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Today — 10 December 2025wikipedia英文首页

20251210

10 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Edmund Ætheling

Edmund Ætheling (born 1016 or 1017, died before 1057) was a son of Edmund Ironside and his wife Ealdgyth. Edmund Ironside briefly ruled as king of England following the death of his father Æthelred the Unready in April 1016. Edmund Ironside died in late 1016 after a hard-fought war with Danish invader Cnut who became king of all England shortly after. The following year, Cnut sent Edmund Ironside's two infant sons, Edmund Ætheling and Edward the Exile, to Continental Europe, probably to the King of Sweden, to be murdered. Instead, the princes were spared and sent to Hungary, possibly after a sojourn at the court of Yaroslav I, prince of Kiev, in Russia. As Ironside's marriage lasted no more than 15 months, Edmund and Edward were either twins or one was born after their father's death. Edmund may have married a daughter of the Hungarian king, and he died in Hungary on 10 January in an unknown year before 1057. (Full article...)

Did you know ...

Portrait of Paul Revere
Portrait of Paul Revere
  • ... that Paul Revere's daughter had a portrait of him (pictured) revised, as it depicted him dressed informally?
  • ... that the Tudor historian Polydore Vergil erroneously wrote that the site of the Battle of Edington was in Abingdon?
  • ... that the aria "Caro mio ben" has been attributed to three Giordanis, one of whom was unrelated to the other two?
  • ... that Achmad Husein required municipal employees of Banyumas to collect 1 kg (2.2 lb) of inorganic waste each month?
  • ... that Superstring at Marymount station features child-like drawings of the sun, a singing bird, and cryptic messages on babies and saving water?
  • ... that Tan Boon Chiang awarded four cases of PepsiCo soft drinks to each worker in Singapore after rejecting their claim for higher wages?
  • ... that the American crow is considered to be a sign of good luck in Native American cultures?
  • ... that Tony Hawk described ollieing a staircase in Lyon as "one of the greatest feats in skateboarding history"?
  • ... that Bob Comfort, an atheist, made up a religion to avoid sergeant orders to pick one while serving in the United States military?

In the news

Lando Norris in 2024
Lando Norris

On this day

December 10: Human Rights Day; Nobel Banquet in Stockholm, Sweden

Huckleberry Finn depicted by E. W. Kemble
Huckleberry Finn depicted by E. W. Kemble
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Today's featured picture

2021 Western Kentucky tornado

On the evening of December 10, 2021, a tornado struck Western Kentucky, killing 57 people, and injuring more than 500. Mayfield, Kentucky was one of the hardest hit, with 22 deaths. The town was also mostly leveled and most of the infrastructure was destroyed. Today marks 4 years since the disaster.

Photograph credit: State Farm

Yesterday — 9 December 2025wikipedia英文首页

20251209

9 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Macrobdella decora

Macrobdella decora, the North American medicinal leech, is a species of freshwater leech found in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. A medium-sized annelid growing up to 8.5 cm (3.3 in) long, it has a spotted greenish-brown back and a reddish underbelly. M. decora is commonly encountered by swimmers and lives in ponds, ditches, and wetlands. The leeches are both blood-sucking parasites and aggressive predators. They have three saw-like "jaws" which they use to penetrate their host's skin, and they can remain attached for up to two hours. Their hosts include fish, turtles, wading birds, and mammals, including humans. The leeches are also voracious predators who eat other invertebrates, amphibian eggs and larvae, and sometimes even members of their own species. M. decora was historically used for leeching by European colonists in North America, who found the native leeches "equally efficacious" as those from Europe. (Full article...)

Did you know ...

The restored Satank Bridge
The restored Satank Bridge
  • ... that Satank Bridge (pictured) to Satank, Colorado, was constructed in 1900 for $2,325, while its 2011 restoration was estimated to cost at least $750,000?
  • ... that one newspaper labelled Caroline Hodgson the "wickedest woman in Melbourne"?
  • ... that Gävle Hospital in Sweden was so overrun with scarlet fever in 1934 that it considered requisitioning a local gymnasium?
  • ... that Gatot Wilotikto needed approval from the North Korean parliament to marry a local woman?
  • ... that more than 30 women claimed to have gone into labor within 24 hours of eating a Labor Inducer?
  • ... that Friedrich von Pernstein, the archbishop of Riga for 37 years, only spent less than five years there?
  • ... that the former Natick station building became the basement of a liquor store?
  • ... that a former Indonesian ambassador was spared by Khmer Rouge forces after repeatedly shouting "Indonesia"?
  • ... that the Pokémon Heracross may have contributed to an increase in demand for rhinoceros beetles in both legal and illegal Japanese insect markets?

In the news

Lando Norris in 2024
Lando Norris

On this day

December 9: International Anti-Corruption Day

Electron micrograph of the smallpox virus
Electron micrograph of the smallpox virus
More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

George Grossmith

George Grossmith (9 December 1847 – 1 March 1912) was an English comedian, writer, composer, actor, and singer. As a writer and composer, he created eighteen comic operas, nearly a hundred musical sketches, some six hundred songs and piano pieces, three books (including the 1892 comic novel The Diary of a Nobody), and both serious and comic pieces for newspapers and magazines. In a four-decade career as a performer, Grossmith created a series of nine characters in Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas from 1877 to 1889, such as Major-General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance. Grossmith then became the most popular British solo performer of the 1890s; some of his comic songs endure today. This 1881 photograph shows Grossmith posing in costume as Reginald Bunthorne in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience at the Opera Comique in London.

Photograph credit: unknown; restored by Adam Cuerden



Before yesterdaywikipedia英文首页

20251208

8 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Part of the Coventry ring road at sunset
Part of the Coventry ring road at sunset

The Coventry ring road (A4053) is a 2.25-mile (3.62 km) ring road in Coventry, England, forming a dual-carriageway loop around the city centre. The road encloses Coventry Cathedral, the shopping areas, and much of Coventry University. Except junction 1, all junctions are entirely grade-separated and closely spaced, with weaving sections between them. The road connects with three other A roads: the A4114, the A4600 and the A429. From the 1930s, Coventry City Council began replacing its medieval streets with modern roads, and Donald Gibson, the city architect, began work in 1939 on a plan that was expanded after the Coventry Blitz during the Second World War. The ring road was constructed in six stages from 1959, initially with at-grade junctions, cycle tracks and footpaths, but in the early 1960s the council amended the design to include grade separation and the weaving sections. The road was completed in 1974, with an overall cost of £14.5 million (equivalent to £191 million in 2023). (Full article...)

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Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani

In the news

On this day

December 8: Rōhatsu in Japan; Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Day in Ethiopia; Liberation Day in Syria

Portrait of Margaret Hughes by Peter Lely, 1672
Portrait of Margaret Hughes by Peter Lely, 1672
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From today's featured list

Concourse of London King's Cross
Concourse of London King's Cross

There are fifty-five stations on the Great Northern route, a suburban rail route in London and the East of England. The route consists of services on the southern end of the East Coast Main Line, which is the main railway link between the cities of London and Edinburgh, as well as its associated branches, including the Cambridge line, the Fen Line, the Hertford Loop line, and the Northern City Line. The route is currently operated by Great Northern, which is one brand under the umbrella of Govia Thameslink Railway. Services originating at London King's Cross (pictured) operate to Peterborough, Letchworth Garden City, Cambridge, Ely, and King's Lynn, whereas services originating at Moorgate operate to Welwyn Garden City, Hertford North, Gordon Hill, and Stevenage. (Full list...)

Today's featured picture

American robin

The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory bird in the family Turdidae, the thrushes. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, although the two species are not closely related. The American robin is widely distributed throughout North America, wintering from southern Canada to central Mexico and along the Pacific coast. It is active mostly during the day and assembles in large flocks at night. Its diet consists of invertebrates (such as beetle grubs, earthworms, and caterpillars), fruits, and berries. The American robin's nest consists of long coarse grass, twigs, paper, and feathers, and is smeared with mud and often cushioned with grass or other soft materials. It is among the earliest birds to sing at dawn, and its song consists of several discrete units that are repeated. This American robin was photographed in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York City.

