Daily Knowledge "We grow small trying to be great."
[E. Stanley Jones]
Quote of the Day, from brainyquote.com (2026/06/08)
Article of the Day
The Types Riot was the destruction of William Mackenzie's printing press by members of the Family Compact, the ruling elite of Upper Canada, in York (modern Toronto). Mackenzie (pictured) created the Colonial Advocate and published editorials in the newspaper accusing the Family Compact of incompetence and embezzlement. On the evening of June 8, 1826, between nine and fifteen rioters forced their way into the newspaper offices and destroyed property. During the event, Mackenzie's employees tried to get passersby to help stop the rioters. Bystanders refused when they saw government officials were watching the spectacle. Mackenzie sued the rioters and jury awarded Mackenzie 625 pounds to be paid by the defendants, a harsh settlement. Several newspapers denounced the government officials who had failed to stop the riot. Reformers viewed Mackenzie as a martyr and he remained popular for several years. Historians identify the event as a sign of weakening Tory influence in Upper Canada politics. (Full article...)
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Image of the Day
._13-06-2025_(d.j.b.).jpg)
Source: Wikimedia Commons.
On this day: June 8
June 8: Bounty Day in Norfolk Island
- 1776 – American Revolutionary War: British forces defeated the Continental Army at the Battle of Trois-Rivières, the last battle of the American invasion of Quebec.
- 1783 – Laki, a volcanic fissure in Iceland (pictured), began an eight-month eruption, triggering a major famine and causing widespread fluoride poisoning.
- 1982 – Falklands War: The Argentine Air Force attacked British transport ships (damaged ship pictured) while unloading supplies off Bluff Cove in the Falkland Islands, killing 56 British servicemen and wounding 150 others.
- 2007 – A major storm caused the bulk carrier Pasha Bulker to run aground in New South Wales, Australia.
- 2008 – Seven people were killed and 10 others were injured in a vehicle and knife attack in Tokyo, Japan.
- Muhammad (d. 632)
- Suharto (b. 1921)
- Leo Walmsley (d. 1966)
- Kim Clijsters (b. 1983)
Knowledge about Earth
Facts and Figures
- Age of Earth: ~ 4.568 billion years
- World Population: 7.3 billion (July 2015)
- Continents: 7 (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia)
- Mean Radius: 6371.0 km
- Axial Tilt: 23,44°
Image Source: Wikipedia - License: Public Domain (thanks to NASA)
Our Solar System
Our solar system consists of
1 star (Sun) and 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune).
- 1 AU (astronomical unit) is roughly the distance between Earth and the Sun (about 150 million kilometres).
- The space probe Voyager 1 was launched by the NASA in 1977 and is meanwhile (autumn 2015) about 133 AU away from Earth.
Image Source: Wikipedia - License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Why you should extend your general knowledge:
There are many reasons why one should or wants to extend his knowledge.
First you should consider that "general knowledge" is knowledge which a group of humans - who belong together regional, temporal or otherwise - owns. Thus, it describes a basic understanding of specific categories of knowledge.
As the English philosopher Francis Bacon said before: "Wisdom is Power" [Bacon 1597].