21 January 2017

lights(1)

[lahyts]

plural noun

1. a person’s ideas, knowledge, or understanding: he did it according to his lights

lights(2)

plural noun

1. the lungs, esp of sheep, bullocks, and pigs, used for feeding pets and occasionally in human food

Word Origin
C13: plural noun use of light ², referring to the light weight of the lungs

Anagram

slight

Today’s quote

There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel.

– Vladimir Lenin

On this day

21 January – Squirrel Appreciation Day.

21 January – National Hug Day.

21 January 1863 – State funeral held in Melbourne for Australian explorers, Burke and Wills, who had died in June or July of 1861. 40,000 spectators lined the streets for the funeral procession as it travelled to the Melbourne General Cemetery.

21 January 1924 – death of Vladimir Lenin, Russian communist revolutionary and political leader. He served as Russian leader from 1917 to 1924 and concurrently as Premier of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924. Born 22 April 1870.

21 January 1950 – death of George Orwell (born Eric Arthur Blair), Democratic Socialist and English author of works such as ‘Nineteen-Eighty Four‘, ‘Animal Farm‘, and ‘Homage to Catalonia‘. Born 25 June 1903.

21 January 1992 – death of Eddie Mabo. Campaigner for indigenous land rights in the Torres Strait. Successfully challenged the concept of ‘terra nullius‘, resulting in indigenous ownership of land in Australia to be recognised. Born 29 June 2014.