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Gold coin of Philip II of Macedon

The government of ancient Macedonia was first established sometime during the 8th–5th centuries BC. Little is known of its institutions before the reign of Philip II (depicted), from 359 to 336 BC. Administration evolved in complexity under his successor Alexander the Great and subsequent dynasties. It is unclear if a constitution was formally established. The king (basileus) served as the head of state, assisted by his noble companions and royal pages. Kings served as chief judges and high priests of the nation, using their wealth to sponsor religious cults and to fund the armed forces. They controlled the exploitation of gold and timber. The right to mint coins was shared by the central and some local governments. The kings were the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces and commonly led their troops into battle. The ancient Macedonian army held some of the functions of a popular assembly and had some authority over the royal succession. In 167 BC the Macedonian monarchy was abolished and replaced by four Roman client states. (Full article...)

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In the news

King Charles III and Queen Camilla

King Charles III and Queen Camilla (both pictured) are crowned at Westminster Abbey in London.
In horse racing, Mage wins the Kentucky Derby.
The World Health Organization ends its designation of the COVID-19 pandemic as a global health emergency.
Nineteen people are killed in two separate shootings in Belgrade, Serbia, at an elementary school and nearby.

On this day

May 9: Europe Day in the European Union; Liberation Day in the Channel Islands (1945)

Hotel Polen fire

1877 – An earthquake struck northern Chile, leading to the deaths of 2,385 people, mostly victims of the ensuing tsunami, as far away as Hawaii and Fiji.
1944 – World War II: The Japanese Take Ichi convoy arrived at Halmahera in the Dutch East Indies after losing many ships and thousands of troops to Allied attacks while attempting to carry two divisions of troops from China to New Guinea.
1977 – The Hotel Polen in Amsterdam was destroyed by fire (pictured), leaving 33 people dead.
1980 – Part of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida collapsed after a pier was struck by the MV Summit Venture, killing 35 people.
2001 – Police at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra, Ghana, fired tear gas to quell unrest at a football match, leading to a stampede that killed 126 people.

Al-Adid (b. 1151)
John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair (d. 1747)
Yukiya Amano (b. 1947)

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Today's featured picture

La Fuensanta is a portrait painting by Spanish artist Julio Romero de Torres depicting Maria Teresa López González, one of his models. The painting was made in the autumn of 1929, when Torres completed another two artworks, La Chiquita Piconera and Bodegas Cruz Conde. González was one of Torres's favourite models, having first sat for him at the age of fourteen. According to Sotheby's, the work has been "proclaimed as a quintessential rendition of Andalucian beauty", and it was depicted for 25 years on the 100 peseta banknote. The work was exhibited at the Ibero-American Exposition in Seville in 1930, and is now in a private collection.

Painting credit: Julio Romero de Torres

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