Nasr of Granada

Nasr of Granada.
Nasr (1287–1322) was the son of Muhammad II al-Faqih and the fourth Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada on the Iberian Peninsula. When he ascended the throne on 14 March 1309 after his brother Muhammad III was dethroned in a palace revolution, Granada faced a three-front war against Castile, Aragon and the Marinid Sultanate (map pictured). He made peace with all three over the following year with minimal losses. Despite this, Nasr was unpopular at court due to his excessive concentration on science and astronomy, and his perceived pro-Christian sympathies. A rebellion started by his brother-in-law Abu Said Faraj and nephew Ismail ended in Nasr's abdication in 1314 in favour of Ismail, now Ismail I. He was allowed to rule the eastern province of Guadix, and attempted – fruitlessly – to regain the throne with help from Castile. Nasr died without an heir in 1322.

picture of the day

https://ift.tt/38EN3po

Lewis and Clark Exposition gold dollar

Lewis and Clark Exposition gold dollar.
The Lewis and Clark Exposition gold dollar is a commemorative coin struck in 1904 and 1905 as part of the United States Government's participation in the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. That fair was held in 1905 in Portland, Oregon, to mark the centennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Designed by United States Bureau of the Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber, the coin did not sell well with less than a tenth of the authorized mintage of 250,000. They were, for the most part, sold to the public by numismatic promoter Farran Zerbe, who had also vended the Louisiana Purchase Exposition gold dollar. As he was unable to sell much of the issue, surplus coins were melted by the Mint. The coins have continued to increase in value, and today are worth between hundreds and thousands of dollars, depending on condition. The Lewis and Clark Exposition dollar is the only American coin to be "two-headed", with a portrait of one of the expedition leaders on each side.

picture of the day

https://ift.tt/3qDL0bj

Limusaurus

Limusaurus.
Limusaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now China during the Late Jurassic, around 161 to 157 million years ago. The only species, Limusaurus inextricabilis, was described in 2009 from specimens (pictured) found in the Upper Shishugou Formation in the Junggar Basin. Limusaurus was a small, slender animal, about 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) in length and 15 kg (33 lb) in weight, with a long neck and legs but small forelimbs. It underwent a drastic morphological transformation as it aged: while juveniles were toothed, the teeth were completely lost and replaced by a beak. This probably corresponded to a dietary shift from omnivory to herbivory. Since many specimens were found together, it is possible Limusaurus lived in groups. As referenced in its genus name, which means "mud lizard", specimens of Limusaurus appear to have been mired in mud pits created by the footprints of giant sauropod dinosaurs.

picture of the day

https://ift.tt/3eDsptw

Typhoon Maemi

Typhoon Maemi.
Typhoon Maemi was the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea since records began in 1904. Maemi formed on September 4, 2003 in the western Pacific and became a typhoon on September 8. Passing over the Japanese island of Miyako-jima on September 10, it left 95 percent of residents without power and caused 58.5 mm (2.30 in) of rainfall in an hour and 402.5 mm (15.85 in) in 24 hours. Maintaining much of its intensity, it made landfall west of Busan, South Korea, on September 12, where winds reached 154 km/h (96 mph). The port sustained heavy damage, restricting exports for months. On Jeju Island, it produced a peak wind gust of 216 km/h (134 mph) and a minimum pressure of 950 mbar (28 inHg), both records for the country. Nationwide, high winds destroyed about 5,000 houses and damaged 13,000 buildings, leaving 25,000 people homeless. Crop damage resulted in the poorest rice harvest in 23 years. Across South Korea, Maemi killed 117 people, and damage totaled 5.52 trillion won (US$4.8 billion).