At 21 Philidor met the Syrian Philip Stamma of Aleppo, who was a translator and chess player of note. Philidor won by 8½–1⅓. At 29 he defeated his tutor Légall in a match. Unfortunately, none of these games survive, though we do have a number of games from his later career. In 1744, as a teenager, he could play two games of chess simultaneously blindfold, and in Berlin he played three games without sight of the board. He gave these exhibitions many times. This was thought to be a marvel, though it had been done before, by an Italian priest, Saccheri.
In 1749 he published a book on chess which was to make his name. The first edition, in French, included a subscription list of prosperous sponsors, such as the Earl of Sandwich and the Duke of Cumberland. An edition in English, "Chess analysed", came out in 1750. He revised and extended the book twice, in 1777 and 1790.
Over the years, the book was a steady success. By 1871, it had gone through about 70 editions, and had been translated into English, German, Russian and Italian. Eventually it went through over a hundred editions in ten languages.
As one commentator said:
Philidor's motto "Les pions sont de l'âme du jeu" (Pawns are the soul of chess) is a saying which is still taught to young players today. It sums up the idea that the pawn 'skeleton' gives the game its long-term structure, and influences how a game proceeds.
Philidor’s book was the first that gave (1) detailed annotations on how to play the middlegame, (2) that presented chess strategy as a whole, and (3) that presented the concepts of the blockade, prophylaxis, positional sacrifice, and mobility of the pawn formation (though without fully identifying those ideas).
Philidor also studied chess endgames, and the book gives generally accurate information about them. An important chess endgame position that he wrote about is called the "Philidor position".
He gave his name to one of the basic chess openings, Philidor's defence.
Philidor was now received into fashionable society in France and England. He took his mistress with him to Prussia, then back to England. Later, in 1760, he married a singer, and had seven children. Philidor played chess at the Café de la Régence in Paris, and at the Salopian Coffee-house and at Parsloe's chess club in London.
Philidor's contemporaries had some difficulty believing he could be so good at two such different arts, but he was. His work on comic opera ("opéra bouffe") excelled. He wrote 25 such works, four with collaborators (including Rousseau). "His "Tom Jones" (1765) was regarded as the finest work in the theatre... His "Ernelinda, Princess of Norway" (1766) so pleased Louis XV that he gave Philidor a pension of 25 "louis d'or" (French gold coin) from his own purse". The English, however, ignored his music, and after 1792 he never returned home. The French Revolution made his connection with royalty a danger.
Philidor died in 1795, and the "Comédie-Française" held a benefit concert for his widow.
Silent majority
A silent majority is a large group of people who support something, but choose not to express their opinions publicly.
This term was made popular by US President Richard Nixon in a speech he gave on November 3 1969, about the Vietnam War. Nixon said "And so tonight, to you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans; I ask for your support." The opposite of the silent majority were a noisy minority, a small group of people, who Nixon said tried to get their way by holding demonstrations in the streets.
The speech on this link does not contain these words. Read it for yourself. It only references the term “Silent Majority” which had been described during his campaign in other speeches.
-Sam Molloy
During WWII many German citizens claimed they had no idea of what was happening with the concentration camps. However many citizens felt opposed but did not stand up and fight them.
1960 United States presidential election
The 1960 United States presidential election happened on November 8, 1960. This election was between Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. Kennedy won the election like many people expected, but it was a much closer election than most people thought it would be.
Incumbent President Dwight D. Eisenhower was not allowed to run again due to serving two terms.
This was the first presidential election in American history in which both candidates debated against each other on television. On television, Kennedy appeared calm while Nixon appeared nervous. More television viewers thought that Kennedy won the debate, while more radio listeners thought that Nixon won the debate.
This election was the last to not count District of Columbia as an electoral vote until the 1964 election.
Senator John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for president on January 2, 1960. Vice President Richard Nixon announced his candidacy on January 9, 1960.
This was the last election where Ohio voted for the losing candidate until 2020.
Democratic candidates
Republican candidates
Emperor Ingyō
No certain dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign. The conventionally accepted names and sequence of the early emperors were not to be confirmed as "traditional" until the reign of Emperor Kammu, who was the 50th monarch of the Yamato dynasty.
The "Kojiki" and "Nihon Shoki" record that Ingyō was the fourth son of Emperor Nintoku. He was the younger brother of Emperor Hanzei.
Ingyō made one of his brothers his heir, but this plan did not unfold as planned. Instead, his brother's sons would attain the throne. Ingyō would be followed by his nephews, Emperor Ankō and Emperor Yūryaku.
Very little is known about the events of Ingyō's life and reign. Only limited information is available for study prior to the reign of the 29th monarch, Emperor Kimmei.
The earliest recorded earthquake in Japan was in 416. The Imperial Palace in Kyoto was destroyed.
This emperor's official name after his death (his posthumous name) was regularized many centuries after the lifetime which was ascribed to Ingyō.
According to the Imperial Household Agency, the emperor's final resting place is in an earthen tumulus ("kofun"). Ingyō is venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi") in Fujiidera, which is a city near Osaka.
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were acts of Congress signed by United States president John Adams in 1798, during a naval (sea) conflict against France.
There were four acts.
The first three acts were about immigration. They set required time for an immigrant to become a citizen, and allowed the president to send illegal immigrants back to their home country if their home country is at war with the United States or they are considered to be dangerous to the United States. The fourth act made it a crime to publish bad things about the government.
The acts were very controversial. Many people did not like them because they felt that they violated the First Amendment.
The acts made many people dislike John Adams. For that reason, Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republican Party were able to defeat John Adams and the Federalist Party in the elections of 1800. Three of the acts were repealed. The Alien Enemies Act, however, is still United States law.
Pak Hon-yong
Pak Hon-Yong (, May 28, 1900 - December 18, 1955) was a Korean independence activist, politician, thinker, Communist, and leader of the Korean Chosen Communist Party. His other names are 'Kim Seongsam' (김성삼) and "Ijeong", () which is his pen name. He served in North Korea as the Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister, August 1948 to 1953.
He was executed by the North Korean regime on the accusation of being an American spy.
Shogi