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From today's featured article

Statue of Julian outside Norwich Cathedral

Julian of Norwich (c. 1343 – after 1416) was an English mystic and anchoress of the Middle Ages. She lived in the English city of Norwich. During her lifetime, the city suffered the devastating effects of the Black Death, the Peasants' Revolt, and the suppression of the Lollards. In 1373, believing she was on her deathbed, Julian received a series of visions ("shewings") of the Passion of Christ. She recovered and wrote two versions of her experiences. These, now known as Revelations of Divine Love, are the earliest surviving English-language works known to have been written by a woman, and the only surviving English-language works by an anchoress. Julian lived in permanent seclusion in her cell, which was attached to St Julian's Church, Norwich. Details of Julian's family, her education, or her life before becoming an anchoress are not known. Preferring to write anonymously, she was nevertheless influential in her lifetime. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Liberty (standing) with the Leo Belgicus

... that the Monument to the Martyrs of the 1830 Revolution is surmounted by a statue of Liberty (pictured) inscribing the days of 23, 24, 25 and 26 September 1830 in a book?
... that Edemariam Tsega published a book about his father while Aida Edemariam, Tsega's daughter, published a book about Tsega's mother in the same year?
... that a TV station in Washington, D.C., held on-air monkey races as part of its children's programming?
... that Bessarabian legislator Anton Novakov, who was absent when his colleagues voted on union with Romania, sued the Romanian state for land benefits they had received for voting in favor?
... that after seeing a broken car, A.B. Quintanilla proclaimed his desire to make the song "La Carcacha" about it?
... that during his career in Surabaya, Radjamin Nasution worked as a customs official, an alderman, a doctor, a football club's president, and the city's mayor?
... that the Australian government tried to censor a film of Quail Island's starving koalas?
... that author John Green fundraises for Partners In Health by selling shirts with an image of his mustachioed face called "Pizza John"?

In the news

King Charles III and Queen Camilla

King Charles III and Queen Camilla (both pictured) of the United Kingdom are crowned at Westminster Abbey in London.
The World Health Organization ends its designation of the COVID-19 pandemic as a global health emergency.
Nineteen people are killed in two separate shootings in Belgrade, Serbia, at an elementary school and nearby.
At least 54 people are killed in violence between ethnic groups in Manipur, India.

On this day

May 8: Anniversary of the birth of Miguel Hidalgo in Mexico (1753); Victory in Europe Day (1945)

Lady Blanche Arundell

1643 – First English Civil War: The first siege of Wardour Castle ended after six days with the surrender of the Royalist garrison under Lady Blanche Arundell (pictured).
1842 – A train derailed and caught fire near Versailles, France, killing at least 52 people.
1945 – A parade in Sétif, French Algeria, celebrating the end of World War II in Europe became a riot and was followed by reprisals, carried out by colonial authorities over the following weeks, that killed thousands.
1963 – In Huế, South Vietnam, soldiers opened fire into a crowd of Buddhists protesting against a government ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Phật Đản, killing nine and sparking the Buddhist crisis.
1972 – Four members of Black September hijacked Sabena Flight 571 to demand the release of 315 Palestinians convicted on terrorism charges.

Thomas Drury (b. 1551)
Helena Blavatsky (d. 1891)
Beatrice Worsley (d. 1972)

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From today's featured list

Brillante Mendoza, who directed two Philippine submissions

The Philippines has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since the inception of the category in 1956. The Film Academy of the Philippines appoints a committee to choose one film among those released that year to be submitted as the Philippines's official entry to the Academy for a nomination for "Best International Feature Film" the following year. From 1956 until the establishment of the Film Academy in 1981, only four films were submitted for consideration: Child of Sorrow (1956), The Moises Padilla Story (1961), Because of a Flower (1967), and Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976). Afterwards, the Philippines submitted Of the Flesh in 1984 and This Is My Country in 1985, but made no further submissions until 1995's Harvest Home. Since then, a Filipino film has been submitted in most years. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

Abhayagiri Vihāra was a major monastery site of Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana Buddhism located in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. This photograph depicts the monastery's stupa as seen in 2020.

Photograph credit: A. Savin

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