AcharyaChanakya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
The Canadian attack on the town was on December 20. The Germans had hidden machine guns and anti-tank guns in the town. This made it hard for Canadian tanks and infantry to move. The fighting was very violent. The soldiers fought for every house.
After six days fighting, 2nd Brigade's third battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, joined the battle. Tanks from 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade also joined the battle.
On 28 December, after eight days of fighting, the Germans withdrew from the town. The Canadians had 1,375 dead.
Battle of Anzio
The Battle of Anzio, which is also called Operation Shingle (January 22, 1944) was an Allied sea landing in the Italian Campaign against German forces of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy.
The attack was commanded by American Major General John P. Lucas. He wanted to get around German forces on the Winter Line. Then he wanted to attack Rome. Making a sea landing in a marshland needed to be done quickly.
The landing surprised the Germans. The Allies even got near Rome. The Allies got their men ready on the beach. The German commander in the Put his guns around the beach. The Germans also flooded the marsh with salt water.
After a month of heavy fighting,
the Allies finally got past the beaches in May. The Allies went north-west to Rome which was captured on 4 June.
The German Tenth Army at Cassino were able to go north of Rome. Then they got ready to defend the Gothic Line.
At the end of 1943, following the Allied invasion of Italy, Allied forces were stuck at the Gustav Line. Thid was defensive line across Italy. The land of central Italy helped the defence.
Operation Shingle was planned by Winston Churchill in December 1943. He planned to land two divisions at Anzio and capture Rome.
General Harold Alexander had thought of a plan using five divisions. However, the 5th Army did not have enough troops or a way to transport them.
The Anzio and Nettuno beaches are on marshland. When Truscott's 3rd Division was selected for the attack, he said everyone would die. Lucas was told lead the Fifth Army's U.S. VI Corps in a landing in the Anzio/Nettuno area.
Planners thought that if German forces left the Gustav Line to defend against the Allied attack, then Allied forces would be able to break through the line. If troops were left on the Gustav Line, then the Allies could try to capture Rome.
The Allies planned to attack from the south. They wanted to capture a beach near Anzio, move forward, and be ready to go to Rome.
One of the problems with the plan was there was mot enough landing ships.
Only enough tank landing ships (LSTs) to land a single division were available. Later, Churchill made sure enough were available to land two divisions.
Allied forces in this attack consisted of 5 cruisers, 24 destroyers, 238 landing craft, 62+ other ships, 40,000 soldiers, and 5,000+ vehicles.
The attack consisted of three groups:
The Fifth Army's attack on the Gustav Line began on January 16, 1944, at Monte Cassino. The attack failed to break through. The Germans brought in new troops from Rome.
The landings began on January 22, 1944. The Germans did not attack the landings except for a few "Luftwaffe" machine gun attacks. By midnight, 36,000 soldiers and 3,200 vehicles had landed on the beaches.
Two Allied divisions landed. There were two or three times that many German defenders.
The Germans found out about the landings at 03:00 on January 22. At 05:00 the Germans ordered the "Kampfgruppe" of 4th Parachute Division and the Hermann Göring Panzer Division to defend the roads leading from Anzio to the Alban Hills. The Germans had 40,000 troops in defensive positions.
Three days after the landings, the beach was surrounded by three divisions: The 4th Parachute Division to the west, the 3rd Panzer Grenadier Division to the center, the Hermann Göring Panzer Division to the east.
Von Mackensen's 14th Army took command of the defence on January 25. Parts of eight German divisions were put around the beach. Five more divisions were on their way to the Anzio area.
The arrival of U.S. 45th Infantry Division and U.S. 1st Armored Division, brought Allied forces total on the beach to 69,000 men, 508 guns and 208 tanks by January 29. The total defending Germans had risen to 71,500.
The Allies attacked on January 30. One group moved to Cisterna. A second group went northeast towards Campoleone.
By early February German forces in Fourteenth Army had 100,000 troops.
Allied forces by this time were 76,400
German forces launched a full attack at 23:00.
On February 16 the Germans launched a new attack. Both had 20,000 casualties each since the first landings. Also on February 18 while returning to Anzio the light cruiser was struck by two torpedoes and sunk with a loss of 417 men.
Both sides realised that no result could be achieved until the spring. The Germans built a new defence line, the Caesar C line. The Allies planned an attack in May. This would include attacking the Gustav Line, which was called Operation "Diadem".
In March, the 2nd Italian SS "Vendetta" Battalion and 29th Italian SS Rifle Battalion were sent to fight against the Allied forces at the Anzio/Nettuno beach. U.S. 34th Infantry Division arrived at Anzio in the same month. In May, U.S. 36th Infantry Division had arrived at Anzio. By late May, there were 150,000 Allied troops.
There were five German divisions. The Germans had prepared defenses, but they lacked officers.
The Allied planning for their attack was detailed. British 5th Division and 1st Division were to attack along the coast. The U.S. 45th Infantry, 1st Armored and 3rd Infantry Divisions would attack the German 362nd and 715th Infantry Divisions.
At 05:45 on May 23, 1944, 1,500 Allied artillery pieces started bombing. Then Allied infantry and armour moved forward. The first day's fighting was hard: 1st Armored Division lost 100 tanks and 3rd Infantry Division had 955 casualties. The Germans 362nd Infantry Division lost 50% of its fighting strength.
