A convoy that set out from Iceland, destined for the Soviet Union, in the summer of 1942. Only 11 out of 34 merchant ships made it thanks to the bungled orders and intelligence.
PQ-17
Fact of the Day
'Druid' in Celtic means 'oak person', but in the Germanic languages means 'true knowledge'.
Quote of the Day
"It is better for aged diplomats to be bored than for young men to die.
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~ Warren Robinson Austin, US ambassador to the UN
On This Day
43 BCE The assassination of Cicero, requested by Marc Antony. When his head was delivered to Anthony, his wife, Fulvia, spat on it and jabbed hairpins into his tongue.
1732 The Theatre Royal, now known as the Covent Garden Opera House, opened with a performance of the Beggar's Opera.
1787 Delaware became the first state of the modern United States.
1817 Rear-Admiral William Bligh died. He had been captain of HMS Bounty during the mutiny.
1941 The Japanese launched a surprise attack on the American naval base a Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, killing 2,403.
1982 Charles Brooks Jr became the first person to be executed by lethal injection, with a huge dose of 'truth serum'
