1789 CE - Incensed by bread shortages, women of Paris march on Versailles, storm the palace and force King Louis XVI and his family to return to the city with them the following day. It will be one of the earliest and most significant events of the coming French Revolution.
Photo of the Day
Ceremonial wooden Nandi, Kerala, India, late 18th century.
In the News
Ebola Patient in Dallas Turns Critical, No New US Cases
'No Problem at All' for North Korea Leader Kim's Health, Says Official
Syrian Border Town Still Under Siege by ISIS Despite Allied Airstrikes
Hong Kong Government to Resume on Monday, but Protests Go On
52-Million-Year-Old 'Ant-Loving' Beetle Caught in Amber
'No Problem at All' for North Korea Leader Kim's Health, Says Official
Syrian Border Town Still Under Siege by ISIS Despite Allied Airstrikes
Hong Kong Government to Resume on Monday, but Protests Go On
52-Million-Year-Old 'Ant-Loving' Beetle Caught in Amber
Quote of the Day
"Rich men's houses are seldom beautiful, rarely comfortable, and never original. It is a constant source of surprise to people of moderate means to observe how little a big fortune contributes to Beauty". --Margot Asquith
Song of the Day
Composer - Arcangelo Corelli
From - 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5
Film of the Day
Director - Werner Herzog
Starring - Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale
Wiki of the Day
The Varangian Guard (Greek: Τάγμα των Βαράγγων, Tágma tōn Varángōn) was an elite unit of the Byzantine Army, from the 10th to the 14th centuries, whose members served as personal bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors. They are known for being primarily composed of Germanic peoples, specifically, Scandinavians (the Guard was formed approximately 200 years into the Viking age) and Anglo-Saxons from England (particularly after the Norman Invasion).
The Rus' provided the earliest members of the Varangian guard. Rus' were in Byzantine service from as early as 874. The guard was first formally constituted under Emperor Basil II in 988, following the Christianization of Kievan Rus' by Vladimir I of Kiev. Vladimir, who had recently usurped power in Kiev with an army of Varangian warriors, sent 6,000 men to Basil as part of a military assistance agreement.[1][2][3] Basil's distrust of the native Byzantine guardsmen, whose loyalties often shifted with fatal consequences, as well as the proven loyalty of the Varangians, many of whom had previously served in Byzantium, led the emperor to employ them as his personal guardsmen. Over the years, new recruits from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland kept a predominantly Norse cast to the organization until the late 11th century.
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