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20241115

From today's featured article

Section of the trail in Shawangunk, New York
Section of the trail in Shawangunk, New York

The Walden–Wallkill Rail Trail, also known as the Jesse McHugh Rail Trail, is a 3.22-mile (5.18 km) rail trail between the village of Walden and the hamlet of Wallkill. The two communities are located in Orange County and Ulster County, respectively, in upstate New York. The trail is part of the former Wallkill Valley Railroad's rail corridor. The railway was the first to operate in Ulster County. Passenger service ended in 1937; the opening of the New York State Thruway and decreased freight traffic caused the line to close in 1957. The land was purchased by the towns of Montgomery and Shawangunk in 1985 and converted to a public trail. The portion of the trail in Shawangunk was formally opened in 1993 and named after former town supervisor Jesse McHugh. After seven years of discussion, the route was paved between 2008 and 2009. The trail includes an unofficial, unimproved section to the north of Wallkill, and is bounded by NY 52 and NY 208. (Full article...)

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Reverse of History Instructing Youth, featuring Martha Washington
Reverse of History Instructing Youth, featuring Martha Washington

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On this day

Wikimedia template

November 15

Deodoro da Fonseca
Deodoro da Fonseca
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BTS received the award for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021.
BTS received the award for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021.

The Mnet Asian Music Award for Best Music Video is an award presented annually by CJ E&M (Mnet) at the Mnet Asian Music Awards. The event was launched in 1999 as the Mnet Video Music Awards and was primarily a music video–centered awards ceremony, modeled after the MTV Video Music Awards. In 1999, the inaugural Mnet Asian Music Award for Best Music Video was presented to Lee Seung-hwan for the video "A Request". Among artists who have received the accolade more than once, BTS (pictured) holds the distinction for the most wins in the category, winning for five consecutive years between 2017 and 2021. Four artists have won the award twice: BigBang, Psy, 2NE1, and Blackpink. BTS, in addition, has received the most nominations in the category with six. (Full list...)

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Sherman's March to the Sea

Sherman's March to the Sea was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army. The campaign began on November 15, 1864, with Sherman's troops leaving Atlanta, recently taken by Union forces, and ended with the capture of the port of Savannah on December 21. His forces followed a "scorched earth" policy, destroying military targets as well as industry, infrastructure, and civilian property, disrupting the Confederacy's economy and transportation networks. The operation debilitated the Confederacy and helped lead to its eventual surrender. This picture shows an engraving by Alexander Hay Ritchie depicting Sherman's March to the Sea.

Engraving. credit: Alexander Hay Ritchie; restored by Adam Cuerden

20241114

From today's featured article

Costello's, c. 1940
Costello's, c. 1940

Costello's (also known as Tim's) was a bar and restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, from 1929 to 1992. The bar operated at several locations near the intersection of East 44th Street and Third Avenue. Costello's was known as a drinking spot for journalists with the New York Daily News, writers with The New Yorker, novelists, and cartoonists, including the author Ernest Hemingway, the cartoonist James Thurber, the journalist John McNulty, the poet Brendan Behan, the short-story writer John O'Hara, and the writers Maeve Brennan and A. J. Liebling. The bar is also known for having been home to a wall where Thurber drew a cartoon depiction of the "Battle of the Sexes" at some point between 1934 and 1935; the cartoon was destroyed, illustrated again, and then lost in the 1990s. A wall illustrated in 1976 by several cartoonists, including Bill Gallo, Stan Lee, Mort Walker, Al Jaffee, Sergio Aragonés, and Dik Browne, is still on display at the bar's final location. (Full article...)

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Cannonball in Milwaukee, 1966
Cannonball in Milwaukee, 1966

In the news

On this day

November 14: World Diabetes Day; Dobruja Day in Romania

Apollo 12 launches from the Kennedy Space Center
Apollo 12 launches from the Kennedy Space Center
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Percy Grainger

Percy Grainger (1882–1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early 20th century. Grainger left Australia in 1895 to study at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt. Between 1901 and 1914 he was based in London, where he established himself first as a society pianist and later as a concert performer, composer and collector of original folk melodies. He met many of the significant figures in European music, forming friendships with Frederick Delius and Edvard Grieg, and became a champion of Nordic music and culture. In 1914, Grainger moved to the United States, where he took citizenship in 1918. He experimented with music machines that he hoped would supersede human interpretation. Although much of his work was experimental and unusual, the piece with which he is most generally associated is his piano arrangement of the folk-dance tune "Country Gardens". This glass negative of Grainger was taken at some point around 1915–1920.

Photograph credit: Bain News Service; restored by Adam Cuerden and MyCatIsAChonk

20241113

From today's featured article

The album covers of Blue Note Records, an American jazz record label, have been recognized for their distinctive designs, which often feature bold colors, experimental typography, and candid photographs of the album's musicians, and are described as belonging to the Bauhaus and Swiss Style movements. In the early 1950s, artists like Gil Mellé, Paul Bacon, and John Hermansader designed Blue Note's earliest album covers. In 1956, Reid Miles was hired as Blue Note's art director, creating 400 to 500 covers with a unique style incorporating diverse typefaces and design principles such as asymmetry and tinting. After Miles left in 1967, artists like Mati Klarwein and Bob Venosa took over. Designers such as Norman Seeff and Bob Cato contributed in the 1970s, while Japanese artists created new covers for reissues in the late 1970s and 1980s. From the mid-1980s onward, artists like Paula Scher and Adam Pendleton have designed covers, with Miles's work in particular remaining highly influential. (Full article...)

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Sophie Anderson (top) and Rebecca More
Sophie Anderson (top) and Rebecca More

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On this day

November 13

Æthelred II of England
Æthelred II of England
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Réunion stonechat

The Réunion stonechat (Saxicola tectes) is a species of stonechat in the family Muscicapidae, the Old World flycatchers. It is found across the French Indian Ocean island of Réunion in forests, shrublands, and artificial environments such as gardens and plantations. The Réunion stonechat is a member of the common stonechat superspecies, but it is distinct, together with its closest relative the Madagascar stonechat, from the rest of that group being insular derivatives of the African stonechat. The male is black above and white below, with a white supercilium (sometimes absent), half-collar, covert patch, and a variable-sized orange patch on the breast. Females differ from males in being browner above, more buff-toned below, and often lacking the white greater covert patch. This male Réunion stonechat was photographed in La Roche Écrite, south of the Réunion capital Saint-Denis.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

20241112

From today's featured article

Ferry Boat Inn, behind which Gedling Town was based
Ferry Boat Inn, behind which Gedling Town was based

Gedling Town Football Club was a semi-professional association football club based in Stoke Bardolph in Nottinghamshire, England. Founded in 1985 as R & R Scaffolding, the works team of a construction firm from Netherfield, the club played its first four seasons in amateur football. Between 1990 and 2008, Gedling competed in three Central Midlands Football League divisions and Division One of the Northern Counties East Football League, winning three league titles in the process. Gedling then joined the Premier Division of the East Midlands Counties Football League at the tenth tier of the English football pyramid, in which the club remained until its dissolution in 2011 due to insolvency. Its home ground from the early 1990s was the Riverside Stadium behind the Ferry Boat Inn (pictured). Tournament records included reaching the third qualifying round of the FA Cup in in 2003–04 and the fourth round of the FA Vase in 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06. The team were nicknamed "The Ferrymen", and their colours were primarily yellow and blue. (Full article...)

