Wikipedia:Today's featured article/December 2010

Today's featured articles for December 2010

Today's featured article archive

December 1

The Clemuel Ricketts Mansion is a Georgian style house made of sandstone, built in 1852 or 1855 on the shore of Ganoga Lake in Colley Township, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It was home to several generations of the Ricketts family, including R. Bruce Ricketts and William Reynolds Ricketts. Originally built as a hunting lodge, it was also a tavern and post office, and served as part of a hotel for much of the 19th century. After 1903 the house served as the Ricketts family's summer home; they kept it even as they sold over 65,000 acres (26,000 ha) to the state of Pennsylvania from 1920 to 1950. The house was included in the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1936 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The original mansion is an L-shaped structure, two-and-a-half stories high, with stone walls 2 feet (0.6 m) thick. It was built in a clearing surrounded by old-growth forest with a view to the lake 900 feet (270 m) to the east. In 1913 a two-and-a-half story wing was added to the north side of the house and the original structure was renovated. The house has twenty-eight rooms, four porches, and its original hardware and woodwork. Dormers and some windows were added in the renovation, and electrical wiring and modern plumbing have been added since. According to the NRHP nomination form, the Clemuel Ricketts Mansion "is a stunning example of Georgian vernacular architecture". (more...)

Recently featured: Brill Tramway – Caesium – Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel

December 2

Pedro II (1825–1891) was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza. His father's abrupt abdication and flight to Europe in 1831 left a five-year-old Pedro as Emperor and led to a grim and lonely childhood and adolescence. Obliged to spend his time studying in preparation for rule, he knew only brief moments of happiness and encountered few friends of his age. His experiences with court intrigues and political disputes during this period greatly affected his later character. Pedro II grew into a man with a strong sense of duty and devotion toward his country and his people. On the other hand, he increasingly resented his role as monarch. Inheriting an empire on the verge of disintegration, Pedro II turned Brazil into an emerging power. The nation grew to be distinguished from its Hispanic neighbors on account of its political stability, zealously guarded freedom of speech, respect for civil rights, vibrant economic growth and especially for its form of government: a functional, representative parliamentary monarchy. (more...)

Recently featured: Clemuel Ricketts Mansion – Brill Tramway – Caesium

December 3

Ben Gascoigne (1915–2010) was an optical astronomer and expert in photometry. Born in New Zealand, Gascoigne moved to Australia to work at the Commonwealth Solar Observatory at Mount Stromlo in Canberra. He became skillful in the design and manufacture of optical devices such as telescope elements. He and astronomer Gerald Kron used modernised telescopes at Mount Stromlo to determine that the distance between the Milky Way and the Magellanic Cloud dwarf galaxies had been underestimated by a factor of two. Because this measurement was used to calibrate other distances in astronomy, the result effectively doubled the estimated size of the universe. They also found that star formation in the Magellanic Clouds had occurred more recently than in the Milky Way; this overturned the prevailing view that both had evolved in parallel. Gascoigne was involved in the conception and commissioning of the Anglo-Australian Telescope, Australia's largest optical telescope. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his contributions to astronomy and to the Anglo-Australian Telescope. After he retired, Gascoigne acted as curator and photographer for his wife, artist Rosalie Gascoigne, using his technical skills to make her artworks resilient for public display. (more...)

Recently featured: Pedro II of Brazil – Clemuel Ricketts Mansion – Brill Tramway

December 4

The emblem for 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines

3rd Battalion 3rd Marines (3/3) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps consisting of approximately 800 marines and sailors. Known as "America's Battalion", the unit falls under the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division. The battalion was formed in 1942 and saw action on both Bougainville and Guam during World War II. Following the war the battalion was alerted for possible deployment during the 1956 Suez Crisis and the 1958 Lebanon crisis. From 1965 to 1969 the marines of 3rd Battalion were deployed to the Vietnam War and participated in Operation Starlite. In 1975 the battalion moved to Hawaii. In the 1980s 3rd Battalion deployed off the coast of Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. It deployed again in 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and saw action at the Battle of Khafji. In the 21st century 3/3 deployed overseas twice in support of the War in Afghanistan and three times in support of the Iraq War. Among 3/3 Marines are a Commandant of the Marine Corps, four Medal of Honor recipients, and over twenty Navy Cross winners. The battalion has been awarded two Presidential Unit Citations and five Navy Unit Commendations. (more...)