Photograph credit: Rhododendrites

20251207

7 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Trankov and Volosozhar, the pairs champions
Trankov and Volosozhar, the pairs champions

The 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard was a figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), and the fourth event of the 2015–16 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. Held at the Meriadeck Ice Rink in Bordeaux, France, on 13 November 2015, medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The competition was cancelled after the first day, following the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. The ISU later announced that the short program results would be considered the final results for the competition and any prize money and qualifying points for the Grand Prix Final were distributed. Shoma Uno of Japan won the men's event, Gracie Gold of the United States won the women's event, Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov (both pictured) of Russia won the pairs event, and Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the United States won the ice dance event. (Full article...)

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Daniela Melchior
Daniela Melchior

In the news

On this day

December 7: Feast day of Saint Ambrose (Christianity); National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in the United States (1941)

Solidus of Tiberius
Solidus of Tiberius
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Hugh McCulloch

Hugh McCulloch (December 7, 1808 – May 24, 1895) was an American financier who played a central role in financing the American Civil War. He served two non-consecutive terms as United States Secretary of the Treasury under three presidents. He was originally opposed to the creation of a system of national banks, but his reputation as head of the Bank of Indiana from 1857 to 1863 persuaded the Treasury to bring him in to supervise the new system as Comptroller of the Currency from 1863 to 1865. As Secretary of the Treasury from 1865 to 1869 under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, McCulloch reduced and funded the gigantic Civil War debt of the Union, and reestablished the federal taxation system across the former Confederate States of America. He served another six months as Secretary of the Treasury from 1884 to 1885, at the close of Chester A. Arthur's term as president. This line-engraved portrait of McCulloch was created by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) as part of a BEP presentation book of the first 42 secretaries of the treasury; McCulloch's portrait was used on the 1902 United States twenty-dollar bill.

Engraving credit: Bureau of Engraving and Printing; restored by Andrew Shiva

20251206

6 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis (June 3, 1808 – December 6, 1889) was the president of the Confederate States of America (CSA) from 1861 to 1865. He previously represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and House of Representatives as a Democrat, and was the U.S. secretary of war from 1853 to 1857. A graduate of West Point, Davis served in the U.S. Army, fighting in the Mexican–American War. He was a cotton planter and owned as many as 113 slaves. During the Civil War, Davis served as commander in chief. When the CSA was defeated in 1865, he was captured, accused of involvement in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and of treason, and imprisoned at Fort Monroe. He was released without trial after two years. Immediately after the war, Davis was often blamed for the CSA's defeat but, after his release from prison, the Lost Cause movement deemed him a hero, and he was celebrated in the South. In the 21st century, however, he has been viewed more harshly, and many memorials to him have been removed. (Full article...)

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Size chart of various Plagiolophus species
Size chart of various Plagiolophus species

In the news

On this day

December 6: Saint Nicholas's Day (Western Christianity); White Ribbon Day in Canada; Independence Day in Finland (1917)

Béla I of Hungary
Béla I of Hungary
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Curly-tailed lizard

Curly-tailed lizards (Leiocephalidae) are a family of iguanian lizards found in the West Indies, with extant species in the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. There are presently 30 known species in this family, all of which are members of the genus Leiocephalus. Curly-tailed lizards vary in size depending on species, but typically are approximately 9 centimetres (3.5 inches) in snout-to-vent length. As implied by the name, most species of this family exhibit a curling of the tail. This is done both when a potential predator is present, showing the fitness of the lizard to a would-be predator and – in the case of an attack – drawing attention to the tail, which increases the lizard's chance of escaping. The tail is often also curled when predators are not present, however. Curly-tailed lizards mostly forage on arthropods such as insects, but also commonly consume flowers and fruits. Large individuals can eat small vertebrates, including anoles. This curly-tailed lizard of the species Leiocephalus varius, the Cayman curlytail, was photographed on the coast in George Town on the island of Grand Cayman.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp



20251205

5 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Raichu is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise, and the evolved form of the series mascot, Pikachu. Introduced in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue, it was created by Atsuko Nishida at the request of lead designer Ken Sugimori, with the design finalized by Sugimori. It has appeared in multiple games including Pokémon Go and the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and in merchandise. Classified as an Electric-type Pokémon, Raichu is a large orange mouse with a tail shaped like a lightning bolt, and yellow sacs on its cheek that can generate electricity. Designed to be a stronger counterpart to Pikachu, who evolves into Raichu through the use of a "Thunder Stone", Raichu was initially intended to be able to evolve into "Gorochu" before the latter was removed. While early reactions from media outlets regarded it negatively in light of Pikachu's status as the franchise's main mascot, later reception has been more favorable. (Full article...)

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Sneeze Achiu
Sneeze Achiu

In the news

On this day

December 5: Krampusnacht in parts of Central Europe

Nelson's Column during the Great Smog of London
Nelson's Column during the Great Smog of London
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From today's featured list

Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley

Record charts in the UK began life in 1952 when Percy Dickins from New Musical Express (NME) imitated an idea started in American Billboard magazine and began compiling a hit parade. Prior to this, a song's popularity was measured by the sales of sheet music. Initially, Dickins telephoned a sample of around 20 shops asking for a list of the 10 best-selling songs. These results were then aggregated to give a Top 12 chart published in NME on 14 November 1952. In terms of number-one singles, Frankie Laine, Guy Mitchell and Elvis Presley (pictured) were the most successful artists of the 1950s, having four singles reach the top spot. The longest duration of a single at number one was eighteen weeks, achieved by Frankie Laine's "I Believe", which still holds the record for the most non-consecutive weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart. (Full list...)

Today's featured picture

Till the Clouds Roll By is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and a fictionalized biopic of composer Jerome Kern, portrayed by Robert Walker. Kern was involved with the production, but died before its completion. It was the first in a series of MGM biopics about Broadway composers. The film, directed by Richard Whorf, premiered on December 5, 1946, in New York City.

Film credit: Richard Whorf



20251204

4 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Flag of Hong Kong

The flag of Hong Kong depicts a white stylised five-petal flower of the Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia × blakeana) in the centre of a field of Chinese red, the same red as on the flag of China. The Hong Kong Basic Law prescribes the design, and it is only to be made according to regulation and in approved sizes. Regulations regarding its use are stated in the Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance; its desecration is unlawful and has been punished. The flag was unveiled on 4 April 1990 and approved on 10 August 1996. It was first officially hoisted on 1 July 1997, during the handover ceremony marking the transfer of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom back to China, and replaced a colonial flag adopted in 1959. The 1959 flag, and a variant known as the Black Bauhinia, have been displayed by protesters in Hong Kong, particularly during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. Government supporters often displayed the Chinese and Hong Kong flags together. (Full article...)

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The Banquet of Cleopatra
The Banquet of Cleopatra

In the news

On this day

December 4: Navy Day in India

The Battle of Pontvallain
The Battle of Pontvallain
More anniversaries:

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Siege of Baghdad

The siege of Baghdad took place in early 1258 when a large army under Hulegu, a prince of the Mongol Empire, attacked Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. Hulegu had been sent by his brother, the Mongol khan Möngke, to conquer Persia. When Baghdad's ruler, Caliph al-Musta'sim, failed to reinforce the Mongol army, an angered Hulegu decided to overthrow him. The Mongol army routed a sortie led by al-Musta'sim's dawatdar (a leading minister) and besieged the city. After Mongol siege engines breached Baghdad's walls within days, al-Musta'sim surrendered and was later executed. The Mongol army pillaged the city for a week. The number of deaths was inflated by epidemics of disease, but Hulegu estimated his soldiers killed 200,000. Although the siege is often seen as the end of the Islamic Golden Age, Baghdad prospered under Hulegu's Ilkhanate. This double-page illustration, taken from a 14th-century manuscript of Rashid al-Din Hamadani's Jami' al-tawarikh, depicts the attempted escape of the dawatdar down the river Tigris (centre right); the soldiers on the pontoons forced him back to Baghdad with the loss of three ships. The manuscript forms part of the Diez Albums, now in the collection of the Berlin State Library in Germany.