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Members of the Fijian Labour Corps in 1918
Members of the Fijian Labour Corps in 1918

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On this day

November 12

Destruction of Tirpitz in Operation Catechism
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Contemporary climate change involves rising global temperatures and significant shifts in Earth's weather patterns. Climate change is driven by emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Emissions come mostly from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), and also from agriculture, forest loss, cement production and steel making. Climate change causes sea level rise, glacial retreat and desertification, and intensifies heat waves, wildfires and tropical cyclones. These effects of climate change endanger food security, freshwater access and global health. Climate change can be limited by using low-carbon energy sources such as wind and solar energy, by forestation, and shifts in agriculture. Adaptations such as coastline protection cannot by themselves avert the risk of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts. Limiting global warming in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement requires reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. This animation, produced by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio with data from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, shows global surface temperature anomalies from 1880 to 2023 on a world map, illustrating the rise in global temperatures. Normal temperatures (calculated over the 30-year baseline period 1951–1980) are shown in white, higher-than-normal temperatures in red, and lower-than-normal temperatures in blue. The data are averaged over a running 24-month window.

Video credit: NASA; visualized by Mark SubbaRao

20241111

From today's featured article

St George and the Dragon atop Mells War Memorial
St George and the Dragon atop Mells War Memorial

Mells War Memorial is a First World War memorial in the village of Mells, Somerset, in south-western England. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the memorial takes the form of a marble column topped by a sculpture of Saint George slaying a dragon (pictured). At the base of the column, the names of the village's war dead are inscribed on stone panels. The memorial is flanked by rubble walls in local stone, on top of which grows a yew hedge. Low stone benches protrude from the walls to allow wreaths to be laid. The memorial is one of multiple buildings and structures in Mells designed by Lutyens. The memorial was unveiled on 26 June 1921 by Brigadier-General Arthur Asquith, whose brother is commemorated on it and whose father was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for much of the war. Additional panels were fixed to the wall to commemorate the Second World War. It is a grade II* listed building and since 2015 has been part of a national collection of Lutyens's war memorials. (Full article...)

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Rock-cut niches of Teniky in southern Madagascar
Rock-cut niches of Teniky in southern Madagascar

In the news

On this day

November 11: Armistice Day (known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations and Veterans Day in the United States); Singles' Day in China and Southeast Asia

Shrine of Remembrance
Shrine of Remembrance
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Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan

There were eleven emperors of the Yuan dynasty, an imperial dynasty of China, from 1271 to 1368. Proclaimed on 18 December 1271 by Kublai Khan, the Yuan dynasty succeeded the Song dynasty and preceded the Ming dynasty. The list of emperors includes both Kublai's successors as rulers of China and his predecessors up to his grandfather Genghis Khan, who was retrospectively presented as the founder of the dynasty. Yuan rulers were nominally superior to those of the other three post-Mongol states, but each was de facto independent of the others and occupied with their own territories. Although the reigns of Kublai and his successor Temür were generally peaceful, weaknesses in the Yuan administration later became apparent and led to a gradual breakdown of political stability. By the mid-14th century, the Yuan state became impossible to govern, and in 1368 the last emperor, Toghon Temür, was forced to flee China. (Full list...)

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Shirley Graham Du Bois

Shirley Graham Du Bois (November 11, 1896 – March 27, 1977) was an American-Ghanaian writer, playwright, composer, and activist for African-American causes. Born in Indianapolis to an Episcopal minister, she moved with her family throughout the United States as a child. After marrying her first husband, she moved to Paris to study music at the Sorbonne. After her divorce and return to the United States, Graham Du Bois took positions at Howard University and Morgan College before completing her BA and master's at Oberlin College in Ohio. Her first major work was the opera Tom-Tom, which premiered in Cleveland in 1932. She married W. E. B. Du Bois in 1951, and the couple later lived in Ghana, Tanzania and China. She won several prizes, including an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for her 1949 biography of Benjamin Banneker. This photograph of Graham Du Bois was taken by Carl Van Vechten in 1946.

Photograph credit: Carl Van Vechten; restored by Adam Cuerden

20241110

From today's featured article

Modern gravestone of Justus
Modern gravestone of Justus

Justus was the fourth archbishop of Canterbury. Pope Gregory the Great sent Justus to England on a mission to Christianise the Anglo-Saxons, probably arriving with the second group of missionaries despatched in 601. Justus became the first bishop of Rochester in 604 and signed a letter to the Irish bishops urging them to adopt the Roman method of calculating the date of Easter. He also attended a church council in Paris in 614. Following the death of King Æthelberht of Kent in 616, Justus was forced to flee to Gaul but was reinstated in his diocese the following year. In 624, Justus became Archbishop of Canterbury, overseeing the despatch of missionaries to Northumbria. He died on 10 November, probably sometime between 627 and 631. After his death, he was revered as a saint and had a shrine in St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury, to which his remains were translated in the 1090s (gravestone pictured). (This article is part of a featured topic: Members of the Gregorian mission.)

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Núria Llansà
Núria Llansà

In the news

On this day

November 10

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European spruce bark beetle

The European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus), is a species of bark beetle in the true weevil family, Curculionidae. It is found in Europe and Asia Minor and east to China, Japan, North Korea and South Korea. Bark beetles are so named because they reproduce in the inner bark, living and dead phloem tissues, of trees. Their preferred trees in which to reside include spruces, firs, pines and larches. The species has the ability to spread quickly over large areas and some scientists hypothesize that long-distance movements originating from the Iberian Peninsula may have contributed to its invasion of northern Norway spruce forests. This female European spruce bark beetle was photographed in Naninne in the province of Namur, Belgium.

Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus

20241109

From today's featured article

George Floyd Jr. (born 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back for two seasons with the New York Jets in the National Football League. Floyd played college football for the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels, where he won the 1979 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-AA football championship and set several school records, including for the most career interceptions (22), and the most career interception return yards (328). Floyd appeared in ten games during the 1982 New York Jets season, including three playoff games. He missed the entire 1983 season and appeared in eight games during the 1984 season before retiring after his third knee injury. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. After the murder of George Floyd, an unrelated black American man, in June 2020, his photograph was erroneously included in a montage at the funeral. As of 2023, Floyd is a defensive backs coach for Conner High School in Kentucky. (Full article...)

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Kent shaving brushes
Kent shaving brushes

In the news

On this day

November 9

People walking through Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin
People walking through Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin
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Pyromorphite

Pyromorphite is a mineral species composed of lead chlorophosphate: Pb5(PO4)3Cl, sometimes occurring in sufficient abundance to be mined as an ore of lead. First distinguished chemically by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1784, it was named pyromorphite by Johann Friedrich Ludwig Hausmann in 1813. It is usually green, yellow or brown in color, with a resinous lustre. Crystals are common and have the form of a hexagonal prism terminated by the basal planes, sometimes combined with narrow faces of a hexagonal pyramid. Other forms include crystals with a barrel-like curvature and globular or reniform masses. Pyromorphite is part of the apatite group of minerals and bears a close resemblance physically and chemically with two other minerals, mimetite and vanadinite. This focus-stacked photograph, merged from 26 separate images, shows a sample of pyromorphite extracted from the Resuperferolitica Mine in Santa Eufemia, in the Spanish province of Córdoba. The sample measures 3.5 cm × 3.0 cm × 1.5 cm (1.38 in × 1.18 in × 0.59 in).