In the afternoon of May 25 Cisterna was captured by the 3rd Division. In the evening, the Allies turned ninety degrees to the left. On the new attack little progress was made until 1st Armored arrived on May 29. On June 2 the Caesar Line broke and the 14th Army pulled back through Rome. Hitler ordered no defence of Rome.
After the war, some experts said the Anzio plan was not good. It used just two infantry divisions with no armour.
"Operation Diadem" (during which U.S. 5th and British 8th Armies had 44,000 casualties) failed in its goal of destroying the German 10th Army.
Abdul Quader Molla
Abdul Quader Molla (; 14 August 1948 – 12 December 2013) was a politician in Bangladesh. He was convicted of war crimes committed during the 1971 liberation war of Bangladesh. He is the assistant secretary-general of the Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist party in the country. He was scheduled to be executed by hanging on 11 December 2013 at 0:01. Later, the execution was postponed until 10:30 of the day.
He is the former executive editor of "The Daily Sangram". He stood twice unsuccessfully for parliament in 1986 and 1996. He was contesting the seat Faridpur-4 for Jamaat-e-Islami.
Molla was executed on 12 December 2013.
WaveBird Wireless Controller
The WaveBird Wireless Controller is a wireless game controller for the Nintendo GameCube video game console. It uses radio frequency signals to communicate with the controller. It is powered by standard AA batteries. It was released in 2002. Its name is a reference to Dolphin, which is what the GameCube was named during development.
The WaveBird controller has the same design as the normal GameCube controllers. It is a little bigger and heavier than the normal GameCube controllers. It has a dial for selecting the channel a person wants the controller on, an on/off switch, and an orange LED light which is used to show that the controller is turned on. The WaveBird does not have the rumble feature that the normal GameCube controller has, as that would make the battery last for a shorter amount of time.
Like the normal GameCube controller, the WaveBird can be used with the Wii. It can be used for GameCube and Virtual Console titles, as well as with some Wii games and WiiWare titles. The WaveBird became more popular after the Wii's release because of how it can control those games wirelessly.
Battle of Bataan
The Battle of Bataan was part of Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II.
The capture of the Philippine Islands was important to Japan's goals. Japan wanted to control the Southwest Pacific, capture the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast Asia side.
It was the largest surrender in American and Filipino military history. It was the largest United States surrender since the pre-Civil War's raid on Harper's Ferry.
Japanese carrier planes attacked the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on the morning of 7 December 1941. Japanese aircraft also bombed the main bases of the American Far East Air Force near Manila, and the headquarters of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines. Many American planes were destroyed. The U.S. Asiatic Fleet withdrew its ships from its naval base in Cavite and retreated south. Only the submarine force was left to fight the Japanese.
From 8 to 10 December, Japan captured airfields at Batan Island, Aparri, and Vigan City. Army Air Force B-17s attacked Japanese ships. U.S. planes damaged two Japanese transports, the flagship "Nagato", a destroyer and sank one minesweeper.
The main attack was on 22 December 1941. The 14th Japanese Imperial Army attacked, led by Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma.
After capturing the beaches, the Japanese launched a major attack.
The American commander, General Douglas MacArthur, realized that the beach defense plan had failed. On 26 December, he said that War Plan Orange-3 (WPO-3) was now being used. This was a plan to defend only Bataan and Corregidor. The plan of WPO-3 was to delay Japanese forces until the U.S. Pacific Fleet could get to the Philippines.
Manuel L. Quezon, the president of the Philippines, his family and government staff were moved to Corregidor. MacArthur's headquarters were also moved to Corregidor.
Gen. MacArthur wanted to move his men to defensive positions.
When the Japanese attacked, the untrained Philippine Army troops defending the beach were beaten. The U.S. decided to fight at Layac to slow down the Japanese troops. Later, from 1 to 5 January 1942, the U.S. fought to allow its troops to withdraw to Bataan.
WPO-3 had two defensive lines across Bataan.
On 9 January, Japanese forces under Lt. Gen. Susumu Morioka attacked the eastern side of the Abucay-Mauban line. They were beaten by the U.S. The Japanese advanced to the Salian River valley. U.S. troops fought off the attackers. At another battle to the west, a Japanese force got past the Abucay-Mauban line. The U.S. stopped their advance. On 15 January, 1st Regular Division was bombed, but they held the line. The Japanese moved through a gap. The Abucay-Mauban line had to be abandoned on 22 January.
Within four days, the Orion-Bagac line was formed. The remaining Japanese troops managed to get through. General Homma ordered the stopping of all operations to reorganize his forces. On 22 February the 14th Army line was withdrawn a few miles to the north.
Japanese troops landed on the west coast of southern Bataan on the night of 22 January. The US sunk two barges and the rest scattered into two groups. The Japanese forces were stopped by Philippine Constabulary units and U.S. Army Air Corps men fighting as infantry. Japanese commanders sent new troops to the beaches, but they could not break out.
On the night of 12 March, General MacArthur, his family left Corregidor. MacArthur went to Australia. He promised the Filipino people that he "shall return". After the failure of their first attack against Bataan, the Japanese sent artillery forces to the Philippines. They had 190 artillery pieces, which included bigger guns like 150 mm cannons, and the Type 96 240 mm field howitzer. The Japanese sent new troops to Gen. Homma's 14th Imperial Army. Toward the end of March, the Japanese forces prepared for the final attack.
