German for 'lightning war'. An intense military campaign designed for quick victory.
Fact of the Day
In 1252 Henry III was given a polar bear by King Haakon of Norway. He kept it in the Tower of London on a long chain so it could swim in the Thames.
Quote of the Day
"And if I am to estimate the penalty justly, I say that maintenance in the Prytaneum is the just return.
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~ Plato reporting Socrates' suggestion for punishment
On This Day
1266The siege of Kenilworth Castle, one of the longest and largest sieges ever to occur in England, ended when the garrison inside the castle surrendered.
1545The first meeting of the Catholic Council of Trent was held in response to the Protestant Reformation.
1577Drake set sail to circumnavigate the globe, again. His first attempt had run into bad weather.
1784Samuel Johnson, giant of the English language, died. Among many other works, he spent just over eight years writing a 40,000-word dictionary.
1916Avalanches killed 10,000 men on World War One's most extreme battlefield in the Dolomites.
1939The first naval battle of World War Two, the Battle of the River Plate, happened
1973Prime Minister Edward Heath announced plans to introduce the Three Day Week in response to the oil crisis and strike action.
