25 October 2016

irruption

[ih-ruhp-shuh n]

noun

1. a breaking or bursting in; a violent incursion or invasion.
2. Ecology. a sudden increase in an animal population.

Origin of irruption

Latin

1570-1580; < Latin irruptiōn- (stem of irruptiō), equivalent to irrupt (us), past participle of irrumpere to burst into (see ir-1, rupture ) + -iōn- -ion

Can be confused

eruption, irruption.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for irruption

Historical Examples

The irruption of Bennie and Zephyr threatened disaster even to this forlorn hope.
Blue Goose
Frank Lewis Nason

To this irruption succeeded an interval of peace—the calm before the storm.
Leila, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

The age of Theocritus and Bion has given place to—shall we say the age of the Cæsars, or the irruption of the barbarians?
Literary and General Lectures and Essays
Charles Kingsley

There was no irruption of the newly-weds to complicate matters.
Wanted: A Husband
Samuel Hopkins Adams

Once more she ascended the stairs and made an irruption into the boy’s chamber.
Helping Himself
Horatio Alger

Then followed the revolution with the irruption of Cromwell’s followers.
The Catholic World, Vol. X, October 1869
Various

Timid groups of persons were round about, waiting for the irruption of the gentlemen, until the pleasure should begin.
The Newcomes
William Makepeace Thackeray

We picture the vision, then, as an irruption of hypnosis into the visual sphere.
Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology
C. G. Jung

It began to look indeed as if there was an irruption of them into that section of the Louisiana Territory.
The Hunters of the Ozark
Edward S. Ellis

You may choose where the irruption shall occur; there must be a bursting-in at some point.
Omphalos
Philip Henry Gosse

Word Origin and History for irruption

noun

1570s, from Middle French irruption or directly from Latin irruptionem (nominative irruptio) “a breaking in, bursting in, invasion,” noun of action from past participle stem of irrumpere, from assimilated form of in- “into, in, on, upon” (see in- (2)) + rumpere (see rupture (n.)). Frequently confused with eruption.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

irruption in Medicine
irruption ir·rup·tion (ĭ-rŭp’shən)
n.
The act or process of breaking through to a surface.

The American Heritage® Stedman’s Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Anagram

prior unit
rip to ruin

Today’s quote

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.

– Sophia Loren

On this day

25 October 1854 – Charge of the Light Brigade. A famous cavalry charge led by Lord Cardigan of Britain, against the Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. The Russians were victorious. The charge was immortalised in the poem of the same name by poet laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The poem can be read here: http://www.ram.org/contrib/the_charge_of_the_light_brigade.html

25 October 1917 – October Revolution. This is the traditional date (old style Julian calendar) for the October Revolution, which corresponds with 7 – 8 November 1917 (new style Gregorian calendar) for the October Revolution. Part of the Russian Revolution which commenced with the February Revolution (8-12 March 1917) and which overthrew the Russian Provisional Government and replaced it with the Soviet government.

25 October 1923 – the first jar of vegemite rolls off the production lines. It was developed by a chemist named Dr Cyril P. Calister, under direction of the Fred Walker Company (which later became Kraft). Australia’s iconic vegemite is a yeast extract spread, great for toast, crumpets, pikelets, gravy, stews, soups and anything else.

25 October 1941 – birth of Helen Reddy, legendary 1970’s Australian singer, with hit songs such as I Am Woman, and Delta Dawn.

25 October 1964 – Zambian Independence. Formally, Northern Rhodesia, the British government grants independence. The first president is Kenneth Kaunda of the United National Independence Party.

25 October 1993 – death of Vincent Price, American actor, starred in a number of horror films, including House of Wax, House of Usher and The Raven. He also acted in the 1960s television series Batman, in which he played the evil mastermind, Egghead; a master criminal with a fixation on eggs. Price provided a voice-over on Alice Cooper’s 1975 album Welcome to My Nightmare. In 1976, Price recorded a cover version of Bobby Pickett song, Monster Mash. Born 27 May 1911.

24 October 2016

avuncular

[uh-vuhng-kyuh-ler]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of an uncle :
avuncular affection.