On 3 April, the Orion-Bagac line was bombed by 100 aircraft and artillery bombed by 300 artillery pieces. The Japanese 65th Brigade and 4th Division attacked the left side of II Corps. By 8 April, the senior U.S. commander on Bataan, Maj. Gen. Edward P. King, offered to surrender. The next morning, 9 April 1942, Gen. King met with Maj. Gen. Kameichiro Nagano. The tired and starving American and Filipino defenders on the Bataan peninsula surrendered.
Salman Khan (educator)
Salman Amin "Sal" Khan (born October 11, 1976) is a Bengali-American educator, entrepreneur, and former hedge fund analyst. He started the Khan Academy, a free online education platform and nonprofit organization.
Battle of Rimini (1944)
The Battle of Rimini was a battle during World War II. It happened between 13 and 21 September 1944 in Rimini in Italy.
The battle was part of Operation "Olive". This was the main Allied attack on the Gothic Line in August and September 1944. This was part of the Italian Campaign in the Second World War.
The Rimini Line was a German defensive line which was part of the Gothic Line. Rimini had 1,470,000 rounds fired against it by allied forces.
On 23 August 1944 Eighth Army launched Operation "Olive". It attacking the eastern side of Italy. By the first week in September the attack had broken through the defences of the Gothic Line.
The 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade
stopped two strong German attacks on 8 and 10 September. On 13 September the brigade tried to capture Rimini. The Germans were well prepared and held off the Greeks.
The following day 7 and 8 Troop of the B Squadron, 20th Armoured Regiment were added to the attack. The German defenders left.
On 15 September the Greeks attacked the Rimini airfield. Allied bombers attacked the western side of the airfield, and the Greeks attacked afterwards. The Germans attacked with fire from infantry, anti-tank rockets ("Panzerschrecks"), self-propelled guns, and emplaced Panther turrets.
The following day (17 September) the three battalions continued their advance. Once the airfield was taken the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade turned towards Rimini. On 18 September the 2nd and 3rd Battalions moved towards Rimini.
On the morning of 21 September, the 2nd Greek Battalion reached the city and raised the Greek flag on the municipal building. At 7:45 of 21 September the mayor surrendered the city to the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade.
Vernon Shaw
Vernon Lorden Shaw (May 13, 1930 – December 2, 2013) was the 5th President of Dominica. He took office on October 6, 1998, following the expiration of President Crispin Sorhaindo's single five-year term. Shaw left office on October 1, 2003, and was succeeded by Nicholas Liverpool. He died on December 2, 2013 from a heart attack, aged 83.
Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot (aka Gal Gadot-Varsano; ; ; born 30 April 1985) is an Israeli actress and model. Gadot won Miss Israel 2004, before serving in the Israel Defence Forces. She played Gisele Harabo in the 2009 movie "Fast and Furious". Gadot also played Wonder Woman in "" in 2016. She appeared in the solo movie "Wonder Woman" (2017) and again as Wonder Woman in "Justice League" (2017).
In 2013, she was ranked as the second highest earning fashion model in Israel. She is the face of Gucci's Bamboo perfume.
Gadot was born in Tel Aviv, Israel to Jewish parents and grew up in Rosh HaAyin, Israel. In Hebrew, her first name means "wave". Her last name means "riverbanks". Her parents were born in Israel. They changed their last name from "Greenstein" to "Gadot". Her father Michael Gadot is an engineer. Her mother Irit (née Weiss) is a teacher. Gadot's grandparents are Holocaust survivors. She has a younger sister, Dana.
From the age of 20, Gadot served for two years as a soldier of the Israel Defense Forces. She did well in the three-month training. Gadot says of her time in the army, "You give two or three years, and it's not about you. You give your freedom away for a while. You learn discipline and respect".
Kees Brusse
Kees Brusse (6 February 1925 – 9 December 2013) was a Dutch actor and movie director. He appeared in 47 movie and television shows since 1936. He starred in the 1975 movie "Dokter Pulder zaait papavers". It was entered into the 26th Berlin International Film Festival.
Jim Hall (musician)
James Stanley "Jim" Hall (December 4, 1930 – December 10, 2013) was an American jazz guitarist, composer, and arranger.
Hall died in his sleep in his Manhattan, New York apartment on December 10, 2013 from a heart attack, aged 83.
Don Lund
Donald Andrew Lund (May 18, 1923 – December 10, 2013) was a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1945, 1947, 1948["start"]), St. Louis Browns (1948["end"]) and Detroit Tigers (1949–1954). He batted and threw right-handed.
He died on December 10, 2013 at the age of 90 in Ann Arbor, Michigan at his home from natural causes.
Rossana Podestà
Rossana Podestà (20 June 1934 – 10 December 2013) was an Italian actress. She was known for her roles in "Ulysses" and "Helen of Troy".
She was born in Tripoli, in the Italian colony of Libya on 20 June 1934. She was married to Walter Bonatti until his death in 2011. Podestà died from brain cancer in Rome, Italy, aged 79.
Lino Grech
Lino Grech (1930 – 1 December 2013) was a Maltese actor, writer, activist and director. He was known for his roles in "Final Justice" (1985), "Black Eagle" (1988) and "A Fine Romance" (1989).
