Random Information - SOS 100 years old.

1. Today (well, July 1st 2008, so depends on when I hit "publish") is the 100th anniversary of the adoption of S.O.S. as the universal symbol of distress. As is discussed in the linked article, and has been made clear in countless histories about the event, it was still a novel thing nearly 4 years later when the Titanic went down, and it appears that it was that event that truly cemented it as the standard.

2. Via Kottke, some Euro dude celebrates Euro 2008 by kicking some fine goals off random urbanscape.



I definitely appreciate the skill, the fact that he seems to enjoy screwing with the cops, and the use of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" as the background music. 5 minutes of asskicking good times.

3. In WWI history, today is the anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme. As noted in the wikipedia entry:

(It) was among the largest battles of the First World War. With more than 1.5 million casualties, it is also one of the bloodiest military operations recorded.

Let us not forget.