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The St Scholastica Day riot began in Oxford, England, on 10 February 1355. The disturbance began when two students from the University of Oxford complained about the quality of wine served to them in a tavern; the argument quickly escalated to a fight and the resulting mêlée turned into a riot. The violence continued over three days, with armed gangs entering the town from the countryside to assist the townspeople. University halls and students' accommodation were raided and the inhabitants murdered. Around 20 townsfolk were killed, as were up to 63 members of the university. King Edward III sent judges to the town to determine culpability. He came down on the side of the university, who were given additional powers to the disadvantage of the town's authorities. In an act of conciliation in 1955—the riot's 600th anniversary—the mayor of Oxford was given an honorary degree, while the university's vice-chancellor was made an honorary freeman of the city. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Deception Pass State Park

... that a Washington state park (pictured) drew more visitors in 2021 than Yosemite National Park?
... that James I. Hopkins Jr., who signed the order to bomb Hiroshima, disappeared without a trace?
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... that historian Allen French volunteered as a police officer during a labor strike?
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... that sanquette, a crêpe from Occitania, is made with blood fresh from slaughter?
... that the Canadian Joint Forces Command was created based on operational lessons from the war in Ukraine?
... that a radio station requested changes to a light-rail project?
... that Gu Yanwu destroyed all his poetry following the Manchu conquest and took to wandering across China?

In the news

Anutin Charnvirakul

In the Thai general election, the Bhumjaithai Party, led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (pictured), wins the most seats in the House of Representatives.
In American football, the Seattle Seahawks defeat the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl.
The Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, wins a landslide victory in the Japanese general election.
A suicide attack at a mosque during Friday prayers kills at least 33 people in Islamabad, Pakistan.

On this day

February 10: Feast day of Saint Scholastica (Christianity); Little New Year in northern China (2026); National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe in Italy

Namdaemun gate during the arson event

1906 – The Royal Navy battleship HMS Dreadnought was launched, representing such a marked advance in naval technology that her name came to be associated with an entire generation of battleships.
1936 – Second Italo-Ethiopian War: The Battle of Amba Aradam began, ending nine days later in a decisive tactical victory for Italy and the neutralisation of almost the entire Ethiopian army as a fighting force.
1940 – Puss Gets the Boot, the first Tom and Jerry cartoon, was released to theaters.
1941 – In the first airborne operation undertaken by the British military, six paratroopers landed near Calitri, Italy, to destroy an aqueduct.
2008 – The Namdaemun gate in Seoul, the first of South Korea's National Treasures, was severely damaged by arson (damage pictured).

Guillermo Trujillo Durán (b. 1878)
Wilhelm Röntgen (d. 1923)
Bob Iger (b. 1951)
Lisa Marie Varon (b. 1971)

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Today's featured picture

Sabellastarte spectabilis, commonly known as the feather duster worm or the fan worm, is a species of benthic marine polychaete worm in the family Sabellidae. It is native to tropical waters of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea but has spread to other parts of the world. It is a filter feeder and inhabits holes and cracks in reefs, rocky shores, coral and lava, under boulders in still water, and in tidal pools and channels exposed to heavy surf. S. spectabilis is buff in colour with purple specks, around 8 centimetres (3 inches) in length and up to 1.2 centimetres (0.5 inches) in width. It lives in a tough, leathery tube covered with fine mud, from which projects a branchial crown of branched tentacles. The worm is popular in aquariums because of its distinctive appearance and its ability to remove organic particles and improve water quality. This S. spectabilis worm was photographed in the diving resort of Anilao in Mabini, Batangas, in the Philippines.

Photograph credit: Diego Delso

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