Origin of avuncular

Latin

1825-1835; < Latin avuncul (us) a mother’s brother, equivalent to av (us) a forefather + *-ont- + *-l (os) diminutive suffix (cf. uncle ) + -ar1

Related forms

avuncularity, noun
avuncularly, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for avuncular

Contemporary Examples

At precisely 11:00, NRA president David Keene plodded slowly to the podium, bespectacled, white haired, and avuncular.
The NRA: From Awful to Even Worse
Michelle Cottle
December 21, 2012

FDR gives an avuncular grin around his famous cigarette holder to Andrew Jackson.
The 100 Coolest Americans Gather at the National Portrait Gallery
William O’Connor
February 6, 2014

Even more polite than Jay, Brian Leveson gives off the avuncular air of a kindly head master.
Curtains for Murdoch
Peter Jukes
April 22, 2012

From Cairo, Ashraf Khalil reports on the clash between an aggressive Amr Moussa and avuncular Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh.
Moussa, Aboul Fotouh Spar in Egypt’s Epic First Presidential Debate
Ashraf Khalil
May 10, 2012

He was tall, but slight and avuncular, like a friendly neighbor.
The Last Columbine Mystery
Dave Cullen
February 23, 2010

Historical Examples

Let us whisper it: Did he inherit the avuncular tendency to obesity?
Lippincott’s Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. XII. No. 31. October, 1873.
Various

My secretary had been elevated to avuncular rank after a probation of just three hours.
The Right Stuff
Ian Hay

The time would soon come when the avuncular character would be more difficult to support than that of a rejected absentee.
The Honour of the Clintons
Archibald Marshall

I do not wish to speak of Jennie in a fatherly or avuncular manner.
The Tower of Oblivion
Oliver Onions

Anagram

can uvular

Today’s quote

Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity.

– Robert M. Pirsig

On this day

24 October 1648 – signing of the Treaty of Munster, between the Holy Roman Emperor, France and their respective allies. This treaty was the second in a series of peace treaties known as the Peace of Westphalia which paved the way for the modern sovereign state. The first was the Peace of Munster, signed on 30 January 1648, the third being the Treaty of Osnabruck, signed on 24 October 1648.

24 October 1648 – signing of the Treaty of Osnabruck, between the Holy Roman Emperor, the empire, Sweden and their respective allies. This treaty was the third in a series of peace treaties known as the Peace of Westphalia which paved the way for the modern sovereign state. The first was the Peace of Munster, signed on 30 January 1648, the second being the Treaty of Munster signed on 24 October 1648.

24 October 1929 – Black Thursday, one week before Wall Street’s infamous Black Tuesday and in a harbinger of the impending crash, investors dumped 13 million shares and the market lost 11% in value.

24 October 1930 – birth of Jiles Perry ‘J.P.’ Richardson Jr, otherwise known as the Big Bopper. 1950s rock and roll star, famous for songs such as ‘Chantilly Lace’ and ‘Running Bear’. Died in a plane crash on 3 February 1959 with other musicians, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Their deaths were immortalised in the Don McLean song, ‘American Pie’, when he sang about the day the music died.

24 October 1945 – UN Day. The Charter of the United Nations took effect and the United Nations General Assembly declared that it ‘shall be devoted to making known to the peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gaining their support for its work’.

23 October 2016

inutile

[in-yoo-til]

adjective

1. of no use or service.

Origin of inutile

late Middle English Latin
1400-1450; late Middle English < Latin inūtilis. See in-3, utile

Related forms

inutilely, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for inutile

Historical Examples

There is a lot of inutile talk about “significant form” by propagandists of the New Æsthetic.
Unicorns
James Huneker

M. France sees and notes many gestures, inutile or tragic, notes them with the enthralling simplicity of a complicated artist.
Egoists
James Huneker

The tune of her life had never sounded so discouragingly faint and inutile.
Visionaries
James Huneker

Next she found the telephone wire cut and the speaking tube battered and inutile.
The Drums Of Jeopardy
Harold MacGrath

As Christy’s plan was not in order, would be inutile, the business of the visitors at the islands was finished.
Fighting for the Right
Oliver Optic

The faint swarming toward the light and the rending of the sphere of hope, frustrate, inutile.
Melomaniacs
James Huneker

It is true that it would have been inutile, for no incident occurred to put the colonists to any painful trial.
The Secret of the Island
W.H.G. Kingston (translation from Jules Verne)

Anagram

lie unit

Today’s quote

It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.

