstitutional Convention that drafted theUS Constitution. As president, he set precedents for theoffice of president, such asrepublicanism, apeaceful transition, and thetwo-term tradition.Washington owned many slaves but opposed the practice near the end of his life. His image is an icon ofAmerican culture and hehas been extensively memorialized. In both popular and scholarly polls, he is consistently considered one of the greatest presidents in American history. (Full article...)

July 5

A medieval depiction of a fortification being assaulted

Thesiege of Breteuil was theinvestment of theNorman town ofBreteuil, held by partisans ofCharles II, King of Navarre, by French forces between April and about 20 August 1356. It was interrupted on 5 July when a small English army relieved and resupplied the town. The French king,John II, attempted to bring the English to battle, but they evaded him and the siege was renewed. The French attracted praise for the splendour and high status of many of the participants, but made little progress as the town was well-garrisoned and stocked with food for a year. Attempts tomine under the walls were to no avail. In August a large mobilesiege tower was pushed up to the walls and an assault launched, but the tower was set on fire and the attack repulsed with many casualties. Taking Breteuil became a matter of prestige for John and he refused to take the army south to face amajor English offensive. Eventually the garrison was given free passage and a huge bribe to persuade them to depart. (Full article...)

July 6

Haasts Bluff, where Wintjiya was first involved in art

Wintjiya Napaltjarri (c. 1923–1934 – 2014) was anIndigenous artist from Australia'sWestern Desert region. Wintjiya's involvement incontemporary Indigenous Australian art began in 1994 atHaasts Bluff(pictured) when she participated in a group painting project and in the creation ofbatik fabrics. She was also a printmaker, usingdrypoint etching. Her paintings typically use aniconography that represents the eggs of the flying ant (waturnuma) and hair-string skirts (nyimparra). Her palette generally involves strong red or black against a white background. A finalist in the 2007 and 2008National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Wintjiya's work is held in several of Australia's public collections, including theArt Gallery of New South Wales, theMuseum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, theNational Gallery of Australia, and theNational Gallery of Victoria. Her work is also held in theKluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of theUniversity of Virginia. (Full article...)

July 7

Madi Diaz

Weird Faith is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriterMadi Diaz(pictured), released on February 9, 2024, on the record labelAnti-. The album followed her fifth studio album,History of a Feeling, as well as tours withAngel Olsen,Waxahatchee, andHarry Styles. It was written inNashville andupstate New York, recorded in the latter by Diaz andSam Cohen, and produced by Diaz, Cohen, and Konrad Snyder.Weird Faith has been described as anindie rock,indie folk, andindie pop album. The album features sparse, acoustic arrangements that highlight Diaz's lyrics and vocals, and it addresses themes of love, trust, and intimacy. Critics positively reviewed the album, particularly praising Diaz's emotional songwriting and the album's production. It was featured on several year-end lists and was nominated for twoGrammy Awards. (Full article...)

July 8

14th-century depiction of Edgar

Edgar (c. 944 – 8 July 975) wasKing of the English from 959 until his death. He mainly followed the political policies of his predecessors but made major changes in the religious sphere, with theEnglish Benedictine Reform becoming a dominant religious and social force. His major administrative reform was the introduction of a standardised coinage, and he issued legislative codes concentrated on improving the enforcement of the law. After his death, the throne was disputed between the supporters of his two surviving sons;Edward the Martyr was chosen with the support ofDunstan, thearchbishop of Canterbury. Chroniclers presented Edgar's reign as a golden age when England was free from external attacks and internal disorder. Modern historians see Edgar's reign as the pinnacle ofAnglo-Saxon culture but disagree about his political legacy, and some see the disorders following his death as a natural reaction to his overbearing control. (Full article...)

