Trending News
Twenty-seven soldiers injured in CFB Wainwright fire remain in hospital: Premier Smith
Of the 39 soldiers rushed to hospital after a deadly fire hit CFB Wainwright, 27 remain in hospital, Premier Danielle Smith announced Tuesday. In a televised address, before commenting on Monday night’s 10-question referendum, Smith spoke of the “four brave young soldiers who paid the ultimate price, preparing to defend our country.” “These men will […]
Alberta premier says UCP must be pro-Canada, separatists can 'join a different party'
Premier Danielle Smith says separatist UCP members should support the will of Albertans who voted to remain in Canada or leave the party.That desire was clear in the results of Monday's referendum, she told reporters at a news conference in Calgary Wednesday. She echoed the sentiment from her video message sent to UCP members earlier in the day.
Record $90M Lotto Max jackpot won in Alberta, OLG says
Canada’s record-setting $90 million Lotto Max jackpot has been won by a ticket sold in Alberta following Tuesday night’s draw, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) confirmed. The historic jackpot, first announced on Oct. 14, surpasses the previous Canadian lottery record of $85 million. The OLG says several major winning tickets were sold across […]
Van Zandt County deputy killed, Canton police officer injured in shootout with suspect
A Van Zandt County sheriff’s deputy was killed, and a Canton police officer was injured on Tuesday night after a suspect opened fire on law enforcement officers attempting to serve felony warrants at a residence, law enforcement officials said.According to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began when deputies were assisting the Canton Police Department with a warrant service around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, at a residence in the 4300 block of State Highway 198, just south of Canton.Authorities said the suspect was wanted on outstanding felony warrants issued by the Canton Police Department for aggravated assault and aggravated assault of a peace officer.Around 10:22 p.m., law enforcement personnel at the scene reported that shots were being fired from inside the residence toward deputies and officers outside, the sheriff’s office said.According to the sheriff’s office, officers returned fire, resulting in an exchange of gunfire that left a Canton police officer and a Van Zandt County sheriff’s deputy wounded.Canton Police confirm their officer was flown to a hospital in Plano in stable condition and will be having surgery on his right arm, where he was shot.The sheriff’s office said the deputy was fatally wounded during the exchange of gunfire and was pronounced dead on the scene.The suspect was also found dead inside the residence from a gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office.Authorities have not officially released the identities of the deputy, injured officer, or suspect. However, condolences for the fallen deputy and injured officer are also coming in on social media.The mayor of Malakoff, a city just south of Canton in Henderson County, posted on Facebook, “My heart goes out to the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office as they mourn the loss of Deputy Adam Sherifi. I extend my deepest condolences to his wife, his children, his loved ones, and his entire law enforcement family.”Her statement added, “There are no words that can ease the pain of losing someone you love. I am praying that God surrounds his wife and children with comfort, strength, and love in the difficult days ahead.”There was a presence of Van Zandt County Sheriff’s vehicles parked outside of the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday morning.The Texas Rangers are currently investigating the shooting.The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting was an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public.A vigil for the fallen deputy is set to take place at noon Wednesday outside the Van Zandt County courthouse, where flags have been lowered to half staff.Canton mayor Mayor Lou Ann Everett issued a statement to NBC 5, saying, “Our hearts are heavy for the loss of the deputy, our injured officer and the family whose son was having an episode of some sort. We also are praying for the support officers of Van Zandt and Henderson counties who were called to the scene.”The Tawakoni South Volunteer Fire Department also posted condolences for the deputy, who they say was a good friend to many of their members.“The members of the Tawakoni South Fire Department extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fellow officers of Van Zandt County Deputy Adam, who was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty last night. Adam was a good friend to some of our members, while others may not have had the opportunity to know him personally. Regardless, the loss of a fellow first responder is felt deeply throughout our public safety family and our community,” the statement reads.The fire department said he leaves behind a wife, a 4-year-old child, and a 6-week-old baby. “Our hearts go out to his family as they face this unimaginable loss. We ask our community to please keep his family, children, friends, fellow officers, and everyone affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers,” the department said.The Van Zandt County Peace Officers Association announced on social media that it is asking for donations to help provide meals and cover other expenses for the officers and first responders involved in both the shooting and an unrelated fatal house fire that happened at the same time in Canton that claimed the life of three children.The Texas Municipal Police Association also posted the following statement online following the shooting:This is a developing story. NBC 5 will update this article as more information is released.This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Thousands march in Greece over public education failures as Macron blasts 'stupid' commentary on French protests – as it happened
Students, teachers and civil servants have shown up in Athens, with demonstrations also in Thessaloniki and other citiesMeanwhile, back to Witkoff's meeting with Putin in St Petersburg, the US president, Donald Trump, has just welcomed the release of Stephen Hubbard, a US citizen held by Moscow on allegations of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine (11:24).In a post on Truth Social, he said:"Stephen Hubbard, taken four years ago by Russia during the Biden Administration, was just released from prison, at the request of President Donald J. Trump, made directly to President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation last week. Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family. The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return - an unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no "swap" necessary for this release. Continue reading...
