Very old ancestors of early human species. They have sometimes been called the missing link between apes and humans.
Australopithecines
Fact of the Day
The average temperature inside a 1916 First World War tank was 51°C.
Quote of the Day
"In this country, it is good to kill an admiral from time to time, in order to encourage the others.
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~ Voltaire on Admiral Byng's execution
On This Day
1483 The proposed date of the coronation of the 12-year-old son of Edward IV, Edward V. The coronation never happened because his uncle, Richard, declared him illegitimate and became king himself.
1611 Navigator Henry Hudson was cast adrift after a mutiny in Hudson Bay. It was the last time he was seen alive.
1861 A huge blaze started on Tooley Street's Cotton Wharf, which was later compared to the Great Fire of London, caused £2 million worth of damage, and killed James Braidwood, superintendent of the London Fire Engine Establishment.
1941 The Nazis launched Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union, with the largest invasion force in the history of warfare.