Grech was born in Sliema. Lino Grech died on the night of 1 December 2013, aged 83, at the Mater Dei Hospital in Msida from prostate cancer. He is survived by his wife and his two children. His funeral took place on 4 December. His remains were cremated.
His career began in 1975 with stage work. He translated works done by Arthur Miller and by Lope de Vega.
Grech was noted for his role on the television drama "F'Bahar Wiehed" (1970s). It was the first Maltese-language television series, which broadcast on TVM. Greech also directed and wrote stage works. Grech wanted to strengthen the theatrical and television works in Malta.
In the 1990s, he wrote episodes for television shows such as "Hypocrites", "Simpatiċi", "The Family Grech", and "Now We See".
Besides acting, Grech was a labor union activist. He led one of the longest strikes on workers' rights in Maltese history.
Brian Hitchen
Brian Hitchen, CBE (8 July 1936 – 2 December 2013) was a British newspaper editor. Late in his career, he worked as a publisher.
An incident with a car while crossing the road near Alicante, in Spain, led to his wife being killed instantly, while Hitchen himself died from his injuries a few hours later.
Salim Kallas
Salim Kallas (; 13 November 1936 − 2 December 2013) was a Syrian actor and politician.
Kallas died following a long battle of lung cancer on 2 December 2013, aged 77, in Damascus. He left behind him; his wife, his son and his five daughters. His burial took place on the following day, 3 December.
Horst Christian Simco, better known as Riff Raff, is a rapper from Texas. He joined the band The Neighborhood in 2013. His second album "Neon Icon" is going to be released by Mad Decent in January 2014. 2 Chainz, Drake, Snoop Dogg, and Juicy J worked on the album with Riff Raff.
Johan van Hulst
Johan Wilhelm van Hulst (January 28, 1911 – March 22, 2018) was a Dutch retired politician. He served as Member of the Senate from July 3, 1956 until June 10, 1981. He was the Parliamentary leader of the Christian Historical Union in the Senate from December 10, 1968 until June 8, 1977 when the Christian Historical Union merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal.
Van Hulst was also a chess player and a former academic.
On March 22, 2018, Van Hulst died in Amsterdam at the age of 107.
Jackson Browne
Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold over 18 million albums in the United States alone. People know him for his songs "These Days", "The Pretender", "Running on Empty", "Lawyers in Love", "Doctor My Eyes", "Take It Easy", "For a Rocker", and "Somebody's Baby".
Browne was born in Heidelberg, Germany on October 9, 1948 to an American family. He was raised in Los Angeles.
On March 24, 2020, Browne announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.
Silvio Zavala
Silvio Arturo Zavala Vallado (February 7, 1909 – December 5, 2014) was a Mexican historian. He was an expert in law studies and Mexico's history.
Zavala born in Mérida, Yucatán on February 7, 1909. He studied at the National University of Mexico and at the University of Madrid. Zavala obtained a Ph.D. in law from the latter. He began his professional career in Spain in the Center for Historic Studies in Madrid.
Zavala died in Mexico City on December 5, 2014, aged 105.
Moonwalker, also known as Michael Jackson: Moonwalker, is an American movie. It was released in 1988 in theatres in Europe and South America. The movie is a collection of eight short films about Michael Jackson. It is 93 minutes long. It made US$67,000,000 at box offices. On January 10, 1989, it was released on video on the United States and Canada. The video had sold more than 800,000 copies in the U.S. by April 17, 1989. The movie is named after a dance move that Jackson did called the moonwalk. John Lennon's son Sean is in the movie. Jackson executive produced "Moonwalker".
Brandon Quentin Adams won the 1989 Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor/Actress in a Film Made for Video for his role as Zeke, a child version of Jackson, in the movie.
In 1989, Blackthorne Publishing made the movie into a comic book called "Moonwalker 3-D".
Apollo Lunar Module
The Apollo Lunar Module (LM) is the spidery-looking landing vehicle on the moon. It was built for the US Apollo program to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back.
The LM was the last of the Apollo “hardware” to be developed. Its start had been delayed while NASA made up its mind to take the lunar-orbit meeting approach and thus require a vehicle like the LM for a landing. A contract with the prime builder was signed on January, 1963, almost two years after the Apollo project began. The LM was tested several times in space. Finally, on July 20, 1969 the Apollo 11 LM Eagle made the first manned lunar landing.
As Apollo missions progressed, Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 had lunar landings using their LMs. Apollo 13 had a terribly dangerous accident when an oxygen tank exploded. The Apollo 13 Lunar module, called "Aquarius", played an unexpected role in saving the lives of the three astronauts after the explosion.
The LM was consisted of an ascent stage and decent stage.
This was the unmanned lower part of the LM. it looked like octagonal-shaped. It was made of aluminum alloy and had four legs for landing. It had a descent rocket engine, and batteries and various supplies and scientific equipment to be used when landing on the moon and during the astronauts’ stay on the moon.
To land on the moon, the descent engine would be fired to begin the LM’s drop from out in lunar orbit down toward the moon. LM could descend vertically and hover above the surface of moon. After the two men finished their stay on the surface, the ascent stage, sitting on the descent stage, would use its ascent engine firing to lift itself off the moon.
This was the roundish upper half of the LM, the command center and crew cabin as well as the launching rocket for leaving the moon.