Illustration credit: unknown

20251203

3 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Ovalipes catharus

Ovalipes catharus, commonly known as the paddle crab, swimming crab, or pāpaka in Māori, is a species of crab found in shallow, sandy-bottomed waters around the coasts of New Zealand, the Chatham Islands, and uncommonly in southern Australia. This species is an opportunistic, aggressive, and versatile feeder active mostly at night, preying predominantly on molluscs and crustaceans. It is also highly prone to cannibalism, which accounts for over a quarter of its diet in some locations. The crab's paddle-shaped rear legs and streamlined carapace allow it to capture prey by swimming rapidly and to escape predation by burrowing in the sand. Its mating season is in winter and spring, after which the female likely moves into deeper waters to incubate and disperse her larvae. Commercial fisheries have harvested paddle crabs since the 1970s, and O. catharus is present in Māori culture as both an artistic motif and as a traditional source of food. (Full article...)

Did you know ...

Marie Goldsmith
Marie Goldsmith
  • ... that Nestor Makhno described the evolutionary biologist Marie Goldsmith (pictured) as one of the "titans of anarchism"?
  • ... that a house that was once called "almost the opposite of a landmark" later became a U.S. National Historic Landmark?
  • ... that two successive Hanthawaddy commanders who held the title of Smin Maw-Khwin surrendered to Ava forces in 1414?
  • ... that The Patient's Playbook warns against overly hasty medical treatment, citing a case in which a man received heart stents before learning that the issue was in his lungs?
  • ... that Renato Candida, not the assassinated general Carlo Alberto dalla Chiesa, inspired the character of Captain Bellodi in The Day of the Owl?
  • ... that Geordie Greep announced his debut solo album just ten days after revealing that his band was on an indefinite hiatus?
  • ... that Chris Jackson left the Cancer Society of New Zealand after his wife was elected to parliament?
  • ... that Water World Lloret has been described as "a favourite of foreign tourists", with 60 per cent of its visitors coming from outside Spain?
  • ... that the first Mass for Saint Cyprian Church, a Black Catholic congregation, had only one Black Catholic in attendance?

In the news

Sébastien Ogier in October 2023
Sébastien Ogier

On this day

December 3

Coat of arms of Singapore
Coat of arms of Singapore
More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

Golden-shouldered parrot

The golden-shouldered parrot (Psephotellus chrysopterygius) is a rare species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae found in the southern Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. It is a small bird, with a length of 25 to 27 centimetres (9.8 to 10.6 in) and a mass of 54 to 56 grams (1.9 to 2.0 oz), and is closely related to the more common hooded parrot and the extinct paradise parrot. Adult males are mainly blue, with a characteristic yellow area over the shoulder and black cap, while adult females are mainly dull greenish-yellow, and have a broad cream bar on the underside of the wings. This pair of golden-shouldered parrots – a female (left) and a male (right) – were photographed near the Peninsula Developmental Road south of Yarraden, Queensland.

Photograph credit: John Harrison

20251202

2 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

SMS Pommern

SMS Pommern was a Deutschland-class pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Imperial German Navy at the AG Vulcan Stettin yard at Stettin, Germany. Named after the Prussian province of Pomerania, she was laid down on 22 March 1904, launched on 2 December 1905, and commissioned into the navy on 6 August 1907. The ship was armed with four 28 cm (11 in) guns and had a top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). Pommern was assigned to II Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet. At the start of World War I, she was stationed at the Elbe to support the defenses of the German Bight. She participated in sorties into the North Sea in attempts to destroy portions of the British Grand Fleet. These offensive operations culminated in the Battle of Jutland, where she was hit by torpedoes, which detonated one of her 17-centimeter (6.7 in) gun magazines. The resulting explosion broke the ship in half and killed the entire crew. (This article is part of a featured topic: Battleships of Germany.)

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Soprillo
Soprillo

In the news

Wang Fuk Court fire
Wang Fuk Court fire

On this day

December 2

1928 Ford Model A
1928 Ford Model A
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Pedro II of Brazil

Pedro II of Brazil (2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), also known as Pedro the Magnanimous, was the second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for more than 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro as the seventh son of Pedro I and Maria Leopoldina, Pedro II inherited an empire on the verge of disintegration, but he turned Brazil into an emerging power in the international arena. The nation grew to be distinguished from its Hispanic neighbors on account of its political stability, freedom of speech, respect for civil rights, vibrant economic growth, and form of government – a functional representative parliamentary monarchy. Pedro pushed through the abolition of slavery in Brazil despite opposition from powerful political and economic interests. He established a reputation as a vigorous sponsor of learning, culture, and the sciences, and he won the respect and admiration of people such as Charles Darwin, Victor Hugo, and Friedrich Nietzsche, and was a friend to Richard Wagner, Louis Pasteur, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, among others. Historians have regarded Pedro positively and several have ranked him as the greatest Brazilian. This 1872 painting by Pedro Américo depicts Pedro II delivering the speech from the throne in the General Assembly and wearing the Imperial Regalia.

Painting credit: Pedro Américo

20251201

1 December 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Crop from CDC publicity poster
Crop from CDC publicity poster

Julio and Marisol was a bilingual public-service advertising campaign that ran from 1989 to 2001 in the New York City Subway promoting condom use to prevent AIDS. The well-known catchphrase was a line from the first installment, in which Marisol sobs, "I love you, but not enough to die for you". The story follows a young Hispanic couple as they explore human sexuality and the effects of the AIDS epidemic on their relationship. Designed to appeal to a Hispanic audience particularly at risk due to cultural attitudes discouraging condom use, it has been described as "one part steamy soap opera, one part language instruction, and two parts AIDS education service". The ads were praised by public health officials for presenting situations which people could relate to, and by AIDS activists for breaking down the social stigma associated with the disease. They drew criticism, however, from family values advocates who objected to the promotion of condoms and the tacit acceptance of homosexuality. (Full article...)

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Artist's depiction of an apocalyptic impact event
Artist's depiction of an apocalyptic impact event

In the news

Wang Fuk Court fire
Wang Fuk Court fire

On this day

December 1: World AIDS Day; Great Union Day in Romania; Rosa Parks Day in some states and cities in the United States

Pedro I of Brazil, later also Pedro IV of Portugal
Pedro I of Brazil, later also Pedro IV of Portugal
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From today's featured list

Huascarán, Peru’s highest peak, located within Huascarán National Park
Huascarán, Peru’s highest peak, located within Huascarán National Park

Peru has 258 protected natural areas covering terrestrial and marine environments: 78 managed nationally by the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP), 35 by regional governments, and 145 under private administration. Peru is recognized as one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, due to its high concentration of species and diverse ecosystems. Its protected areas are continental and marine regions formally designated by the State to conserve the country’s biological diversity and associated cultural, scenic and scientific values, while contributing to sustainable development. The protected areas cover 21.67% of the country’s terrestrial territory and 7.89% of its marine territory. The system includes 15 national parks, 18 national reserves, 9 national sanctuaries, 4 historic sanctuaries, 2 landscape reserves, 3 wildlife refuges, 11 communal reserves, 6 protected forests, 2 game reserves, and 8 reserved zones. (Full list...)

Today's featured picture

The Massacre of the Mamelukes

The Massacre of the Mamelukes is an 1819 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts one of the final events in the rise to power of Egyptian ruler Muhammad Ali, when the Mamluk people was massacred at the Cairo Citadel in 1811. The painting shows Ali sitting calmly after ordering the killings, smoking his narguile as he watches the violence unfold. The Massacre of the Mamelukes, one of several versions of the scene produced by Vernet, was exhibited at the Salon of 1819 in Paris, and is now in the collection of the Musée de Picardie in Amiens, France.

Painting credit: Horace Vernet

20251130

30 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Cross-section of the Mechanical Turk
Cross-section of the Mechanical Turk

The Mechanical Turk, also known as the "Automaton Chess Player" or "the Turk", was a chess-playing machine, first displayed in 1770, which appeared to be able to play a strong game of chess autonomously, but whose pieces were in reality moved via levers and magnets by a chess master hidden in the machine's lower cavity. The machine was toured and exhibited for 84 years as an automaton, and continued giving occasional exhibitions until 1854, when it was destroyed in a fire. In 1857, an article published by the owner's son revealed that it was an elaborate hoax, a fact suspected by some but never fully explained while the machine still existed. Constructed by Wolfgang von Kempelen to impress Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, the Turk won most games, including those against statesmen such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin. The device demonstrated the knight's tour, a puzzle that requires a knight to visit every square of a chessboard once. (Full article...)

