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American actor Billy Porter wore a black velvet tuxedo dress designed by Christian Siriano on the red carpet of the 91st Academy Awards (Oscars) on February 24, 2019. Porter had recently come into public view for his breakout role in the FX television series Pose, and his boundary-pushing red carpet attire during the 2018–19 film awards season. Following his appearance at the 76th Golden Globe Awards in a custom silver suit with fuchsia-lined cape, he was invited to host red carpet interviews at the Oscars pre-show. Porter approached Siriano and together they conceived the tuxedo gown. It was well-received by fashion journalists, who highlighted its elegant design and described it as a favorite Oscars dress and one of Porter's most fashionable red carpet looks. The gown cemented Porter's status as a celebrity and as a fashion icon. Porter considers the outfit a piece of political art intended to drive a conversation about men's fashion and masculinity. It has also received praise from academics and the general public, as well as criticism from conservative commentators. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Avelina Carrera

... that Avelina Carrera (pictured) made her debut at the Liceu in Barcelona in 1889, stepping in as Elsa in Wagner's Lohengrin, and created the role of Maddalena in Giordano's Andrea Chénier at La Scala?
... that Northup Avenue Yard in Providence, Rhode Island, was described as "the finest in the New Haven system"?
... that David Belchem was awarded the DSO for leading a tank regiment in Tunisia that took 749 prisoners?
... that according to historian Rashid Khalidi, "Israel has been extremely successful in forcibly establishing itself as a colonial reality in a post-colonial age"?
... that in 2022, Michael Phillips became the third professor in a year to sue Collin College for retaliating against protected speech?
... that Spy Princess by Shrabani Basu tells the story of Noor Inayat Khan, a British secret agent in France who was executed by the Nazis?
... that Julian MacKay moved to Moscow at the age of 11 to attend the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, and later became the first American to complete both the lower and upper schools there?
... that milk's gotta lotta bottle?

In the news

Ayman al-Zawahiri

Ayman al-Zawahiri (pictured), the leader of al-Qaeda, is killed by a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan.
In association football, UEFA Women's Euro 2022 concludes with England defeating Germany in the final.
In cycling, Annemiek van Vleuten wins the Tour de France Femmes.
Flooding in the U.S. state of Kentucky kills at least 37 people and leaves at least 30 others missing.

On this day

August 8: Day of Ashura (Shia Islam, 2022)

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin

1264 – Reconquista: In the early stages of the Mudéjar revolt, Muslim rebels captured the alcázar of the city of Jerez in present-day Spain, holding it for about two months.
1919 – The Third Anglo-Afghan War ended with the United Kingdom signing a treaty to recognise the independence of the Emirate of Afghanistan.
1929 – The German airship Graf Zeppelin (pictured) departed Lakehurst, New Jersey, on a flight to circumnavigate the world.
2009 – Nine people died when a tour helicopter and a small private airplane collided over the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey.
2014 – The World Health Organization declared the Western African Ebola virus epidemic, which began in December 2013, to be a public health emergency of international concern.

Earle Page (b. 1880)
Ernest Lawrence (b. 1901)
Sheila Varian (b. 1937)

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Lou Thesz

The World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame was a hall of fame in American professional wrestling maintained by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It was established in 1993 to honor wrestlers who began their careers long before the 1990s, mostly alumni of the National Wrestling Alliance and Jim Crockett Promotions, the predecessors of WCW. Inductees received commemorative plaques that had their names and portraits inscribed on them. Wrestlers were inducted by Gordon Solie, a senior commentator in professional wrestling, and received their plaque during the "Legends Reunion" segment at WCW's May pay-per-view event, Slamboree. The first Hall of Fame ceremony was held on May 23, 1993, at Slamboree 1993 at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. The first wrestler inducted was Lou Thesz (pictured), along with Verne Gagne and Mr. Wrestling II. There were a total of 17 inductees before WCW stopped the production of the Hall of Fame without a formal announcement after the 1995 ceremony. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

St Cyprian's, Clarence Gate, is a parish church of the Church of England in the district of Marylebone in London. The church was consecrated in 1903, but the parish was founded in 1866. It is dedicated to Saint Cyprian, a third-century martyr and bishop of Carthage, and is located near the Clarence Gate Gardens entrance to Regent's Park, off Baker Street. The parish was formed by the efforts of the noted "slum priest" Charles Gutch, who wanted a church of his own in London. Gutch negotiated for a small portion of the parish of St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, to be transferred to a new mission district where church attendance was in any case poor. The district was about one-tenth the area of the parish, but it was densely populated due to the overcrowded slums that at that time occupied much of it. This photograph depicts the rood screen of St Cyprian's, Clarence Gate, designed by Ninian Comper in the Gothic Revival style along with the rest of the church.

Photograph credit: David Iliff

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