To save weight, there were no seats for the men. They would stand, loosely held in place by straps. In front and on either side of them were control panels for the LM’s guidance, communication, environment and propulsion systems. On the left side, there was a window by which commander could look out to steer the LM. Overhead in the middle section was the of diameter hatch where the astronauts transferred to and from the Command Module when two vehicles were linked. LM’s ascent rocket to meet Command Module was below the deck of the midsection. Although ascent rocket was small, it was sufficient because the moon’s weak gravity – one-sixth that of earth’s – meant that the LM would not require a strong push to rise from the lunar surface.
On Monday, January 22, 1968, a 16-ton unmanned Lunar Module surrounded by a protective shield stood on top of a two-stage Saturn 1-B rocket called Apollo 5. This flight was made to do two important tests. One was to check separating stage from main rocket. The second was to check test firing of the descent engine, but this mission did not succeed. The Apollo 5 test ended after eight hours, and the LM remained in earth orbit. It eventually dropped into the atmosphere and burned up.
Le Mont-Saint-Michel (; ) is an island and commune in Normandy, France. It is in the Manche department. It is located about one kilometre () from the country's northwestern coast. It is at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. It is in size and it has a population of 44 (2009). People that live there are called the "Montois".
The island has had strategic fortifications since ancient times. The name "Mont-Saint-Michel" comes from the monastery built there in the eighth century AD. The way in which the town is built is an example of how feudal society worked. At the top there is God, the abbey and monastery. Below this, there are the great halls, then stores and houses. At the bottom, outside the walls, there are the houses of fishermen and farmers.
Mont-Saint-Michel is one of France's most famous landmarks. The island and its bay are part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Every year, more than 3 million people visit it.
In prehistoric times, the "Mont" was on dry land. It is now a rocky tidal island. Sea levels became higher and erosion changed the landscape of the coast. Several layers of granite or granulite came to the surface in the bay. These layers of rock resisted the damage by the ocean better than the other rocks around them. These included Lillemer, the Mont-Dol, Tombelaine (a small island just to the north), and Mont Tombe, which later became Mont-Saint-Michel. The mount has a circumference of about 960 metres (3,150 ft). It is 92 metres (301 ft) above sea level at its highest point.
The difference between the high and low water marks is about . Medieval pilgrims who crossed the flat land sometimes called the mount "St. Michael in peril of the sea". Today, it can still be dangerous for visitors who do not use the causeway. It can be a risk to walk across the sands from the opposite coast. This is because of quicksand.
Polderisation and occasional flooding have created salt marsh meadows. They are ideal for sheep. The meat has a good flavour because of the sheep's diet. The "pré salé" (salt meadow, in French) is home to "agneaux de pré-salé" (salt meadow lamb). This is made into a local specialty (a famous type of food). The local lamb is sometimes on the menus of restaurants in the area.
Before 2013, Mont-Saint-Michel was linked to the mainland with a tidal causeway. It was a path covered at high tide and shown at low tide. This connection changed over the centuries. The coastal flats (the sand) have been polderised to make pastureland. This means Mont-Saint-Michel became closer to the coast. The Couesnon River was canalised. This helped make the flow of water similar every time the tide rises or falls. However, it developed a silting-up of the bay. In 1879, the tidal causeway was changed into a raised, dry causeway. This stopped the tide from cleaning the silt around the mount.
On 16 June 2006, the French prime minister and regional authorities announced a €164 million project ("Projet Mont-Saint-Michel"). The wanted to build a hydraulic dam using the waters of the river Couesnon and of tides. This would help remove all of the silt deposited by the rising tides. It would make Mont-Saint-Michel an island again.
The construction of the dam began in 2009. It was completed in 2013. The project was also to remove the causeway and its visitor car-park. The new car-park is on the mainland. It is about two kilometres () from the island. Visitors can use small shuttle buses to cross the causeway. The bridge is also open to pedestrians and vehicles without a motor.
Architect Dietmar Feichtinger designed the bridge. It opened to the public on 22 July 2014. The bridge lets the waters go freely around the island. It makes the dam more efficient. The project cost €209 million, €45 million more than planned. President François Hollande officially opened the bridge.
Sometimes, weather conditions make the tide very high. This is called a "supertide". For example, the sea completely covered the new bridge on 21 March 2015. It was the highest sea level for at least 18 years. Many people travelled to Mont-Saint-Michel to take photos.
Mont-Saint-Michel was an Armorican stronghold of Gallo-Roman culture in the sixth and seventh centuries. In the seventh century, the Franks took the mount. From about the fifth to the eighth century, Mont-Saint-Michel was part of a region called Neustria. At the start of the ninth century, it was an important place in the marches of Neustria.
Before the eighth century, the island was called "Mont Tombe" (). The Catholic Church built the first religious building in the eighth century, and the mount became Mont-Saint-Michel. According to legend, the Archangel Michael appeared in 708 to St. Aubert, the bishop of Avranches. The angel told him to build a church on the mount. Aubert didn't listen to the angel until Michael burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger.
The king of the Franks could not defend his kingdom against the attacks of the Vikings. The king agreed to give the Cotentin peninsula and the Avranchin, including Mont-Saint-Michel, to the Bretons in the 867 Treaty of Compiègne. For a short time, the mount belonged to the Bretons. In effect, these lands and Mont-Saint-Michel never belonged to the duchy of Brittany. They remained separate bishoprics from the newly created Breton archbishopric of Dol. When Rollo named Franco as archbishop of Rouen, the diocese of Rouen took the lands and the mount. They became part of Normandy once again, but not officially.