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Yellow 2291
Yellow 2291

In the news

Wang Fuk Court fire
Wang Fuk Court fire

On this day

November 30: Saint Andrew's Day (Christianity)

Damage from the 2018 Anchorage earthquake
Damage from the 2018 Anchorage earthquake
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Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm (November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician, educator, and author. In 1968 she became the first black woman elected to the United States Congress, and she represented New York's 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1972 she became the first black candidate for a major party's nomination for president of the United States, and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. In 2015 Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This photograph shows Chisholm as she was announcing her candidacy for the presidency in 1972.

Photograph credit: Thomas J. O'Halloran; restored by Adam Cuerden

20251129

29 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Logo of KEXP-FM

KEXP-FM (90.3 FM) is a non-commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington, United States, specializing in indie music programmed by its disc jockeys. KEXP's studios are located at the Seattle Center, and the transmitter is in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood. The station is operated by the non-profit entity Friends of KEXP, an affiliate of the University of Washington. Since March 2024, KEXP-FM's programming has been rebroadcast over Alameda, California–licensed KEXC, which serves the San Francisco Bay Area. As well as daily variety mix shows featuring mostly alternative rock music, KEXP hosts weekly programs dedicated to other musical genres. Founded in 1972 as KCMU, the student-run station of the University of Washington, KEXP gained recognition for its influence on the regional music scene. It was the first station to air grunge bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden in the late 1980s. In 2014, the university transferred the FCC license of KEXP-FM to Friends of KEXP. (Full article...)

Did you know ...

Natural citrine crystal
Natural citrine crystal
  • ... that most "citrine" on the market is not natural citrine (example pictured), but rather heat-treated amethyst?
  • ... that Jack Fitzgerald was "father" of the South Australian House of Assembly?
  • ... that thousands moved to Gowganda during a silver rush, but its population declined significantly after gold was found in Kirkland Lake?
  • ... that the operator of the Robie House sold bricks to raise money for a renovation?
  • ... that Nine Inch Nails's frontman was "baptized" by a fog machine during a show on the Peel It Back Tour?
  • ... that Jackie Lou Blanco portrayed her real-life mother in the opening scene of One Hit Wonder?
  • ... that the author of Tristram Shandy signed entire print runs of his books to prove they were genuine?
  • ... that Sławomir impersonated Freddie Mercury in the finals of the Polish version of Dancing with the Stars?
  • ... that Pokémon fans compared the design of Mega Starmie to a scene depicting Patrick Star with long legs and in fishnet leggings?

In the news

Wang Fuk Court fire
Wang Fuk Court fire

On this day

November 29: Liberation Day in Albania

Eureka Flag
Eureka Flag
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Many-worlds interpretation

The many-worlds interpretation (MWI) is a philosophical position about how the mathematics used in quantum mechanics relates to physical reality. It asserts that the universal wavefunction is objectively real, and that there is no wave function collapse. This implies that all possible outcomes of quantum measurements are physically realized in some "world" or universe. In contrast to some other interpretations of quantum mechanics, the evolution of reality as a whole in MWI is rigidly deterministic and local. Many-worlds is also called the relative state formulation or the Everett interpretation, after physicist Hugh Everett, who first proposed it in 1957. Bryce DeWitt popularized the formulation and named it "many-worlds" in the 1970s. This graphic illustrates the many-worlds interpretation of Schrödinger's cat, a popular thought experiment concerning quantum superposition, depicting the experiment's different outcomes as two branching strips of film stock. Every quantum event is a branch point; the cat is both alive and dead, even before the box is opened, but the "alive" and "dead" cats are in different branches of the multiverse, both of which are equally real, but which do not interact with each other.

Illustration credit: Christian Schirm

20251128

28 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Appaloosa

The Appaloosa is a horse breed best known for its colorful leopard-spotted coat pattern. It includes a wide range of body types because of the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. The color pattern of the Appaloosa is of great interest to those who study equine coat color genetics, as it and several other physical characteristics are linked to the leopard complex mutation (LP). Artwork depicting prehistoric horses with leopard spotting existed in cave paintings. The Nez Perce people of the United States Pacific Northwest developed the original American breed. It is best known as a stock horse used in a number of western riding disciplines, but is also a versatile breed with representatives seen in many other types of equestrian activity. The Nez Perce lost most of their horses after the Nez Perce War in 1877. A small number of dedicated breeders preserved the Appaloosa as a distinct breed until the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) was formed as the breed registry in 1938. (Full article...)

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Jesse L. Douglas
Jesse L. Douglas

In the news

Tai Po apartment complex fire
Tai Po apartment complex fire

On this day

November 28: Black Friday in the United States (2025); Bukovina Day in Romania

Coat of arms of the Royal Society
Coat of arms of the Royal Society
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Congressional districts in Arkansas since 2023
Congressional districts in Arkansas since 2023

Arkansas has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives since it became a state in 1836, except during the Civil War and Reconstruction between 1861 and 1868. Each U.S. state, including Arkansas, periodically elects two senators to serve for six years at a time, and at least one House member, with the count being proportional to population, to serve for two years at a time. Arkansas's voting representation in the House began with one representative in the 25th United States Congress, and peaked from 1903 to 1953, when it had seven seats in the House. Arkansas has sent four members to the House (map of congressional districts pictured) since 1963. While Arkansas politics was dominated by the Democratic Party from the 1870s to the 1960s, Arkansas's current delegation consists entirely of Republicans. (Full list...)

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Rock hyrax

The rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), also known as the dassie, is one of four living species of the hyrax order, Hyracoidea, and the only living species in its genus. Like all hyraxes, it is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal between 4 kg (9 lb) and 5 kg (11 lb) in mass, with short ears and tail. The rock hyrax is found across Africa and the Middle East, at elevations up to 4,200 metres (13,800 ft). It resides in habitats with rock crevices which it uses to escape from predators. Along with the other hyrax species and the manatees, these are the living animals most closely related to the elephant. This rock hyrax was photographed near Omaruru, Erongo, Namibia.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

20251127

27 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Freedom From Want

Freedom from Want is the third of the Four Freedoms, a series of four oil paintings by American artist Norman Rockwell. The works were inspired by the Four Freedoms articulated in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union address. The painting was published in the March 6, 1943, issue of The Saturday Evening Post. It depicts a group of people gathered around a dinner table for a holiday meal, all of whom were friends and family of Rockwell; they were photographed individually and painted into the scene. Freedom from Want has become an iconic representation of Thanksgiving and family gatherings in general, and has had a wide array of adaptations and other uses. Popular then and now in the United States, it caused resentment in Europe where the masses were enduring wartime hardship. The work is highly regarded as an example of mastery of the challenges of painting in white on a white background and as one of Rockwell's most famous works. (Full article...)

Did you know ...

The derailed Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 train on the MRT tracks
The derailed Kawasaki Heavy Industries C151 train on the MRT tracks

In the news

Tai Po apartment fire
Tai Po apartment fire

On this day

November 27: Thanksgiving in the United States (2025)

Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel
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1884 United States presidential election

The 1884 United States presidential election was held in November 1884 between Grover Cleveland of the Democratic Party, James G. Blaine of the Republican Party, and two third-party candidates. The election was narrowly won by Cleveland, who won 219 Electoral College votes to Blaine's 182, ending a run of of six consecutive Republican victories. The issue of personal character featured strongly during the 1884 campaign. Blaine had been prevented from getting the Republican presidential nomination during the previous two elections because of the stigma of a set of letters that he had written, while Cleveland was perceived as having high personal integrity. This campaign advertisement for Blaine, captioned "Another voice for Cleveland", was published in the New York magazine The Judge on September 27, 1884, and aimed to shift this balance and attack Cleveland's morals by alleging that he had fathered an illegitimate child while he was a lawyer in Buffalo, New York. The chromolithograph illustration depicts a weeping woman holding a baby who cries out "I want my pa!" as Cleveland walks past. Cleveland's campaign responded that he had formed a connection with the woman in question and had assumed responsibility for the child, but that his paternity was unproven.

