From today's featured article
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 Georgette Heyer (1902–74) was a British historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth (title page pictured). After These Old Shades became popular despite its release during the General Strike, Heyer determined that publicity was not necessary for good sales and refused to give interviews thereafter. She essentially established the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance. To ensure accuracy, Heyer kept detailed notes on all aspects of Regency life. While some critics thought the novels were too detailed, others considered the detail to be her greatest asset. Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year. Her husband often provided basic plot outlines for the thrillers, leaving Heyer to develop character relationships and dialogue. Although many critics describe Heyer's detective novels as unoriginal, others praise them for their wit and plots. Her success was sometimes clouded by problems with tax inspectors and alleged plagiarists. Heyer continued writing until her death; her last book, My Lord John, was published posthumously. (Full article...)
Recently featured: George Herriman – George Went Hensley – George Jones (RAAF officer)
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Did you know...
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In the news
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- Giorgi Margvelashvili is elected President of Georgia.
- In Formula One, Sebastian Vettel (pictured) wins the Drivers' Championship for the fourth consecutive year.
- Astronomers confirm that z8_GND_5296, the most distant galaxy ever found, is 30 billion light-years from Earth.
- Record levels of smog lead to the closure of schools, highways and the airport in Harbin, China.
- Chad, Chile, Lithuania, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia are elected to the United Nations Security Council, but Saudi Arabia declines its seat.
- Lao Airlines Flight 301 crashes on approach to Pakse Airport, Laos, killing all 49 people on board.
Recent deaths: Tadeusz Mazowiecki – Lou Reed – Marcia Wallace
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On this day...
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October 29: Republic Day in Turkey (1923)
- 1792 – Lt. William Broughton, a member of Captain George Vancouver's discovery expedition, observed a peak in what is now Oregon, US, and named it Mount Hood (pictured) after British admiral Samuel Hood.
- 1863 – American Civil War: The Battle of Wauhatchie, one of the few night battles of the war, concluded with the Union Army opening a supply line to troops in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
- 1923 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became the first President of Turkey, a new nation founded from remnants of the Ottoman Empire.
- 1969 – A student at UCLA sent the first message on the ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet, to a computer at Stanford Research Institute.
- 1998 – The Truth and Reconciliation Commission presented its report on Apartheid in South Africa, condemning both the Apartheid Government and the African National Congress for committing atrocities.
More anniversaries: October 28 – October 29 – October 30
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