The mount became strategically important again in 933 when William "Long Sword" (the Duke of Normandy) annexed the Cotentin Peninsula from the weakened Dukes of Brittany. This made the mount part of Normandy officially. This is shown in the Bayeux Tapestry, which commemorates (helps remember) the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The tapestry shows Harold, Earl of Wessex helping two Norman knights from the quicksand around Mont-Saint-Michel during a battle with Conan II, Duke of Brittany. Norman dukes paid for the development of the abbey in the following centuries. It became a good example of Norman architecture.
In 1067, the monastery of Mont-Saint-Michel gave its support to Duke William of Normandy in his claim to the throne of England. William gave houses and grounds on the English side of the Channel as a reward. These included a small island off the southwestern coast of Cornwall. It became a Norman priory named St Michael's Mount of Penzance. It looks similar to Mont-Saint-Michel.
During the Hundred Years' War, the English made many attacks on the island. They were not able to take it due to the abbey's very good fortifications. The English first attacked the mount in 1423, and then again in 1433. Thomas Scalles was the leader of the English army. Scalles left two wrought iron bombards when he stopped his attack. They are still there today. They are known as "les Michelettes". The resistance at Mont-Saint-Michel gave hope to the French, especially Joan of Arc.
When Louis XI of France founded the Order of Saint Michael in 1469, he wanted the church of Mont-Saint-Michel to become the chapel for the Order. However, it was far from Paris so this was not possible.
The wealth and influence of the abbey helped other foundations, for example St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. However, it started to become less popular as a centre of pilgrimage due to the Reformation. At the time of the French Revolution, there were almost no monks living there. The republicans closed the abbey. It became a prison. At first, this was to hold clerical enemies of the French republic. Later, there were also important political prisoners at the mount. In 1836, famous figures, such as Victor Hugo, started a campaign to restore the mount. The prison closed in 1863, and the mount became a historic monument in 1874. Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay became UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1979. The factors for listing included cultural, historical, and architectural importance, as well as man-made and natural beauty.
In the 11th century, Richard II of Normandy chose an Italian architect called William de Volpiano to build the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. Volpiano had already built the Abbey of Fécamp, in Normandy. He designed the Romanesque church of the abbey. He chose to place the transept crossing at the top of the mount. He also built a lot of crypts and chapels below the ground. These are to support building above, because it is very heavy. Today, Mont-Saint-Michel has a church of Romanesque style.
Robert de Thorigny was a great supporter of Henry II of England. Henry was also Duke of Normandy at this time. Thorigny made the structure of the buildings stronger. He also built the main façade of the church in the 12th century. In 1204, the Breton "Guy de Thouars", a friend of the King of France, attacked the mount with an army. He set fire to the village and killed lots of people. However, he had to retreat (leave) under the powerful walls of the abbey. The fire extended to the buildings, and the roofs burnt. Philip Augustus, Thorigny's friend, was unhappy about the cruel actions and the destruction. He offered Abbot Jourdain some money to build a new Gothic-style architectural set. The abbot added the refectory ("dining room") and cloister.
Charles VI added big fortifications to the abbey-mount. He also added building towers and courtyards, and he made the ramparts stronger.
The islet is part of the French commune of Mont-Saint-Michel. It is in the department of Manche, in Normandy. As of 2009, 44 people live there. The nearest large town, with a train station, is Pontorson. Mont-Saint-Michel is part of the Organization of World Heritage Cities.
Mont-Saint-Michel is also the subject of a traditional rivalry between Normans and Bretons. Bretons say that the Couesnon River marks the limit between Normandy and Brittany. It is only because the river has changed its course over the centuries that the mount is on the Norman side. This legend amuses the area's inhabitants. They state that the border is not located on the Couesnon river. They say it is on the mainland, to the west, at the foot of the solid mass of Saint-Brelade.
Up to 20,000 people a day visit the city in July and August. Among the 43 inhabitants (2006), 5 were monks and 7 nuns.
Mont-Saint-Michel has historical links with St Michael's Mount in Cornwall, UK. Edward the Confessor gave it to the Benedictines of Mont-Saint-Michel in the 11th century.
61 buildings of Mont-Saint-Michel are on the list of historical monuments. They were added from 1928 to today.
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy was given the code name Operation Grapeshot. It was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain. It started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy.
The Allies had done their previous major attack on the Gothic Line in August 1944. The British 8th Army attacked up the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The U.S. 5th Army attacked through the central Apennine Mountains.
They managed to break through the Gothic Line defences. But they failed to get into the Lombardy Plains before the winter weather stopped them.
They had a hard time in the cold winter weather. They planned to attack again in the spring.
Harold Alexander was promoted to Field Marshal. He was made the Allied Supreme Commander Mediterranean on 12 December.
On 23 March, Albert Kesselring was appointed Commander-in-Chief Army Group West.
In the spring, the problems of getting troops continued. The 15th Army Group had 1,334,000 men with Eighth Army having 632,980 men and Fifth Army 266,883. Against them were 21 much weaker German divisions and 4 Italian divisions, a total of 25.
Clark made his plan on 18 March. He wanted destroy the maximum number of enemy forces, cross the Po and capture Verona.
