Saturday, September 30, 2006

Spotlight
The Nuremberg Trials drew to a close sixty years ago today, when 22 leaders of Nazi Germany were convicted of crimes perpetrated during World War II. Eleven were sentenced to death and the rest of the guilty were given lengthy terms in Spandau Prison. Among those who received the death sentence were Field Marshal Hermann Göring, Nazi Party Secretary Martin Bormann and Foreign Affairs Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. The trial led to a definition of what constitutes a war crime, as documented in the Nuremberg Principles.

Quote
"When you look at the startling ruins of Nuremberg, you are looking at a result of the war. When you look at the prisoners on view in the courthouse, you are looking at 22 of the causes." — Janet Flanner

Word of the day
bedizen -- to dress or adorn with gaudy finery or vulgarity (© )

Today's News

• Saddam Hussein: brother-in-law of new judge is slain (story)
• laptops: more batteries recalled by Dell, Toshiba (story)
• fast food: US restaurants sued over carcinogenic grilled chicken (story)
• Mars: Opportunity rover reaches Victoria Crater (story)
• New York Mets: Pedro Martinez out for post-season (story)

Today's History

• The Magic Flute: opera premiered in Vienna, Austria (1791)
• Little Women: Louisa May Alcott's classic novel was published (1868)
• Babe Ruth: set record for most home runs in a season (60 in 1927); Roger Maris broke it with 61 in 1961
• James Dean: Rebel Without a Cause star died in a car crash (1955)

Today's Birthdays

• Truman Capote: author, Breakfast at Tiffany's, In Cold Blood (1924-1984)
• Elie Wiesel: Holocaust survivor, activist, writer of Night (78)
• Fran Drescher: produced and starred in The Nanny (49)
• Eric Stoltz: actor, Little Women (45)
• Jenna Elfman: Dharma of Dharma & Greg (35)