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Silver coin minted in the name of Ibn al-Ash'ath
Silver coin minted in the name of Ibn al-Ash'ath

Ibn al-Ash'ath (died 704) was an Arab nobleman and military commander during the Umayyad Caliphate. He played a minor role in the Second Fitna and then served as governor of Rayy. After the appointment of al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf as governor of Iraq in 694, relations with the Iraqi tribal nobility became strained. In 699, al-Hajjaj appointed Ibn al-Ash'ath as commander of a huge Iraqi army to subdue Zabulistan. In 700, Ibn al-Ash'ath and the army revolted. This developed into a full-fledged anti-Umayyad rebellion, with widespread support, especially among the religious zealots known as "Quran readers". The rebel army was decisively defeated by al-Hajjaj's Syrian troops at the Battle of Dayr al-Jamajim. Ibn al-Ash'ath fled to Zabulistan. His fate is unclear; some accounts hold that he was executed there, while most claim that he committed suicide to avoid capture. The suppression of Ibn al-Ash'ath's revolt signalled the end of the power of the tribal nobility of Iraq. (Full article...)

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Robert Parker Coffin Bridge
Robert Parker Coffin Bridge

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Landslide in Ubatuba, Brazil
Landslide in Ubatuba, Brazil

On this day

February 27: Feast day of Saint Gregory of Narek (Catholicism)

Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
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Glenn Miller's Orchestra
Glenn Miller's Orchestra

In 1946, twelve albums by eleven artists topped Billboard's weekly chart of the best-selling albums in the United States. At the time, the chart was titled Best-Selling Popular Record Albums, and it collected sales data from United States-based record dealers, numbering at least 200 in January and increasing to over 4,000 by the end of the year. The first chart-topper was Merry Christmas, a Christmas compilation album by Bing Crosby. It reached the top in December 1945 and peaked for two more weeks in January 1946, for a total of six consecutive weeks at number one. It again reached the top in late November for an additional six weeks, making it the longest-reigning album of the year. The second-longest-reigning album of the previous year, Glenn Miller, recorded by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (pictured), again reached the top for an additional five weeks. The album was crowned as the best-selling album of the year and certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1968. (Full list...)

Blue-billed duck

The blue-billed duck (Oxyura australis) is a small Australian stiff-tailed duck, with both the male and female growing to a length of 40 centimetres (16 in). The male has a slate-blue bill which changes to bright-blue during the breeding season, which gives the duck its common name. The male has deep chestnut plumage during breeding season, reverting to a dark grey. The female retains black plumage with brown tips all year round. The duck is endemic to Australia's temperate regions, inhabiting natural inland wetlands and also artificial wetlands, such as sewage ponds, in large numbers. It can be difficult to observe due to its cryptic nature during its breeding season through autumn and winter. The male duck exhibits a complex mating ritual. The species is omnivorous, with a preference for small aquatic invertebrates. This male blue-billed duck was photographed near Penrith, New South Wales, in 2020.

Photograph credit: John Harrison

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