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Norman Rockwell, painter, c. 1921

The Four Freedoms is a series of four 1943 oil paintings by the American artist Norman Rockwell (pictured). The paintings—Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear—refer to Franklin D. Roosevelt's January 1941 Four Freedoms State of the Union address in which he identified essential human rights that should be universally protected, a theme which became part of the United Nations Charter. The paintings were reproduced in The Saturday Evening Post alongside essays by prominent thinkers of the day. They became the highlight of a year-long touring exhibition to promote war bonds sold to support the American war effort, which raised over $132 million. The paintings, now in the Norman Rockwell Museum, are his best-known works, but critical review has not been entirely positive. Freedom from Want became emblematic of what is now known as the "Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving", with family at table as a turkey is served. (This article is part of a featured topic: Four Freedoms.)

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Did you know ...

Diamond Miller

... that Diamond Miller (pictured) is the all-time leading scorer on her high-school basketball team – a record previously held by her sister?
... that uses for medical textiles range from a simple cotton bandage to complex tissue growth?
... that Clotworthy Upton, an illegitimate child, could not inherit his father's barony?
... that the Indonesian film Apa Jang Kau Tjari, Palupi? was "hailed by critics", "rejected by the audience", and "shown around the world"?
... that Tzedi Tzarfati directed a production of Annie decades after becoming enamored with its song "Tomorrow"?
... that American media intelligence company Anomaly Six uses software development kits in commonly used apps to track the movements of hundreds of millions of mobile phones?
... that Warring Kennedy was re-elected as Mayor of Toronto by 14 votes?
... that the British rap song "Jiggle Jiggle" by filmmaker Louis Theroux has been used in more than two million TikTok videos?

In the news

Elizabeth II

An explosion and fire at a storage depot in Sitakunda, Bangladesh, kills at least 49 people and injures more than 400 others.
The Commonwealth of Nations celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II (pictured).
In cricket, Gujarat Titans win the Indian Premier League, defeating Rajasthan Royals in the final.
Tara Air Flight 197 crashes in Nepal, killing all 22 people on board.

On this day

June 5: First day of Shavuot (Judaism, 2022); Constitution Day in Denmark

John Profumo

663 – The Daming Palace in Chang'an became the seat of government and the royal residence of the Tang dynasty during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.
1305 – Raymond Bertrand de Got was elected Pope Clement V, succeeding Benedict XI, who died the previous year.
1862 – Vietnamese guerrilla leader Trương Định chose to fight on against European forces, defying Emperor Tự Đức and the Treaty of Saigon.
1963 – British politician John Profumo (pictured) admitted that he had lied to the House of Commons about his involvement in a sex scandal with Christine Keeler, and resigned from government.
1997 – Anticipating a coup attempt, President Pascal Lissouba of the Republic of the Congo ordered the detainment of his rival Denis Sassou Nguesso, initiating a second civil war.

Johann Kuhnau (d. 1722)
Theippan Maung Wa (b. 1899)
Elizabeth Gloster (b. 1949)

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Today's featured picture

Quo Vadis is a 1913 Italian silent film directed by Enrico Guazzoni for Cines, based on a novel of the same name by Henryk Sienkiewicz. It was one of the first blockbusters in the history of cinema, with five thousand extras, lavish sets, and a lengthy running time of two hours. Set during the latter years of the reign of the Roman emperor Nero, the film depicts his persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire in the mid–1st century. This poster, produced for the American film producer George Kleine to advertise Quo Vadis, depicts the execution of Lygia, a young Christian woman, in the Circus of Nero in Rome: she is tied to the back of a bull, in imitation of the mythological princess Europa.

Poster credit: The National Printing and Engraving Company; restored by Adam Cuerden

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