The Eighth Army was to go north west to capture Ferrara and Bondeno. The U.S. Fifth Army was to go past Bologna to surround German forces south of the Po. The Fifth Army was to go west towards Ostiglia. Next, the Allies would capture bridge across the Po and go north.
The Fifth Army plan (Operation "Craftsman") aimed to pull German reserves away from Route 65. II Corps would then attack.
In the first week of April, attacks were launched on the right and left of the Allied lines. The goal was to draw German reserves away from the main attacks to come. Axis forces had to use sea, canal and river routes for supply. Axis shipping was being attacked in bombing raids.
The main attack started on 6 April with an artillery bombing of the Senio defenses. On 9 April, 825 heavy bombers dropped bombs near the Senio. From 15:20 to 19:10, artillery was fired. As well, 28 Churchill Crocodiles and 127 Wasp flamethrower vehicles were sent out. By 12 April, the 8th Indian Division was on the far side of the Santerno. The British 78th Division moved to attack Argenta.
The U.S. 5th Army began its attack on 14 April. First, there was a bombing by 2,000 heavy bombers and 2,000 artillery pieces. Then troops attacked. By 20 April both corps had broken through the German defences and reached the Po valley. 10th Mountain Division went north. By 19 April, the British 6th Armoured Division was moving to surround the German armies defending Bologna. Bondeno was captured on 23 April. Bologna was entered on 21 April. U.S. IV Corps reached the river Po at on 22 April. They went north to Verona which they entered on 26 April. British V Corps entered Padua on 29 April. Partisans had captured the German garrison of 5,000.
Secret surrender talks between the Germans and Western Allies were held in Switzerland (Operation Crossword) in March. The Soviets did not like that the Western Allies were trying to arrange a surrender that did not include the Soviets. On 29 April, the Germans surrendered.
Hallasan
Hallasan is one of Korea's three most sacred mountains. It is on Jeju-do, the southernmost island of Republic of Korea. It is 1,950m tall. On the top of Hallasan, there is a crater called Baek Rok Dam. It was an active volcano until about 25,000 years ago. It is now dormant. Hallasan is made of basalt, a type of black rock that is produced by volcanoes. It extends east to west. The south side of Hallasan is very steep. The slope of the north side is gentle. The east and south are relatively high but smooth.
There are seven trails on Hallasan.
Hallasan has subtropical plants, warm-climate plants, and subarctic plants. In spring, there royal azalea, and yellow rape. There are also maple trees. In winter, the mountain is covered with snow. There are deer, which are the symbol of Hallasan.
The ever-changing colors of the scenery make people admire the beauty of nature, and this is why Hallasan was selected as a national park on March 24 1970. All of Jeju Volcanic Island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. During the last week in January, there is a snow-flower festival in Hallasan.
Aleqa Hammond
Juan Vicente Torrealba
Juan Vicente Torrealba (20 February 1917 – 2 May 2019) was a Venezuelan harpist and composer of popular music.
Torrealba died at the age of 102 from heart failure on 2 May 2019, aged 102.
Arnoldo Foà
Arnoldo Foà (24 January 1916 – 11 January 2014) was an Italian movie actor. He has appeared in more than 130 movie since 1938. He was born in Ferrara, Italy.
Foà died on the morning of 11 January 2014, 13 days before his 98th birthday, from respiratory failure in his home in Rome, Italy.
Jacque Fresco (March 13, 1916 – May 18, 2017) was an American self-taught structural designer, architectural designer, concept artist, educator, and futurist. Fresco wrote and lectured his views concerning sustainable cities, energy efficiency, natural-resource management, cybernetic technology, advanced automation, and the role of science in society. He was of Jewish descent.
Fresco died at his home in Sebring, Florida from complications of Parkinson's disease on May 18, 2017, aged 101.
Vittorio Emanuele Orlando
Vittorio Emanuele Orlando (May 19, 1860 – December 1, 1952) was an Italian diplomat and political figure. He was born in Palermo, Sicily. His father, a landed gentleman, delayed venturing out to register his son's birth for fear of Giuseppe Garibaldi's 1,000 patriots who had just stormed into Sicily on the first leg of their march to build an Italian nation.
Gabriel Axel
Gabriel Axel (18 April 1918 – 9 February 2014) was a Danish movie director, actor, writer and producer. He is best known for the movie "Babette's Feast" (1987). He wrote and directed this movie. He won an Academy Award for it.
Axel died on 9 February 2014 at the age of 95.
WWE Saturday Morning Slam
WWE Saturday Morning Slam was a professional wrestling show made by the WWE.
During its televised history in the United States it was shown on The CW during its Vortexx Saturday morning block. It was centered around being more family-friendly and targeted towards children. The show ran from August 25, 2012 to May 11, 2013. The show was cancelled because of creative differences between both the WWE and Saban Brands.
Reed College is a private liberal arts college in Portland Oregon. Reed was begun in 1908 and had its first classes in 1911. Reed is an undergraduate school. An unusually high number of Reed's students go on to get Ph.D.s after they graduate. Reed is the only private undergraduate school to have a nuclear reactor.
Tuition at Reed is about $44,200 a year. Reed is secular, meaning the school is not part of a religion. The school does not do very many NCAA sports, and it does not have any fraternities or sororities.
Reed students are called "Reedies". Students are often called nonconformists. As a joke, some students say the motto of the school is "Communism, Atheism, Free Love".