July 9

Head of a goblin shark

Thegoblin shark is a rare species of deep-seashark. Sometimes called a "living fossil", it is the only extant representative of thefamilyMitsukurinidae, a lineage 125 million years old. This species looks unlike any other shark, with a long, flattened snout, highly protrusible jaws containing prominent nail-like teeth and pink coloration. Its snout is covered withampullae of Lorenzini that enable it to sense minuteelectric fields produced by nearby prey, which it can snatch up by rapidly extending its jaws. It is usually three to four metres long (10 to 13 ft) when mature. Goblin sharks inhabit uppercontinental slopes,submarine canyons andseamounts deeper than 100 metres (330 ft). Anatomical features, such as its flabby body and small fins, suggest that it is sluggish in nature. It hunts forteleost fishes,cephalopods andcrustaceans both near the sea floor and in the middle of thewater column. TheInternational Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it asLeast Concern. (Full article...)

July 10

Fresco excavated by Marinatos at Akrotiri

Spyridon Marinatos (1901–1974) was a Greek archaeologist who specialised in theMinoan andMycenaean civilizations of the AegeanBronze Age, and excavated the Minoan site ofAkrotiri(fresco pictured) onThera between 1967 and 1974. He received several honours in Greece and abroad, and was considered one of the most important Greek archaeologists of his day. He joined theGreek Archaeological Service in 1919 and spent much of his early career on the island ofCrete, where he excavated several Minoan sites. He served three times as head of the Greek Archaeological Service, including under themilitary junta which ruled Greece between 1967 and 1974. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the junta; in the late 1930s, he had been close tothe dictatorial regime ofIoannis Metaxas. Marinatos died while excavating at Akrotiri in 1974, and is buried at the site. (Full article...)

July 11

Llullaillaco is adormantstratovolcano onthe border between Argentina and Chile. It lies in thePuna de Atacama, a region of tall volcanic peaks on a highplateau close to theAtacama Desert, one of the driest places in the world. Its maximum elevation is most commonly given as 6,723 metres (22,057 ft), making it thesecond- or third-highest volcano in the world. Between 3700 m and 5000 m elevation there is a sparse plant cover, while at lower altitudes the climate is too dry for plants to grow. The volcano formed during thePleistocene in two stages. The oldest rocks are about 1.5 million years old. About 150,000 years ago, the volcano's southeastern flank collapsed, generating adebris avalanche that reached as far as 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the summit. There are reports of activity from the 19th century. There are a number of archaeological sites on the mountain; Llullaillaco marks the highest archaeological site in the world. (Full article...)

July 12

Holkham Hall is an 18th-centurycountry house in Norfolk, England, constructed in theNeo-Palladian style forThomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. The hall was designed by the architectWilliam Kent, with contributions fromRichard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, the Norfolk architect and surveyorMatthew Brettingham and Thomas Coke himself. Holkham is one of England's finest examples of the Palladian revival style of architecture. The exterior consists of a central block, of two storeys and four flanking wings. The interior of the hall is opulent, but by the standards of the day, simply decorated and furnished. The Holkham estate was built up bySir Edward Coke, a lawyer in the reigns ofElizabeth I andJames I and the founder of his family's fortune. It remains the ancestral home of the Coke family, who becameEarls of Leicester. The house is aGrade I listed building, and its park is listed as Grade I on theRegister of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. (Full article...)

July 13

Picture illustrating heartburn

Heartburn is a burning sensation felt behind thebreastbone. It is a symptom that is commonly linked to acid reflux and is often triggered by food, particularly fatty, sugary, spicy, chocolate, onions, citrus, and tomato-based products. Lying down, bending, lifting, and performing certainexercises can exacerbate heartburn. Causes include acid reflux,gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), damage to the esophageal lining,bile acid, mechanical stimulation to theesophagus, and esophageal hypersensitivity. Heartburn affects 25% of the population at least once a month.Endoscopy andesophageal pH monitoring can be used to evaluate heartburn. Some causes of heartburn, such as GERD, may be diagnosed based on symptoms alone. Lifestyle changes, such aslosing weight and avoiding fatty foods, can improve heartburn.Over-the-counteralginates orantacids can help with mild or occasional heartburn. Heartburn treatment primarily involvesH2 receptor antagonists andproton-pump inhibitors. (Full article...)