Putin orders release of jailed American as he meets Trump envoy for Ukraine talks
Russia frees Stephen Hubbard after US request while Steve Witkoff praises Putin, wanted by ICC as war criminal, as a 'humanitarian'US politics live – latest updatesVladimir Putin ordered the release of an American man from a Russian jail as he met Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday for fresh talks on ending the war in Ukraine, amid increasingly close relations between Moscow and Washington.Trump had previously asked Putin to free Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old former teacher who had spent more than four years in Russian jails on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. Continue reading...
​Europe stands by Ukraine – but how long can that last?
As US support ebbs away, looming European elections and growing financial strains across the continent could fracture the precious coalition that has kept Ukraine afloatEurope woke up last Friday to another belligerent outburst from Donald Trump – this time berating Ukraine's wartime leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy again. Just a few days after his diesel deal with the Kremlin, the US president said Zelenskyy was more difficult to deal with than Vladimir Putin and blamed Ukraine's leader for rocketing oil prices – without any reference to the impact of his own war on Iran.The contrast in Europe was obvious. When Zelenskyy walked into the multi-coloured summit room of the European Council headquarters in Brussels that Friday morning, the EU's 27 leaders burst into applause, getting to their feet to offer big hugs and brisk handshakes. European Council president António Costa told Zelenskyy and the media: "This is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine," calling instead for increased pressure on Russia. Zelenskyy was thankful, pointedly saying he was happy to have "huge support" from "real leaders". Continue reading...
Evacuations and shelter-in-place orders issued in Toledo, Ohio, after chemical release
A chemical tank explosion in Toledo, Ohio, forced hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes or shelter in place Wednesday due to fears of a toxic release and the possibility of another explosion.Videos show a plume still billowing from the tank early Wednesday afternoon, more than 14 hours after the tank began leaking Tuesday night.Some residents felt irritation in their eyes and throats, and one sheriff’s deputy who responded to the blast drove himself to a hospital because he felt unwell, city officials said.MC Tank Transport said the tank contained glycidyl methacrylate, which it described as "an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better."The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said without elaborating that the leak happened because of an error while the material was being transferred.The leaking tank was in a largely industrial area. Nearly 1,000 residents were told to evacuate overnight within a 1-mile radius of the explosion, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said at a news conference Wednesday morning.A shelter-in-place zone order covering a 3-mile radius included neighborhoods along the Lake Erie shoreline and stretched just across the state line into Michigan.Health officials said the chemical was mostly an irritant so far, causing watery eyes, and that tests were ongoing to determine how much toxicity was in the air.Kristine Kowalinski, who lives just outside the impacted area, said she was staying inside because she's sensitive to even wood burning outside. She said she's worried about what's in the air and on the ground."My main concern is how did that affect everything overnight when it was raining down on cars, houses, my garden," she said.Kapszukiewicz said the chemical is liquid inside the tank but becomes a gas when released."There is still concern that the tank is emitting this chemical and it has the potential within 12 hours of the incident to be explosive," the mayor said, adding that it can hold 5,500 gallons of the chemical in liquid form. He said officials don't know what caused the explosion.People who come into contact with glycidyl methacrylate may feel as if their eyes, nose, mouth and skin are burning, the city fire department said. Overexposure can lead to headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting."It's really toxic if you touch it, if you ingest it," said Karim Baroudi, director of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department. "Now we're trying to kind of determine how much of a toxicity is in the air that the people are breathing so we can give better guidance."Baroudi advised residents to close their windows and that those who "feel irritation in the eyes, heavily breathing, just take a shower for now." The fire department said those who experience symptoms should contact a medical professional.Emergency and hazardous material crews were not approaching the tank because of the risk of another explosion, Kapszukiewicz said.Arkansas-based MC Tank Transport said in a statement the company is working with the fire department and other emergency authorities. Company representatives were on their way to Toledo, Kapszukiewicz said."Our immediate and overriding concern is the safety of area residents, emergency responders and our employees," the company said.___McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed.
