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British logistics supported the Anglo-Canadian forces in the Western Allied invasion of Germany, the final campaign of the Second World War in Europe. By this time, the 21st Army Group was highly experienced, professional and proficient. Mechanisation and materiel were used to maximum effect to conserve manpower. The First Canadian Army was reunited by the return of divisions from Italy. The army roadheads were mainly supplied by rail; fuel was brought by tankers and the Operation Pluto pipeline. Thousands of guns and millions of rounds of ammunition were used in Operation Veritable, the advance to the Rhine; and Operation Plunder, the Rhine crossing, which also featured an airborne operation. Engineers soon had bridges in operation. During April 1945, the 21st Army Group advanced across northern Germany to reach the Elbe and then the Baltic Sea. On 4 May, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery took the surrender of the German forces in front of the 21st Army Group. (Full article...)
Did you know ...
- ... that a memorial bust (pictured) at Diên Hồng Square commemorates a 15-year-old protestor who was shot dead there?
- ... that Frederick E. Olmsted was instrumental in the creation of nineteen national forests and the Muir Woods National Monument in California?
- ... that South Korea has censored military-affiliated golf courses?
- ... that as Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad called the outcomes of the 1992 Earth Summit "eco-imperialism"?
- ... that Ursula K. Le Guin's short story "The Day Before the Revolution", which won Nebula and Locus Awards in 1975, was praised for its depiction of a "revolutionary icon as a curmudgeonly old woman"?
- ... that Mexican musician Christian Nodal was the first artist to have a regional Mexican song enter the Billboard Hot 100?
- ... that Angelito de Canal 13, the mascot of the Chilean television network Canal 13, was inspired by its creator's son?
- ... that football player Jeff Allen had an "ability to scramble through small holes" that earned him the nickname "Rat"?
In the news
- All 41 workers trapped in a road tunnel collapse (tunnel pictured) in Uttarakhand, India, are rescued after 17 days underground.
- The novel Prophet Song by Paul Lynch wins the Booker Prize.
- The Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, wins the most seats in the Dutch general election.
- In Canadian football, the Montreal Alouettes defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to win the Grey Cup.
On this day
November 30: Saint Andrew's Day (Christianity)
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- 1700 – Great Northern War: Swedish forces led by King Charles XII defeated the Russian army at the Battle of Narva.
- 1934 – Flying Scotsman became the first steam locomotive officially to exceed 100 miles per hour (161 km/h).
- 1961 – Following the death of Dag Hammarskjöld, Burmese diplomat U Thant (pictured) was elected as Secretary-General of the United Nations.
- 1999 – A series of protests by anti-globalization activists against the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999 in Seattle forced the cancellation of the opening ceremonies.
- Richard Farrant (d. 1580)
- Jagadish Chandra Bose (b. 1858)
- Eir Aoi (b. 1988)
- Cherry Valentine (b. 1993)
Today's featured picture
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The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) is a species of seabird in the auk family and is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean. It has a black crown and back, pale grey cheek patches and white underparts and its broad, boldly marked red and black beak and orange legs contrast with its otherwise sombre plumage. The Atlantic puffin spends the autumn and winter at sea, mainly in the North Atlantic, and returns to land at the start of the breeding season in late spring. Its breeding range includes the coasts of north west Europe, the Arctic fringes and eastern North America. It nests in clifftop colonies, each pair of birds choosing or digging a burrow in which a single white egg is laid. Incubation takes about six weeks and the chicks are fully fledged a similar time later. They then make their way at night to the sea, not returning to land for several years. Colonies are mostly on islands where there are no terrestrial predators, but both adult birds and newly fledged young are at risk of attacks from the air by gulls and skuas. The Atlantic puffin's striking appearance, large colourful bill, waddling gait and appealing behaviour have given rise to nicknames such as "clown of the sea" and "sea parrot". This Atlantic puffin was photographed on the northern coast of Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
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