July 14

William Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, voice actor, and musician who co-createdTom and Jerry and provided the vocal effects for the series's title characters. Hanna joined theHarman and Isinganimation studio in 1930 and gained prominence while working on cartoons such asThe Captain and the Kids. In 1937, while working atMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Hanna metJoseph Barbera. In 1957, they co-foundedHanna-Barbera, which became a successful television animation studio, creating or producing programs such asThe Flintstones,The Huckleberry Hound Show,The Jetsons,Scooby-Doo,The Smurfs, andYogi Bear. In 1967, Hanna-Barbera was sold toTaft Broadcasting for $12 million. Hanna and Barbera were nominated for twoAcademy Awards and won eightEmmys. Their cartoons have become cultural icons, and their cartoon characters have appeared in other media such as films, books, and toys. (Full article...)

July 15

Flag of Manitoba

Manitoba is aprovince of Canada.Indigenous peoples have inhabited what is now Manitoba for thousands of years. In the early 17th century, English and Frenchfur traders arrived and established settlements in the area. TheKingdom of England secured control of the region in 1673 and createdRupert's Land, which included present-day Manitoba, under the administration of theHudson's Bay Company. Negotiations for the creation of the province of Manitoba commenced in 1869 but disagreements over the right toself-determination led to theRed River Rebellion. The resolution of the conflict and further negotiations led to Manitoba becoming the fifth province to joinCanadian Confederation on 15 July 1870. Manitoba isCanada's fifth-most populous province. It has a widely varied landscape, from Arctictundra and theHudson Bay coastline to denseboreal forest,large freshwater lakes, andprairie grassland.Manitoba's largest city and capital isWinnipeg. (Full article...)

July 16

Trinity was thecode name given to thenuclear test that saw the first detonation of anuclear weapon. The code name was assigned byJ. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of theLos Alamos Laboratory, after a poem byJohn Donne. It was conducted on July 16, 1945, as part of theManhattan Project on theAlamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range in theJornada del Muerto desert. The test used aFat Man bomb of the same design as thatdetonated over Nagasaki. The complex design of theimplosion-type nuclear weapon required a major effort from the Los Alamos Laboratory, and testing was required to allay fears that it would not work. Its detonation(video featured) produced the explosive power of about 20kilotons of TNT (84terajoules). The test site is now part of theWhite Sands Missile Range. It was declared aNational Historic Landmark District in 1965, and listed on theNational Register of Historic Places the following year.(This article is part of afeatured topic:History of the Manhattan Project.)

July 17

Claudette making landfall in Texas

Hurricane Claudette was the thirdtropical storm and first hurricane of the2003 Atlantic hurricane season. A fairly long-lived JulyAtlantic hurricane, Claudette began as a tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean. It moved westward past theYucatán Peninsula before moving northwestward through theGulf of Mexico. Claudette remained a tropical storm until just before making landfall inPort O'Connor, Texas, on July 15, when it quickly strengthened to a strongCategory 1 hurricane. Forecasting its path and intensity was uncertain, resulting in widespread and often unnecessary preparations. Claudette caused one death and moderate damage inTexas, mostly from strong winds, as well as extensive beach erosion. Because of the damage, PresidentGeorge W. Bush declared portions of South Texas as a Federal Disaster Area. Claudette also caused significant rainfall and minor damage in the Mexican state ofQuintana Roo, as well as minor damage onSaint Lucia.(This article is part of afeatured topic:2003 Atlantic hurricane season.)