Photograph credit: David Ifar

20241108

From today's featured article

Logo of Mario Party DS

Mario Party DS is a 2007 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the second handheld game in the Mario Party series, as well as the last game in the series to be developed by Hudson Soft, as all subsequent games have been developed by NDcube. Like most installments in the Mario Party series, Mario Party DS features characters of the Mario franchise competing in a board game with a variety of minigames, many of which utilize the console's unique features, including its built-in microphone, dual screen and touch screen mechanics, and motion sensitivity. Up to four human players can compete at a time, though characters can also be computer-controlled. Although Mario Party DS received mixed reviews, with general praise for its minigame variety and criticism for its absence of an online multiplayer mode, the game has sold more than nine million units worldwide, making it the 11th-best-selling game for the Nintendo DS. (Full article...)

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Detail of Genesis by Rico Lebrun
Detail of Genesis by Rico Lebrun

In the news

On this day

November 8: Intersex Day of Remembrance

Shunzhi Emperor
Shunzhi Emperor
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Interstellar, a 2014 epic and science fiction film directed by Christopher Nolan (pictured), garnered accolades in a variety of categories, with particular recognition for Nolan's direction as well as its musical score, cinematography, production design, and visual effects. It received five nominations at the 87th Academy Awards, winning Best Visual Effects. At the 68th British Academy Film Awards, it was nominated for Best Original Music, Best Cinematography and Best Production Design, and won Best Special Visual Effects. The film received eleven nominations at the 41st Saturn Awards, winning six, and seven nominations at the 20th Critics' Choice Awards, winning Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie. Interstellar was named one of the Top 11 Films of 2014 by the American Film Institute. (Full list...)

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John Tarleton

John Tarleton (8 November 1811 – 25 September 1880) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Naval Lord. He was given command of the fifth-rate HMS Fox in 1852, of the frigate HMS Eurydice in 1855 and of the frigate HMS Euryalus in 1858: he led the latter ship as an element of the Channel Squadron and then of the Mediterranean Squadron. Tarleton served as Junior Naval Lord from 1871 and then as Second Naval Lord from 1872 to 1874. He was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1875 and retired in 1879. He is seen here in an 1860 photograph by John Jabez Edwin Mayall.

Photograph credit: John Jabez Edwin Mayall; restored by User:Adam Cuerden

20241107

From today's featured article

Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein

Starship Troopers is a science-fiction action film released on November 7, 1997. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier, it is based on the 1959 novel Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (pictured). The story follows teenager Johnny Rico and his comrades as they serve in a 23rd-century interstellar war against aliens called the Arachnids. The film stars Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Muldoon, and Michael Ironside. Starship Troopers faced critical backlash, with reviewers seeing it as endorsing fascism, and disparaging its violent content. Despite initial box-office success, negative reviews and unfavorable word of mouth made it only the 34th-highest-grossing film of 1997. It has since been critically re-evaluated, and is now considered a cult classic and a satire of fascism and authoritarianism that has grown in relevancy. The film launched a multimedia franchise, video games, comics, and a variety of merchandise. (Full article...)

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Issue 3 of The True Record
Issue 3 of The True Record

In the news

On this day

November 7: International Inuit Day

Tufted jay
Tufted jay
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Dalmatian pelican

The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a bird in the family Pelecanidae. With a length of 160 to 183 centimetres (63 to 72 inches), a mass of 7.25 to 15 kilograms (16.0 to 33.1 pounds) and a wingspan of 245 to 351 centimetres (96 to 138 inches), it is the largest pelican species and one of the world's largest living flying birds. The Dalmatian pelican has a range spanning across much of central Eurasia, from the Mediterranean in the west to the Taiwan Strait in the east, and from the Persian Gulf in the south to Siberia in the north. It is a short-to-medium-distance migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. The Dalmatian pelican's preferred habitat is lakes, rivers, deltas and estuaries, and it feeds on various fish species such as the common carp and European perch. Like many pelicans, it is often silent, but can be vocal during the mating season, engaging in a wide range of guttural, deep vocalisations, including barks, hisses and grunts. This Dalmatian pelican was photographed in flight over the Danube Delta in Romania.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp



20241106

From today's featured article

Beograd (right), Ljubljana's sister ship
Beograd (right), Ljubljana's sister ship

Ljubljana was the third and last Beograd-class destroyer built for the Royal Yugoslav Navy in the late 1930s. She was designed to operate as part of a division led by Dubrovnik, the flotilla leader. Ljubljana entered service in November 1939, was armed with a main battery of four Škoda 120 mm (4.7 in) guns in single mounts, and had a top speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). In 1940, Ljubljana ran aground on a reef off the Yugoslav port of Šibenik, where, badly damaged, she was taken for repairs. Yugoslavia entered World War II when the Axis powers led by Germany invaded in April 1941, and Ljubljana—still under repair—was captured by the Royal Italian Navy. After repairs were completed, she saw active service in the Royal Italian Navy under the name Lubiana, mainly as a convoy escort on routes between Italy and North Africa. She was lost on 1 April 1943, when she ran aground and was abandoned off the Tunisian coast. (This article is part of a featured topic: Ships of the Royal Yugoslav Navy.)

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Sana, vocalist of Sajou no Hana
Sana, vocalist of Sajou no Hana

In the news

On this day

November 6: Gustavus Adolphus Day in Estonia, Finland and Sweden

Red Cloud
Red Cloud
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Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (1900–1979) was a British-born American astronomer and astrophysicist who proposed in her 1925 doctoral thesis that stars were composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Her groundbreaking conclusion was initially rejected because it contradicted the scientific wisdom of the time, which held that there were no significant elemental differences between the Sun and Earth. Independent observations eventually proved she was correct. Her work on the nature of variable stars was foundational to modern astrophysics.

Photograph credit: Science Service; restored by Adam Cuerden

20241105

From today's featured article

Thomas Percy

Thomas Percy was a member of the failed Gunpowder Plot. Following King James's accession to the English throne in 1603, Percy became disenchanted with the new king, who he supposed had reneged on his promises of toleration for English Catholics. He joined Robert Catesby's conspiracy to kill the King and his ministers by blowing up the House of Lords with gunpowder. Percy helped fund the group and secured the leases to properties in London, including the undercroft beneath the House of Lords where the gunpowder was placed. When the plot was exposed on 5 November 1605, Percy fled to the Midlands, catching up with other conspirators travelling to Dunchurch. At the border of Staffordshire, they were besieged by the Sheriff of Worcester and his men. Percy was reportedly killed by the same musket ball as Catesby and was buried nearby. His body was later exhumed, and his head exhibited outside Parliament. (This article is part of a featured topic: Gunpowder Plot.)