Illustration credit: Frank Beard; restored by Adam Cuerden



20251126

26 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Terry Griffiths

Terry Griffiths (1947–2024) was a Welsh professional snooker player, coach and pundit. After winning several amateur titles, he turned professional in June 1978 at the age of 30. In his second professional tournament, he qualified for the 1979 World Snooker Championship. He reached the final of the event where he defeated Dennis Taylor. In the 1988 World Snooker Championship, Griffiths again reached the final of the competition but lost to Steve Davis. Griffiths reached at least the quarter-finals of the World Championship for nine consecutive years, from 1984 to 1992. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, completing snooker's Triple Crown. He was runner-up at the Masters three times and reached the final of the 1989 European Open, where he lost the deciding frame to John Parrott. Griffiths retired from the professional tour in 1996 to become the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association's director of coaching. (Full article...)

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North Christian Church
North Christian Church

In the news

On this day

November 26: Feast day of Saint Sylvester Gozzolini (Catholicism); Constitution Day in India (1949)

Explosion on HMS Bulwark
Explosion on HMS Bulwark
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Basilica of Superga

The Basilica of Superga is a hilltop Catholic basilica in Superga, in the vicinity of Turin, Italy. It was built from 1717 to 1731 for Victor Amadeus II, the duke of Savoy and future king of Sicily, to a design by Filippo Juvarra. The building of the church fulfilled a vow Victor Amadeus had made during the Battle of Turin, after defeating the besieging French army in the War of the Spanish Succession. The basilica is considered to be an example of late Baroque-Classicist architecture. Its royal crypt is the traditional burial place of members of the House of Savoy, including various kings of Sardinia and of Italy. In 1949, the basilica was the site of the Superga air disaster when the plane carrying the Grande Torino football team collided with the church's rear supporting wall, killing the entire team and their coach. This photograph shows the basilica with the Monte Rosa massif in the background.

Photograph credit: Domeian



20251125

25 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Aristippus, an early Greek proponent of philosophical hedonism
Aristippus, an early Greek proponent of philosophical hedonism

Hedonism is a family of philosophical views that prioritize pleasure. Psychological hedonism is a theory of motivation stating that the self-interested pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain drive all human conduct. Axiological hedonism is the view that pleasure is the sole source of intrinsic value. It asserts that other things, like knowledge and money, only have value insofar as they produce pleasure and reduce pain. Ethical hedonism applies this view to morality, arguing that people have a moral duty to pursue pleasure. Utilitarian versions aim to increase overall happiness for everyone, whereas egoistic versions state that each person should only look out for their own happiness. The paradox of hedonism and the hedonic treadmill are proposed psychological barriers to the hedonist goal of long-term happiness. As one of the oldest philosophical theories, hedonism was already discussed in ancient Greek, Indian, and Chinese philosophy. (Full article...)

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Chole bhature
Chole bhature

In the news

On this day

November 25: Evacuation Day in New York City (1783)

Johan Ferrier in 1975
Johan Ferrier in 1975
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Pink cockatoo

The pink cockatoo (Cacatua leadbeateri) is a medium-sized cockatoo that inhabits arid and semi-arid inland areas across Australia, with the exception of the north east. The bird has a soft-textured white and salmon-pink plumage and a large, bright red and yellow crest. The sexes are quite similar although males are usually bigger, while the female has a broader yellow stripe on the crest and develops a red eye when mature. The pink cockatoo is usually found in pairs or small groups, and feeds both on the ground and in trees. Formerly known as Major Mitchell's cockatoo, after the explorer Major Thomas Mitchell, the species was officially renamed to pink cockatoo by BirdLife Australia in 2023, due to Mitchell's involvement in the massacre of Aboriginal people at Mount Dispersion and a general trend to make Australian species names more culturally inclusive. The bird is listed as endangered by the Australian government. This pink cockatoo in flight was photographed near Mount Grenfell in New South Wales, Australia.

Photograph credit: JJ Harrison

20251124

24 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Statue of Chagatai Khan
Statue of Chagatai Khan

Chagatai Khan (c. 1184 – 1242) was a son of Genghis Khan and a prominent figure in the early Mongol Empire. The second son of Genghis's wife Börte, Chagatai was renowned for his masterful knowledge of Mongol custom and law and his harsh temperament. He was appointed to military commands alongside his brothers during the Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty in 1211 and the invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire in 1219. After the campaign, Chagatai was granted large tracts of conquered land in Central Asia, which he ruled until his death, often quarrelling with officials like Mahmud Yalavach. Chagatai's inflexibility, most notably never accepting the legitimacy of his elder brother Jochi, excluded him from succession to Genghis's throne. He was nevertheless a key figure in ensuring the stability of the empire during the reign of his younger brother Ögedei Khan, whom he advised. Chagatai died shortly after Ögedei in 1242; his descendants later ruled his territories as the eponymous Chagatai Khanate. (Full article...)

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Emma Finucane
Emma Finucane

In the news

On this day

November 24: Feast day of the Vietnamese Martyrs (Catholicism)

Eugene O'Neill Theatre
Eugene O'Neill Theatre
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From today's featured list

The ICC Future Tours Programme (ICC FTP) is a schedule of international cricket tours and tournaments that structure the programme of cricket events for International Cricket Council (ICC) full members and associate members with One Day International status. The FTP schedules bilateral cricket tours with the objective of each team playing each other at least once at home and once away over a period of 10 years, known as the "Ten Year Plan", since 2006. The FTP also schedules associate tri-nation series with the objective of each team playing each other at least once at home, once away, and once at a neutral venue, over a cycle of four years since 2019. Additionally, it has scheduled ICC tournaments over a period of four years, known as an "ICC Events cycle", since 2024. Each cycle consists of one men's Cricket World Cup, one women's Cricket World Cup, one ICC Champions Trophy, one ICC Women's Champions Trophy, two men's T20 World Cups and two women's T20 World Cups. (Full list...)

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Renate Reinsve

Renate Reinsve (born 24 November 1987) is a Norwegian actress. She made her film debut in Joachim Trier's film Oslo, August 31st (2011). Her breakout role came in Trier's romantic drama The Worst Person in the World (2021), for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She has since starred in the Apple TV+ legal-thriller series Presumed Innocent, the A24 satirical dark comedy A Different Man, and the thriller Armand (all 2024). She reunited with Trier for the film Sentimental Value (2025). This photograph of Reinsve was taken at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Photograph credit: Harald Krichel

20251123

23 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Yeti

The Yeti are fictional robots from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. They were originally created by the writers Henry Lincoln and Mervyn Haisman and first appeared in the 1967 serial The Abominable Snowmen. The Yeti resemble the cryptozoological creatures also called the Yeti. In the series' fictional universe, these robot Yeti serve the Great Intelligence, a formless entity with mysterious origins, and are used by the Intelligence to aid in its invasions. Following this debut appearance, the Yeti only had one other major appearance, in the 1968 serial The Web of Fear. The Yeti were a replacement for the Daleks, another popular antagonist that had recently been written out of the series. The concept arose as a result of a discussion between the then–lead actor Patrick Troughton, Lincoln and Haisman. Already popular monsters at the time of their introduction, the Yeti became even more popular with their second appearance. (Full article...)

Did you know ...

HSwMS Dykaren, a Sjölejonet-class submarine
HSwMS Dykaren, a Sjölejonet-class submarine
  • ... that the Sjölejonet class (example pictured), Sweden's first indigenous submarines, featured rotating torpedo tubes and disappearing guns?
  • ... that David Avraham Voluck, a Chabad Jew and Native tribal judge, credits Alaska Native peoples with inspiring him to become more observant in his own faith?
  • ... that the music video for Bini's "First Luv" was inspired by rococo art?
  • ... that Tanguturi Prakasam, a leader of the Indian independence movement, later became a significant dissenting figure within the Indian government?
  • ... that the inscription on a bracteate in the Vindelev Hoard has been interpreted as the oldest known reference to the Norse god Odin?
  • ... that the Miller House in Indiana opened to the public in 2011, drawing high visitor numbers that were likened to the opening of a new Disney ride?
  • ... that Rosa Dubovsky admonished male anarchists for misusing free love to justify promiscuity?
  • ... that a track-intrusion detection system was implemented on the Punggol LRT line following the death of a woman at Cove station?
  • ... that Thurgood Marshall, amid a Kansas desegregation case, said "god damn it give that white lady the money"?