July 18

Lieutenant-GeneralHenry de Hinuber (1767–1833) was a Hanoverian army officer who commanded units of theKing's German Legion (KGL) during theNapoleonic Wars. Initially serving in theHanoverian Army, in 1782 he fought in theSecond Anglo-Mysore War in India. He was present at thesiege of Cuddalore. TheFrench Revolutionary Wars began a decade later and Hinuber served in theFlanders Campaign. WhenHanover was invaded in 1803, Hinuber offered his services to theBritish Army and was given command of the 3rd Line Battalion of the KGL before commanding a brigade in theBay of Naples in 1809. He was promoted tomajor-general in 1811 and given command of a brigade inLord Wellington'sPeninsular War army in 1813. Hinuber commanded his brigade at theBattle of Nivelle in 1813 and then at thesiege of Bayonne the following year, when he led the response to the French counter-attack. He joined the army of the newKingdom of Hanover in 1816. He received his last command in 1831, of the 2nd Division of acorps of theGerman Federal Army, and died inFrankfurt two years later. (Full article...)

July 19

Site map of Great Wilbraham

Great Wilbraham is aNeolithiccausewayed enclosure, an archaeological site near the village ofGreat Wilbraham inCambridgeshire, England. The enclosure is about 170 metres (560 ft) across, and covers about 2 hectares (4.9 acres). Causewayed enclosures were built in England from before 3700 BC until c. 3500 BC; they are characterized by the enclosure of an area with ditches that are interrupted by gaps, orcauseways. Their purpose is not known; they may have been settlements, meeting places, or ritual sites. The Great Wilbraham enclosure was first identified fromaerial photographs in 1972. An excavation was begun in 1975 byDavid Clarke, with a planned five-year research programme, but he died in 1976 and his results remained unpublished. His archive of finds and records was reanalysed in the 2000s. The site was rich in finds, including Neolithic flint, pottery from periods from the Neolithic to the present day, and animal bone. The site has been protected as ascheduled monument since 1976. (Full article...)

July 20

Sir William Gordon-Cumming (20 July 1848 – 20 May 1930) was a Scottish landowner, soldier and socialite. He was the central figure in theroyal baccarat scandal of 1891. He joined theBritish Army in 1868 and saw service in South Africa, Egypt and the Sudan; he served with distinction and rose to the rank oflieutenant-colonel. An adventurer, he also hunted in the US and India. A friend ofEdward, Prince of Wales, for over 20 years, in 1890 he attended a house party atTranby Croft, where he took part in a game ofbaccarat at the behest of the prince. During the course of two nights' play he was accused of cheating, which he denied. After news of the affair leaked out, he sued five members of the party forslander; Edward was called as a witness. The case was a public spectacle in the UK and abroad, but the verdict went against Gordon-Cumming and he was ostracised from polite society. After the court case he married an American heiress, but their relationship was unhappy. (Full article...)

July 21

Taylor Swift on the Red Tour in 2013

Red is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift(pictured). It was released in October 2012 byBig Machine Records. Swift designatedRed as a breakup album and her last to be promoted ascountry music. The album incorporates styles ofpop,rock,folk and country, and is composed ofacoustic instruments,electronicsynths anddrum machines. Initial reviews mostly praised Swift's songwriting for its emotional exploration and engagement, but critics deemed the production inconsistent and questioned her identity as a country artist. Swift supportedRed withthe Red Tour (2013–2014).Red topped the charts and received multi-platinumcertifications in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In the United States it spent seven weeks atop theBillboard 200.Red was nominated forAlbum of the Year at the2013 Country Music Association Awards, andAlbum of the Year andBest Country Album at the2014 Grammy Awards. (Full article...)

July 22

Thehippocampus is a major component of thebrain ofhumans and many othervertebrates. It plays important roles in theconsolidation of information fromshort-term memory tolong-term memory, and inspatial memory that enablesnavigation. In humans and other primates, the hippocampus is located in thearchicortex, one of the three regions ofallocortex, in eachhemisphere. The hippocampus is a structure found in all vertebrates. InAlzheimer's disease (and other forms ofdementia), the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage;short-term memory loss anddisorientation are included among the early symptoms. Damage to the hippocampus can also result from oxygen starvation,encephalitis ormedial temporal lobe epilepsy. Since differentneuronal cell types are neatly organized into layers in the hippocampus, it has frequently been used as amodel system for studyingneurophysiology. (Full article...)