Recently featured: Ben Gascoigne – Pedro II of Brazil – Clemuel Ricketts Mansion

December 5

Rock Steady is the fifth album by American rock band No Doubt, released December 11, 2001, on Interscope Records. The band began writing the album with initial recording sessions in Los Angeles and San Francisco, then traveled to London and Jamaica to work with various performers, songwriters, and producers. Sly & Robbie, The Neptunes, and William Orbit were among the many artists the band collaborated with on the album. As a result of the many collaborations, Rock Steady touches on many musical styles. The album focuses more on dub, synthpop, and dance styles. The band attempted to capture the vibe of Jamaican dancehall music, and experimented with writing songs without its standard instrumentation. Singer Gwen Stefani wrote her lyrics quickly in comparison to previous records, and dealt with topics ranging from partying to ruminations on her relationship with Gavin Rossdale. Rock Steady received mostly positive reviews from music critics, and it was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 45th Grammy Awards. The album served as a commercial comeback for the band, surpassing sales of its previous offering, Return of Saturn, released in 2000. Rock Steady spawned four singles, two of which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. (more...)

Recently featured: 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines – Ben Gascoigne – Pedro II of Brazil

December 6

Louis Lambert is a French novel by Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), included in the Études philosophiques section of his novel sequence La Comédie humaine. Set mostly in a school at Vendôme, it examines the life and theories of a boy genius fascinated by the Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772). Balzac wrote Louis Lambert during the summer of 1832 while he was staying with friends at the Château de Saché. The novel contains a minimal plot, focusing mostly on the metaphysical ideas of its boy-genius protagonist and his only friend (eventually revealed to be Balzac himself). Although it is not a significant example of the realist style for which Balzac became famous, the novel provides insight into the author's own childhood. Specific details and events from the author's life – including punishment from teachers and social ostracism – suggest a fictionalized autobiography. Critics panned the novel, but Balzac believed that it provided an important look at philosophy, especially metaphysics. As he developed the scheme for La Comédie humaine, he placed Louis Lambert in the Études philosophiques section, and later returned to the same themes in his novel Séraphîta, about an androgynous angelic creature. (more...)

Recently featured: Rock Steady – 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines – Ben Gascoigne

December 7

Daniel Lambert (1770–1809) was a gaol keeper and animal breeder from Leicester, England, famous for his unusually large size. He was a keen sportsman and extremely strong, on one occasion fighting a bear in the streets of Leicester. He was an expert in sporting animals, widely respected for his expertise on dogs, horses and fighting cocks. In 1805 the gaol of which Lambert was keeper closed. By this time he weighed 50 stone (700 lb; 320 kg), and had become the heaviest authenticated person in recorded history up to that time. Unemployed and sensitive about his bulk, he became a recluse. Poverty forced Lambert to put himself on exhibition to raise money, and in April 1806 he moved to London, charging spectators to enter his apartments to meet him. Visitors were impressed by his intelligence and personality, and visiting him became highly fashionable. After a few months, Lambert returned wealthy to Leicester and soon began making short fundraising tours. In June 1809 he died suddenly in Stamford. At the time of his death he weighed 52 stone 11 lb (739 lb; 335 kg). It took 20 men almost half an hour to drag his casket into the trench in the burial ground at St Martin's Church. Though no longer the heaviest person in history, Lambert remains a popular character in Leicester. (more...)

