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Pope Urban II's call for the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont

The Crusading movement was a major religious, political, and military endeavour of the Middle Ages, usually dated from the 1095 Council of Clermont. There Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade in support of Eastern Christians under Muslim rule, framing it as a form of penitential pilgrimage. The crusaders founded four states in the Levant, the defence of which inspired further Crusades. The papacy later launched campaigns against Muslims in Iberia, pagans in the Baltic, and other opponents of its authority. Core crusading forces were heavily armed knights, backed by infantry, local troops, and naval aid from maritime cities. These papal-sanctioned wars fostered distinctive institutions and ideologies. Funding was initially improvised, but later supported via papal taxes on clergy and the sale of indulgences. The fusion of chivalric and monastic ideals led to the rise of military orders. The movement extended Western Christendom and left lasting marks on art and literature. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Grand Opera House, Philadelphia

... that a brewery was responsible for commissioning Philadelphia's Grand Opera House (pictured)?
... that Seraphina Beh landed a role on EastEnders after a producer saw her perform in Pigeon English?
... that a 1920s Muslim women's magazine highlighted women in the Philippines as examples of modern womanhood?
... that photographs of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine were arranged to form a mosaic image of Vasily Vereshchagin's The Apotheosis of War on Russia 200's website?
... that an anime ending sequence by Vivinos, featuring a song from Karen Matsumoto and Haruka Sakuraba's unit PiKi, was compared to a "snowglobe that swirls with pink glitter"?
... that Richard Nixon ordered the FBI to investigate the killing of Joetha Collier after civil rights activist Aaron Henry telegraphed him about the incident?
... that an advertisement featuring the Invisible Woman from Marvel Rivals was found in breach of advertising ethics by the Ad Standards Community Panel in Australia?
... that some universities in Brazil have quotas for transgender people?
... that archaeologists found the papyri of Menches wrapped around mummified crocodiles?

In the news

Tigst Assefa

A train crash near Jakarta, Indonesia, kills at least 16 people and injures 83 others.
In the London Marathon, Sabastian Sawe and Tigst Assefa (pictured) win the men's and women's races, both setting world record times.
In Mali, the Azawad Liberation Front and Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin launch a joint offensive against the government.
The Progressive Bulgaria coalition, led by former president Rumen Radev, wins a majority of the National Assembly in the parliamentary election, in a bid to end the ongoing Bulgarian political crisis.

On this day

May 1: Beltane and Samhain in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively; Third Month Fair begins in southwest China (2026); Maharashtra Day in Maharashtra, India (1960); Loyalty Day in the United States

Anna Jagiellon

880 – The Nea Ekklesia church in Constantinople, on which many later cross-in-square Eastern Orthodox churches were based, was consecrated.
1576 – Stephen Báthory and Anna Jagiellon (pictured) were crowned as the elected rulers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
1941 – Citizen Kane, a widely acclaimed film by actor and director Orson Welles, premiered.
1991 – In Major League Baseball, Rickey Henderson broke the record for stolen bases on the same night that Nolan Ryan broke his own record for no-hitters.

Edmund Fitzalan, 2nd Earl of Arundel (b. 1285)
Honora Sneyd (d. 1780)
Peter Lax (b. 1926)
Charli D'Amelio (b. 2004)

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The class of 1927 sitting in front of William Smith Hall

Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland, which is on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The college was founded in 1782 by William Smith, but is the successor institution to the earlier Kent County Free School, which was founded in 1732. Its alumni include two governors of Maryland, a governor of Delaware, four United States senators, seven members of the United States House of Representatives, and nine state senators. Nine alumni played at least one game in Major League Baseball, including Jake Flowers, who was on two World Series-winning teams. John Emory, the namesake of Emory University and Emory and Henry College, graduated from Washington College. Several alumni have been successful writers, including James M. Cain. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a species of swan in the family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia and is an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name "mute" derives from it being less vocal than other swan species. Typically measuring 140 to 170 cm (55 to 67 in) in length, this large swan is wholly white in plumage with an orange bill bordered with black. It is recognisable by its pronounced knob atop the bill, which is larger in males.

Photograph: Geni

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