Today in History: April 21, Prince dead at age 57
In 1836, an army of Texans, led by Sam Houston, defeated the Mexican Army, led by Antonio López de Santa Anna, in the Battle of San Jacinto, the final battle of the Texas Revolution.
In 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Conn., at age 74.
Advertisement
In 1918, German Air Force pilot Manfred von Richthofen, nicknamed 'The Red Baron,' was killed at age 25 after being shot during a World War I air battle over Vaux-sur-Somme, France.
In 1930, fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 322 inmates in the deadliest prison disaster in US history.
In 1975, with Communist forces closing in, South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu resigned after nearly 10 years in office, fleeing the country five days later.
In 1980, Rosie Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, but was later exposed as having cheated by entering the racecourse less than 1 mile before the finish line. (Canadian Jacqueline Gareau was named the actual winner of the women's race.)
Advertisement
In 2015, an Egyptian criminal court sentenced ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to 20 years in prison over the killing of protesters in 2012. (Morsi collapsed and died during trial on espionage charges in June 2019.)
In 2016, Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis from an accidental fentanyl overdose; he was 57.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Anthropic's Claude plays 'for peace over victory' in a game of Diplomacy against other AI
Earlier this year, some of the world's leading AI minds were chatting on X, as they do, about how to compare the capabilities of large language models. Andrej Karpathy, one of the cofounders of OpenAI, who left in 2024, floated the idea of games. AI researchers love games. "I quite like the idea of using games to evaluate LLMs against each other, instead of fixed evals," Karpathy wrote. Everyone knows the usual benchmarks are a bore. Noam Brown, a research scientist at OpenAI, suggested the 75-year-old geopolitical strategy game, Diplomacy. "I would love to see all the leading bots play a game of Diplomacy together." Karpathy responded, "Excellent fit I think, esp because a lot of the complexity of the game comes not from the rules / game simulator but from the player-player interactions." Elon Musk, OpenAI's famously erstwhile cofounder, probably busy with DOGE at the time, managed a "Yeah" in response. DeepMind's Demis Hassabis, perhaps riding high off his Nobel Prize, chimed in with enthusiasm: "Cool idea!" Then, an AI researcher named Alex Duffy, inspired by the conversation, took them up on the idea. Last week, he published a post titled, "We Made Top AI Models Compete in a Game of Diplomacy. Here's Who Won." Diplomacy is a strategic board game set on a map of Europe in 1901 — a time when tensions between the continent's most powerful countries were simmering in the lead-up to World War I. The goal is to control the majority of the map, and participants play by building alliances, making negotiations, and exchanging information. "This is a game for people who dream about power in its purest form and how they might effectively wield it," journalist David Klion once wrote in Foreign Policy. "Diplomacy is famous for ending friendships; as a group activity, it requires opt-in from players who are comfortable casually manipulating one another." Duffy, who leads AI training for a consultancy called Every, said he built a modified version of the game he calls "AI Diplomacy," in which he pitted 18 leading models — seven at a time per the rules — to compete to "dominate a map of Europe." He also open-sourced the results and has a Twitch livestream for anyone who wants to watch the models play in real time. Duffy found that the leading LLMs are not all the same. Some scheme, some make peace, and some bring theatrics. "Placed in an open-ended battle of wits, these models collaborated, bickered, threatened, and even outright lied to one another," Duffy wrote. OpenAI's o3, which OpenAI calls "our most powerful reasoning model that pushes the frontier across coding, math, science, visual perception, and more," was the clear winner. It navigated the game largely by deceiving its opponents. Google's Gemini 2.5 also won a few games largely by "making moves that put them in position to overwhelm opponents." Anthropic's Claude was less successful largely because it tried too hard to be diplomatic. It often opts for "peace over victory," Duffy said. But Duffy's takeaway from the exercise goes past basic comparison. It shows that benchmarks do need an upgrade — or some inspiration. Evaluating AI with a range of methods and mediums is the best way to prepare it for real-world use. "Most benchmarks are failing us. Models have progressed so rapidly that they now routinely ace more rigid and quantitative tests that were once considered gold-standard challenges," he wrote.