– Samuel Adams

On this day

23 October 4004BC – The day the world was created, according to Archbishop James Ussher.

23 October 42BC – death of Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger, for a while known as Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus before returning to his original name. He is more commonly known as Brutus, Roman senator. He led a group who assassinated then Emperor Julius Caesar. Brutus suicided after his Army was defeated during the Roman civil wars at the Second Battle of Philippi, by Mark Antony and Octavian.

23 October 1959 – birth of ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic, American parody singer-songwriter.

23 October 1998 – Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, establish a ‘Land for Peace’ deal regarding the West Bank, after a marathon 21 hour negotiation.

22 October 2016

astucity

[uh-stoos-i-tee]

noun

1. The quality of being astute. Astuteness.
(Astute: having or showing an ability to notice and understand things clearly : mentally sharp or clever)

Example

They had been fools (to put it mildly), while the M’gai had been devils of astucity and treachery — John Masefield.

(c) Meriam-Webster

Origin

1605-15; < Latin astūtus shrewd, sly, cunning, equivalent to astū- (stem of astus) cleverness + -tus adj. suffix
(Dictionary.com)

Anagram

I stay cut

Today’s quote

You’re only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

– Timothy Leary

On this day

22 October 1797 – Andre-Jacques Garnerin becomes the world’s first sky-diver after jumping out of a balloon above Paris.

22 October 1920 – birth of Timothy Leary, American psychologist and author. Leary was a major proponent of the use of pscyhedelic drugs, particularly LSD and psilocybin (mushrooms). He conducted numerous psychiatric experiments using psychedelics, particularly during the 1950s and and 1960s, when the drugs were legal. LSD was banned by the USA in 1966. Leary popularised 1960′s catch-phrases such as ‘turn on, tune in and drop out’, ‘set and setting’, and ‘think for yourself and question authority’. He was friends with beat generation poets, such as Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac. Leary was arrested numerous times over his possession and use of drugs. He wrote a number of books on the benefits of psychedelic drugs. Leary became fascinated with computers, declaring that ‘the PC is the LSD of the 1990s’. He encouraged bohemians to ‘turn on, boot up, jack in’. Leary was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995. He chose to stream his dying moments over the internet. Seven grams of Leary’s ashes were placed aboard a Pegasus rocket, launched on 21 April 1997. It remained in orbit around the Earth for six years until it burned up in atmosphere. Died 31 May 1996.

22 October 1934 – Notorious gangster, Pretty Boy Floyd, shot to death by FBI agents in Ohio. Born 3 February 1904.

21 October 2016

anticity

[an-tee-sit-ee, an-tahy-]

adjective

1. averse to cities and urban locations.

Dictionary.com

Example

The increase in people making treechanges is evidence of anticity migration trends.

Anagram

tacit yin
I tiny act

Today’s quote

Offer them what they secretly want and they of course immediately become panic-stricken.

– Jack Kerouac

On this day

21 October 1492 – Christopher Columbus discovers America.

21 October 1772 – birth of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet. Died 25 July 1834.

21 October 1833 – birth of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish chemist and armaments manufacturer, inventor of dynamite and the Nobel Prizes. Was known as the ‘Merchant of Death’. A newspaper stated that he ‘became rich by finding ways to kill people faster than ever before‘. As a result, he decided to leave a better legacy than that and used his estate to establish and fund the Nobel Prizes, which included the Nobel Peace Prize. Died 10 December 1896.

21 October 1967 – Thousands of anti-Vietnam-war protesters attempt to storm the Pentagon.

21 October 1969 – death of Jack Kerouac, American beat-generation writer, ‘On the road‘. Born 12 March 1922.

21 October 2015 – Back to the Future Day. At 4.29pm on 21 October 2015, Doc Emmett Brown and Marty McFly arrived from the year 1955 in a time machine made from a Delorean in the hit 1989 film, Back to the Future 2. Apart from the time machine, the most famous invention featured in the movie was the hoverboard.