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"Neuron screen" at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences
"Neuron screen" at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences

In the news

On this day

November 5: Election Day (United States) (2024); Guy Fawkes Night in Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries

Aline Chrétien
Aline Chrétien
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Tentacled flathead

The tentacled flathead (Papilloculiceps longiceps) is a species of marine fish belonging to the flathead family, Platycephalidae. It is found in the western Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea, and also in the Mediterranean Sea, probably as a result of migration through the Suez Canal. The tentacled flathead is a well camouflaged, ambush predator of fish and crustaceans, living near coral reefs on sand or rubble substrates at depths of up to 15 metres (49 feet). The species has an elongate body, with a maximum published length of 70 centimetres (28 inches), although 50 centimetres (20 inches) is more typical. It has a depressed head with five prominent nuchal spines, ridges on its operculum and preoperculum, a spine on the rear of the suborbital ridge, and smaller spines elsewhere. The body is mottled brownish or greenish dorsally, and whitish ventrally. There are three or four dark bands on the caudal fin, and the other fins are marked with large, dark blotches. This tentacled flathead was photographed in the Red Sea in Ras Muhammad National Park, off the southern coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

Photograph credit: Diego Delso

20241104

From today's featured article

Exit 2 of Marina Bay MRT station
Exit 2 of Marina Bay MRT station

Marina Bay MRT station is a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange station on the North–South (NSL), Circle (CCL) and Thomson–East Coast (TEL) lines in Singapore. Located in the Downtown Core district near Marina Bay, it serves the Marina One Residences, Marina Bay Suites and the Marina Bay Financial Centre. It was one of the last stations to be completed in the early phases of the MRT network, opening on 4 November 1989. The station was the terminus of the NSL until the line's extension in 2014. It became an interchange station with the CCL when the two-station branch extension from Promenade station was completed in January 2012. The TEL station platforms were completed in November 2022, becoming a triple-line interchange on the MRT network. The station features art as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme. The sculpture Flowers in Blossom II is over the CCL mezzanine. The CCL platforms feature photographs by Nah Yong En and the TEL station features murals by Tang Ling Nah. (Full article...)

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Zhuhai Fisher Girl
Zhuhai Fisher Girl

In the news

On this day

November 4: Constitution Day in the Dominican Republic (2024); National Unity and Armed Forces Day in Italy

Barack Obama
Barack Obama
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Party affiliation of current United States state and territorial governors
Party affiliation of current United States state and territorial governors

Governors in the United States are elected by each of the fifty states and five inhabited territories. The governor serves as the chief executive of the state or territorial government. The sole federal district, the District of Columbia, elects a mayor to oversee its government in a similar manner. As of 2024, there are twenty-seven states with Republican govenors and twenty-three states with Democratic governors. For most states and territories, the current gubernatorial term ends and a new term begins in January, two months after the election; in Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota and Kentucky, the term begins in December. Governors serve four-year terms in most states and all territories; New Hampshire and Vermont have two-year terms for their governors. Thirty-seven states and four territories also have term limits that generally allow a governor to serve two consecutive terms. All fifty-five governors are members of the National Governors Association, a non-partisan organization that represents states and territories in discussions with the federal government. (Full list...)

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The Abduction of Europa

The Abduction of Europa is a 1632 oil-on-panel painting by Rembrandt. One of his rare mythological works, it was inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses, part of which tells the tale of Zeus's seduction and capture of Europa. The painting shows a coastal scene with Europa being carried away in rough waters by Zeus in the form of a bull while her friends remain on shore with expressions of horror. The use of an ancient myth to impart a contemporary thought and his portrayal of the scene using the High Baroque style are two strong aspects of the work. It was also influenced by Titian's painting of the same subject 70 years earlier, although there are significant differences; Rembrandt's painting is less violent in nature than Titian's. The Abduction of Europa is now in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum in New York City.

Painting credit: Rembrandt

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20241103

From today's featured article

Specimen ballot from Lake County, Illinois
Specimen ballot from Lake County, Illinois

On November 3, 1964, Illinois chose all 177 members of the state's House of Representatives in a single at-large election. The government was required to draw new electoral districts before the election, each of which would choose three representatives, but both the legislative process and a special commission failed to produce a district map. As a result, the state's constitution mandated that all 177 representatives were to be elected from a statewide at-large district. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party each nominated 118 candidates to appear on the ballot (specimen pictured); voters were allowed to choose up to 177. All 118 Democratic candidates were elected, flipping the Illinois House of Representatives from its previous narrow Republican control, alongside the concurrent presidential election won by Democratic incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson in a landslide. This election is the only time in American history that a state legislative chamber has been elected at-large. (Full article...)

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James Davis
James Davis

In the news

On this day

November 3: Culture Day in Japan

Truman showing the "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline
Truman showing the "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline
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Coconut

The coconut (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the palm tree family, Arecaceae. Originally native to the Central Indo-Pacific, in the regions of Maritime Southeast Asia and Melanesia, coconuts are now found across the world due to human cultivation and dispersal. They are normally cultivated in hot and wet tropical climates. The term coconut also commonly refers to the seed and fruit of the coconut tree, which is botanically a drupe. The fruit has three layers including an edible white, fleshy endosperm and is filled with a liquid known as coconut water. The coconut thus played a critical role in the migration of Austronesian peoples across the Indian Ocean, as it provided a portable source of both food and water for long sea voyages. In modern times coconuts are used extensively in cooking and cuisine, using the raw flesh, the water or in alternative forms such as coconut milk and coconut butter. These coconuts, one whole and one halved, were grown in the Dominican Republic; this photograph was focus-stacked from 19 separate images.

Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus

20241102

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Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone (November 2, 1734 – September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman. In 1775, he blazed the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky, despite resistance from Native Americans; by the end of the 18th century, more than 200,000 people had entered Kentucky by following the route marked by Boone. He was adopted into the Shawnee tribe in 1778 but resigned after his son was killed by members. In April 1781, Boone was elected to the Virginia General Assembly. An account of his adventures was published in 1784, making him famous in America and Europe. After the Revolutionary War, he worked as a surveyor and merchant but went into debt as a Kentucky land speculator. In 1799, Boone resettled in Missouri, where he spent most of his remaining life. After his death, he was the subject of works of fiction; his adventures helped create the archetypal frontier hero of American folklore. (Full article...)

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Edmonds Band Rotunda
Edmonds Band Rotunda

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On this day

November 2

An emu killed by Australian soldiers
An emu killed by Australian soldiers
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Mauritius kestrel

The Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus) is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the southwestern plateau's forests, cliffs, and ravines. It colonized the island and evolved into a distinct species from other Indian Ocean kestrels, probably during the Gelasian or Early Pleistocene periods. The Mauritius kestrel can reach a size between 26 and 30.5 cm (10.2 and 12.0 in), with a mass of up to 250 g (8.8 oz) and rounded wings with a span of approximately 45 cm (18 in). Males are slightly smaller than the females. It is a carnivorous bird, eating geckos, dragonflies, cicadas, cockroaches, crickets, and small birds. It hunts by means of short, swift flights through the forests. This Mauritius kestrel was photographed in the Ebony Forest reserve near Chamarel, Mauritius.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

20241101

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Coat of arms of de Ros
Coat of arms of de Ros

William de Ros, 6th Baron Ros (c. 1370 – 1 November 1414), was an English nobleman, politician and soldier. He inherited his father's feudal barony and extensive estates centred on Lincolnshire in 1394. Shortly afterwards he married Margaret, daughter of Baron Fitzalan, whose family, like that of de Ros, was well-connected and implacably opposed to King Richard II. In 1399 Richard confiscated the estates of his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, and exiled him. When Henry invaded England several months later, de Ros took his side almost immediately. After Henry declared himself King Henry IV, de Ros voted in the House of Lords for the former king's imprisonment. He became an important aide and counsellor to King Henry, and regularly spoke for him in parliament. He also supported Henry in his military campaigns, participating in the invasion of Scotland in 1400 and assisting in the suppression of Richard le Scrope's rebellion five years later. (Full article...)

