SS Politician was a cargo ship that ran aground off the coast of the Hebridean island of Eriskay (pictured) in February 1941. During the Second World War the ship participated in the Atlantic convoys between the United Kingdom and the United States. She grounded while attempting to rendezvous with a convoy to the north of Scotland. No one was badly injured or killed in the accident. Her cargo included 22,000 cases of malt whisky and £3 million worth of Jamaican banknotes. Much of the whisky was recovered by islanders from across the Hebrides, contrary to marine salvage laws. Because no duty had been paid on the whisky, members of HM Customs and Excise pursued and prosecuted those who had removed the cargo. Customs men undertook raids, arresting many and seizing the boats of those suspected of taking part. The story of the wreck and looting was the basis for the book Whisky Galore; an adaptation was released as a film in 1949 and a remake in 2016.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Politician> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1844: The Rochdale Pioneers opened their store in Rochdale, England, forming the basis for the modern co-operative movement. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneers> 1923: Nepal and the United Kingdom signed the first treaty that defined the international status of Nepal as an independent and a sovereign nation. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal%E2%80%93Britain_Treaty_of_1923> 1965: The United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which 88 member states have since signed. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Convention_on_the_Elimination_of_All_Forms_of_Racial_Discrimination> 1988: The world's largest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, made its first flight. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-225_Mriya> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: milieu: 1. An environment or setting; a medium. 2. (specifically) A social environment or setting. 3. A group of people with a common point of view; a social class or group. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/milieu> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: The winter solstice has always been special to me as a barren darkness that gives birth to a verdant future beyond imagination, a time of pain and withdrawal that produces something joyfully inconceivable, like a monarch butterfly masterfully extracting itself from the confines of its cocoon, bursting forth into unexpected glory. --Gary Zukav <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gary_Zukav> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
