MEAC

Attention has turned to the 1969 Sino-Soviet border conflict, a short but serious war between China and the Soviet Union fought along the Ussuri River, notably at Zhenbao (Damansky) Island. The fighting killed hundreds and pushed the two communist powers to the brink of nuclear war before tensions eased. With Russia and China now close partners, the history of their past confrontation is drawing renewed interest.

A story circulating online recounts the claim that Soviet leader Joseph Stalin reinstated the Russian Orthodox Church during World War Two because he feared a curse attributed to the medieval conqueror Tamerlane. According to the legend, Tamerlane's tomb was opened in 1941, after which the German invasion began, prompting Stalin's famous 1943 concession to the Church as the war turned. Historians attribute the move to wartime unity instead.

The 3rd Annual MEAC Tennis Fall Invitational begins Friday in Cary, North Carolina, bringing together tennis programs from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for three days of fall competition. The event, run through the conference's official athletics channels, gives MEAC schools a chance to evaluate players early in the season ahead of spring dual matches.