Every once in a while here at Breaking News, we like to indulge in a tangent to bring you interesting news that isn't exactly about Linux and Open Source. In that spirit, we bring you a rather unusual story out of Edinburgh, Scotland, where last Friday a penguin — sadly, not named Tux — was formally knighted.

Norway's Hans Majestet Kongens Garde — the King's official guard battalion — originally adopted the penguin's father in 1972 and named him Nils Olav, a tribute to the lieutenant who suggested the idea and Norway's then-king. He — and eventually the current Nils — was granted various ranks within the Guard each time it visited Edinburgh for the famed military tattoo, culminating in 2005 with his promotion to Colonel-in-Chief. The knighthood, conferred on behalf of King Harald V of Norway by the UK's Major General Euan Loudon — formerly Governor of Edinburgh Castle — was conveyed before a detachment of 130 guardsmen, who were formally reviewed by the Colonel-in-Chief with full escort. Reportedly, Nils is the first penguin received into a Norwegian Order of Chivalry.

Footage of the event, along with a photo slideshow, is available through Yahoo! News.
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Justin Ryan is News Editor for LinuxJournal.com.
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