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Did you know...

Kirchhoff as Faust
Kirchhoff as Faust
  • ... that operatic tenor Walter Kirchhoff (pictured) was also an officer in the cavalry division of the Imperial German Army?
  • ... that the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations is housed in a former public bath?
  • ... that rugby sevens player Malacchi Esdale said that the conditioning he went through to play in the Olympics was "borderline crazy"?
  • ... that Fantasy, performed at the Luxor Las Vegas hotel, is the longest-duration topless production in Las Vegas at a single venue?
  • ... that two kidnapped activists were released after claiming at a press conference that they were abducted by government forces?
  • ... that Mary Jane Patterson, whose mother was an African-American slave, gained a BA degree in 1862 having taken a "gentleman's course"?
  • ... that the angel's wings in the live-action television-drama adaptation of One Room Angel took about a month to construct?
  • ... that Dorothy Stanley was once said to be one of the last speakers of the Miwok languages?
  • ... that some fan wikis document fan fiction?

Today's featured article

Nguyễn Khánh
Nguyễn Khánh

An attempted coup took place on September 13, 1964, in South Vietnam against the ruling military junta, led by Nguyễn Khánh (pictured). In the preceding month, Khánh had tried to improve his leadership by declaring a state of emergency, provoking protests and riots. He made concessions to the protesters and removed military officials linked to former President Ngo Dinh Diem, including Lâm Văn Phát and Dương Văn Đức. They responded with a coup, broadcasting their promise to revive Diem's policies. Khánh evaded capture and rallied allies while the U.S. continued their support for his rule. Khánh forced Phát and Đức to capitulate the next morning and various coup leaders appeared at a media conference where they denied that a coup had taken place. To maintain power, Khánh tried to court support from Buddhist activists, who supported negotiations to end the Vietnam War. As the Americans were strongly opposed to such policies, relations with Khánh became strained. (Full article...)

In the news

Michel Barnier
Michel Barnier

On this day...

September 13

Model of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus
Model of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus
More anniversaries:
Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin. Grand Prismatic Spring was noted by geologists working in the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871, and named by them for its striking coloration. Its colors match most of those seen in the rainbow dispersion of white light by an optical prism: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. The bright, vivid colors in the spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The mats produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and on the temperature gradient in the runoff. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of water. The effect is strongest in the center of the spring, because of its sterility and depth. This aerial photo shows Grand Prismatic Spring from the south in August 2022.

Photograph credit: Carsten Steger

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