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Chili Williams in a polka-dot bikini
Chili Williams in a polka-dot bikini

In the news

On this day

November 1: Samhain and Beltane in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively; Rajyotsava (Formation Day) in Karnataka, India (1956)

Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
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9th-century manuscript of the Nihon Shoki
9th-century manuscript of the Nihon Shoki

In Japan, seventy-one Japanese books are designated as National Treasures. The term has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897, although the definition and criteria of National Treasures have changed over time. Writing was introduced from Korea to Japan around 400 AD in the form of Chinese books, with work done in Chinese by immigrant scribes from the mainland. The earliest extant large-scale works compiled in Japan are the 8th-century historical chronicles the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki (manuscript pictured). Other early Japanese works from the Nara period include biographies of Prince Shōtoku, cultural and geographical records (fudoki) and the Man'yōshū, the first anthology of Japanese poetry. More than half of the 71 designated treasures are works of poetry and prose. Another large segment consists of historical works such as manuscripts of the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. (Full list...)

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Diwali

Diwali is a five-day Hindu festival of lights which symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness and good over evil. It commemorates the day when Hindu god Rama, along with his wife-consort Sita and brother Lakshmana, returned to his kingdom of Ayodhya after defeating demon-king Ravana and following 14 years of exile. Celebrations peak on the night of the third day of the festival—the main day of Diwali, which is today—marking the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. People celebrate on this day by lighting traditional lamps (diyas) and candles. Pictured here is a woman lighting candles on Diwali.

Photograph credit: AjoyDutta1997; edited by Aristeas

20241031

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Édouard Manet's 1875 illustration for "The Raven"
Édouard Manet's 1875 illustration for "The Raven"

"The Raven" is a narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. Noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere, it tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing his slow descent into madness. The lover is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. The raven, sitting on a bust of Pallas, seems to further instigate his distress with its repeated word "Nevermore". Throughout, Poe alludes to folklore and classical works. Poe explained in a follow-up essay, "The Philosophy of Composition", that his intention was to create a poem that would appeal to both critical and popular tastes. The poem was inspired in part by a talking raven in Charles Dickens's 1841 novel Barnaby Rudge. The publication of "The Raven" made Poe widely popular in his day. The poem was soon heavily reprinted, parodied, and illustrated. Though some critics disagree about the value of the poem, it remains well known and popular. (Full article...)

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Illustration of a slime monster
wooooooOOOOOOoooooo

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Daniel Chapo in 2016
Daniel Chapo

On this day

October 31: Halloween

USS Reuben James in 1939
USS Reuben James in 1939
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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a German silent horror film, first released in 1920. Directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer, it is considered to be the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema, and tells the story of an insane hypnotist (Werner Krauss) who uses a somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) to commit murders. The film features a dark and twisted visual style. The sets have sharp-pointed forms, oblique and curving lines, and structures that lean and twist in unusual angles. The film's design team, Hermann Warm, Walter Reimann and Walter Röhrig, recommended a fantastic, graphic style over a naturalistic one. With a violent and insane authority figure as its antagonist, the film expresses the theme of brutal and irrational authority. Considered a classic, it helped draw worldwide attention to the artistic merit of German cinema and had a major influence on American films, particularly in the genres of horror and film noir.

Film credit: Robert Wiene

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20241030

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Tomb of Philippe Pot

The tomb of Philippe Pot is a life-sized funerary monument commissioned by the military leader and diplomat Philippe Pot. Pot was a godson of Philip the Good and became a knight of the Golden Fleece; he later served the French king, Louis XI, who appointed him grand seneschal of Burgundy, and Louis's son Charles VIII. His effigy shows him recumbent on a slab, his hands raised in prayer, wearing armour and a heraldic tunic. Pot commissioned the tomb when he was around 52 years old, some 13 years before his death in 1493. The inscriptions written on the sides of the slab emphasise his achievements and social standing. The tomb is made of limestone, paint, gold and lead. Although its sculptor is unrecorded, art historians generally cite Antoine Le Moiturier as the most likely designer. The monument was stolen during the French Revolution; since 1899 it has been in the Louvre, where it is on permanent display. The tomb underwent a major restoration between 2016 and 2018. (Full article...)

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Chong Wa Benevolent Association Building
Chong Wa Benevolent Association Building

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Tropical Storm Trami on 21 October
Tropical Storm Trami

On this day

October 30: Mischief Night

Monument to the Gozo luzzu disaster
Monument to the Gozo luzzu disaster
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Anna Bartels

Anna Bartels (1869–1950) was a Swedish operatic soprano and mezzo-soprano. She made her debut at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1897 in the title role of Friedrich von Flotow's Martha. Engaged by the company for the next 20 years, she appeared in many Swedish premieres, such as Musette in Puccini's La bohème (1901), Marianne in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier (1920) and La Ciesca in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (1920). Other works in which she appeared include The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni and Carmen. Bartels is also remembered for her appearances in concerts and lieder recitals. She was awarded the Litteris et Artibus medal in 1923 for her contributions to Swedish culture. This 1901 photograph by the Swedish photographer Ferdinand Flodin shows Bartels in her role as Musette.

Photograph credit: Ferdinand Flodin; restored by Adam Cuerden

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20241029

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Centre players on their sideline during the game
Centre players on their sideline during the game

The 1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game was a regular-season collegiate American football game played on October 29, 1921, at Harvard Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts. The contest featured the undefeated Centre Praying Colonels, representing Centre College, and the undefeated Harvard Crimson, representing Harvard University. Centre entered the game as heavy underdogs, as Harvard had received 3-to-1 odds to win prior to kickoff. The only score of the game came less than two minutes into the third quarter when Centre quarterback Bo McMillin rushed for a touchdown. The conversion failed but the Colonels' defense held for the remainder of the game, and Centre won the game 6–0. The game is widely viewed as one of the largest upsets in college football history. It is often referred to by the shorthand "C6H0"; this originated shortly after the game when a Centre professor remarked that Harvard had been poisoned by this "impossible" chemical formula. (Full article...)

