A final, uncompromising demand or set of terms, the rejection of which could lead to a severance of relations or to the use of force.
Ultimatum
Fact of the Day
The first woman killed by a tiger in Britain died in 1705.
Quote of the Day
"Sick men are privileged to tell all their stories and grievances.
"
~ John Chamberlain, letter writer, 1613
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.