20 October 2016

sciolism

[sahy-uh-liz-uh m]

noun

1. superficial knowledge.

Origin of sciolism

Late Latin

1810-1820; < Late Latin sciol (us) one who knows little (diminutive of scius knowing; see conscious, -ole1) + -ism

Related forms

sciolist, noun
sciolistic, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sciolism

Historical Examples

Such an age of sciolism and scholasticism may possibly once more get the better of the literary world.
Phaedrus
Plato

Few things are as distressing as the sciolism of a second-rate English editor of a classic.
An American at Oxford
John Corbin

This is scholarship; the secondary information that has been popular is sciolism.
Education: How Old The New
James J. Walsh

Anagram

miss coil

Today’s quote

Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.

– Thomas A. Edison

On this day

20 October 1977 – Plane crash in Mississippi kills 3 members of rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd (Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, along with their Assistant Road Manager (Dean Kilpatrick), the pilot (Walter McCreary and co-pilot (William Gray).

20 October 2011 – death of Muammar Gaddafi, former leader of Libya. He had been shot to death by rebel fighters following the overthrow of his government. Born 7 June 1942.

19 October 2016

dilettante

[dil-i-tahnt, dil-i-tahnt, -tahn-tey, -tan-tee]

noun, plural dilettantes, dilettanti [dil-i-tahn-tee]

1. a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, especially in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.
2. a lover of an art or science, especially of a fine art.
adjective
3. of or relating to dilettantes.

Origin of dilettante

Latin

1725-1735; < Italian, noun use of present participle of dilettare < Latin dēlectāre to delight

Related forms

dilettantish, dilettanteish, adjective

Synonyms

1. amateur.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dilettante

Contemporary Examples

Men who marry rich, by contrast, are often seen as dilettantish —effete even.
Mitt Romney: The GOP’s Own John Kerry, or Is He More an Al Gore?
Michelle Cottle
January 13, 2012

Historical Examples

His dilettantish manner was gone for good, as was also his foppish beard.
Molly Brown of Kentucky
Nell Speed

Evelyns suggestions were unpractical and dilettantish, and Pepyss ramblings not over wise.
Haunted London
Walter Thornbury

Anagram

elated tint
talent tide
latent edit
latte end it

Today’s quote

Learning carries within itself certain dangers because out of necessity one has to learn from one’s enemies.

– Leon Trotsky

On this day

19 October 1924 – Leon Trotsky, one of the founders of the Soviet Union and founder of the Red Army, is thrown out of the Soviet Politburo and his followers persecuted after he opposed Stalin. Trotsky was eventually expelled from the Communist Party and in 1929 was deported from the Soviet Union. He continued his opposition to Stalinism from his base in Mexico.

19 October 1944 – birth of Peter Tosh, Jamaican reggae singer and musician. From 1963 to 1974, Tosh was a member of Bob Marley and Wailers until going solo. His most famous song is ‘Legalize It’, about legalising marijuana. Tosh’s album, ‘Bush Doctor’, included a duet with Mick Jagger in the song, ‘Don’t Look Back’. Tosh was a Rastafarian. He campaigned against apartheid, which he sang about on his album ‘Equal Rights’. Tosh was murdered on 11 September 1987, after three men broke into his house and tortured him in an effort to extort money. After several hours, one of the men shot Tosh in the head, killing him. Two other friends of Tosh’s were also killed.

19 October 2001 – 353 asylum seekers drown when the boat they are on sinks 70km south of Java. The victims included 146 children, 142 women and 65 men. They were travelling from Indonesia to Australia and were predominantly Iraqi. Australian authorities labelled the boat SIEV-X (SIEV is short for ‘Suspected Illegal Entry Vehicle’). The incident became a major political issue and coupled with other incidents, such as the ‘Tampa crisis’ and the ‘Children Overboard affair’, resulted in major changes to Australia’s migration laws, including excising 4,600 islands from Australia’s migration zone and introduction of the controversial ‘Pacific Solution’.

18 October 2016

defalcation

[dee-fal-key-shuh n, -fawl-]

noun, Law.

1. misappropriation of money or funds held by an official, trustee, or other fiduciary.
2. the sum misappropriated.