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Empirical Labs Distressors
Empirical Labs Distressors

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On this day

October 29: Republic Day in Turkey (1923)

Marmaray train
Marmaray train
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A yak in a mountainous landscape looking at the camera over a body of water

The yak (Bos grunniens) is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle in the family Bovidae. It is found throughout the Himalayas in Pakistan, India, the Tibetan Plateau of China, Tajikistan, and as far north as Mongolia and Siberia, Russia. Yak physiology is well adapted to high altitudes and cold weather, featuring larger lungs and heart than other cattle, a greater capacity for transporting oxygen through their blood and a thick layer of subcutaneous fat. Yaks have been domesticated in areas such as Mongolia and Tibet, primarily for their fibre, milk and meat, and as beasts of burden. Yaks' milk is often processed to a cheese called chhurpi in the Tibetan and Nepali languages, and byaslag in Mongolia, while butter made from yaks' milk is an ingredient of Tibetan butter tea. This yak was photographed near the river Chuya in the Altai Republic, a region in southern Siberia.

Photograph credit: Alexandr Frolov

20241028

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Cucurbita

Cucurbita (Latin for gourd) is a genus of vines in the gourd family, native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd depending on species, variety, and local parlance. The fruits have played a role in human culture for at least 2,000 years. First cultivated in the Americas before being brought to Europe by returning explorers, the plants remain an important food source. Most Cucurbita species are herbaceous vines that grow several meters in length and have tendrils, but bush cultivars of C. pepo and C. maxima have also been developed. Many North and Central American species are visited by honey bees, as well as specialist bees that pollinate only a single species. Most of the domesticated species can be considered winter squash, since the full-grown fruits can be stored for months. Their extracts have many uses, including in cosmetics. The fruits are also good sources of vitamins and minerals. (Full article...)

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Viriamo
Viriamo

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On this day

October 28

Flight spare of Prospero
Flight spare of Prospero
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Members of the 1876 Hartford Dark Blues
Members of the 1876 Hartford Dark Blues

The Hartford Dark Blues all-time roster is comprised of players who competed for the Hartford Dark Blues, a Major League Baseball club in the 1870s. The team's owner, Morgan Bulkeley, established the franchise in 1874; he gave the on-field captain duties to Lip Pike, who was also the starting center fielder. Among the other players signed by Hartford were pitcher Cherokee Fisher, who had led the National Association in earned run average the two previous seasons, second baseman Bob Addy, and Scott Hastings. After placing seventh among the league's eight teams, the team's roster was purged and captain duties were handed over to third baseman Bob Ferguson, who stayed in the role for the remaining three seasons of the franchise's existence. The change in personnel, which included the pitching additions of future Hall of Famer Candy Cummings and Tommy Bond, improved the team's results. (Full list...)

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Le roi d'Ys

Le roi d'Ys is an opera in three acts by the French composer Édouard Lalo, to a libretto by Édouard Blau. It is based on the old Breton legend of the drowned city of Ys, which was according to the legend the capital of the kingdom of Cornouaille. The opera includes a noteworthy aubade for tenor in act 3, titled "Vainement, ma bien-aimée" (In vain, my beloved). Le roi d'Ys premiered on 7 May 1888 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, in a production by the Opéra-Comique. Within France, the opera was regarded as Lalo's most recognized work. This poster was produced by Auguste François-Marie Gorguet for the 1888 premiere of Le roi d'Ys, and depicts the final scene of the opera.

Poster credit: Auguste François-Marie Gorguet; restored by Adam Cuerden

20241027

From today's featured article

Poster featuring Hadji Ali
Poster featuring Hadji Ali

Hadji Ali (c. 1888–1892 – 1937) was a vaudeville performance artist famous for acts of controlled regurgitation. Thought to be of Egyptian extraction, his feats included water spouting, smoke swallowing and nut and handkerchief swallowing followed by disgorgement in an order chosen by the audience. The mainstay of Ali's act was water spouting (poster pictured). After swallowing 60 to 100 glasses of water at a time, he spouted it in a continuous stream sometimes for up to one minute. Ali's most famous stunt, and the highlight of his act, was drinking water followed by kerosene, and then acting by turns as a human flamethrower and fire extinguisher as he expelled the two liquids onto a theatrical prop. Ali had a dedicated following on the vaudeville circuit in the United States and performed for heads of state, including Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. After he died in England, his body was offered to Johns Hopkins University for study, though the offer was declined. (Full article...)

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New York Hall of Science
New York Hall of Science

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On this day

October 27

City Hall station in the 1900s
City Hall station in the 1900s
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Acer negundo

Acer negundo, also known as the box elder, is a species of maple in the family Sapindaceae, native to North America. It is a fast-growing, short-lived tree with opposite, ash-like compound leaves. It is sometimes considered a weedy or invasive species, and has been naturalized throughout much of the world. It grows up to 10 to 25 metres (35 to 80 feet) tall, with a trunk diameter of 30 to 50 centimetres (12 to 20 inches). Male and female flowers appear on separate plants, with flowers on male plants generally appearing in clusters of four and flowers on female plants appearing as a raceme. These flowers of a female A. negundo plant were photographed in Keila, Estonia.

Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus

20241026

From today's featured article

Katy Perry

Katy Perry (born October 25, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She released her debut album in 2001, then signed to Capitol Records in 2007. Perry rose to fame in 2008 with the release of the single "I Kissed a Girl". She has released seven studio albums, most recently 143 in September 2024. Perry has the second-most US diamond certified singles for any female artist (six). She has received various accolades, including a Billboard Spotlight Award, four Guinness World Records, five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, a Brit Award, and a Juno Award. Perry is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 143 million units worldwide. She made her film debut voicing Smurfette in The Smurfs in 2011, released a documentary film in 2012, and launched her own shoe line, Katy Perry Collections, in 2017. Perry served as a judge on American Idol between 2018 and 2024. (Full article...)

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Wigwam
Wigwam

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On this day

October 26

Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells
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Greater white-fronted goose

The greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) is a species of goose in the family Anatidae. It is closely related to the lesser white-fronted goose, which is smaller. The greater white-fronted goose is migratory, breeding in northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Russia, and winters farther south in North America, Europe and Asia. The greater white-fronted goose has a length of 64 to 81 cm (25 to 32 in), a wingspan of 130 to 165 cm (51 to 65 in), and a mass of 1.93 to 3.31 kg (4 lb 4 oz to 7 lb 5 oz). Males are typically larger in size, and both sexes are similar in appearance – greyish brown with light grey breasts dappled with dark brown to black blotches and bars. Both males and females also have a pinkish bill, and orange legs and feet. This greater white-fronted goose was photographed in flight in the Central Valley of the US state of California.

Photograph credit: Frank Schulenburg

20241025

From today's featured article

Japanese battleship Yamashiro
Japanese battleship Yamashiro

The Fusō-class battleships were a pair of dreadnoughts built for the Imperial Japanese Navy before and during World War I: Fusō was launched in 1914, and Yamashiro (pictured) in 1915. During the 1930s, both ships underwent a series of modernizations and reconstructions. This increased their armor, replaced and upgraded their machinery, and rebuilt their superstructures into a distinctive pagoda-mast style. Despite the expensive reconstructions, both vessels were considered obsolescent by the eve of World War II, and neither saw significant action in the early years of the war. In 1944 both underwent upgrades to their anti-aircraft suite before transferring to Singapore. Fusō and Yamashiro were the only two Japanese battleships at the Battle of Surigao Strait, the southernmost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and both were lost in the early hours of 25 October 1944 to torpedoes and naval gunfire. Only ten crewmembers from each ship survived. (This article is part of a featured topic: Battleships of Japan.)

