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From today's featured article
The Battle of Groix was fought on 23 June 1795 off the Biscay coast of Brittany between elements of the British Channel Fleet, commanded by Admiral Lord Bridport, and the French Atlantic Fleet, under Vice-admiral Villaret de Joyeuse. The British fleet of 14 ships of the line was covering an invasion convoy when it encountered the 12 French ships of the line returning to base at Brest. Villaret ordered his force to take shelter in protected coastal waters, but several ships fell behind. After fierce fights, three French ships were captured; the remainder became scattered and were vulnerable, but Bridport, concerned by the rocky coastline, called off the action. Most historians have considered Bridport's retirement from the battle to be premature, and concluded that an opportunity to destroy the French fleet may have been squandered. The French were trapped in Lorient where food supplies ran out, crippling the fleet. Several French captains were court-martialled following the battle. (Full article...)
Did you know ...
- ... that the Constitution Defense Monument in Bangkok (pictured c. 1939) disappeared overnight in 2018 without any official explanation?
- ... that Thomas Kerr protested the Iraq War with his SNP-supporting aunt, later campaigned for Labour, joined the Conservatives, and defected to Reform UK?
- ... that James Joyce's "untranslatable" novel Ulysses was translated into at least 43 languages?
- ... that in 2023, Chinese Coast Guardsman Wang Xiaolong was officially declared a Martyr?
- ... that the memoir of Saudi poet Huda al-Daghfaq has been described as an expression of her "existential battle"?
- ... that technical geography, which includes the application of computer cartography and remote sensing, has origins in Greco-Roman and medieval Islamic cartography?
- ... that Jakarta deputy governor Eddie Marzuki Nalapraya used to babysit future dangdut musician Rhoma Irama?
- ... that a partly AI-generated 2022 issue of Civilization was designed to be horrible and unlikable?
In the news
- The Vera C. Rubin Observatory (pictured) releases the first light images from its new 8.4-metre (28 ft) telescope.
- The United States conducts military strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran.
- In rugby union, the Crusaders defeat the Chiefs to win the Super Rugby Pacific final.
- In ice hockey, the Florida Panthers defeat the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup.
- In motorsport, Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Phil Hanson of AF Corse win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
On this day
June 23: Grand Duke's Official Birthday in Luxembourg
- 1865 – Stand Watie became the last Confederate general of the American Civil War to surrender to Union forces.
- 1894 – Led by French historian Pierre de Coubertin (pictured), an international congress at the Sorbonne in Paris formed the International Olympic Committee to revive the ancient Olympic Games.
- 1985 – A bomb attributed to the Sikh separatist group Babbar Khalsa destroyed Air India Flight 182 above the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 329 on board.
- 2014 – Under the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 2118, the last of Syria's declared chemical weapons were shipped out for destruction.
- Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (d. 1324)
- Len Hutton (b. 1916)
- Bill Torrey (b. 1934)
- Joss Whedon (b. 1964)
From today's featured list
There are 14 restaurants in Turkey with a Michelin star rating as of the 2025 Michelin Guide. The Michelin Guides have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. They were designed as a guide about eateries worth driving to. Chefs in Turkey with Michelin stars include Fatih Tutak (pictured), who had previously been awarded a Michelin Plate in 2018, and Maksut Aşkar, whose restaurant, Neolokal, also won a Michelin green star. The Turkish guide originally launched in 2023, reviewing restaurants solely in the city of Istanbul. In 2024, it expanded to also review restaurants in the Turkish seaside regions of Bodrum and İzmir Province. TURK Fatih Tutak is the only restaurant in Turkey with more than one star. (Full list...)
Today's featured picture
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Geraldine Ulmar (June 23, 1862 – August 13, 1932) was an American soprano and actress known for her performances in Savoy operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. In 1879, she made her debut in Boston as Josephine in Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore and soon joined the Boston Ideal Opera Company, where she remained as leading soprano for six years. From 1885 to 1886, Ulmar played Yum-Yum in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company's first American production of The Mikado in New York. Over the next two years she played further Gilbert and Sullivan roles in New York, Germany and England. In London, she was the first to play the leading characters of Elsie Maynard in The Yeomen of the Guard (1888) and Gianetta in The Gondoliers (1889) before leaving D'Oyly Carte in 1890. She remained in Britain to play leading roles in other works, such as O Mimosa San in the musical comedy The Geisha. In 1904 she retired from the stage and taught singing. Ulmar was married to composer Ivan Caryll for a time. The photo shows Ulmar as Yum-Yum in New York in 1886. Poster credit: Benjamin Joseph Falk; restored by Adam Cuerden
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