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The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), personal name Zhu Yuanzhang, was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, reigning from 1368 to 1398. Born into a peasant family in Anhui, Zhu grew up amid famine, epidemics, and unrest under the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. Orphaned at 16, he briefly lived as a novice monk before joining the Red Turban rebels in 1352. Rising rapidly, he captured Nanjing in 1356, established a regional regime, and defeated rival rebels. In 1368, he proclaimed the Ming dynasty, adopted the era name Hongwu, and expelled the Yuan from China proper. During his 30-year reign, he restored stability after decades of war, strengthened state institutions, promoted agriculture, and maintained a disciplined army while seeking to limit civilian suffering. He died in 1398 and was succeeded by his grandson, the Jianwen Emperor, who was overthrown in 1402 by Zhu Di, later known as the Yongle Emperor. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Sanda Island Lighthouse

... that the Sanda Island Lighthouse (pictured) was built in three "steps" against a cliff face, a design that is unique in Scotland?
... that Bert Matter, the organist at the Walburgiskerk in Zutphen for 33 years, composed minimal music?
... that a Michigan TV station once broadcast out of a former student cafeteria?
... that Stephan Steinlein, Germany's current ambassador to France, held the exact same diplomatic post for East Germany more than three decades ago?
... that the Byzantine victory at the Battle of Satala in 530 against a numerically superior Persian army depended on the actions of a single individual?
... that Ben Streff joined the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party at the age of 14, and was sworn in to the Chamber of Deputies at the age of 31?
... that construction of the Interstate 65 Tennessee River Bridge was halted each winter due to the presence of waterfowl?
... that physicist Jadwiga Szmidt nearly died of poisoning when she opened a container when working in Ernest Rutherford's laboratory at the University of Manchester?
... that Chinese "assembly halls" could simultaneously be social, religious, business, and political institutions?

Help us improve this article!

Candy store in Maryland, United States

This week's article for improvement is confectionery store, also known as a sweet shop, candy store or lolly shop. These stores may sell locally distinct sweets, international sweets, or "vintage" candies like rock candy or liquorice.

You can improve this article by:

Adding information about early confectioners and the development in the modern age
Finding reliable sources about its history, offerings, and regional varieties
Expanding the "History" section

You can be bold and start editing the article. Have questions or suggestions? Visit the article's talk page, or post at the Teahouse for general discussion.

In the news

Hôtel de Ville the day after the fire

The Hôtel de Ville in Limoges is partially destroyed by arson (damage pictured) as fuel and student protests escalate in France.
The International Bureau of Weights and Measures votes to abolish the leap second over concerns about disruptions to computer systems.
The Houthis launch a series of attacks on Saudi Arabian airports, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 370 others.
South African jurist Navi Pillay is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

On this day

October 21

Aftermath of the Seongsu Bridge disaster

1096 – First Crusade: At the Battle of Civetot, the Seljuk forces of Kilij Arslan destroyed the army of the People's Crusade as it marched toward Nicaea.
1854 – Florence Nightingale and a staff of 38 nurses and 15 nuns were sent to the Ottoman Empire to help treat wounded British soldiers fighting in the Crimean War.
1944 – World War II: The three-week-long Battle of Aachen concluded, making the city the first on German soil to be captured by the Allies.
1966 – A coal tip fell on the village of Aberfan, Wales, killing 144 people, mostly schoolchildren.
1994 – In Seoul, South Korea, 32 people were killed and 17 others injured when a span of the Seongsu Bridge collapsed (pictured).

Birger Jarl (d. 1266)
Henry Lawes (d. 1662)
Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929)
Peter Mandelson (b. 1953)

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Blücher, an Admiral Hipper-class cruiser

A series of heavy cruisers were built or planned by the German navies from the 1920s to 1945 – the Reichsmarine and later the Kriegsmarine. Four different designs of heavy cruiser – the Deutschland, D, P, and Admiral Hipper classes (ship pictured), comprising twenty-two ships in total – were prepared in the period, though only the three Deutschland-class ships and three of the five Admiral Hipper-class cruisers were ever built. The ships were designed to accommodate warship restrictions by the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, and were commonly referred to as "pocket battleships". They incorporated a series of radical innovations to save weight, including extensive use of welded construction and diesel engines. Most of the heavy cruisers were used as commerce raiders during World War II, and only one survived the war, and was ceded to the United States Navy as a prize of war and used in nuclear-weapons testing in the Bikini Atoll. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

The upland goose (Chloephaga picta) is a species of sheldgoose in the family Anatidae. It is native to southern South America and the Falkland Islands, nesting and breeding in grasslands and coastal meadows, generally near water. It feeds mainly on leaves, stems and seeds. The species displays pronounced sexual dimorphism: males have white heads and breasts with black legs, while females have reddish-brown heads, barred breasts and yellow-orange legs. Two subspecies are recognised: the smaller C. p. picta of mainland South America and the larger C. p. leucoptera of the Falkland Islands. Continental populations have declined, while insular populations are considered stable. This upland goose was photographed in El Calafate, Argentina.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

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