In the news

On this day

November 23

Flag of the Dutch East India Company
Flag of the Dutch East India Company
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Lactarius resimus

Lactarius resimus is a species of mushroom in the Russulaceae family. It has a cap which ranges from 4–15 cm in diameter, while its stalk has a length from 2–6 cm and a width of 1–3 cm in width. The mushroom is generally white, but stains yellow to orange. Its spores are white-yellow, elliptical and bumpy. An edible fungus, it is considered a delicacy in Russia and some other countries of Eastern Europe, often pickled in salt. This L. resimus mushroom was photographed in Katon-Karagay National Park, Kazakhstan.

Photograph credit: Avustfel

20251122

22 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Seminole family in Indian camp, 1916
Seminole family in Indian camp, 1916

The indigenous people of the Everglades region arrived in the Florida peninsula 15,000 years ago. The Paleo-Indians found an arid landscape. Climate changes 6,500 years ago brought a wetter landscape, and the Paleo-Indians slowly adapted to the new conditions. Archaeologists call the cultures that resulted Archaic peoples, from whom two major tribes emerged: the Calusa and the Tequesta. Spanish explorers sought to convert and conquer them. Isolated groups may have been assimilated into the Seminole nation, which formed in northern Florida when a band of Creeks consolidated surviving members of pre-Columbian societies in Florida into their own to become a distinct tribe. Seminoles were forced into the Everglades by the U.S. military during the Seminole Wars from 1835 to 1842. Seminoles continue to live in the Everglades region, and support themselves with casino gaming on six reservations located throughout the state. (Full article...)

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685 First Avenue
685 First Avenue

In the news

On this day

November 22

King Juan Carlos I of Spain
King Juan Carlos I of Spain
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White-lipped tree frog

The white-lipped tree frog (Nyctimystes infrafrenatus) is a species of tree frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae, part the family Hylidae. It is found in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, parts of Solomon Islands, and in the wet tropics of north-eastern Queensland, Australia, and lives in rainforests, cultivated areas, and around houses in coastal areas. A large species, the white-lipped tree frog has a typical length of 11 to 14 cm (4.3 to 5.5 in) and a mass of 30 to 60 g (1.1 to 2.1 oz). Its dorsal surface is usually bright green, although the colour changes depending on the temperature and background, and can be brown, while its lower lip has an eponymous distinctive white stripe. This white-lipped tree frog was photographed in the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland.

Photograph credit: JJ Harrison

20251121

21 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Memorial to Canadian soldiers killed in the crash
Memorial to Canadian soldiers killed in the crash

The Canoe River train crash occurred on November 21, 1950, near Valemount in eastern British Columbia, Canada. A westbound troop train collided head-on with the eastbound Canadian National Railway's Continental Limited, and 21 people were killed. Of these, 17 were Canadian soldiers en route to the Korean War (memorial pictured). The investigation found that the order sent to the troop train was missing crucial words, causing the troop train to proceed rather than halt on a siding, which caused the collision. A telegraph operator, John Atherton, was charged with manslaughter; the prosecution alleged that he was negligent. His family hired his member of Parliament, John Diefenbaker, as defence counsel. Diefenbaker obtained Atherton's acquittal, which became an asset during his political rise to become prime minister of Canada. (Full article...)

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French SS volunteers
French SS volunteers

In the news

On this day

November 21: Armed Forces Day in Bangladesh

Manzanar
Manzanar
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Statues in the National Statuary Hall
Statues in the National Statuary Hall

The National Statuary Hall Collection holds statues donated by each of the 50 U.S. states, portraying notable persons in their respective histories. Displayed in the National Statuary Hall (pictured) and other parts of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., the National Statuary Hall Collection includes two statues from each state, except for Virginia, which currently has one, making a total of 99 statues. Congress established the National Statuary Hall on July 2, 1864. The first statue was installed in 1870 and, by 1971, the collection included at least one statue from each state. The National Statuary Hall Collection comprises 60 statues of bronze and 39 of marble. Several sculptors have created multiple statues for the collection, the most prolific being Charles Henry Niehaus, who sculpted eight statues currently and formerly in the collection. (Full list...)

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C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy)

C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) is a long-period comet discovered in 2014 by Australian astronomer Terry Lovejoy using a 0.2-meter (8 in) Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope. It was discovered at apparent magnitude 15 in the southern constellation of Puppis, and is the fifth comet discovered by Lovejoy. Its blue-green glow is the result of organic molecules and water released by the comet fluorescing under the harsh UV and optical light of the sun as it passes through space.

Photograph: John Vermette

20251120

20 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Judges' bench at the Nuremberg trials
Judges' bench at the Nuremberg trials

The Nuremberg trials were held jointly by the United States, Soviet Union, France, and the United Kingdom against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany in the aftermath of World War II. Between 20 November 1945 and 1 October 1946, the International Military Tribunal tried 22 of the most important surviving Nazi leaders, with the main charge the newly invented and retroactively applied crime of plotting and carrying out invasions, although various German atrocities (especially the Holocaust) were also condemned. The purpose of the trial was not just to convict the defendants but also to assemble irrefutable evidence of Nazi crimes, offer a history lesson to the defeated Germans, and delegitimize the traditional German elite. Although criticized at the time for legal innovation and selective prosecution, the trial has come to be recognized as "the true beginning of international criminal law". (Full article...)

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Recording of Masoud El Amaratly's
folk singing

In the news

On this day

November 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance

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Otto von Habsburg

Otto von Habsburg (20 November 1912 – 4 July 2011) was the last crown prince of Austria-Hungary from 1916 until the dissolution of the empire in November 1918. In 1922, he became the pretender to the former thrones, head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and sovereign of the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece, upon the death of his father. He resigned as Sovereign of the Golden Fleece in 2000 and as head of the Imperial House in 2007. This photograph of von Habsburg was taken in 2006 by German photographer Oliver Mark.

Photograph credit: Oliver Mark

20251119

19 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Adele
Adele

"Water Under the Bridge" is a song by the English singer Adele (pictured) from her third studio album 25 (2015). Adele wrote the song with its producer, Greg Kurstin. Columbia Records released the track as the album's fourth single on 14 November 2016. A mid-tempo pop, soul and soft-rock song, "Water Under the Bridge" incorporates influences of 1980s music, R&B and a gospel choir over guitars and snare drums. Inspired by her relationship with the charity founder Simon Konecki, who Adele dated for seven years and married in 2018, the song speaks of forgiveness and details the crucial point in a courtship of determining whether one's partner is willing to put in the work to make it succeed. Music critics praised Adele's vocal performance, though some thought it was too loud and criticised some of the production choices. It reached number one in Israel and the top ten in Poland, Belgium and Iceland and gained Platinum or higher certifications in Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. (Full article...)

Did you know ...

Fossil track of a possibly limping dinosaur
Fossil track of a possibly limping dinosaur
  • ... that a large carnivorous dinosaur recorded at Copper Ridge (fossil track pictured) might have been limping?
  • ... that Luke Felix-Fualalo played rugby despite being below his league's age limit because he "was just too big to tell no"?
  • ... that the filming location of the Neighbours International Men's Day episode had to be changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • ... that optical physicist Franklin Dollar grew up on a Native American reservation without electricity or running water?
  • ... that a British health campaign on recreational drug overdose recommended using soy sauce fishes to measure safe dosages?
  • ... that when the COVID-19 pandemic began, Masyita Crystallin was instructed by the Indonesian finance minister to study the Spanish flu to help formulate unconventional economic policies?
  • ... that several parents opted against including their children's names on the New London Cenotaph, with the designers leaving blank spaces on the memorial to commemorate them?
  • ... that, despite popular myth, NFL player Jairo Penaranda did not participate in llama-broncing?
  • ... that golden trout disappeared from Silver Lake?