Australian politicians say they are paying thousands for their own security upgrades amid rising threats
Home and office safety a common concern in Australian federal police and Asio safety briefings with politicians following alleged attack on MP Helen HainesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastSecurity agencies will review safety precautions for MPs' homes and offices after numerous federal politicians told police and Asio in safety briefings that they were worried about widening threats after the alleged attack on Helen Haines.The Labor government and politicians across the parliament are still considering how they will respond when they return to Canberra next week, with ideas being floated including a new committee on MPs' safety, greater resources for police, and motions of condolence for Haines, who lost both her legs after Monday's incident. Renewed calls from the crossbench for reforms to question time and the tone of debate in parliament are unlikely to be taken up by the major parties.Sign up for Guardian Australia's Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...
Taxpayers are funding private school tuition. It's helping Christian schools expand
Keith Castello spends a lot of time praying about available real estate. Driving in his white pickup under a glaring Texas sun, the classical Christian school administrator points out empty office parks, a shopping mall and an old church — all locations he is scouting for new Christian schools.Demand is booming, he says. And part of that demand comes from a new state incentive: taxpayer money for kids who attend Christian schools.This summer, Texas began rolling out $1 billion in public funding that eligible families can put toward private education expenses. Republican-controlled state legislatures around the country have approved a cascade of similar programs in the past six years, alarming public school advocates.These programs mean half of school-age children in the United States are now eligible to apply for state money to attend private schools. In the U.S., most private schools are religious. Securing public money for them raises issues over church-state separation but fulfills a longstanding goal for Christian conservatives, who lobbied for this funding. "I have been praying for 28 years for things that are coming to fruition right now," said Castello, who is launching three classical Christian schools this fall under his Kyrie Christian Academy brand.Those suburban Texas schools are part of a larger network, the Association of Classical Christian Schools, which has ties to the Trump administration and was founded by Doug Wilson, a conservative Idaho pastor and writer. The schools offer a liberal arts education, with an added emphasis on virtue and a biblical worldview.The annual ACCS conference in June in Atlanta buzzed with talk of the historic shift in school funding, which bolsters a conservative Christian push to remake the education landscape. Critics worry it will drain public schools, which educate students of all religious backgrounds and political persuasions. When students leave their public school, state money allocated to educate each student goes away too.Conservatives are banding together to leverage these expanding taxpayer-funded scholarships. Last year, ACCS formed a coalition with some powerful conservative groups, including Turning Point Education and the Heritage Foundation. Their goal is to convert or create 5,000 new classical Christian schools in the next decade with 1.5 million students nationwide. The aim, according to ACCS President David Goodwin, is to take a share of public funding and educate future leaders through Christian schools. "It sounds like a very ambitious goal, but this money has never been there before," he said. Conservatives wage the 'Battle for the American School'The Association of Classical Christian Schools calls its campaign the "Battle for the American School." It's a riff on the 2022 bestselling book Goodwin co-wrote with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who sent his children to ACCS schools before joining President Donald Trump's cabinet. Their book, "Battle for the American Mind," extols classical education and critiques the prevailing public school model.Hegseth remains a booster: The Pentagon recently introduced a form of classical education into government-run schools on military bases.The ACCS version of classical Christian education is proudly erudite: The Oxford-educated Christian writer C.S. Lewis is a lodestar, and students study the "great books." Its teaching methods draw from ancient and medieval sources with a strong focus on Western Christian history.The schools have their roots in a radical source. Wilson, the founder of ACCS, is a self-described Christian nationalist who has made headlines for preaching at a Pentagon worship service and