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21 Aug: moon & sun to align, cast 70mi shadow across N. America. Last total solar eclipse seen by entire US: 99yrs ago
Total Solar Eclipse
Blood Moon is sometimes used to describe 4 total lunar eclipses in a row.
People across North America will witness a rare total solar eclipse on 21 August.
The earth, moon and sun will momentarily align, casting a 70-mile wide shadow that will move across the US, from the west coast to the east coast. The millions of people living within this ‘path of totality’ – and the millions of others expected to travel to a location on the strip – will see a total solar eclipse, where the moon completely blocks out the sun, leaving the solar corona visible.
The last time the entirety of the US witnessed a total solar eclipse was 99 years ago.
Total Solar Eclipse 2017: When, Where and How to See It (Safely) read more »
A Jolly Good Fellow, classy: Prince Philip, 96, LAST of 22,220 solo engagements in incredible 65 years of royal duties
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Left: Prince Philip in his regalia in 1958. Right: On May 31 2017 after he announced his retirement.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married in 1957 and have been together ever since.
2003: The Queen can't hide her smiles as her husband dons a uniform for The Queen's Company Review at Windsor Castle.
The Duke of Edinburgh laughed as he spoke with senior officers.
Born at the family home, Mon Repos in Corfu Greece - allegedly on the kitchen table - on June 10 1921, Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark came to Britain when he was just one year old.
The Duke has immersed himself in national life but also served in the Armed Forces, left, in his naval uniform circa 1982; and right, on a boat in Malta in 1949
"Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief." - Cicero
"Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief." - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"I know what things are good: friendship and work and conversation. These I shall have." - Rupert Brooke
"My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake." - Aristotle
World most amazing bridges: Golden Gate, Sydney Harbour, Ponte Vecchio, Gateshead Millennium, Pont du Gard Aqueduct...
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Golden Gate Bridge: San Francisco, United States
Now over 75 years old, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is arguably the most recognizable bridge in the world.
Sydney Harbour Bridge: Sydney, Australia
Nicknamed "The Coat Hanger" by Sydney locals because of its arch-based design, the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932 and is a focal point of Aussie pride and celebrations.
For aspiring bridge climbers, BridgeClimb offers people just that.
Every year for New Year's Eve the bridge itself is used to complement fireworks displays creating various effects like smiley faces and a disco ball.
Ponte Vecchio: Florence, Italy
A Medieval bridge over the Arno River, the Ponte Vecchio is mainly known for its shops of jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers and for being Europe's oldest stone, closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge.
It has a rich history dating back to the time of the Romans. During World War II the bridge was not destroyed by the Nazis -- unlike many other bridges in Europe -- under an express order from Adolf Hitler.
Brooklyn Bridge: New York City, United States
Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. A National Historic Landmark, the Brooklyn Bridge is an iconic feature of New York.
Gateshead Millennium Bridge: Gateshead, England read more »
"It's Magical." Roger Federer wins record-breaking eighth Wimbledon title at 35 years old, 19th Grand Slam
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Roger Federer, at 35, wins Wimbledon for a record eighth time
WIMBLEDON, England - Roger Federer, who won Wimbledon at 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27 and 30, won it again Sunday at 35, further cramming his name into a men’s tennis record book in which it appears almost as rampantly as it would in a biography.
At 35 years, 342 days old, he became the oldest Wimbledon champion in the Open Era, as well as the oldest Grand Slam champion since Ken Rosewall won the Australian Open in 1972, a category in which Federer surpassed the 2017 Australian Open champion Roger Federer. He also extended his Grand Slam title total to 19 to arrange an arrival in New York in late August with a stunning yet realistic chance at 20, which would have seemed farfetched only six months ago.
Back in mid-January, Federer had just come off a six-month hiatus in deference to a left knee that kept yelling for attention on court while he tried to plot strategic points. With that knee rested, Federer up and won the Australian Open from a No. 17 seed, and set off on a year he has called "a fairy tale"” read more »
Photos of the Day: Lucky Strike, Penguin Parade, Marble Caves, Eagle Training, Birds of Paradise, Three Good Friends
Lucky Strike
Storm chaser and Your Shot photographer Vanessa Neufeld captured this scene in Keyes, Oklahoma. "As the evening descended, so did a barrage of lightning in northwest Oklahoma."
Penguin Parade
A group of gentoo penguins cross the beach at sunrise on Saunders Island, the fourth largest island in the Falkland Islands.
Marble Caves
Las Cuevas de Mármol (The Marble Caves) sit in the middle of General Carrera Lake, which lies between Chile and Argentina. The tunnels and caves are only reachable by boat. The swooping arches have been formed by more than 6,000 years of water lapping against the rock, and the waters change color depending on the time of year.
Eight US flags that could have been: Grand Union, Liberty Tree, Betsy Ross, Don’t Tread on Me, Serapis...
1. Grand Union Flag, 1775
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When, on 1 January 1776, Washington’s Continental Army was mustered formally on Prospect Hill (Mount Pisgah) in Somerville, Massachusetts, it was under this flag favoured by the American general during the previous year’s Siege of Boston. John Paul Jones, the first well-known American admiral raised the Grand Union Flag at sea in December 1775. The Grand Union Flag was an adaptation of the British Red Ensign, with six white stripes overlain on the red backdrop to create thirteen alternating red-and-white stripes symbolising the first states of the American union.
2. Liberty Tree flag, 1775
The lofty white pines of New England were much prized by the Royal Navy for the construction of its grandest warships. Dating from the Massachusetts Charter of 1691, prize specimens were marked with a broad arrow symbol denoting property of the Crown and shipped to England. This form of compulsory purchase led to the Pine Tree Riot of 1772, a precursor to the famous Boston Tea Party of 1774 and war with Great Britain a year later.
Flown from the masts of American warships, the Pine Tree flag was a powerful symbolic riposte to the Crown and its Royal Navy. A lone pine was shown on a white background with the inscription "An Appeal to Heaven" ("An Appeal to God" was a less common alternative). These words were taken from the British philosopher John Locke’s Second Treatise on Civil Government (1690), which refuted the notion of the Divine Right of Kings.
3. The Betsy Ross, 1776 (or not) read more »