Origin of defalcation

Middle French, Medieval Latin
1425-1475; late Middle English: deduction from wages (< Middle French) < Medieval Latin dēfalcātiōn- (stem of dēfalcātiō) a taking away, equivalent to dēfalcāt (us) (see defalcate ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

nondefalcation, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for defalcation

Historical Examples

“My uncle was not down here this morning,” Maude would say:—and then she would go on to excuse the defalcation.
Kept in the Dark
Anthony Trollope

Evidently there had been a defalcation on rather a large scale.
Miss Mehetabel’s Son
Thomas Bailey Aldrich

You don’t mean that this is the blackguard who wrote that account of the defalcation in the Events?
The Quality of Mercy
W. D. Howells

But nothing yet concerning the defalcation and disappearance of Angelo Puma.
The Crimson Tide
Robert W. Chambers

The only distinct cause assigned by M. de St Priest, for his defalcation in the lists, is the Arragonese version.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 63, No. 391, May, 1848
Various

The rumour of Elijah’s defalcation had not disturbed Seymour seriously.
The Vision of Elijah Berl
Frank Lewis Nason

Anagram

toned facial
coaled faint
fetid canola
if anecdotal

Today’s quote

I think a good friend, to me, is all about trust and loyalty. You don’t ever want to second-guess whether you can tell your friend something.

– Lauren Conrad

On this day

18 October – Anti-slavery day, created by an act of the U.K. Parliament in 2010. It defines modern day slavery as child trafficking, forced labour, domestic servitude and trafficking for sexual exploitation. It provides an opportunity to draw attention to the subject and to pressure government, local authorities, public institutions and private and public companies to address the scale and scope of human trafficking.

18 October 1776 – the ‘cocktail’ is invented when a customer requests a drink decorated with a bird-tail, in a New York bar.

18 October 1867 – Formal transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States. Every year, 18 October is celebrated as Alaska Day.

18 October 1926 – birth of Chuck Berry, legendary American musician and pioneer of rock and roll and famous for songs such as ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ and ‘Johnny B. Goode’.

18 October 1931 – death of Thomas Edison, U.S. inventor. Born 11 February 1847.

17 October 2016

convocation

[kon-vuh-key-shuh n]

noun

1. the act of convoking.
2. the state of being convoked.
3. a group of people gathered in answer to a summons; assembly.
4. Anglican Church. either of the two provincial synods or assemblies of the clergy.
5. Protestant Episcopal Church.
an assembly of the clergy of part of a diocese.
the area represented at such an assembly.
6. a formal assembly at a college or university, especially for a graduation ceremony.

Origin of convocation

Middle English, Middle French Latin
1350-1400; Middle English convocacio (u) n (< Middle French) < Latin convocātiōn- (stem of convocātiō). See convoke, -ation

Related forms

convocational, adjective
convocationally, adverb

Synonyms

3. See convention.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for convocation

Contemporary Examples

More than ever before, Liberty has been thrust into the political spotlight this election year. The school has been invoked by newscasters for Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr.’s comments in convocation advocating for students to carry guns, Donald Trump speaking at convocation on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Falwell’s speech at the Republican National Convention, Falwell’s apologetics for the Trump campaign … and the list could go on.
Here’s Why Liberty University Students Are Denouncing Trump
Wesley Walker, sojo.net
October 13, 2016

And know this: Despite the willfully informal name, the import of such a convocation was immense.
The Most Important Chef in America
Joshua David Stein
September 15, 2009

Historical Examples

Congregation numbers four hundred, convocation nearly six thousand.
Oxford and Her Colleges
Goldwin Smith

The title of this poem was the convocation, or a Battle of Pamphlets, 1717.
The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. in Nine Volumes
Samuel Johnson

Anagram

coca onion TV
taco con vino
in cocoon vat

Today’s quote

I debate with others only with a desire that the truth comes out of either side. I never want the other side to lose.

– Imam Shafi.

On this day

17 October 1814 – London Beer Flood causes the deaths of 8 people. The flood occurred when a vat containing 610,000 litres (135,000 gallons) of beer ruptured, causing other vats in the building to also rupture, resulting in a total of 1,470,000 litres (323,000 gallons) to flood nearby streets, destroying two homes and the wall of a pub. Those killed were living in the basement of houses which filled with the beer. The brewery was sued, however, the court ruled the event an ‘Act of God’.