Some famous or important people who went to Reed include:
Kevin Thorn
Kevin Matthew Fertig (born January 17, 1977) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the ring names, Mordecai and Kevin Thorn.
Under the Mordecai name, he portrayed a religious zealot and under his Kevin Thorn name, he portrayed a vampire character along with his manager Ariel.
In January 2009, he was offered a new contract with WWE, but turned it down. WWE announced that he was released from contract by request on January 9, even though his contract did not end until April 5 which prevented him from wrestling for other promotions.
Big Hero 6 (movie)
Big Hero 6 is an American computer animated supehero buddy comedy movie based on the Marvel Comics superhero comic that has the same name. It was released on November 5, 2014 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The movie grossed over $651.8 million worldwide making it the , it also won the .
The movie is about a boy named Hiro. and it is a 53rd movie. He lives in the city of San Fransokyo (a mixture of Tokyo and San Francisco). He changes himself and his friends into high-tech heroes to protect the city. One of his friends is Baymax, a robot created by Tadashi (Hiro's brother). Baymax's only purpose is to take care of people.
Lost (Frank Ocean song)
"Lost" is a song from Frank Ocean, from his album "Channel Orange". It is about a girl who does drugs and feels lost. It is an R&B and pop song.
Pyramids (song)
"Pyramids" is a song by Frank Ocean. It is from the album "Channel Orange". The song is about a pimp who falls in love with one of his prostitutes. It is an R&B and electronica song. It is almost 10 minutes long.
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily was code-named Operation Husky. It was a major battle of World War II. The Allies captured Sicily from the Axis Powers (Italy and Nazi Germany).
It was a big sea and air operation, followed by six weeks of land fighting. It started the Italian Campaign. It was followed by the Allied invasion of Italy.
"Husky" began on the night of 9–10 July 1943, and ended 17 August. "Husky" achieved the goals of the Allies. The Allies removed Axis air, land and naval forces from the island.
As well, the Mediterranean's sea lanes were opened to the Allies, and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was briefly removed from power.
The plan for Operation "Husky" called for the sea attack of the island by two armies. One would land on the South Eastern coast. Another would land on the central Southern Coast. The attack would be helped by naval gunfire and bombing. The commander was the American General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The Allied land forces were from the American, British and Canadian armies. They were put into two groups. The Eastern Task Force was led by General Bernard Montgomery. The Western Task Force was commanded by Lieutenant General George S. Patton. In addition to the sea landings, airborne troops were to be flown in. They would capture bridges and high ground.
The Allied naval forces were put into two groups to transport the invading armies.
The island was defended by the two corps of Italian 6th Army under General Alfredo Guzzoni. In early July the total Axis force in Sicily was about 200,000 Italian and 32,000 German troops, and 30,000 "Luftwaffe" ground staff. By late July there were 70,000 German troops.
The attack plan was made on 17 May.
At the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, political leaders and the military leaders of the US and Britain met to discuss future plans. The British wanted an invasion of Sicily. General Eisenhower was made Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces.
Once the Axis forces had been defeated in Tunisia, the Allied bombers attacked the airfields of Sardinia, Sicily and southern Italy. They also bombed industrial targets in southern Italy and the ports of Naples, Messina, Palermo and Cagliari.
To distract the Axis, the Allies did several trick operations. The most famous was "Operation Mincemeat". The British allowed a corpse disguised as a British officer to drift ashore in Spain, carrying a briefcase with fake secret documents.
These stated that the Allies were planning to invade Greece and Sardinia, and had no plans to invade Sicily. The Germans thought the documents were real. The Germans moved much of their defences from Sicily to Greece.
Two British and two American attacks by airborne forces were done on the night of 9–10 July. They wanted to capture the bridge over the River Anape. Strong wind made them land in the wrong places. Airborne troops attacked patrols. A platoon captured the bridge and fought off counterattacks for a few hours.
The strong winds made the sea landings hard. Landings were made on 10 July on twenty-six main beaches.
By the evening of 10 July the seven Allied divisions were ashore and the port of Syracuse had been captured.
Alexander's plan was to establish his forces on a line between Licata in and Catania. He wanted to capture ports.
Cleanin' Out My Closet
"Cleanin' Out My Closet" is a serious song by Eminem from the album "The Eminem Show". Its lyrics are dealing with how people protest against his lyrics, his father abandoning his family and his mother's drug use.
On My Level
Siege of Odessa
The Siege of Odessa was a siege battle during World War II. It was part of the Eastern Front area of operations in 1941. It was done by Romanian forces and the German Army's ("Wehrmacht Heer") 11th Army ("11. Armee"). They attacked the city of Odessa in the Soviet Union.
Due to the strong fighting of the 9th Independent Army (initially) and the Separate Coastal Army, and the Black Sea Fleet forces in Odessa, it took the Romanian army 73 days of siege and four attacks to capture the city. They had 93,000 casualties. The Red Army had 41,000 casualties. Some historians say the Red Army had 60,000 casualties.
On 27 July 1941, Hitler sent a letter to General Antonescu asking for Romanian troops.
On 8 August, the Romanians ordered the 4th Army to capture Odessa.
They thought the city would surrender quickly. However, Odessa was a heavily fortified city. It had trenches, anti-tank ditches, pillboxes and other defences.