July 23

Lobby of the Daily News Building,c. 1941

TheDaily News Building is askyscraper inManhattan, New York City. The original tower, completed on July 23, 1930, was designed byRaymond Hood andJohn Mead Howells in theArt Deco style; a similarly-styled expansion, designed byHarrison & Abramovitz, was completed in 1960. The 36-story tower, rising 476 feet (145 m), consists of a 14-story printing plant and an 18-story annex. There is a large carved-granite entrance leading to arotunda lobby with a rotating painted globe(pictured). TheDaily News' parent company,Tribune Media, sold the building in 1982, and the newspaper moved out entirely in 1995.SL Green Realty bought the building in 2003 and sold a partial ownership stake to Meritz Alternative Investment Management in 2021. When it opened, the building received mixed reviews and was described as having autilitarian design. It is aNational Historic Landmark and its exterior and lobby aredesignated city landmarks. (Full article...)

July 24

Don Bradman, the Australian captain

TheSecond Test of the 1948 Ashes series was one of fiveTests inThe Ashes cricket series betweenAustralia andEngland. The match was played atLord's inLondon between 24 and 29 June 1948. Australia won the match by 409 runs to take a2–0 lead, meaning that England would need to win the remaining three matches to regain The Ashes. The Australian captainDon Bradman(pictured) won the toss and elected to bat. Australia scored 350 in their first innings. England finished their first innings at 215 early on the third morning; the Australian pacemanRay Lindwall took 5/70. Australia reached 460/7 in their second innings before Bradmandeclared, setting England a target of 596. The hosts reached 106/3 at stumps on the fourth day, but then collapsed on the final morning to be all out for 186, handing Australia a 409-run victory. The leading English batsmanLen Hutton was controversially dropped for the following match. The match set a new record for the highest attendance at a Test in England. (Full article...)

July 25

Lesley James McNair (25 May 1883 – 25 July 1944) was alieutenant general of theUnited States Army who served in both world wars, and previously saw service in theVeracruz occupation and thePancho Villa Expedition. During World War I, he served with theAmerican Expeditionary Forces on theWestern Front. At 35, he became the Army's second-youngest general officer. During the early stages of World War II, he was the commander ofArmy Ground Forces, and played the leading role in the organization, equipping, and training of Army units before they departed for overseas combat. He was killed on 25 July 1944 while in France as commander of the fictitiousFirst United States Army Group, part ofOperation Quicksilver, a deception plan for theinvasion of Normandy. McNair died when the USEighth Air Force attempted to use heavy bombers in support of ground combat troops, and several planes dropped payloads short of their targets. He received a posthumous promotion togeneral. (Full article...)

July 26

Liz Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who wasprime minister from September to October 2022. ALiberal Democrat in her youth, she defected to theConservatives in 1996. After several bids for public office she was elected as an MP in2010 and served continuously in government in theCameron,May andJohnson ministries, latterly asforeign secretary. AfterJohnson resigned in July 2022, Truss stood inthe election to replace him, defeatingRishi Sunak and becoming the leader of the party. Two days after her appointment as prime ministerQueen Elizabeth IIdied, freezing government business for ten days during a national mourning period; after its conclusionTruss's ministry announceda mini-budget which was received badly bymarkets, the fallout from which subsequently engulfed her government. Facing a rapidloss of confidence in her leadership, Truss resigned fifty days into her premiership and wassucceeded by Sunak, becoming theshortest-serving British prime minister. (Full article...)

July 27

Dick Cresswell (27 July 1920 – 12 December 2006) was an officer and pilot in theRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Born inTasmania, he joined the RAAF in July 1938. He commandedNo. 77 (Fighter) Squadron from April 1942 to August 1943, in Australia'sNorth Western Area Campaign, flying against Japanese raiders. He claimed the squadron's first aerial victory—the first by an Australian over the mainland—in November 1942. He commandedNo. 81 (Fighter) Wing from May 1944 to March 1945, and simultaneously No. 77 Squadron between September and December 1944. In September 1950, during theKorean War, Cresswell took command of No. 77 Squadron for the third time. He oversaw its conversion toGloster Meteors, becoming the first RAAF commander of a jet squadron in war. His performance earned him theCommonwealth andUS Distinguished Flying Crosses. From 1953 to 1956, Cresswell was responsible for converting pilots to jet fighters as commanding officer ofNo. 2 Operational Training Unit. (Full article...)