17 October 1901 – U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues an Executive Order changing name of the ‘Executive Mansion’ to the ‘White House’.

17 October 1938 – birth of U.S. daredevil, Evel Knievel (Robert Craig Knievel). Knievel was best known for his failed attempt to jump over the Grand Canyon on a rocket-propelled motor-bike. He also successfully, and often unsuccessfully, attempted long distance motor-bike jumps, such as jumping 14 buses. Through his career, Knievel broke 35 bones. Died 30 November 2007.

17 October 1989 – Mother Teresa awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

17 October 2010 – Mary McKillop is canonised by Pope Benedict XVI, becoming Australia’s first saint.

17 October 2011 – Richard Branson, of Virgin Group, opens the world’s first commercial space-port, which he has based in Mexico. Although there have been a number of sub-space test flights, to date there have been no commercial space flights.

16 October 2016

charcuterie

[shahr-koo-tuh-ree, shahr-koo-tuh-ree; French shar-kytuh-ree]

noun, plural charcuteries [shahr-koo-tuh-reez, shahr-koo-tuh-reez; French shar-kytuh-ree] (in France)

1. a store where pork products, as hams, sausages, and pâtés are sold.
2. the items sold in such a store.

Origin of charcuterie

French, Middle French

1855-1860; French; Middle French chaircuterie, equivalent to chaircut (ier) charcutier + -erie -ery

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for charcuterie

Contemporary Examples

I can’t get enough of the excellent French charcuterie : terrines, pates, saucisson—oh my!
Fresh Picks
Gina DePalma
August 23, 2010

It serves small plates like cheese, charcuterie, and sandwiches, but most come here for the impressive wine selection.
Delayed? The Best Airport Restaurants to Eat at This Thanksgiving
Brandy Zadrozny
November 26, 2013

I still pull from this book when making terrines, sausages, and other charcuterie.
Fresh Picks
Chris Leahy
February 1, 2011

Anagram

accrue their
rice hut acre

Today’s quote

When you’re 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you’re 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you’re 60 you realize no one was ever thinking about you in the first place.

– Unknown

On this day

16 October – Dictionary Day (in the U.S.A), coinciding with the birth of Noah Webster (born 1758), creator of Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language and known as the ‘Father of American Scholarship and Education’.

16 October 1834 – London’s House of Lords and House of Commons damaged by fire caused by an over-heating chimney flue during the destruction of tally sticks.

16 October 1854 – birth of Oscar Wilde, Irish writer and poet. Wilde wrote a number of plays, poems and epigrams. His only novel was ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. His plays included ‘The Importance of Being Ernest’, and ‘Salome’. In addition to English, he was fluent in German and French. In 1895, Wilde was convicted of ‘gross indecency’ which related to some of his homosexual relationships. He received the maximum sentence of two years hard labour. On his release from prison in 1897, Wilde moved to Paris, living in exile and poverty. He died on 30 November 1900 from cerebral meningitis. He was buried at Cimetière de Bagneux, but in 1909 his remains were transferred to Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.

16 October 1962 – start of the Cuban Missile Crisis, known in Cuba as the October Crisis and in Russia as Kарибский кризис (Caribbean Crisis), one of the major events of the Cold War as it brought the world to the brink of nuclear conflict. It started when a USAF U-2 plane photographed evidence of Soviet air bases being constructed in Cuba on 14 October 1962. The U.S. considered bombing the bases, but ended up blockading Cuba, preventing Soviet weapons being delivered. Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev wrote to U.S. President John F. Kennedy, stating the blockade constituted an act of war. For 13 days, the Americans and Soviets conducted talks to resolve the crisis. On 28 October 1962, Kennedy and UN Secretary General U. Thant reached a public and secret agreement with Khrushchev. Publicly, the Soviets agreed to dismantle their weapons in Cuba, while the U.S. gave an agreement to never invade Cuba. Secretly, the U.S. agreed to dismantle its ballistic missiles in Turkey.