In the news

Sheikh Hasina in 2024
Sheikh Hasina

On this day

November 19: International Men's Day; World Toilet Day; Liberation Day in Mali (1968)

Ronald Reagan (left) and Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva
Ronald Reagan (left) and Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva
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Grey-headed honeyeater

The grey-headed honeyeater (Ptilotula keartlandi) is a species of bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia, where it has an extensive range covering much of the central arid and semi-arid areas of the continent. It mostly frequents eucalyptus scrub and woodlands in stony hill country and timbered gullies within ranges, but has also been observed on sand-plains with flowering vegetation, mulga and mallee woodlands, riverine areas and occasionally in Mitchell grasslands. The grey-headed honeyeater is thought to be largely sedentary, but undertakes nomadic movements in response to flowering events. The bird is relatively small for a honeyeater, with a total body length of 13–16.5 cm (5.1–6.5 in) and a mass of 12–18 g (0.4–0.6 oz). Adults have a distinctive grey crown above a black facial mask with the nape and remaining upper body parts coloured dark fawn-grey, with light olive-yellow breast, belly, flanks, and throat streaked with brown, a light-grey brown rump and a short black bill. It feeds on invertebrates as well as insects on the wing and, like many honeyeaters, it consumes nectar from flowering trees. This grey-headed honeyeater was photographed in Watarrka National Park in Australia's Northern Territory.

Photograph credit: JJ Harrison

20251118

18 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Uncanny Tales was a Canadian science fiction pulp magazine edited by Melvin R. Colby that ran from November 1940 to September 1943. It was created in response to the wartime reduction of imports on British and American science-fiction pulp magazines. Initially it contained stories only from Canadian authors, with much of its contents supplied by Thomas P. Kelley, but within a few issues Colby began to obtain reprint rights to American stories from Donald A. Wollheim and Sam Moskowitz. Moskowitz reported that he found out via an acquaintance of Wollheim's that Colby had been persuaded by Wollheim to stop buying Moskowitz's submissions. The first issue was digest-sized, and was printed in green ink. For the first four issues the format remained unchanged, and almost all the stories were by Kelley or other Canadian writers. Paper shortages forced the magazine to shut down after less than three years. It is now extremely difficult to find printed copies. (Full article...)

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Teck Lee when it was closed
Teck Lee when it was closed

In the news

The village of Bento Rodrigues after the Mariana dam disaster
Damage after Mariana dam disaster

On this day

November 18

Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
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Dust Bowl

The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. Drought and a failure to apply dryland farming methods to prevent wind erosion caused the phenomenon. The drought came in three waves, 1934, 1936, and 1939–1940, but some regions of the high plains experienced drought conditions for as many as eight years. This black-and-white photograph, captioned "Broke, baby sick, and car trouble!", was taken by the American photographer Dorothea Lange in 1937 and depicts the jalopy of a Missouri migrant family of five on U.S. Route 99 near Tracy, California.

Photograph: Dorothea Lange. Restoration: Adam Cuerden.

20251117

17 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Alicella gigantea
Alicella gigantea

Alicella gigantea is a giant species of amphipod that lives in the deep sea. It is sometimes referred to as the "supergiant amphipod", with some individuals of this species reaching 34 cm (13 in) in length, making it the world's largest species of amphipod. The large body size is sometimes presented as an example of abyssal gigantism, though the specifics of this trait remain under investigation. Its genome is exceptionally large, which may be linked to the large size of the body. The species lives only at 4,850–7,000 m (15,910–22,970 ft) in depth. Although rarely encountered, A. gigantea is considered cosmopolitan and may inhabit up to 59% of the world’s oceans. It is primarily a scavenger of carrion, although the diet varies with age. It has been inferred that individuals of this species have long life spans and can live for over 10 years. Despite its isolation from the surface, human pollutants such as DDT and chlordane have been detected in specimens. (Full article...)

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Viaduct seen from Digswell Park Road with an LNER train traveling atop it
Digswell Viaduct

In the news

Typhoon Fung-wong
Typhoon Fung-wong

On this day

November 17

14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
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The British mystery and crime television series Sherlock received numerous accolades. Sherlock is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective novels and stories. It was created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. The series won the Peabody Award in 2011 for "A Study in Pink". Sherlock garnered forty-seven nominations from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, including four BAFTA TV wins: Best Drama Series, Best Supporting Actor (Freeman and Andrew Scott), and the Audience Award. The series received thirty-nine Primetime Emmy nominations (with nine wins), including a win for Outstanding Television Movie (for "The Abominable Bride"). Cumberbatch and Freeman both won Emmys for their performances, as did Moffat for his screenwriting. (Full list...)

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Council of Clermont

The Council of Clermont was a mixed synod of ecclesiastics and laymen of the Catholic Church, called by Pope Urban II and held from 17 to 27 November 1095 at Clermont, Auvergne, at the time part of the Duchy of Aquitaine.

While the council is known today primarily for the speech Pope Urban gave on the final day, it was primarily a synod focused on implementing the Cluniac reforms, enacting decrees and settling local and regional issues. This also included the extension of the excommunication of Philip I of France for his adulterous remarriage to Bertrade of Montfort and a declaration of renewal of the Truce of God, an attempt on the part of the church to reduce feuding among Frankish nobles.

Pope Urban's speech on 27 November included the call to arms that would result in the First Crusade, and eventually the capture of Jerusalem and the establishment of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The image comes from the Passages d'outremer, a chronicle of the Crusades published and illustrated three centuries after this event, and isn't particularly historically accurate, but also considered a masterpiece of mediaeval illustration, and a document showing the 15th-century interpretation of the crusading movement.

Illustration credit: Jean Colombe

20251116

16 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson

Black Widow is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editor Stan Lee, scripter Don Rico, and artist Don Heck, the character debuted as an enemy of Iron Man in 1964. She reformed into a hero in The Avengers in 1966. Black Widow has been the main character in several comic titles since 1970, receiving her own Black Widow series in 1999. She also frequently appears as a supporting character in The Avengers and Daredevil. Natalia Alianovna "Natasha Romanoff" Romanova was introduced as a spy for the Soviet Union until she defected to the United States. Her stories often explore her struggle to define her own identity as a spy and the trauma she endured from her life of training in the Red Room, a Soviet training facility. Black Widow has been adapted into a variety of other media, including film, animated series, and video games. A version of the character was portrayed by Scarlett Johansson (pictured) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Full article...)

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Ruins of Boghead
Ruins of Boghead

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Typhoon Fung-wong
Typhoon Fung-wong

On this day

November 16

Andrew Doria
Andrew Doria
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African buffalo

The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a species of true buffalo in the Bovidae family. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is found in a number of disjoint ranges stretching from south-eastern Senegal through West and Central Africa to South Africa. It lives in savannas, swamps and floodplains, as well as mopane grasslands, and the forests of the major mountains of Africa. The Afiran buffalo is a large bovid, with a shoulder height ranging from 1.0 to 1.7 m (3.3 to 5.6 ft) and head-and-body length between 1.7 and 3.4 m (5.6-11.2 ft). There is variation between subspecies, the African forest buffalo having a mass of 250 to 450 kg (600 to 1,000 lb) while the Cape buffalo weighs 425 to 870 kg (937 to 1,918 lb), males being about 100 kg (220 lb) heavier than females. The adult African buffalo is known for its characteristic horn. This male African buffalo was photographed in Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. It has a red-billed oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus) standing on its muzzle.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

20251115

15 November 2025 at 08:17

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Aston Martin DB11

The Aston Martin DB11 is a two-door grand touring car. It was manufactured as both a coupe and a convertible, the latter known as the Volante. The British carmaker Aston Martin produced the DB11 from 2016 to 2023 and was replaced by the DB12. The DB11 succeeded the DB9, which was made between 2004 and 2016. Designed by Marek Reichman, who became Aston Martin's lead designer in 2005, the DB11 debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2016. The first model of Aston Martin's "second-century plan", the DB11 incorporates aluminium extensively throughout its body. Manufacture of the DB11 began at the Aston Martin facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, in September 2016. Two engine configurations of the DB11 were available: a 4.0-litre V8-engine model produced by Mercedes-AMG and a 5.2-litre V12-engine model produced by Aston Martin. In 2018, Aston Martin replaced the DB11 V12 with the DB11 V12 AMR, which brought an increased engine output. (Full article...)