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Anna Haifisch
Anna Haifisch

In the news

On this day

October 25

Charge of the Light Brigade
Charge of the Light Brigade
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Quintonil
Quintonil

The Michelin Guide debuted in Mexico in 2024. The guides have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. They were designed as a guide to tell drivers about eateries they recommended to visit and to subtly sponsor their tires, by encouraging drivers to use their cars more and therefore need to replace the tires as they wore out. Over time, the stars that were given out started to become more valuable. Inspectors visited five statesBaja California, Baja California Sur, Nuevo León, Oaxaca and Quintana Roo – and the capital city, Mexico City. Sixteen restaurants earned one star, and two, Pujol and Quintonil (pictured), received two. No restaurant earned three stars. (Full list...)

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USS Johnston

USS Johnston was a Fletcher-class destroyer built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after Lieutenant John V. Johnston, a navy officer during the American Civil War. The ship was laid down in May 1942 and was launched in March 1943, entering active duty later that year as part of the US Pacific Fleet. Johnston provided naval gunfire support for American ground forces during the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign in 1944 and again, after three months of patrol and escort duty in the Solomon Islands, during the recapture of Guam in July. Thereafter, Johnston was tasked with escorting escort carriers during the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign and the liberation of the Philippines. On 25 October 1944, Johnston and various other ships were engaged by a large Imperial Japanese Navy flotilla, in what became known as the Battle off Samar. After engaging several Japanese capital ships and a destroyer squadron, Johnston was sunk with 187 dead. Johnston's wreck was discovered in 2019, and at a depth of more than 20,000 feet (6,100 m) below the surface, is one of the deepest shipwrecks ever surveyed. This photograph shows Johnston in Seattle in October 1943.

Photograph credit: uidentified US Navy photographer; restored by Adam Cuerden and Cobatfor

20241024

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Umbriel imaged by Voyager 2
Umbriel imaged by Voyager 2

Umbriel is the third-largest moon of Uranus. It was discovered on October 24, 1851, by William Lassell. Named after a character in the 1712 poem The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope, Umbriel is composed mainly of ice with a substantial fraction of rock. It may be differentiated into a rocky core and an icy mantle. Its surface, the darkest among Uranian moons, appears to have been shaped mostly by impacts, but the presence of canyons suggests early endogenic processes. This shows Umbriel may have undergone an early endogenically driven resurfacing event that erased its older surface. Covered by numerous impact craters reaching 210 km (130 mi) in diameter, Umbriel is the second-most heavily cratered satellite of Uranus after Oberon. Like all moons of Uranus, Umbriel likely formed from an accretion disk that surrounded the planet just after its formation. The only close study of Umbriel was conducted in January 1986 by Voyager 2, which captured images of about 40 percent of its surface during the spacecraft's flyby of Uranus. (Full article...)

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Wuhan trolleybus on route 1
Wuhan trolleybus on route 1

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On this day

October 24: Simchat Torah begins at sunset (Jewish diaspora)

Bust of Qutuz
Bust of Qutuz
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Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut

The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut is a mortuary temple built during the reign of Hatshepsut, a pharoah of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, around the 15th century BC. Located opposite the city of Luxor, the temple's three terraces rise above the desert floor and into the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari. Hatshepsut's tomb lies inside the same massif, capped by El Qurn, a pyramid for her mortuary complex. At the edge of the desert, one kilometre (0.6 miles) east, connected to the complex by a causeway lies the accompanying valley temple. Across the river Nile, the whole structure points towards the monumental Eighth Pylon, Hatshepsut's most recognizable addition to the temple of Karnak. The temple's twin functions are identified by its axes: its main east–west axis served to receive the barque of Amun-Re at the climax of the festival, while its north–south axis represented the life cycle of the pharaoh from coronation to rebirth. This aerial photograph shows the reconstructed mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, viewed from the southeast.

Photograph credit: Diego Delso

20241023

From today's featured article

Wells Cathedral

Wells Cathedral is an Anglican place of worship in Wells, Somerset, dedicated to Andrew the Apostle. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, whose cathedra it holds as mother church of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Built as a Roman Catholic cathedral from around 1175 to replace an earlier church on the site since 705, it became an Anglican cathedral when Henry VIII split from Rome. Its Gothic architecture is mostly inspired from Early English style of the late 12th to early 13th centuries. The stonework of its pointed arcades and fluted piers bears pronounced mouldings and carved capitals in a foliate, "stiff-leaf" style. The east end retains much ancient stained glass. Unlike many cathedrals of monastic foundation, Wells has many surviving secular buildings linked to its chapter of secular canons, including the Bishop's Palace and the 15th-century residential Vicars' Close. It is a Grade I listed building. (Full article...)

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Computer simulation of a neutron star
Computer simulation of a neutron star

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On this day

October 23: Mole Day

Paulina Wright Davis
Paulina Wright Davis
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Hairy dragonfly

The hairy dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) is a species of European dragonfly in the hawker family, Aeshnidae. It is found in Europe and Asia Minor, as far east as the Caspian Sea, and resides close to water bodies containing plants with a flight season running from May to July. The hairy dragonfly is named for its hairy thorax, distinguishing it from other hawkers. With a typical length of around 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in), it has a long, narrow pterostigma and features coupled, oval-shaped markings on its abdomen, blue on males and yellow on females. This male hairy dragonfly on a fern was photographed in Burren National Park, County Clare, Ireland.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

20241022

From today's featured article

Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is an interactive drama and survival horror video game, developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the third game of the first season of The Dark Pictures Anthology and was released on 22 October 2021. Ashley Tisdale (pictured) was marketed as the game's lead. Set during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the plot follows four Americans working for the US Armed Forces and one Iraqi Republican Guard who fall into a subterranean Akkadian temple where they must work together to survive the vampiric creatures that infest the area. The game features two single-player gameplay modes and two that are multiplayer, with one played online, while the other can be played locally. House of Ashes received mixed reviews from critics upon release. The fourth game in the series, The Devil in Me, was revealed in a teaser trailer at the end of House of Ashes, and released on 18 November 2022. (Full article...)

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Desert cottontail
Desert cottontail

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On this day

October 22

Portrait of Caroline of Ansbach by Michael Dahl, c. 1730
Portrait of Caroline of Ansbach by Michael Dahl, c. 1730
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Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso

Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso (22 October 1890 – 15 June 1970) was a Scottish politician and leader of the Liberal Party. After an education at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Sinclair served on the Western Front during the First World War, rising to the rank of Major and working under J. E. B. Seely and Winston Churchill. After the war he worked with Churchill again when the latter was Secretary of State for War and Secretary of State for the Colonies. Sinclair entered the House of Commons as a Liberal MP in 1922, rising to become the party's Chief Whip by 1930. When the Liberal Party joined the National Government of Ramsay MacDonald in 1931, Sinclair was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland, holding the post until his party resigned from the government in 1932. He took over as Liberal Party leader in 1935 after incumbent Herbert Samuel lost his seat in the election. Sinclair returned to government as Secretary of State for Air in 1940, under Churchill's all-party Second World War coalition government. In this role he worked with the Royal Air Force (RAF) to plan the Battle of Britain. Sinclair remained a minister until the end of the coalition in 1945, but then lost his seat in the 1945 general election. He was elevated to the House of Lords in 1952. This portrait of Sinclair was taken by the RAF official photographer during the Second World War.

