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Userkare was the second king of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, reigning in the late 24th or early 23rd century BC. He is not mentioned in the tomb inscriptions of Egyptian officials who lived during his reign. Some representations of high officials of the period were chiselled out in their tombs; Egyptologists suspect his successor Pepi I may have tried to erase mentions of Userkare. Egyptologists variously consider Userkare a usurper to the throne, a legitimate ruler, a younger brother to Pepi I, or a regent who ruled during Pepi I's childhood. If a legitimate ruler, Userkare could have been a son of Teti and one of his queens. If a usurper, he could have been a descendant of a cadet branch of the preceding Fifth Dynasty. Userkare's tomb has not been identified, either because it was not finished or because Pepi I erased traces of his rule. If the tomb was started, Egyptologists conjecture that it would be located in South Saqqara. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

District No. 2 Schoolhouse

... that a 300-year-old bell formerly hung in the Old North Church in Boston now hangs in a one-room schoolhouse (pictured) in Charlton, Massachusetts?
... that Natsuki Takaya requested that the second anime adaptation of her manga series Fruits Basket be done with an entirely different team than the first one?
... that the horns and dome of the dinosaur Stygimoloch were thought to belong to different animals until the discovery of a more complete skull?
... that Simon Nkoli's contributions to the anti-apartheid movement as an openly gay man motivated the movement's leadership to support gay rights?
... that King Abdullah II donated towards and supported the construction of the first Christian university in Jordan?
... that Edwin Masuge temporarily stepped away from athletics to focus on his schooling after placing seventh in the 400 metres T13 final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics?
... that the music video for Staind's song "Believe" yielded a sequel?
... that prior Nicholas de Trinbey's eyes were torn out during an attack by John de Welyngton and two other canons of Llanthony Priory?
... that each floor in a California hotel is themed after a movie?

In the news

Navi Pillay

South African jurist Navi Pillay (pictured) is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
American software engineer Margaret Hamilton dies at the age of 90.
Henri B. Kagan and Kensō Soai are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.
Paramount Skydance completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valued at $110 billion, becoming Skydance Corporation.

On this day

October 11: Feast day of Saint James the Deacon (Anglicanism); National Coming Out Day

Kathryn Sullivan

1311 – The peerage and clergy of the Kingdom of England published the Ordinances of 1311 to restrict King Edward II's powers.
1776 – American Revolutionary War: A British fleet defeated American ships at the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, but gave American forces enough time to prepare their defenses for the Saratoga campaign.
1890 – In Washington, D.C., the Daughters of the American Revolution was founded.
1984 – Aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan (pictured) became the first American woman to perform a space walk.
1987 – An estimated 750,000 people attended the "Great March" in Washington, D.C., to demand greater civil rights for the LGBT community.

Huldrych Zwingli (d. 1531)
Jean Alexander (b. 1926)
Shin Tae-yong (b. 1970)
Angela Lansbury (d. 2022)

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Today's featured picture

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released in most regions in 2025. The successor to the Nintendo Switch, it retains the earlier console's hybrid design, allowing it to be used as a handheld device or connected to an external display. It features a 7.9-inch (20 cm) liquid-crystal display, increased processing power and storage, and redesigned controllers. This photograph shows a pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers detached from the console. They feature redesigned shoulder buttons, analog sticks and magnetic attachment mechanisms, which replace the original Switch's rail system. The controllers can also function as computer mice by sliding them across a surface.

Photograph credit: Chris Woodrich

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