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Bayden Barber
Bayden Barber

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David Szalay in 2025
David Szalay

On this day

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November 15

William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
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Pied-billed grebe

The pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) is a species of water bird in the grebe family, Podicipedidae. It is found in ponds throughout the Americas, from Canada south to Argentina and Chile. The pied-billed grebe is small, stocky, and short-necked, with a length of around 31 to 38 centimeters (12 to 15 in), a wingspan of 45 to 62 centimeters (18 to 24 in) and a mass of 253 to 568 grams (8.9 to 20.0 oz). It is mainly brown, with a darker crown and back. The undertail is white and it has a short, blunt, light-grey bill, encircled in summer by a broad black band, giving the bird its name. There is no sexual dimorphism, and juveniles have black and white stripes. The pied-billed grebe rarely flies, but is known for its slow dive, which can reach depths of 6 meters (20 ft). It feeds mainly on aquatic invertebrates, and also on small fish and amphibians. This pied-billed grebe of the subspecies P. p. antarcticus was photographed in Parque La Florida, Cundinamarca, on the outskirts of Bogotá, Colombia.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

20251114

14 November 2025 at 08:17

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Elinor Fettiplace

Elinor Fettiplace (c.1570 – in or after 1647) was an English cookery book writer. Probably born in Pauntley, Gloucestershire into an upper-class land-owning farming family, she married into the well-connected Fettiplace family and moved to a manor house in the Vale of White Horse, Berkshire. In common with many ladies of the Elizabethan era, Fettiplace wrote a manuscript book with details of recipes for dishes and meals, medical remedies and tips for running the household. She dated the work 1604, but it is possible that she began writing it several years earlier, when she was still living with her mother. The book was passed down through her family, initially to her niece, until it was handed to the husband of the twentieth-century writer Hilary Spurling. Fettiplace's husband died in 1615; she moved back to Gloucestershire and married a local man, Edward Rogers, who died in 1623. She lived until at least 1647. (Full article...)

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Fort George
Fort George
  • ... that Fort George (pictured) was the execution site of Maurice Bishop, the prime minister of Grenada?
  • ... that choreographer Nat Horne's father, a Baptist minister, opposed dancing, and Horne began his dance training by sneaking out of Saturday-night prayer meetings?
  • ... that the television drama This Thriving Land revived public interest in Chinese sage?
  • ... that Red Seidelson worked as a dentist at the same time he played in the NFL?
  • ... that in 1982 HMS Junella carried a naval mine from the Falkland Islands to Great Britain on her deck, covered by a wet mattress to keep the explosives cool?
  • ... that Indonesia's ambassador to the United Nations Umar Hadi co-produced a movie during his tenure as consul general in Los Angeles?
  • ... that the Mongol forces at the Chem River Battle used carts with iron-shod wheels to handle the rocky terrain?
  • ... that Bijal P. Trivedi wrote on how cystic fibrosis went from being a "death sentence" for children to becoming a treatable condition due to new drugs that brought "weeping with joy"?
  • ... that the school of Corpus Christi Church educated at least eleven sets of twins during the 1953 school year?

In the news

David Szalay in 2025
David Szalay

On this day

November 14: World Diabetes Day; Dobruja Day in Romania

Eugene Burton Ely taking off from USS Birmingham
Eugene Burton Ely taking off from USS Birmingham
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1886 portrait of Christian IX and his family by Laurits Tuxen
1886 portrait of Christian IX and his family by Laurits Tuxen

King Christian IX of Denmark, known as the "father-in-law of Europe", ruled Denmark from 1863 to 1906. He and his queen consort, Louise of Hesse-Kassel, became the ancestors of many members of European royalty. Christian and Louise had three sons and three daughters together. Although Christian had an affectionate relationship with his daughters, he rejected his eldest son, Frederick, over political differences. After the start of Christian's reign as King of Denmark, Louise helped marry their children into royal families across Europe, including their daughter Princess Alexandra with Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and their daughter Princess Dagmar with Alexander, Tsarevich of Russia. Some of Christian and Louise's grandchildren became monarchs themselves. For example, Constantine I, Nicholas II, and George V reigned over Greece, Russia, and the United Kingdom, respectively. (Full list...)

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Czapski Palace

The Czapski Palace is a palatial complex in the center of Warsaw, Poland. It was constructed in about 1686 for the country's Catholic primate, Michał Stefan Radziejowski, using a design by Dutch-born Polish architect and engineer Tylman van Gameren. The palace was reconstructed between 1712 and 1721, and acquired its present rococo character in 1752–65. The building has been home to various notable individuals, including artist Zygmunt Vogel, composer Frédéric Chopin, and poets Zygmunt Krasiński and Cyprian Norwid. It now houses the Academy of Fine Arts. This photograph shows the front façade of the Czapski Palace's main building.

Photograph credit: Adrian Grycuk

20251113

13 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

270 Park Avenue

270 Park Avenue, also known as the JPMorgan Chase Tower and the Union Carbide Building, was a skyscraper in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1960 for Union Carbide, it was designed by the architects Gordon Bunshaft and Natalie de Blois of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The 52-story skyscraper, which later became the global headquarters for JPMorgan Chase, was demolished in 2021 to make way for a taller skyscraper at the same address. At that time, the Union Carbide Building was the tallest voluntarily demolished building in the world. The building occupied a full city block bounded by Madison Avenue, 48th Street, Park Avenue, and 47th Street. It included a 52-story tower facing Park Avenue to the east and a 12-story annex facing Madison Avenue to the west, along with public plazas. About two-thirds of 270 Park Avenue was built atop two levels of underground railroad tracks, which feed into the nearby Grand Central Terminal. (Full article...)

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Sidney Gish
Sidney Gish

In the news

James Watson in 2010/11
James Watson

On this day

November 13

Nevado del Ruiz
Nevado del Ruiz
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Lockheed T-33

The Lockheed T-33 is an American subsonic jet trainer produced by Lockheed. It was manufactured between 1948 and 1959 with Lockheed producing a total of 5,691 and a further 866 built under licence by other manufacturers. The two-seater T-33s were used in the United States Air Force as an advanced trainer, and it has also been used for such tasks as drone director and target towing. It has also been supplied for use in the militaries of around 25 other countries. The plane was retired in the US in 1997 and its final operator, the Bolivian Air Force, retired it in 2017. This photograph shows a Lockheed T-33 aircraft in flight during the Arctic Thunder Special Needs and Family Day at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska, in 2016.

Photograph credit: Alejandro Pena, for the United States Air Force

20251112

12 November 2025 at 08:17

From today's featured article

Bejeweled logo

Bejeweled is a 2000 match-three video game developed and published by PopCap Games. The game involves lining up three or more multi-colored gems to clear them from the game board, and was inspired by a similar browser game, titled Colors Game. Originally released in 2000 under the title Diamond Mine as a browser game on the team's official website, Bejeweled was licensed to be hosted on MSN Games under its current name. PopCap released a retail version titled Bejeweled Deluxe in May 2001. Bejeweled has since been ported to many platforms, particularly mobile devices. The game has been commercially successful, having sold more than 10 million copies and been downloaded more than 150 million times. It is credited with popularizing match-three video games and launching the casual games industry, which grew to be worth $3 billion within a decade. The game was followed by a commercially successful series of sequels and spin-offs. (Full article...)

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Chapel of St. Cornelius the Centurion
Chapel of St. Cornelius the Centurion

In the news

James Watson in 2010/11
James Watson

On this day

November 12

The Battle of Posada
The Battle of Posada
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Large milkweed bug

The large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) is a medium-sized hemipteran (true bug) in the family Lygaeidae. It is distributed throughout North America, from Central America through Mexico, the Caribbean and the United States, to southern Canada. It inhabits disturbed areas, roadsides, and open pastures. Due to this widespread geographic distribution, this insect exhibits varying life history trade-offs depending on the population location, including differences in wing length and other traits based on location. Adult large milkweed bugs are around 11–12 mm in length and have a red/orange and black X-shaped pattern on their wings underneath the triangle that is typical to hemipterans. Its diet often consists of milkweed seeds, but it has also been observed feeding on aphids, monarch caterpillar eggs, and larvae, displaying opportunistic behavior. The insect is often used as a model organism and reared for laboratory experiments due to being easy to rear and handle, short developmental time, few instars, and high fecundity. This large milkweed bug was photographed in the Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York City, United States.

Photograph credit: Rhododendrites

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