Britannica On This Day October 10 2023

This Day in History: October 10

Featured Event

1846







English astronomer William Lassell discovered Triton, the largest satellite of the planet Neptune.


Triton, largest of Neptune’s moons, whose unusual orbital characteristics suggest that it formed elsewhere in the solar system and was later captured by Neptune. It was discovered by the English astronomer William Lassell in October 1846, only a few weeks after the discovery of Neptune itself. Triton was named after a merman in Greek mythology who was the son of the sea god Poseidon (the Roman god Neptune). Triton is unique among the large moons of the solar system in that it moves in a retrograde orbit—i.e., one that is opposite the direction of Neptune’s rotation. Its mean orbital distance ...(100 of 1042 words)


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Featured Biography

Brett Favre
American football player







Brett Favre, in full Brett Lorenzo Favre, (born October 10, 1969, Gulfport, Mississippi, U.S.), American professional gridiron football player who broke all the major National Football League (NFL) career passing records as quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.
Favre grew up in Kiln, Mississippi, and attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he became the football team’s starting quarterback while a freshman. He was drafted by the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in 1991 but was traded to Green Bay the following year after falling out of favour with Atlanta’s coaching staff. Originally a backup quarterback, he started for an injured teammate in the third game of the 1992 season and never relinquished the position. In 1993 Favre led the Packers to their first play-off appearance in 10 years, and he established himself as one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL. Known for his agility, competitiveness, and field presence, he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) a record three consecutive times (1995, 1996, 1997) and led the league in touchdown passes in each MVP year.


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