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From today's featured article

Lyon escaping from New Prison

Elizabeth Lyon (fl. c. 1722–1726) was an English thief and prostitute. By 1723, she was working in London as a prostitute at the Black Lyon alehouse, where she began a relationship with Jack Sheppard. At Lyon's instigation, Sheppard stole from places where he worked, then moved to housebreaking; Lyon became an accomplice to his crimes. Sheppard was arrested on several occasions and broke out soon after incarceration, often assisted by Lyon. In May 1724, she was arrested when visiting him in prison, and the pair broke out of New Prison (pictured). After Sheppard's execution in November 1724, Lyon entered into relationships with other men who were, or became, involved in housebreaking, and she sometimes assisted them. She was arrested in March 1726 and was transported to Maryland. Lyon's notoriety is based on her connection to Sheppard; in the years following his execution, novels were published and plays performed that retold their story. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Bosco Nordio nature reserve

... that the Bosco Nordio nature reserve (pictured) is located on dunes built up by four millennia of deposits by nearby rivers?
... that yum yum sauce is sometimes called "white sauce" or "shrimp sauce", although it is neither white nor contains shrimp?
... that the Meiō incident deposed a shogun?
... that Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker, was set on fire and beaten to death after being accused of insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad?
... that pages of Lewis Hancox's graphic novel were displayed in The Cartoon Museum of London?
... that college football quarterback Jack Strand threw for over 7 miles (11 km) in his career?
... that Zirconic was a U.S. government effort to create reconnaissance satellites equipped with stealth technology?
... that Siegfried Sassoon referred to the Royal Societies Club as the "United Nonentities Club"?
... that the only painting Walter Deverell ever sold, A Pet, was bought by William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais as an "act of charity"?

In the news

Ali Khamenei

Israel and the United States launch strikes on Iran, killing its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei (pictured), along with other senior officials.
A Lockheed C-130 Hercules of the Bolivian Air Force crashes into a road in El Alto, killing more than 20 people.
A military conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan escalates as the countries exchange cross-border strikes.
Floods in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais, Brazil, leave at least 70 people dead and thousands of others displaced.

On this day

March 5: Learn from Lei Feng Day in China; St Piran's Day in Cornwall, England

Prototype Spitfire K5054

1811 – Peninsular War: At the Battle of Barrosa, Anglo-Iberian forces trying to lift the Siege of Cádiz defeated a French attack but could not break the siege itself.
1825 – Roberto Cofresí, one of the last Caribbean pirates, was apprehended after his flagship sloop Anne was captured by authorities.
1936 – The prototype (pictured) of the Supermarine Spitfire flew for the first time.
1981 – The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, was launched by Sinclair Research, and went on to sell more than 1.5 million units around the world.

Edward Cornwallis (b. 1713)
J. R. Kealoha (d. 1877)
Anna Akhmatova (d. 1966)
Ailsa McKay (d. 2014)

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Today's featured picture

The toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) is a species of bird in the toucan family, Ramphastidae. It is the largest species of toucan and has a distinctive appearance, with a black body, a white throat, chest and uppertail coverts, and red undertail coverts. Its most conspicuous feature is its huge beak, which is yellow-orange with a black base and a large spot on the tip. It is endemic to South America, where it has a wide distribution from the Guianas south to northern Argentina and Uruguay, and its range has recently been expanding southwards. Unlike other toucans, which inhabit continuous forests, the toco toucan inhabits a variety of semi-open habitats at altitudes of up to 1,750 metres (5,740 ft). It feeds mainly on fleshy fruits, but can also supplement its diet with insects, eggs, and the nestlings of other birds. This toco toucan was photographed near Poconé in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso.

Photograph credit: Bernard Dupont

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