Did you know ...
Cardinal of Portugal's Altarpiece
... that the Cardinal of Portugal's Altarpiece (pictured) commemorates a prince who fought in battle aged 14 and died aged 25?
... that Dear England tells the story of how manager Gareth Southgate helped change notions of masculinity for the men's national football team?
... that according to the Lotharian legend a medieval emperor declared Roman law the law of the Holy Roman Empire?
... that a pregnant Meghan Trainor, who considered her child a present, wore bows during the promotion for her album A Very Trainor Christmas?
... that the first imported copies of Norman Lindsay's Age of Consent were confiscated by Australian customs authorities?
... that portions of Tennessee State Route 158 have been called "Front Street", "Front Avenue", "Lakefront Drive", "Neyland Drive", and "James White Parkway"?
... that the tenor Graham Clark appeared at the Bayreuth Festival in 16 seasons, portraying the characters Loge and Mime in the 1988 Ring cycle?
... that the Hôtel Gabriel was rebuilt identically after its destruction in World War II?
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In the news
Dennis Schröder
In Hanoi, Vietnam, a fire at an apartment building kills at least 56 people.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup concludes with Germany defeating Serbia in the final (MVP Dennis Schröder pictured).
Storm Daniel causes flooding around the central Mediterranean and the collapse of two dams in Libya, leaving more than 11,400 people dead.
An earthquake strikes Morocco, killing more than 2,900 people.
Ongoing:Nigerien crisis
Russian invasion of Ukrainetimeline
Sudan war
Recent deaths:Edward Hide
Román Chalbaud
Point Given
Richard Hu
Éva Fahidi
Lisa Lyon
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On this day
September 17: Constitution Day in the United States (1787)
Emperor Norton
1176 – Byzantine–Seljuk wars: Seljuq Turks prevented Byzantine forces from taking the interior of Anatolia at the Battle of Myriokephalon in Phrygia.
1382 – Following the death of Louis I without a male heir, his daughter Mary was crowned with the title of King of Hungary.
1859 – Disgruntled with the legal and political structures of the United States, Joshua Norton (pictured) distributed letters to various newspapers in San Francisco proclaiming himself to be Emperor Norton.
1894 – The controversial Mormon bishop and prophetic dreamer John Hyrum Koyle began excavating the Dream Mine, which he believed would provide financial support to members of the LDS Church.
1914 – Andrew Fisher, whose previous term as Prime Minister of Australia oversaw a period of reform unmatched in the Commonwealth until the 1940s, became prime minister for the third time.
Li Jingsui (d. 958)
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans (d. 1721)
Periyar (b. 1879)
Hank Williams (b. 1923)
More anniversaries:September 16
September 17
September 18
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Today's featured picture
The hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is a species of hawk moth found across temperate regions of Eurasia, from Portugal to Japan. Its long proboscis (25–28 mm; 0.98–1.10 in) and its hovering behavior, accompanied by an audible humming noise, give it a resemblance to the hummingbird. Like hummingbirds, it feeds on flowers which have tube-shaped corollae; this is an example of convergent evolution. The hummingbird hawk-moth flies during the day, especially in bright sunshine, but also at dusk, dawn, and even in the rain, which is unusual for even diurnal hawk moths. It engages in free hovering flight, which allows more maneuverability and control than fixed-wing flight, despite high energetic cost. This hummingbird hawk-moth in flight was photographed near Yastrebets in Rila, a mountain range in Bulgaria.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp