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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 Ising animation 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...)

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Member of the 2004 jury examining baguettes

... that thebest baguette in Paris has been determined by a jury(member pictured) annually since 1994?
... thatGusnar Ismail lost a gubernatorial election toRusli Habibie in 2011, but wona subsequent election in 2024 with Habibie's wife as his running mate?
... that when Dutch ships reached China for the first time, seventeen out of twenty crew members wereexecuted by the Portuguese?
... thatEd Policy and his fatherCarmen Policy have both served as presidents ofNational Football League teams?
... thatVolcano Pizzeria, according to the family of one of its founders, was originally a diner selling Italian food before it became the "granddaddy" ofWindsor-style pizza?
... thatAlberto Jarrín once defeated a train in a running race?
... that the general manager ofa Cleveland TV station believed its owner to be "just tired of losing money"?
... that German equestrianHermann Weiland competed for Croatia at the 1992 Summer Olympics, but marched with Guamduring the opening ceremony?
... that a statue ofVladimir Lenin in Ukraine was transformed into astatue of Darth Vader?

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Abdul Hakim Haqqani

TheInternational Criminal Court issues arrest warrants forTaliban leadersHibatullah Akhundzada andAbdul Hakim Haqqani(pictured) over their allegedpersecution of women in Afghanistan.
Flooding in Central Texas, United States, leaves at least 130 people dead.
Astronomers announce the discovery of3I/ATLAS, aninterstellar object passing through theSolar System.
TheVera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile releases thefirst light images from its new8.4-metre (28 ft) telescope.

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On this day

July 14:Bastille Day in France (1789);Festino di Santa Rosalia begins inPalermo, Italy

The seal of Louis VIII of France

1223 –Louis VIII(seal pictured) becameKing of France and began a three-year reign.
1798 – TheSedition Act became law, making it a federal crime to write, publish, or utter false or malicious statements about theU.S. government.
1865 – A seven-man team made thefirst ascent of theMatterhorn, marking the end of thegolden age of alpinism.
1960 –Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 1-11ditched offPolillo Island in the Philippines, killing one person and injuring 44.
2014 – Lightning strikes started four fires in theMethow River in the American state of Washington, collectively known as theCarlton Complex Fire.

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Christopher Nolan, pictured in 2018

Inception, a 2010science fiction action film written and directed byChristopher Nolan(pictured),received numerous accolades in several categories. The film garnered particular recognition for its cinematography, score, visual and sound effects, and editing as well as Nolan's screenplay and direction. At the83rd Academy Awards, the film received eight nominations, winningBest Cinematography,Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, andBest Visual Effects; it tied withThe King's Speech for most wins at the ceremony. The film was nominated in nine categories at the64th British Academy Film Awards, where it wonBest Production Design,Best Sound andBest Special Visual Effects. It received a further nine nominations at the37th Saturn Awards, winning five awards, and ten nominations at the16th Critics' Choice Awards, winning six awards.Inception was also named one of the Top 10 Films of 2010 by both theNational Board of Review and theAmerican Film Institute. (Full list...)

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The Blind Girl (1856) is a painting byJohn Everett Millais which depicts two itinerantbeggars, presumed to be sisters, one of whom is a blindmusician, herconcertina on her lap. They are resting by the roadside after a rainstorm, before travelling to the town ofWinchelsea, visible in the background. The painting has been interpreted as anallegory of the senses, contrasting the experiences of the blind and sighted sisters. The former feels the warmth of the sun on her face, and fondles a blade of grass, while the latter shields her eyes from the sun or rain and looks at adouble rainbow that has just appeared. The painting is in the collection of theBirmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Painting credit:John Everett Millais

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