Learning Skills

Article of the day for August 26, 2019 is Alabama Centennial half dollar . The Alabama Centennial half dollar is a commemorative fifty-cent coin struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1921 as a belated acknowledgement of the 100th anniversary of Alabama's admission to the Union in 1819. The half dollar was created by Laura Gardin Fraser, who became the first woman designer of a coin. Alabama Congressman Lilius Bratton Rainey introduced authorizing at the request of the state's centennial commission. The bill moved quickly through the legislative process and became law on May 10, 1920. The sponsors of the issue chose to depict William Bibb, the State of Alabama's first governor, and Thomas Kilby, its governor at the time of the centennial, thus making Governor Kilby the first living person to appear on a U.S. coin. They were issued in October 1921, and to boost sales, a symbol, 2X2, was included in the design for a minority of the coins; these are generally more...

With a high of 81F and a low of 69F.

Article of the day for August 25, 2019 is Richie Farmer . Richie Farmer (born August 25, 1969) is a former collegiate basketball player and Republican Party politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He led Clay County High School to the 1987 state high school boys' basketball championship, scoring a championship game record 51 points and being named 1988's Kentucky Mr. Basketball. He played collegiately for the Kentucky Wildcats. In his senior year, the team reached the Elite Eight of the 1992 NCAA Tournament, losing to Duke in one of the most memorable college basketball games ever. He served as Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner from 2004 to 2012, winning two terms by large margins. Kentucky Senate President David L. Williams made Farmer his running mate in the 2011 gubernatorial election, but their ticket was defeated. After leaving office as commissioner, Farmer was investigated for corruption and was eventually sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. He was released f...

With a high of 82F and a low of 68F.

By UZODINMA IWEALA from NYT Books https://ift.tt/2NqrOhg

Article of the day for August 24, 2019 is Battle of Blanchetaque . The Battle of Blanchetaque was fought on 24 August 1346, during the early stages of the Hundred Years' War, between an English army under King Edward III and a French force commanded by Godemar du Fay. The English army had burnt a path of destruction through some of the richest lands in France to within 20 miles (32 km) of Paris, then had marched north, hoping to link up with an allied Flemish army. The French king, Philip VI, garrisoned all of the bridges and fords over the River Somme and followed the English with his own field army. The area had previously been stripped of food stocks, and the English were essentially trapped. They launched an attack across a tidal ford at Blanchetaque, and after a disorderly mêlée the French blocking force there broke and fled. French casualties were reported as over half of their force, while English losses were light. Two days later, the main army under Philip was ...

By DANIEL E. SLOTNIK from NYT Books https://ift.tt/2Hp3J6V