The St Scholastica Day riot took place in Oxford, England, on 10 February 1355. The disturbance began when two students from the University of Oxford complained about the quality of wine served to them in a tavern; the argument quickly escalated to a fight and the resulting mêlée turned into a riot. The violence continued over three days, with armed gangs entering the town from the countryside to assist the townspeople. University halls and students' accommodation were raided and the inhabitants murdered. Around 20 townsfolk were killed, as were up to 63 members of the university. King Edward III sent judges to the town to determine culpability. He came down on the side of the university, who were given additional powers to the disadvantage of the town's authorities. In an act of conciliation in 1955—the riot's 600th anniversary—the mayor of Oxford was given an honorary degree, while the university's vice-chancellor was made an honorary freeman of the city. (Full article...).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Scholastica_Day_riot> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1936: Second Italo-Ethiopian War: The Battle of Amba Aradam began, ending nine days later in a decisive tactical victory for Italy and the neutralisation of almost the entire Ethiopian army as a fighting force. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Amba_Aradam> 1940: Puss Gets the Boot, the first Tom and Jerry cartoon, was released to theaters. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puss_Gets_the_Boot> 1941: In the first airborne operation undertaken by the British military, six paratroopers landed near Calitri, Italy, to destroy an aqueduct. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Colossus> 2008: The Namdaemun gate in Seoul, the first of South Korea's National Treasures, was severely damaged by arson (damage pictured). <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Namdaemun_fire> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: mercury: 1. (uncountable) Senses relating to the metal. 2. A silvery-coloured, metallic chemical element (symbol Hg) with the atomic number 80; it is liquid at room temperature, and toxic. 3. Preceded by the: mercury (noun sense 1.1) as used in the column of a barometer or thermometer, its fall or rise thus indicating the decrease or increase of ambient pressure or temperature. 4. (medicine, historical) A preparation containing mercury (noun sense 1.1), especially calomel (mercurous chloride) or corrosive sublimate (mercuric chloride), formerly used as a medicine to treat syphilis, etc. 5. (sciences, historical) One of the elemental principles formerly thought to be present in all metals. 6. (figurative, obsolete) Liveliness, volatility. 7. (countable) Senses relating to plants. 8. An annual plant, now generally called annual mercury (Mercurialis annua), chiefly native to central and southern Europe which was formerly grown for its medicinal properties; French mercury, herb mercury. 9. Chiefly with a descriptive word. 10. Any of several plants of the genus Mercurialis; specifically (obsolete), dog's mercury or wild mercury (Mercurialis perennis). 11. Any of several plants resembling Mercurialis plants but of a different genus, or having similar medicinal or toxic qualities as annual mercury or dog's mercury. 12. (Northern England) Allgood or Good King Henry (Blitum bonus- henricus), a species of goosefoot native to central and southern Europe formerly cultivated as a vegetable but now generally regarded as a weed; English mercury, false mercury (obsolete). 13. (Northeastern US) Poison ivy or poison oak (genus Toxicodendron, especially the eastern poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) or Atlantic poison oak (Toxicodendron pubescens)). 14. (archaic or obsolete) To apply or coat (something) with mercury (noun sense 1.1) or a preparation containing mercury; specifically (obsolete, rare), to apply to (the face) a preparation of mercury to beautify it. 15. (medicine, archaic or obsolete) To administer to (someone) a medicine containing mercury. 16. About Word of the Day 17. Nominate a word 18. Leave feedback <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mercury> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: They don’t ask much of you. They only want you to hate the things you love and to love the things you despise. --Boris Pasternak <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Boris_Pasternak> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