advocating for the repeal of women's voting rights. For more than four decades, he has also been a pioneer in classical Christian education. In 1981, he helped start the Logos School in Moscow, Idaho, one of the first in the modern classical Christian movement. He founded ACCS in 1994. At the June conference, Wilson told a packed ballroom of 1,000 ACCS leaders they can't opt out of the culture wars. Education is "the central cultural battle," he argued. He repeated for emphasis the refrain: "Classical Christian education is a hot center of the conflict of our time." Parents — and, now, states — can pay thousands for tuitionOn a Wednesday in August, the school year begins at Covenant Christian Academy, an ACCS school in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs. Well-behaved children in lower grades file into chapel in the cafeteria, all wearing blue oxford shirts, the girls in blue-and-white plaid skirts and dresses. The principal gives a talk on the virtue of prudence. By the time these students are in fifth grade, they will study Latin, in a building where bulletin boards now feature quotes from Cicero and St. Augustine. In their final year, they will present a senior thesis. Most will go on to college, many at public universities, some at Christian colleges. Castello was at Covenant Christian Academy for 20 years. While he was headmaster, the academy expanded its campus and grew from 275 students to more than 600. Though he is a product of public schools — good ones, he's quick to note — he is now a foot soldier in this battle for private education.When he began his teaching career after seminary, he loved how academics came alive at schools like Covenant: "Every class was grounded on the word of God, it was rooted in truth, it was meant to be transformative in the lives of students."But private schools can be financially out of reach for families. It was a struggle for Castello and his wife to afford Covenant for their two sons. He knew most members of his Southern Baptist church could not pay the tuition, now around $20,000, so he helped raise scholarship money and ramped up financial aid. Now that Texas offers money for private school tuition, he encourages parents to use it. When Gwen Albaugh's husband died from cancer three years ago, Castello secured a scholarship for her two children to attend Covenant. She said, "I know that they are somewhere that they are being taught the foundational work, whether that be academics or faith-wise, and I'm able to now provide for our family." After Texas launched its education savings accounts this year, Albaugh's children were among at least 78 Covenant students who qualified for the program.Christian schools aim to take public money and studentsFor years, Democrats and rural Republicans in Texas blocked efforts to create education savings accounts."They were worried, I think rightfully, about what it would do to public schools in rural areas," said Douglas Harris, an economist at Tulane who studies school choice.Advocates also warned these programs entwine government and religion by diverting taxpayer money to Christian schools."It's an abject violation of religious freedom to force a taxpayer to fund a school that discriminates against their faith," said Rachel Laser, head of the advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State.Classical education, popular among conservatives, was already on the rise before more taxpayer funds became available. It exists in many forms, in religious schools outside ACCS, homeschooling groups, secular and charter schools. Many classical Christian schools go a step further in their focus on reclaiming and promoting Western Christian culture.ACCS is an accrediting body and the oldest network of classical Christian schools. Its membership includes about 500 schools, but it has grown by nearly 200 schools since 2019. Goodwin, its president, credits a pandemic-era mistrust of public education, when debates ignited over school closures, books, race, sexuality and gender identity. Not all ACCS schools accept government money, but many that do now advertise state funding options on their websites."What we're trying to do is take enough of the public school share that we can change the country's direction with powerful leadership coming out of these classical Christian schools," Goodwin said in a promotional video.Wilson echoed that idea. "We are training and educating leaders," he told The Associated Press. "We teach them how to analyze, how to take arguments apart, how to understand what your opponent is saying and represent it accurately." The school network has a controversial founderWilson can be a provocateur, suggesting homosexuality should be criminalized and criticizing Muslim immigration to the U.S. His Idaho church prefers heads of households, usually men, to vote. He describes his politics as "slightly