Recently featured: Louis Lambert – Rock Steady – 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines

December 8

John Lennon (1940–1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide fame as a founding member of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon had a rebellious nature and acerbic wit. At the age of 16, he formed a skiffle group which would evolve into The Beatles in 1960. With bandmate Paul McCartney, he established the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, which provided the bulk of the Beatles' catalogue until the band dissolved at the end of the decade. Lennon then embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. He became controversial through his work as a peace activist; his iconic songs, "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine", were adopted as anthems of the anti-war movement. In 1971, with his wife and muse Yoko Ono, he moved to New York City, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him. He took a sabbatical from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his family, re-emerging in 1980 with a new album, Double Fantasy, but was murdered on 8 December, three weeks after its release. (more...)

Recently featured: Daniel Lambert – Louis Lambert – Rock Steady

December 9

Hurricane Dean approaching the Yucatán Peninsula

Hurricane Dean was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the most intense Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Wilma of 2005, tying for seventh overall. Additionally, it made the third most intense Atlantic hurricane landfall. A Cape Verde-type hurricane that formed on August 13, 2007, Dean took a west-northwest path from the eastern Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lucia Channel and into the Caribbean Sea. It strengthened into a major hurricane, reaching Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale before passing just south of Jamaica on August 20. The storm made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula on August 21 as a powerful Category 5 storm. It crossed the peninsula and emerged into the Bay of Campeche weakened, but still a hurricane. It strengthened briefly before making a second landfall in Veracruz near Tecolutla, Mexico, on August 22. Dean drifted to the northwest, weakening into a remnant low which dissipated uneventfully over the southwestern United States. The hurricane's intense winds, waves, rains and storm surge were responsible for at least 45 deaths across ten countries and caused estimated damages of US$1.5 billion. Through the affected regions, cleanup and repair took months to complete. Its long swath of damage earned its name retirement from the World Meteorological Organization's Atlantic hurricane naming lists. (more...)

Recently featured: John Lennon – Daniel Lambert – Louis Lambert

December 10

The Exelon Pavilions are four structures which generate electricity from solar energy and provide access to underground parking in Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, US. The pavilions provide sufficient energy to power the equivalent of 14 Energy Star-rated energy-efficient houses in Chicago. The four pavilions, which cost $7 million, were designed in January 2001; construction began in January 2004. The South Pavilions were completed and opened in July 2004, while the North Pavilions were completed in November 2004, with a grand opening on April 30, 2005. In addition to producing energy, three of the four pavilions provide access to the parking garages below the park, while the fourth serves as the park's welcome center and office. Exelon, a company that generates the electricity transmitted by its subsidiary Commonwealth Edison, donated $5.5 million for the pavilions. Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin praised the South Pavilions as "minor modernist jewels", but criticized the North Pavilions as "nearly all black and impenetrable". The North Pavilions have received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver rating from the United States Green Building Council, as well as an award from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. (more...)

Recently featured: Hurricane Dean – John Lennon – Daniel Lambert

December 11

A mechanical filter is a signal processing filter usually used in place of an electronic filter at radio frequencies to allow a range of signal frequencies to pass, but to block others. The filter acts on mechanical vibrations. Transducers at the input and output of the filter convert the electrical signal into, and then back from, these mechanical vibrations. The mechanical elements obey mathematical functions which are identical to their corresponding electrical elements. Electrical theory has developed a large library of mathematical forms that produce useful filter frequency responses for use in the design of mechanical filters. Steel and nickel–iron alloys are common materials for mechanical filter components. Resonators in the filter made from these materials need to be machined to precisely adjust their resonance frequency prior to final assembly. The high "quality factor", Q, that mechanical resonators can attain, far higher than that of an all-electrical LC circuit, made possible the construction of mechanical filters with excellent selectivity. Good selectivity, being important in radio receivers, made such filters highly attractive. Contemporary researchers are working on microelectromechanical filters, the mechanical devices corresponding to electronic integrated circuits. (more...)