Cosmopolitan
5 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
10 summer shoe and bermuda shorts outfit formulas that will up your workwear *and* weekend wardrobe
Move over micro shorts! After last summer saw teeny tiny hemlines reign supreme, in 2025 it's all about more is more – fabric that is. Yep, the hottest shorts style this season is easily distinguishable by its long-line silhouette, falling at least to the top of your knee if not longer. We're of course talking about Bermuda shorts. The name is widely believed to have come from the island of Bermuda, with people hemming their trousers to the knee to be comfortable in the summer heat. The theory tracks as the British Army was stationed on the island during World War I and adopted the shorts into their official uniform for desert and tropical climates. Nowadays, they are the perfect summer workwear staple, but will work just as well in your off-duty wardrobe too. While there are plenty of denim shorts in this length (commonly referred to as jorts, FYI), it's cotton and linen tailored iterations that seem to be trending in particular amongst the style set. Meaning there's plenty of fashion inspo for how to wear the shorts IRL. Safe to say we'll be recreating all of the below Bermuda shorts outfits to stay cool this summer. Two big trends we're loving this summer are waistcoats and heeled flip flops, so why not wear them both together in one outfit with your Bermuda shorts? The waistcoat doesn't have to match, but there's no harm in opting for a co-ord. Let your shorts take centre stage and pair with a plain white t-shirt. Your spotless top combined with the signature tailoring of your Bermudas will feel polished, with minimal mesh ballet flats the perfect finishing touch. Up your summer workwear game with a pair of Bermuda shorts, ideal attire to counteract those hot summer days and your sweaty commute in. Look for a statement top that features a Peter Pan collar or puff sleeves to keep your outfit feeling smart. Ultimately, the success of this look comes down to the details: top tucked in, shorts belted and pointed-toe slingback kitten heels that scream 'I mean business.' If you've been wondering what to wear to Glastonbury or any other of this summer's festivals, look no further – we've found the perfect festival 'fit! Whether you opt for a baby tee or a lace camisole top, low-rise Bermuda shorts and cowboy boots are non-negotiables for this outfit formula. To tap into the boho trend, add a Y2K statement belt, too. A denim jacket is the only outerwear we reach for in the summer months, injecting any outfit with a cool, laid-back vibe. To balance the structured, masculine silhouettes of your outfit, style with pretty ballet flats and a beaded necklace. We love a shorts suit as a summer take on formal wear. Layer a lace-trimmed camisole underneath, should you get warm and need to shed your blazer. Accessorise with a necklace, clutch bag and heeled sandals and – depending on the colour of your Bermuda shorts suit – this look works just as well for a summer wedding guest 'fit as an alternative to a dress. For the perfect office to evening drinks look, or if your work has a slightly more relaxed dress code, you can't go wrong with a button down shirt, *crucially* worn untucked to stop it feeling too preppy. Finish this 'fit with loagers, socks optional. There are so many runway-approved spring jacket trends you could choose from, but our favourite is cropped jackets. We'll be wearing with white Bermuda shorts and classy kitten heels for an elevated ensemble that works just as well for work as it does brunch with the girls. Want to make your Bermudas work at the weekend? From running errands to a barbecue with friends, a graphic print t-shirt and flat shoes easily dress down your knee-length shorts. When there's a risk of showers, styling your trench coat with Bermuda shorts will keep you feeling summery. But if the thermostat does dip below 15 degrees, knee-high boots will stop you freezing to death from the shins down. Follow Alex on Instagram. Alexandria Dale is the Digital Fashion Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from the celebrity style moments worth knowing about to the latest fashion news, there's nothing she loves more than finding a high street dupe of a must-have designer item. As well as discovering new brands, she's passionate about sustainable fashion and establishing the trends that are actually worth investing in. Having worked in fashion journalism for six years, she has experience at both digital and print publications including Glamour and Ok!
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Beyoncé fans react to dance captain's absence during London concert: 'Where is Amari?'
AI-assisted summary Beyoncé's dance captain, Amari "Monster" Marshall, was absent from her June 7 London concert. Fans questioned Marshall's absence on social media, as she has been a key figure in the "Renaissance" and "Cowboy Carter" tours. Marshall notably mentored Blue Ivy Carter during her stage debut and performed alongside Beyoncé at the 2024 NFL halftime show. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter lit up the stage for the second night of her "Cowboy Carter" tour in London, and while fans were thrilled to see Les Twins dancing once again, many pointed out one familiar face was missing. The Grammy-winning singer took the stage June 7 for her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. During the electric performance many fans noticed that Amari "Monster" Marshall, dubbed Beyoncé's dance captain, was not among the performers onstage. One fan wrote, "What happened to Amari," and many others cosigned. Marshall began working with Beyoncé during her iconic 2018 Coachella "Beychella" performances. She eventually assumed the role of dance co-captain on the "Renaissance World Tour," where she played a key part in mentoring Beyoncé's then 11-year-old daughter Blue Ivy during her stage debut. Beyoncé publicly praised Marshall for her guidance with the family dubbing her Blue's 'dance stage momma." She also took the stage with Bey during her 2024 Christmas Day NFL halftime show during the Texans-Ravens game. Marshall has continued performing with Beyoncé as dance captain on the "Cowboy Carter" tour, often sharing photos from various tour stops. However, she appeared to be absent from the stage in London, and fans especially noticed during Saturday night's show. It's not yet clear why Marshall didn't appear onstage or if she'll be making a return soon. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. The USA TODAY Network reached out to Beyoncé's team for further information. The concert marked Beyoncé's second of six shows at the stadium. She is set to hit the stage again June 10, 12, 14 and 16, before heading to Paris for three fans know, Beyoncé first debuted her "Cowboy Carter" tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. Her shows have been filled with family, fashion, different music genres, and most notably country music and cultural commentary. Of course, Beyoncé first released the 27-track project in March 2024. It has since made history and broken multiple records. As Beyoncé's first country album, she deliberately featured country legends and emerging Black country artists alike. She became the first Black woman to win best country album at the 2025 Grammys and also took home album of the year. The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
