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Ludwig Ross (22 July 1806 – 6 August 1859) was a German classical archaeologist. He is chiefly remembered for the rediscovery and reconstruction of the Temple of Athena Nike in 1835 and 1836, and for his other excavation and conservation work on the Acropolis of Athens. He was also an important figure in the early years of archaeology in the independent Kingdom of Greece, serving as Ephor General of Antiquities between 1834 and 1836. As the first professor of archaeology at the University of Athens, he educated the first generation of natively trained Greek archaeologists, including Panagiotis Efstratiadis. Ross lost his post as a result of the 3 September 1843 Revolution, which removed most non-Greeks from public service in the country. He spent his final years as a professor in Halle, where he argued unsuccessfully against the reconstruction of the Indo-European language family, believing Latin to be a direct descendant of Ancient Greek. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Administration building of Sengkang Depot

... that the construction of Sengkang Depot (building pictured) required the excavation of 3 million cubic metres (110 million cu ft) of earth?
... that early designs for Aloy were scrapped after market testing revealed that players felt she had an unbelievable "Disney princess" quality?
... that manure lagoons helped to clean Newaukum Creek?
... that a group called the Wrinkled Wheels cycled from Land's End to John o' Groats to raise money for St Helena Hospice?
... that the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway went from being a Native American trail to the main road serving the most-visited national park in the United States?
... that Swedish actress Ulla Smidje appeared in a film alongside her two-month-old daughter, who played a newborn boy?
... that the Uranian moon Francisco is named after both a Shakespearean character and an astronomer's daughter?
... that a lake in Minnesota may be named after a battle in which a Dakota warrior was found with severed feet?
... that an iron suspension bridge built in 1830 supported the weight of several elephants at once?

In the news

Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham (pictured) succeeds Keir Starmer as Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following a leadership election.
In association football, the FIFA World Cup concludes with Spain defeating Argentina in the final.
British runner Josh Kerr breaks the world record for the mile run.
Barbadian cricketer Garfield Sobers dies at the age of 89.

On this day

July 22: Feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene (Christianity)

First flag of Sarawak

1209 – A crusader army captured Béziers, France, and massacred the city's inhabitants in the first major military action of the Albigensian Crusade.
1691 – Williamite forces defeated the Jacobites at the Battle of Aughrim, the decisive battle of the Williamite War in Ireland.
1951 – Soviet space dogs: Dezik and Tsygan were launched into a sub-orbital spaceflight from Kapustin Yar and became the first dogs to fly in space and the first to safely return.
1963 – The United Kingdom granted self-government to Sarawak (first flag pictured); the day would be celebrated as Sarawak Day.
1976 – Japan completed its last reparation to the Philippines for war crimes committed during imperial Japan's conquest of the country in the Second World War.

Adam Malik (b. 1917)
Nadja Stefanoff (b. 1976)
Ursula Franklin (d. 2016)
Ozzy Osbourne (d. 2025)

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From today's featured list

2019 Pit Stop Challenge

The Pit Stop Challenge is a single elimination, pit stop competition held before the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It takes place after the final practice session on Carb Day, which is held two days before the race. First held in 1977, the contest has pit crews compete head-to-head in single-round eliminations for three rounds. In each round they conduct a standard pit stop—switching all four tires on a racing vehicle and simulating refueling via a fuel hose connection to the fuel tank—in the shortest possible time in a drag race-style event that happens in a specially constructed dual pit lane. Contest participants are selected from IndyCar Series-registered teams and Indianapolis 500 entrants. The winning team and driver share the winners' prize of $50,000 from $150,000 total prize money. The record for the most victories is held by Team Penske with 20 wins since their first win in the 1981 final. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

God Speed is a painting by British artist Edmund Blair Leighton which was completed in 1900. It depicts an armoured knight leaving for war and leaving his beloved, who ties a red sash around his arm. A griffin on the banister of the stairs is a symbol of strength and military courage. The painting was exhibited in the Royal Academy of Arts in 1900. It is now held in a private collection.

Painting credit: Edmund Blair Leighton

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