Recently featured: Exelon Pavilions – Hurricane Dean – John Lennon

December 12

The Ross Perot presidential campaign of 1992 was an effort spawned by grassroots supporters to elect Texas industrialist Ross Perot as President of the United States as an independent candidate. Perot focused the campaign on the federal budget, economic nationalism, an escalation of the war on drugs and implementation of "electronic town halls". He largely financed his own campaign and relied on marketing and widespread grassroots support to spread his message. In certain polls, Perot led the three-way race with Republican nominee George H. W. Bush, the incumbent President, and Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas, the Democratic nominee. He dropped out in July 1992 amid controversy, but reentered in October, and surpassed the 15% polling threshold to reach his goal of participating in all three presidential debates. Despite an aggressive use of campaign infomercials on prime time network television, his polling numbers never fully recovered from his initial exit. On Election Day, Perot appeared on every state ballot. He won several counties and finished in third place, receiving close to 19 percent of the popular vote, the most won by a third-party presidential candidate since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. (more...)

Recently featured: Mechanical filter – Exelon Pavilions – Hurricane Dean

December 13

The Scout Association of Hong Kong is the overall Scouting organization in Hong Kong. After the first scouting initiatives in 1909, the Hong Kong branch of The Boy Scout Association of the United Kingdom was started in 1914 by registering the St. Joseph's College Scout Group, and was formally established in July 1915. The Hong Kong branch became an autonomous association and the 111th member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1977. In 2008, the association had 99,591 uniformed members, with approximately 2700 scout groups in the sections Grasshopper, Cubs, Scouts, Venture and Rover Scouts, making it the largest uniformed youth organisation in Hong Kong. The headquarters at the Hong Kong Scout Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon host the administration, headed by the Hong Kong Chief Commissioner. The association runs campsites, including Gilwell Campsite, Tai Tam Scout Centre and Tung Tsz Scout Centre, as well as hostels and Scout Activity Centres. It annually organises the traditional Scout Rally, providing scout competitions and activities. For specific anniversaries, themed Scout Jamborees have been organised. (more...)

Recently featured: Ross Perot presidential campaign, 1992 – Mechanical filter – Exelon Pavilions

December 14

An elk at Gibbon Meadow, Yellowstone National Park

The elk, also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species of deer in the world and one of the largest land mammals in North America and eastern Asia. Elk are almost identical to Red Deer in Europe, of which they were long believed to be a subspecies; however, mitochondrial DNA evidence strongly suggests they are distinct species. Elk range in forest and forest-edge habitat, feeding on grass, leaves, and bark. Although native to North America and eastern Asia, they have adapted well to countries where they have been introduced, where their great adaptability may threaten endemic species and ecosystems. Male elk have large antlers which are shed each year. Males engage in mating behaviors during the rut, including posturing, antler wrestling (sparring), and bugling, a loud series of vocalizations which establishes dominance over other males and attracts females. Elk are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases, some of which can be transmitted to livestock. Efforts to eliminate infectious diseases from elk populations, largely through vaccination, have had mixed success. Some cultures revere the elk as a spiritual force. In parts of Asia, antlers and their velvet are used in traditional medicines. Elk are hunted as a game species; the meat is leaner and higher in protein than beef or chicken. (more...)

Recently featured: The Scout Association of Hong Kong – Ross Perot presidential campaign, 1992 – Mechanical filter

December 15

The 1962 South Vietnamese Independence Palace bombing in Saigon was an aerial attack on February 27, 1962, by two dissident Vietnam Air Force pilots, Second Lieutenant Nguyễn Văn Cử and First Lieutenant Phạm Phú Quốc. The pilots targeted the Independence Palace, the official residence of the President of South Vietnam, with the aim of assassinating President Ngô Đình Diệm and his immediate family, who acted as his political advisors. Three palace staff died and another 30 were injured, but the Ngô family were largely unscathed. One bomb penetrated a room where Diệm was reading but it failed to detonate, leading the president to claim that he had "divine protection". Cử and Quốc later stated that their assassination attempt was made in response to Diệm's autocratic rule, in which he focused more on staying in power than on confronting the Vietcong. They hoped that the airstrike would expose Diệm's vulnerability and trigger a general uprising, but this failed to materialise. After the bombing, Cử escaped to Cambodia, but Quốc was arrested and imprisoned, and Diệm grew hostile towards the American presence in South Vietnam. Diệm claimed that the American media was seeking to bring him down and he introduced new restrictions on press freedom and political association. Domestically, the incident reportedly increased plotting against Diệm by his officers. (more...)

