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From today's featured article

SMS Kaiser

The Kaiser class was a German ship class that were built in Germany prior to World War I and served in the Kaiserliche Marine. They were the third class of German dreadnoughts, and the first to feature turbine engines and superfiring turrets. The five ships were Kaiser (pictured), Friedrich der Grosse, Kaiserin, Prinzregent Luitpold, and König Albert. All five ships saw action in the North Sea during war; they served together as VI Division of III Battle Squadron. Four were present during the Battle of Jutland. The ships also took part in Operation Albion in the Baltic Sea; during the operation, they were reorganized as IV Battle Squadron, under the command of Vice Admiral Wilhelm Souchon. At the end of the war, all five ships were interned at the British naval base in Scapa Flow. On 21 June 1919, they were scuttled to prevent their seizure by the Royal Navy. The ships were subsequently raised and broken up for scrap between 1929 and 1937. (This article is part of a featured topic: Battleships of Germany.)

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Did you know ...

Wendy Barnes

... that Wendy Barnes (pictured) had to fill 40 minutes of live radio airtime when her scheduled guest, Princess Margaret, was unwell and arrived late?
... that The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness features a tree that was described by its author as an allegory for bipolar disorder?
... that Trendon Watford attended all of his brother's basketball games at Indiana University for four years, even though it meant driving for seven hours?
... that the founder of Boston Korea at first wrote, edited, designed, and delivered the newspaper himself, on routes running from Boston to New Hampshire?
... that Otto Djaya described his scholarship studies as part of an espionage mission?
... that minorities in Turkey recognized under the Treaty of Lausanne were not required to change their surnames, as stipulated by the Surname Law?
... that Alex Sanders led a successful campaign against the construction of a chemical plant near Hilton Head Island?
... that the magazine The Television is known for its covers featuring celebrities holding a lemon?
... that South Korean theatre-maker Jaha Koo made rice cookers explode when trying to make them talk?

In the news

The aircraft used on Flydubai Flight 1073

Over Saudi Arabia, the crew and passengers of Flydubai Flight 1073 (aircraft pictured) avert an attempt to hijack or crash the aircraft.
Flooding in Bangkok and across Thailand leaves at least 23 people dead.
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri is appointed the first woman prime minister of Morocco after her party's victory in the general election.
The Chess Olympiad concludes with Uzbekistan winning the Open event and China winning the Women's event.

On this day

October 2: International Day of Non-Violence; Gandhi Jayanti in India

Shubert Theatre

1766 – As part of wider food riots, citizens in Nottingham, England, looted large quantities of cheese; one man was killed during attempts to restore order.
1879 – Qing China signed the Treaty of Livadia with the Russian Empire, but the terms were so unfavorable that the Chinese government refused to ratify the treaty.
1913 – The Shubert Theatre (pictured) opened on Broadway with a production of Hamlet.
1971 – Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was re-elected unopposed as President of South Vietnam.
2006 – A gunman killed five Amish girls before committing suicide in a one-room schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania.

Augustus Keppel (d. 1786)
Michael Bambang Hartono (b. 1939)
Sting (b. 1951)
Sacheen Littlefeather (d. 2022)

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From today's featured list

Emperor Yingzong of Ming was captured by the Mongols during the Battle of Tumu.

The Battle of Tumu was a battle in Chinese history, fought on 1 September 1449, between the Ming dynasty and the Oirat Mongols. In July 1449, Esen Taishi, leader of the Oirat Mongols, launched a large-scale, three-pronged invasion of China. Emperor Yingzong of Ming (pictured), on the advice of the eunuch Wang Zhen, decided to personally lead an expedition northward to confront Esen, despite protests from experienced generals. The Ming army was ill-prepared and became scattered during its advance. When it reached the Tumu post station, it was in a vulnerable position, trapped in narrow terrain with limited water and supplies. Esen then employed deceptive tactics to lure the Ming forces into an ambush, and Mongol cavalry units quickly surrounded them, cutting off their retreat. Meanwhile, Wang Zhen, who held de facto command, was indecisive and ignored advice from his generals to organize a withdrawal. Esen's troops subsequently overwhelmed and defeated the Ming army, killed tens of thousands of soldiers, and captured the Emperor. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

City of Workers is a 1920 oil-on-canvas painting by German artist Hans Baluschek. It depicts a working-class sector of Berlin, with workers' homes in the background beneath a smoke-filled industrial skyline. Railway tracks dominate the foreground, and in the lower left corner there is a dark figure on a train car, facing away from the viewer. Baluschek, a member of the Berlin Secession, depicted cityscapes frequently in his work, highlighting their contradictory beauty and despair. City of Workers has been in the collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum since 2010.

Painting credit: Hans Baluschek

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