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Eriskay, in northern Scotland
Eriskay, in northern Scotland

SS Politician was a cargo ship that ran aground off the coast of the Hebridean island of Eriskay (pictured) in February 1941. During the Second World War the ship participated in the Atlantic convoys between the United Kingdom and the United States. She grounded while attempting to rendezvous with a convoy to the north of Scotland. No one was badly injured or killed in the accident. Her cargo included 22,000 cases of malt whisky and £3 million worth of Jamaican banknotes. Much of the whisky was recovered by islanders from across the Hebrides, contrary to marine salvage laws. Because no duty had been paid on the whisky, members of HM Customs and Excise pursued and prosecuted those who had removed the cargo. Customs men undertook raids, arresting many and seizing the boats of those suspected of taking part. The story of the wreck and looting was the basis for the book Whisky Galore; an adaptation was released as a film in 1949 and a remake in 2016. (Full article...)

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Diagram of Earth's axial parallelism
Diagram of Earth's axial parallelism

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HTMS Sukhothai
HTMS Sukhothai

On this day

December 21: December solstice (21:48 UTC, 2022); Yule begins

The Rochdale Pioneers' first store
The Rochdale Pioneers' first store
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Today's featured picture

Midvinterblot

Midvinterblot is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson, created in 1915 for the hall of the central staircase in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. It has been called Sweden's most controversial painting. The work depicts a legend from Norse mythology in which the Swedish king Domalde is killed in a sacrifice (blót) to avert famine. After a long debate, the painting was rejected by the museum, but the controversy resurfaced in the late 20th century, and the painting finally was placed where Larsson had intended.

Painting credit: Carl Larsson; photograph edited by W. Carter

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