Recently featured: Elk – The Scout Association of Hong Kong – Ross Perot presidential campaign, 1992

December 16

A dwarf planet is a celestial body orbiting the Sun that is massive enough to be spherical as a result of its own gravity but has not cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals and is not a satellite. They are smaller than planets, but more massive than small solar system bodies. The term was adopted in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as a result of the increase in discoveries of trans-Neptunian objects that rivaled Pluto in size, and finally precipitated by the discovery of an even more massive object, Eris. The IAU currently recognizes five dwarf planets—Ceres (pictured), Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. It is suspected that at least another 40 known objects in the Solar System are dwarf planets, but the number might be as high as 2,000. The 2006 definition has been both praised and criticized, and has been disputed by some scientists. (more...)

Recently featured: 1962 South Vietnamese Independence Palace bombing – Elk – The Scout Association of Hong Kong

December 17

The Simpsons Game is an action/platformer video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. It was developed, published, and distributed by Electronic Arts. Similarly to the show, the game pokes fun at popular culture, other video games, and Electronic Arts, its publisher. In the self-referential plot, the five Simpson family members—Homer, Marge (with Maggie), Bart, and Lisa—discover that they are forced to participate in a video game and are given superpowers to resolve several situations. Eventually, they must save their 8-bit predecessors from Will Wright, the game's antagonist, and the creator of their video game character selves, Matt Groening. Released in 2007, the game received mixed reviews. Game critics praised its visuals and writing, which included many parodies of other video games, but criticized its short length and poor camera system, which did not always function properly. The Simpsons Game received the Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show award at the 2007 Spike Video Game Awards and was nominated for Best Video Game Writing at the 2007 Writers Guild of America Awards. (more...)

Recently featured: Dwarf planet – 1962 South Vietnamese Independence Palace bombing – Elk

December 18

Silent Alarm is the debut studio album by British indie rock band Bloc Party (pictured). Recorded in Copenhagen and London in mid-2004 with producer Paul Epworth, it was first released on 2 February 2005 in Japan, with Wichita Recordings as the primary label. The record peaked at number three on the United Kingdom Albums Chart. In the United States, it entered the Billboard 200 at number 114 and the Billboard Top Independent Albums at number seven. The double A-side "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", "Banquet", and "Pioneers" were released as singles. Silent Alarm went on to achieve worldwide sales of over one million copies. Bloc Party aimed to create an album that appealed to followers of different musical genres. Building on the arrangements in their demo songs recorded in 2004, the band members moulded tracks largely through live takes during the Silent Alarm studio sessions. The compositional focus was on rhythm and the drum and bass parts, while lyricist Kele Okereke's writing examined the feelings and hopes of young adults, including views on global politics. Following the album's completion, Bloc Party embarked on promotional tours before its release. Silent Alarm garnered widespread critical acclaim and has received accolades throughout the music industry since its release. (more...)

Recently featured: The Simpsons Game – Dwarf planet – 1962 South Vietnamese Independence Palace bombing

December 19

Flower Drum Song was the eighth stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (pictured). It was based on the 1957 novel, The Flower Drum Song, by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee. Rodgers and Hammerstein had experienced back-to-back Broadway flops and hoped for a new commercial hit. Set in San Francisco's Chinatown, the story illustrates the conflict between the traditional older generation of immigrants and the younger generation, struggling to assimilate into American culture. The piece opened in 1958 on Broadway and was a success, afterwards being presented in the West End and on tour. It was subsequently made into a 1961 musical film. After the release of the film version, the musical was rarely produced, as it presented casting issues and fears that Asian-Americans would take offense at how they are portrayed. The piece did not return to Broadway until 2002, when a version with a plot by playwright David Henry Hwang was presented after a successful Los Angeles run. It received mostly poor reviews in New York and closed after six months, but had a short national tour and has since been produced regionally. (more...)