to the right" of Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. Castello labels some of Wilson's statements as "vilely offensive." He compares Wilson to a family elder, one who deserves respect, but also has some reprehensible views. ACCS is less pugilistic than its founder. It includes socially conservative Christians across denominations and hasn't adopted Wilson's more fringe beliefs. Schools agree to a statement of faith, including that same-sex relationships and gender transitions are off-limits, but families may not be aware of Wilson's teachings or influence. He still advises the ACCS board, though, and his books are required reading in some of its schools. Wilson is part of the reason three mothers pulled their children this year from a San Diego-area Christian school, which pursued an affiliation with ACCS. They opposed his patriarchal, controversial views and were concerned when students received humanities coursework Wilson wrote.In one of the texts students read, a commentary on C.S. Lewis, Wilson defends the author's "historic Christian understanding of the relationship of men and women." He calls Islam and Hinduism "false religions."Sarah Stankorb, an author who covered Wilson in her book "Disobedient Women," said ACCS schools are "definitely a mode of transmission into the Doug Wilson pipeline."Hundreds of students at one Christian school are taxpayer-fundedAt Coram Deo Academy, an ACCS school where Castello served as vice president of operations until last year, more than 360 students out of 2,000 have been approved for Texas Education Freedom Accounts, or TEFA. Coram Deo could potentially receive $3.5 million in TEFA funds this year, equal to nearly 17% of its budget, according to Scott Head, the school's chief financial officer. The taxpayer funds are also on track to cover half of the school's financial aid budget. The Texas program prioritizes low-income students and those with disabilities, but its income limits this year go up to $165,000 for a family of four, opening the door to middle-income families. Eligible students can receive at least $10,474 for private school, which covers Coram Deo's average tuition. The school's hybrid model keeps costs lower because students are homeschooled part of the week. Nathanael Wydner graduated from Coram Deo, but he and his wife Candice could not afford to send both of their children on his salary alone. They cried when they got off the TEFA waitlist. "This year and probably for years to come, it's everything. It's the only way that this works for us," Wydner said. At one of Castello's startup schools, 22 out of 25 students are using TEFA this year.The Rev. Victor Shahat, head of St. Clement Orthodox Christian Academy, said, "I can't imagine without TEFA we can open the school this year at all." The TEFA program is not conducive to startups, since vendor schools must be in operation for two years. Castello qualified because he ran a microschool for seven years at a tennis club for the owners' children. His Kyrie organization now serves as a TEFA conduit for three new locations. Castello said the influx of taxpayer money "completely transforms the possibility" of increasing access to Christian education. Blurring the lines between public and private schools"We're on a massive inflection point in the Christian school movement," Castello tells a sanctuary full of Christian-school parents one Monday evening. Standing behind the lectern, cowboy boots under his dress slacks, he predicts Texas will increase the funding for its education savings accounts — an outcome that may hinge on whether the Republican or Democrat wins the governor's race this November. He tells the audience about a new federal tax credit, which will also send money to private schools.There are murmurs of approval and "amens" when he mentions how Christian schools will benefit.Hours earlier, Castello had walked through his newest school, Southlake Christian Academy, located in a church. Supplies crowded an office, and the sound of drilling echoed as contractors installed security cameras. The campus opened with six students this year, but Castello has big plans for it. A longtime coach, he hopes to add athletic facilities, and he has brought on a real estate consultant.He plans to talk to lawmakers about making it easier for private schools like his to buy shuttered public school buildings. He has heard the critiques that these programs will hurt public schools. He counters that he and other private school parents still pay taxes that support public education."I'm not against the public schools," Castello said, though he doesn't see them as religiously neutral, calling them "secular humanist schools." The line between public and private schools is blurring. "If private schools are being funded by taxpayer funds, then what is the difference between public and private?" he asked.
