Central Link is a light rail line serving 16 stations in Seattle and its southern suburbs, in the U.S. state of Washington. Managed by Sound Transit, it travels 20 miles (32 km) between University of Washington and Angle Lake stations. The line connects the university campus, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and Sea–Tac Airport. Central Link runs at a maximum frequency of every six minutes during peak periods, and in 2018 carried an average of 72,000 daily passengers on weekdays. Trains have two or three cars that can each carry 194 passengers and accommodate wheelchairs and bicycles. Construction of the light rail system began in 2003 and the first section opened on July 18, 2009, terminating at Westlake and Tukwila International Boulevard stations. The line was extended to the airport in December 2009, the university in March 2016, and Angle Lake in September 2016; further extensions are planned between 2021 and 2024. (Full article...)

Episcia cupreata flower

• ... that while the leaf shape varies among hybrids of Episcia cupreata (pictured), the flowers always have the same form?
• ... that the scenic design for Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen by Günther Schneider-Siemssen was shown at the Metropolitan Opera from 1986 to 2009?
• ... that Portland's NS Line opened in 2001 as the first newly built streetcar line in the United States in 50 years to use modern vehicles?
• ... that according to a study conducted by epidemiologist Xifeng Wu and her colleagues, fifteen minutes of moderate exercise per day can increase lifespan by an average of three years?
• ... that the Gloucester tabula set includes gaming pieces depicting a copulating couple, a hanging man and a manticore?
• ... that Robyn Benincasa ran a marathon four months after having surgery for osteoarthritis and being told she might never run again?
• ... that George Gosse was awarded the George Cross for disarming three German naval mines under exceptionally hazardous conditions?
• ... that six of the Next Nine astronauts flew to the Moon, and three walked on it?

Ursula von der Leyen

• An arson attack at an animation studio in Kyoto kills at least 33 people.
• The World Health Organization declares the Ebola outbreak in Congo an international public health emergency.
• The European Parliament elects Ursula von der Leyen (pictured) as president of the European Commission.
• The Cricket World Cup concludes with England defeating New Zealand in the final.

July 18: Feast day of Bartolomé de las Casas (Episcopal and Lutheran churches)

Rebecca Schaeffer in a press photo for My Sister Sam

• 1841 – Pedro II, the last Emperor of Brazil, having reigned in minority since 1831, was acclaimed, crowned and consecrated.
• 1976 – At the Olympic Games in Montreal, Nadia Comăneci became the first person to score a perfect 10 in a modern Olympics gymnastics event.
• 1989 – American actress Rebecca Schaeffer (pictured) was shot and killed by Robert John Bardo, eventually prompting the passage of anti-stalking laws in California.
• 1995 – Selena's album Dreaming of You, instrumental in popularizing Tejano music, was released posthumously.
• 2012 – A suicide bomber attacked an Israeli tour bus at Burgas Airport, Bulgaria, which led the European Union to list the military branch of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

Boniface of Savoy (d. 1270) · Nelson Mandela (b. 1918) · M.I.A. (b. 1975)