Recently featured: Silent Alarm – The Simpsons Game – Dwarf planet

December 20

Bill O'Reilly (1905–1992) was an Australian cricketer, rated as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. Following his retirement from playing, he became a well-respected cricket writer and broadcaster. O'Reilly was a spin bowler, who delivered the ball from a two-fingered grip at close to medium pace with great accuracy, and could produce leg breaks, googlies, and top spinners, with no discernible change in his action. When O'Reilly died, Sir Donald Bradman said that he was the greatest bowler he had ever faced or watched. O'Reilly's citation as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1935 said of his batting: "He had no pretensions to grace of style or any particular merit, but he could hit tremendously hard and was always a menace to tired bowlers." O'Reilly was also known for his competitiveness: he bowled with the aggression of a paceman. In a biographical essay on O'Reilly, his contemporary, the England cricketer Ian Peebles, wrote "any scoring-stroke was greeted by a testy demand for the immediate return of the ball rather than a congratulatory word. Full well did he deserve his sobriquet of 'Tiger'." (more...)

Recently featured: Flower Drum Song – Silent Alarm – The Simpsons Game

December 21

Hydnellum peckii is an inedible fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum of the Bankeraceae family. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran (2008) and Korea (2010). Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses. The fruit bodies typically have a funnel-shaped cap with a white edge, although the shape can be highly variable. Young, moist fruit bodies can "bleed" a bright red juice that contains a pigment known to have anticoagulant properties similar to heparin. The unusual appearance of the young fruit bodies has earned the species several descriptive common names, including the bleeding tooth fungus and Devil's tooth. Although the fruit bodies are readily identifiable when young, they become brown and nondescript when they age. (more...)

Recently featured: Bill O'Reilly – Flower Drum Song – Silent Alarm

December 22

SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand was an Austro-Hungarian Radetzky class pre-dreadnought battleship commissioned into the Austro-Hungarian Navy on 5 June 1910. Although SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand was laid down and commissioned after the launching of the HMS Dreadnought in 1906, her design was begun before and had the characteristics of a Pre-Dreadnought battleship rather than later Post-Dreadnought battleships. She was named after Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The first ship of her class to be built, she preceded Radetzky by more than six months. Her armament included four 30.5 cm (12 in) guns in two twin turrets, and eight 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in four twin turrets. She participated in an international naval protest of the Balkan Wars in 1913, during which she helped enforce a blockade of Montenegro. She was also one of the first ships to deploy seaplanes for military use. During World War I, she saw limited service in the 2nd Division of the 1st Battle Squadron, including mobilization to assist the escape of the German ships SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau and the bombardment of Ancona in 1915. (more...)

Recently featured: Hydnellum peckii – Bill O'Reilly – Flower Drum Song

December 23

The Volcano is a small cinder cone in the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located about 60 km (37 mi) northwest of the small community of Stewart near the head of Lava Fork. With a summit elevation of 1,330 m (4,360 ft) and a topographic prominence of 311 m (1,020 ft), it rises above the surrounding rugged landscape on a remote mountain ridge that represents the northern flank of a glaciated U-shaped valley. Lava Fork volcano, as The Volcano is also known, is associated with a small group of related volcanoes called the Iskut-Unuk River Cones. This forms part of the much larger Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province, which extends from the Alaska–Yukon border to near Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Eruptive activity at The Volcano is relatively young compared to most other volcanoes in the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province. Geologic studies have shown that The Volcano and its eruptive products were emplaced in the past 400 years. This is well after the last glacial period, which ended about 10,000 years ago. (more...)