Photograph credit: Royal Air Force official photographer



20241019

From today's featured article

Gaga performing "Bad Romance"
Gaga performing "Bad Romance"

"Bad Romance" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga (pictured) from her third extended play, The Fame Monster (2009). Gaga wrote and produced the song with RedOne. It is an electropop and dance-pop song with a spoken bridge. The lyrics, which describe Gaga's attraction to unhealthy romantic relationships, were drawn from the paranoia she experienced while on tour. "Bad Romance" topped charts in more than 20 countries and sold 12 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. It won two Grammy Awards and was named one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Its music video received critical praise, won various accolades (including seven MTV Video Music Awards) and was briefly the most-viewed video on YouTube in 2010. Gaga has performed "Bad Romance" on multiple occasions, including at the Super Bowl LI halftime show in 2017. (Full article...)

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Karađorđeva šnicla with accompaniments
Karađorđeva šnicla with accompaniments

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Yahya Sinwar in 2011
Yahya Sinwar

On this day

October 19

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Extremely Large Telescope

The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is an astronomical observatory under construction. Part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) agency, it is located on top of Cerro Armazones in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The project was proposed in 2011 with construction beginning in 2017. Completion and first light is anticipated to take place in 2028. The ELT's design consists of a reflecting telescope with a 39.3-metre-diameter (130-foot) segmented primary mirror and a 4.2 m (14 ft) diameter secondary mirror. When completed, it will be the world's largest optical telescope. This picture shows a schematic view of the ELT, released by the ESO in 2012.

Design credit: European Southern Observatory

20241018

From today's featured article

Artist's impression of Galileo's arrival at Jupiter
Artist's impression of Galileo's arrival at Jupiter

The Galileo project was an American robotic space program that studied Jupiter and its moons (including Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto), as well as several other Solar System bodies. Named after the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, the Galileo spacecraft consisted of an orbiter and an atmospheric entry probe. It was launched in 1989 by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission. Despite suffering major antenna problems, Galileo achieved the first asteroid flyby (of 951 Gaspra), discovered the first asteroid moon (Dactyl, around 243 Ida), and observed Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9's collision with Jupiter. After gravity-assisted flybys of Venus and Earth, Galileo became the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter. It then launched the first probe to directly measure Jupiter's atmosphere. In 2003, the mission was terminated by sending the orbiter into Jupiter's atmosphere to eliminate the possibility of contaminating the Jovian moons with terrestrial bacteria. (Full article...)

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Ferrari FF
Ferrari FF

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Daron Acemoglu in 2016
Daron Acemoglu

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October 18: Alaska Day (1867)

Bob Beamon
Bob Beamon
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Mercedes-Benz EQC
Mercedes-Benz EQC

The German carmaker Mercedes-Benz entered the battery electric-vehicle market with the unveiling of the Generation EQ, a concept car, at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. At the same show, Mercedes-Benz also announced the creation of a sub-brand called Mercedes-EQ. Mercedes-Benz debuted the EQA concept at the 2017 International Motor Show Germany. The production version of the Generation EQ concept, and the first car in the Mercedes-EQ series, debuted publicly at the 2018 Paris Motor Show in the form of the EQC (pictured). Mercedes-Benz unveiled the EQV at the Geneva Motor Show in 2018. As well as production vehicles, Mercedes-Benz has also produced several concept cars in the series, including the EQXX and the EQ Silver Arrow. (Full list...)

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Krishna's Butterball

Krishna's Butterball is a large granite balancing rock that rests on a short incline in the coastal resort town of Mamallapuram in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is approximately six metres (20 ft) high and five metres (16 ft) wide, with a mass of around 250 tonnes. It is balanced on a slope on top of a 1.2-metre-high (4 ft) plinth that is a naturally eroded hill. Krishna's Butterball is part of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built during the 7th and 8th centuries as Hindu religious monuments by the Pallava dynasty. It is now a popular tourist attraction.

Photograph credit: Timothy A. Gonsalves

20241017

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Changi Airport MRT station

Changi Airport MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station in Changi, Singapore. The station directly connects to Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 of Changi Airport and serves other airport amenities. Glass atrium walls at the ends of the station support an illuminated bridge that spans the island platform while allowing maximum sunlight into the station. A rail connection to the airport had been planned in the 1980s but these plans were shelved due to the low financial viability of such a branch. With increased air traffic to Changi Airport and the proposal of Terminal 3 in 1994, the plans were revived, and finalised in 1996. Construction for the line began in 1998. The station opened on 8 February 2002 with lower passenger demand than expected, but it continues to provide an alternative transport option to the airport. In May 2019 it was announced that the station would be incorporated into the Thomson–East Coast Line by 2040 as it extends to the airport's Terminal 5. (Full article...)

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1912 memento dollar
1912 memento dollar

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October 17

Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin
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Greenbottle blue tarantula

The greenbottle blue tarantula (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) is a species of spider in the tarantula family, Theraphosidae. It is native to the Paraguaná Peninsula in the Venezuelan state of Falcón. The spider features metallic blue legs and a blue-green carapace, which give it its name. They are very active and fast-growing animals that are particularly attractive to hobbyists. This mounted greenbottle blue tarantula female is part of the collection of the Muséum de Toulouse in France.

Photograph credit: Didier Descouens

20241016

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New York Dolls performing in 1973
New York Dolls performing in 1973

New York Dolls is the debut album by the American hard rock band New York Dolls (pictured). It was released in 1973 by Mercury Records. In the years leading up to the album, the Dolls had developed a local fanbase by playing regularly in lower Manhattan after forming in 1971. Most music producers and record companies were reluctant to work with them because of their onstage cross-dressing and blatant vulgarity. The album – a mix of carefree rock and roll, influences from Brill Building pop, and campy sensibilities – explores themes of urban youth, teen alienation, adolescent romance, and authenticity, as rendered in lead singer David Johansen's colloquial and ambiguous lyrics. New York Dolls was met with widespread critical acclaim but sold poorly and polarized listeners. Despite its commercial failure, New York Dolls was an influential precursor to the 1970s punk rock movement. It has been named in various publications as one of the best debut records in rock music. (Full article...)

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Najmuddin of Gotzo and Uzun-Hajji
Najmuddin of Gotzo and Uzun-Hajji

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October 16

Margaret Sanger
Margaret Sanger
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Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After completing his education in Ireland and the UK, Wilde became associated with the philosophy of aestheticism and then settled in London. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, including plays, poems and lectures, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s, with works including Salome (1891), An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). He also wrote his sole novel The Picture of Dorian Gray around this time. At the height of his fame and success, Wilde prosecuted the Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel trial unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and trial for gross indecency with men; he was convicted and jailed from 1895 to 1897. After his release, he spent his last three years impoverished and in exile in France before his death from meningitis. His last works included De Profundis (published posthumously in 1905), a letter discussing his spiritual journey through his trials, and The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a poem about the harsh rhythms of prison life.

Photograph credit: Napoleon Sarony; restored by Adam Cuerden

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