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Memorial in Whistler to Kumaritashvili

Nodar Kumaritashvili (1988–2010) was a Georgian luge athlete who suffered a fatal crash during a training run for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, on the day of the opening ceremony. He became the fourth athlete to die from practice at any of the Winter Olympics, and the seventh athlete to die from practice or competition at any of the Olympic Games. Kumaritashvili, who first participated in luge when he was 13, came from a family of seasoned lugers: his grandfather had introduced the sport to the Soviet republic of Georgia, and both his father and uncle had competed when they were younger, with his uncle later serving as the head of the Georgian Luge Federation. Kumaritashvili himself began competing in the 2008–09 Luge World Cup. He had also been a student at Georgian Technical University, where he earned an economics degree in 2009 while adhering to a strict training regimen and participating in competitions. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Marsden Rock

... that the naturally formed arch of Marsden Rock (pictured) collapsed in 1996 following a winter of storms?
... that when Maria Keller was eight years old, she founded a nonprofit that would later go on to collect and distribute more than three million books to underprivileged children?
... that Fagus langevinii is considered to be the oldest extinct species of beech tree?
... that child actress and singer Sylvia Froos was noted for her ability to mimic the vocal styles of famous celebrity performers?
... that the 1929 Scottish Prayer Book is the Scottish Episcopal Church's current version of the Book of Common Prayer?
... that two My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes are said to discuss Marxism and Stalinism?
... that Mount Yasumandake was considered sacred to Buddhists, Shintoists, and Christians?
... that artist Ervin Herve Loranth refers to his sculptures as "public surprises"?

In the news

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi

Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (pictured) dies in a US military raid in Atme, Syria.
The Socialist Party, led by António Costa, wins a majority of seats in the Portuguese legislative election.
Sergio Mattarella is re-elected as president of Italy.
In Burkina Faso, a coup d'état led by military officer Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba deposes President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

On this day

February 4

Emperor Taizu of Song

960 – Emperor Taizu (pictured) came to power, initiating the Song dynasty of China that eventually lasted for more than three centuries.
1797 – The Riobamba earthquake, the most powerful in Ecuador's history, devastated Riobamba and many other cities, causing at least 6,000 casualties.
1820 – Chilean War of Independence: Chilean forces captured the city of Valdivia and its harbour, depriving the Spanish Empire of an important naval base.
1899 – The Philippine–American War began when an American soldier, under orders to keep insurgents away from his unit's encampment, fired on a Filipino soldier in Manila.
2015 – Shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport, the crew of TransAsia Airways Flight 235 shut down the wrong engine in response to a flameout, leading to a crash that resulted in 43 deaths.

Ceolnoth (d. 870)
Carl Michael Bellman (b. 1740)
Jenny Shipley (b. 1952)

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Sonja Henie

Eighty-three individual athletes won medals at the 1928 Winter Olympics, which were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, from February 11 to February 18, 1928. A total of 464 athletes from 25 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the 1928 Winter Olympics. Athletes representing Norway far surpassed their competitors in the medal count, winning fifteen medals to the six won by the nearest NOC, the United States. Twelve of the participating NOCs secured at least one medal, and among these, six NOCs won at least one gold medal. Sonja Henie (pictured) of Norway won the gold medal in the women's individual figure skating competition, the first of three consecutive Winter Olympics at which she would do so. Competing with an injured knee, Swedish figure skater Gillis Grafström won the men's individual competition at the third consecutive Winter Games. Norwegian speed skater Bernt Evensen topped the medal count, winning one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

Heinrich C. Berann (1915–1999) was an Austrian painter and cartographer. He achieved world fame with his panoramic maps that combined modern cartography with classical painting. Towards the end of his life, he created panoramic posters of four national parks of the United States, produced for and published by the National Park Service. This panorama, painted by Berann in 1989, depicts Yosemite National Park in California, looking generally northeastward. In the center of the image is Yosemite Valley, surrounded by granite summits including El Capitan and Half Dome, as well as Yosemite Falls. The peaks of the Sierra Nevada are visible in the background.

Painting credit: Heinrich C. Berann

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