An epic poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, written in Middle English probably in the 1380s, detailing the tragic love story of Troilus and Criseyde during the Siege of Troy. Although not as well known as the Canterbury Tales, it is considered by some to be the better poem.
Troilus and Criseyde
Fact of the Day
Pope Innocent VIII allegedly drank the blood of three young Jewish boys in the hope of capturing their youth. He is also reported to have had the first blood transfusion, in 1492.
Quote of the Day
"Don't put your trust in revolutions. They always come around again. That's why they're called revolutions.
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~ Terry Pratchett
On This Day
1830 The Manchester to Liverpool train line opened, and caused the first train death (of MP William Huskisson).
1859 The great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel died.
1916 Tanks were first used on the Somme. They weren't ready for use in combat and many broke down.
1935 The Nuremberg race laws were introduced, stripping German Jews of their citizenship and forbidding them to marry Aryans.
1940 Hitler indefinitely postponed his invasion of Britain following a massive defeat of the Luftwaffe.
2008 The financial services firm Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, the biggest such filing in US history, causing the Dow Jones to drop more than 500 points in a day.