Saturday, December 10, 2005

Spotlight
The Nobel Prizes will be handed out today in Stockholm on the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel (1833-1896). The Swedish chemist and engineer held 350 patents including one for dynamite. Wishing to be remembered for more peaceful things, Nobel bequeathed his fortune to establish the annual award for accomplishments in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and the promotion of international peace. In 1968, a prize for economics was added. This year's winners include Harold Pinter (Literature), Robert Aumann (Economics) and the IAEA (Peace).

Quote
"If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied." – Alfred Bernhard Nobel

Today in History

• Mississippi: the Magnolia State became No. 20 (1817)
• Spanish-American War: came to an end (1898)
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights: adopted by UN; became the world's most translated document (1948)

Today's Birthdays

• Emily Dickinson: reclusive poet (1830-1886)
• Melvil Dewey: developer of the Dewey Decimal System (1851-1931)
• Kenneth Brannagh: actor, director (45)

Word of the Day
 nemesis: an enemy or avenger; Nobel wrote one play, Nemesis, about Beatrice Cenci.   (© )