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Llullaillaco is adormant stratovolcano 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...)

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On this day

July 11:Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Genocide in Poland

Depiction ofMichael I Rangabe (centre)

813 – Byzantine emperorMichael I Rangabe(depicted), under threat by conspiracies, abdicated in favor of his generalLeo the Armenian, and became a monk.
1848 –Waterloo Bridge Station, which later becameBritain's busiest railway station by passenger usage, was opened by theLondon and South Western Railway.
1914 – The US Navy launched theUSS Nevada (BB-36) as its firstStandard-type battleship.
1960 –To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel byHarper Lee featuring themes of racial injustice and the loss of innocence in theDeep South of America, was published.
2010 – TheIslamist militia groupAl-Shabaab carried outmultiple suicide bombings inKampala, Uganda, killing 74 people and injuring 85 others.

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Ágnes Keleti

Athletes representing 38National Olympic Committees (NOCs) received at leastone medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics, and 25 NOCs won at least one gold medal. The1956 Summer Olympics were an international multi-sport event held from 22 November to 8 December inMelbourne, Australia, with theequestrian events being held from 10 to 17 June 1956 inStockholm, Sweden. A total of 3,314 athletes representing 72 NOCs participated, which was a record for the most NOCs at a single Olympics at the time. TheSoviet Union won the most gold medals and the most overall medals, with 37 and 98 respectively. GymnastÁgnes Keleti(pictured) ofHungary was the most successful competitor of the games, winning four gold medals and two silver medals for a total of six medals. (Full list...)

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Harold Bloom (July 11, 1930 – October 14, 2019) was an American literary critic and theSterling Professor ofhumanities atYale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world". After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books ofliterary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for theChelsea House publishing firm. This photograph byBernard Gotfryd shows Bloom in 1986.

Photograph credit:Bernard Gotfryd

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