On TV
Slow Horses — 6x6: "Judgment Day" (Apple TV)
Season finale. The safe house becomes unsafe as Lamb and Taverner finally join forces.
NOVA — 53x14: "Evolution: Need to Feed" (PBS)
Abbott Elementary — 6x3: "Tryouts" (ABC)
The step team tries out for a major competition, Melissa and Barbara take a special ed certification course, while Janine, Gregory and Jacob welcome a new substitute.
New Music

No new drops today. Go rediscover something in your old playlists.

In theaters
Clayface (109 minutes)
Matt Hagen's meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss's actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
Klara and the Sun (116 minutes)
An Artificial Friend named Klara finds a deep bond with a troubled young girl, bringing light and hope to a grieving family through her unwavering devotion and innocent wonder.
Wicker (105 minutes)
On the outskirts of a village by the sea, lives a Fisherwoman; smelly, single and perpetually ridiculed. One day, fed up with her stuffy, small-minded neighbours, she commissions herself a husband to be made from wicker. In an otherwise conservative town, this unconventional romance sparks outrage, jealousy and chaos.
Launching today

Nothing launching today. Every rocket is staying grounded and behaving.

Useless Fact

In 1980, a Las Vegas hospital suspended workers for betting on when patients would die.

The loonie
CAD → USD
0.7115
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CAD → EUR
0.6335
▲ 0.0010
Today In History
2018 — Julia Louis-Dreyfus Awarded Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize
American actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, known for her roles in the sitcoms Seinfeld and Veep, was awarded the prestigious Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2018, which is considered the highest honor in comedy.
2012 — George McGovern, 1972 Dem. candidate, dies at 90
George Mc Govern, a former U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate who ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon in the 1972 election, died at the age of 90.
1966 — Deadly Aberfan Mining Disaster Kills 144
In 1966, a massive landslide of coal mining waste in the Welsh village of Aberfan engulfed and destroyed a local school, tragically killing 144 people, the majority of whom were children.
1964 — My Fair Lady film premieres, wins 8 Oscars
The American musical film My Fair Lady, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, had its world premiere, and it later won eight Academy Awards, including that for best picture
1960 — Fourth and Final 1960 Presidential Debate Between Kennedy and Nixon
John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon debated for the fourth and final time before the 1960 U.S. presidential election. U.S. presidents quiz
1959 — Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum Opens in NYC
The Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, opened in New York City
1940 — Ernest Hemingway Publishes "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
American novelist Ernest Hemingwaypublished his classic novel For Whom the Bell Tolls; it was later adapted into anacclaimed film
1907 — Lehár's "The Merry Widow" Premieres in New York
Franz Lehár's operette The Merry Widow premiered in New York City in 1907, introducing American audiences to the popular musical work.
1833 — Alfred Nobel's Birth and Invention of Dynamite
Swedish chemist, engineer, and industrialist Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite and other more powerful explosives, was born in Stockholm in 1833. He also founded the Nobel Prizes.
1805 — Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement fought on 21 October 1805 between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies. A British fleet of 27 ships under Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated a French and Spanish fleet of 33 ships off the southwest coast of Spain, near Cape Trafalgar. This decisive victory secured British naval supremacy for the remainder of the Napoleonic Wars.
1797 — Launch of U.S. Navy Frigate "Constitution"
The Constitution, one of the first frigates built for the U.S. Navy, was launched in Boston in 1797. It later gained fame as "Old Ironsides" during the War of 1812, when it carried U.S. sailors to victory over the British in a series of naval battles.
1520 — Magellan's discovery of gateway to circumnavigating the globe
On this day in 1520, explorer Ferdinand Magellan and three Spanish ships entered the strait later named for him, sailing between the mainland tip of South America and the island of Tierra del Fuego toward the Pacific Ocean

This is today, boiled down to the essentials. The full stash lives at logicalchaos.ca. Go get lost in it.