Cool Fact of the Day
Sahara's Sands
How much of the Sahara Desert is covered by sand?
Mention the Sahara Desert, and many people think of sand dunes stretching from horizon to
horizon. While enormous fields of sand cover some parts of the Sahara, that sand only covers
about 20% of the world's largest desert. The rest consists of rocky plateaus, open plains of
gravel, and barren rocks.
From space, the Sahara is a mottled patchwork of browns and yellows. The bright
yellow-white sand fields are especially prominent in the eastern and western regions, while the
wrinkled, brown Ahaggar and Tibesti mountain ranges dominate the central area.
In the west, the great El Djouf basin ("The Belly") holds one of the largest expanses of sand in
the world. This almost completely lifeless "empty quarter" of Mauritania is more than 1000
kilometers (600 miles) across. In the east there is even more sand, mostly concentrated in
windblown trails running southwest across Egypt and Libya.
Across the Sahara by bicycle:
crosswinds.net
More about the vast Sahara desert:
pbs.org
What Saharan rock art tells us:
features.learningkingdom.com
Cool Word of the Day
demure [adj. di-MYOOR]
Demure means shy or modest; near synonyms include reserved, timid, and coy. Related forms
include demurely and demureness. Example: "Too shy to approach the dance floor by herself,
she sat demurely on one of the benches, waiting to be asked."
Demure originally meant calm, grave, or well-mannered. It comes from the Middle English
demeure, from the Anglo-French demure, from demurer (to delay), possibly influenced by the
Old French mur (grave, mature).
Person of the Day
Errett Lobban Cord, 1894-1974
Automobile pioneer
Students of automotive history are familiar with E.L. Cord for his classic Auburn, Duesenberg,
and Cord vehicles. An "outsider" to the automobile industry, Cord saved the floundering
Auburn Automobile Company from oblivion and brought it to international prominence, only
to have it crushed by the Great Depression.
Cord took control of the nearly bankrupt Auburn factory in 1924 and quickly turned the
operation around through shrewd management and a commitment to excellent engineering and
striking design. He then expanded on his success with Auburn by purchasing the luxury
carmaker Duesenberg and initiating a line of cars bearing his name. The first cars with
front-wheel drive, Cord automobiles were ahead of their time and found great popularity.
But by the mid 1930s, Cord's operation was severely affected by the Depression and he was
forced to close its doors. He then moved west, where he found new success in broadcasting,
real estate, and even politics, becoming a state senator in Nevada.
More about E.L. Cord:
acdmuseum.org
kpcnews.net
Quotes of the Day
Learning through Experience; There is knowledge that can only be gained through experience:
"What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing."
-- Aristotle, 384-322 B.C., Greek philosopher
"Education is when you read the fine print, experience is what you get when you don't."
-- Pete Seeger, 1919-, American folksinger and composer
"The things we know best are the things we haven't been taught."
-- George Santayana, 1863-1952, American philosopher, poet
"Nothing ever becomes real 'til it is experienced. Even a proverb is no proverb to you 'til your
life is illustrated by it."
-- John Keats, 1795-1821, English poet
Today in History
June 7th
1494: Treaty of Tordesillas Completed
Spain and Portugal completed the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided between themselves
the new lands they had discovered. Meeting in the town of Tordesillas in northwestern Spain,
representatives of the two countries agreed to a line that ran west of the Cape Verde Islands:
the territories west of the line would belong to Spain, the territories east of the line to Portugal.
Map delineating Spain and Portugal's territories according to the treaty:
sru.edu
1654: Louis Crowned King Louis XIV of France
Louis is crowned King Louis XIV of France. Known as "Louis the Great" or the "Sun King,"
he masterminded the rise of France to a world power. Ruling from his great palace at
Versailles, he was the dominant political figure of his time.
1893: Gandhi in Pietermaritzburg
Mahatma Gandhi was thrown off a segregated train in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, an
action that motivated him to develop his philosophy of peaceful resistance. Ghandi lived in
South Africa for two decades. "It was after I went to South Africa that I became what I am
now," he said. "My love for South Africa and my concern for her problems are no less than
for India."
1933: "The Seven Deadly Sins" Premiered
The ballet "The Seven Deadly Sins" (Die sieben Todsunden), set to music by Kurt Weill and
written by Bertolt Brecht, premiered at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris. This work
was born out of the exile of the two German artists who fled Germany after Adolf Hitler came
to power.
1979: Bhaskara-I Launched
Bhaskara-I, an Indian Earth resources and meteorology satellite, was launched from a Soviet
spacecraft. Named after a famous Indian mathematician and astronomer, Bhaskara-I was
launched four years after the first Indian satellite went into space.
Holidays & Events
June 7
Sette Giugno, Black Hills Passion Play
MALTA: SETTE GIUGNO
Today Malta observes Sette Giugno, a national holiday that commemorates a violent uprising
on June 7, 1919. British troops shot dead a number of Maltese during a period of riots against
the British sparked by unrest over the cost of living and general post-war dissatisfaction. A
commemorative ceremony is held today at Palace Square in Valetta.
Valetta is the capital of Malta:
valetta.com
Main highlights in Malta over the last century:
maltamag.com
Tourism in Malta:
visitmalta.com
UNITED STATES: BLACK HILLS PASSION PLAY
The last seven days in the life of Christ will be re-enacted throughout the summer in Spearfish,
South Dakota. The Black Hills Passion Play is an outdoor drama featuring a cast of more than
200 people and live animals. Performances are held Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings
until August 30. This is the show's 62nd season.
A synopsis of the play:
blackhills.com
The Black Hills region in South Dakota is also home to a memorial to Native American leader
Crazy Horse:
freespace.virgin.net
More about South Dakota:
travelsd.com
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