July 28

Edward Drinker Cope (July 28, 1840 – April 12, 1897) was an Americanzoologist,paleontologist,comparative anatomist,herpetologist, andichthyologist. Born to aQuaker family, he published his first scientific paper at age 19. He made regular trips to theAmerican West, prospecting in the 1870s and 1880s. A feud between Cope andOthniel Charles Marsh led to an intense fossil-finding competition called theBone Wars. Cope's financial fortunes soured after failed mining ventures in the 1880s, forcing him to sell much of his fossil collection. His contributions helped to define the field of American paleontology and wrote more than 1,400 published papers, although rivals debated the accuracy of his rapidly published works. He discovered, described, and named more than 1,000 vertebrate species, including hundreds of fishes and dozens of dinosaurs. His proposal for the origin of mammalianmolars is notable among his theoretical contributions. (Full article...)

July 29

Gaetano Bresci (1869–1901) was anItalian anarchist who assassinated KingUmberto I of Italy. He became ananarchist after experiencingexploitation in the workplace and later emigrated to the United States, where he joining the Italian immigrant anarchist movement inPaterson, New Jersey. News of theBava Beccaris massacre motivated him to return to Italy to assassinate Umberto. Bresci killed the king on 29 July 1900, during Umberto's scheduled appearance inMonza, amid a sparse police presence. Thegovernment of Italy suspected that Bresci had been a part of a conspiracy but no evidence was found to indicate that others were involved. He was sentenced tolife imprisonment for murder and confined onSanto Stefano Island, where he was found dead of an apparent suicide the following year. After his death, Bresci became a martyr for the Italian left-wing. He inspired the American anarchistLeon Czolgosz to assassinate United States presidentWilliam McKinley. (Full article...)

July 30

Ensemble fromScanners

Scanners (Autumn/Winter 2003) was the twenty-second collection by British fashion designerAlexander McQueen forhis eponymous fashion house. The collection is based on the idea of exiles travelling eastward through northern Eurasia: Siberia, Tibet and finally Japan. The designs borrow heavily from the traditional clothing and art of those areas, and reflect an overall aesthetic of luxury, with voluminous silhouettes and rich materials. Cultural motifs include heavy embroidery, traditional patterns andkimono-like shapes. The runway show was staged at theGrande halle de la Villette in Paris. The set was made to look like a desolatetundra with rocks and snow. A clear plasticwind tunnel was suspended over the runway for some models to walk through. Fifty-nine looks were presented in roughly three stages, representing the journey through each of Siberia, Tibet and Japan. Critical reception was mostly positive and sales were strong. (Full article...)

July 31

TheBattle of Warsaw was fought on 31 July 1705 as part of a power struggle for thePolish–Lithuanian throne during theGreat Northern War.Augustus II the Strong, theelector ofSaxony and king of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, was allied withDenmark–Norway andRussia againstStanisław Leszczyński, who had seized the Polish throne in 1704 with the support of the army ofCharles XII of Sweden. ThePolish nobility of theSandomierz Confederation supported Augustus and his allies, while theWarsaw Confederation supported Leszczyński andSweden. Augustus helped to developa grand strategy to crush the Swedish forces and restore himself to the Polish throne, sending an allied army of up to 10,000 cavalry under the command ofOtto Arnold von Paykull towards Warsaw to interrupt thePolish parliament. A 2,000-strong Swedish cavalry contingent under the command ofCarl Nieroth defeated Paykull's army on the plains west of Warsaw, and Leszczyński was crowned in early October. (Full article...)

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