Recently featured: SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand – Hydnellum peckii – Bill O'Reilly

December 24

"Road to the Multiverse" is the first episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by Greg Colton and written by Wellesley Wild, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 2009. In "Road to the Multiverse", two of the show's main characters, baby Stewie and anthropomorphic dog Brian, who are voiced by series creator Seth MacFarlane (pictured), use an "out-of-this-world" remote control to travel through a series of various parallel universes. They eventually end up in a world where dogs rule and humans obey. This causes Brian to become reluctant to return home to his own universe, and he ultimately ends up breaking the remote, much to the dismay of Stewie, who soon seeks a replacement. The "Road to" episodes which have aired throughout various seasons of Family Guy were inspired by the Road to ... comedy films starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, though this episode was not originally conceived as a "Road to" show. Critical responses to the episode were mostly positive; critics praised its storyline, numerous cultural references, and its use of various animation styles. (more...)

Recently featured: The Volcano – SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand – Hydnellum peckii

December 25

Lemurs are strepsirrhine primates found only on the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures (ghosts or spirits) of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species. Although lemurs often are confused with ancestral primates, the anthropoid primates (monkeys, apes, and humans) did not evolve from them. Their brain-to-body size ratio is smaller than that of anthropoid primates, and among many other traits they share with other strepsirrhine primates, they have a "wet nose" (rhinarium). Lemurs arrived in Madagascar around 62 to 65 mya by rafting on mats of vegetation at a time when ocean currents favored oceanic dispersal to the island. Since that time, lemurs have evolved to cope with an extremely seasonal environment and their adaptations give them a level of diversity that rivals that of all other primate groups. Until shortly after humans arrived on the island around 2,000 years ago, there were lemurs as large as a male gorilla. Today, there are nearly 100 species of lemurs, however, lemur taxonomic classification is controversial. Many lemur species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and hunting. Although local traditions generally help protect lemurs and their forests, illegal logging, widespread poverty, and political instability hinder and undermine conservation efforts. (more...)

Recently featured: "Road to the Multiverse" – The Volcano – SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand

December 26

Lindow Man is the name given to the preserved bog body of a man discovered in a peat bog at Lindow Moss, Cheshire, North West England. The body was found on 1 August 1984 by commercial peat-cutters. Lindow Man is not the only bog body to have been found in the moss; Lindow Woman was discovered the year before, and other body parts have been recovered. The find, described as "one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 1980s", caused a media sensation. It helped invigorate study of British bog bodies, which had previously been neglected in comparison to those found in the rest of Europe. Lindow Man was a healthy male in his mid-20s. He may have been someone of high status, as his body shows little evidence of heavy or rough work. There has been debate over the reason for Lindow Man's death. The nature of his demise was violent, perhaps ritualistic; after a last meal of charred bread, Lindow Man was strangled, hit on the head, and his throat cut. Dating the body has proven problematic, but it is thought that Lindow Man was deposited into Lindow Moss, face down, some time during the 1st century AD. The body has been preserved by freeze-drying and is on permanent display at the British Museum, although it occasionally travels to other venues such as Manchester Museum. (more...)

Recently featured: Lemur – "Road to the Multiverse" – The Volcano

December 27

The Lincoln cent is a cent coin (or penny) which has been struck by the United States Mint since 1909. The obverse or heads side was designed by Victor David Brenner, as was the original reverse. The coin has seen several reverse, or tails designs, and now bears one by Lyndall Bass depicting a Union shield. In 1905, sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens was hired by the Mint to redesign the cent and the four gold coins, which did not require congressional approval. Two of Saint-Gaudens's proposed designs for the cent were eventually adapted for the gold pieces, but Saint-Gaudens died in August 1907 before submitting additional designs for the cent. In January 1909, the Mint engaged Brenner to design a cent depicting the late President Abraham Lincoln. Brenner's design was eventually approved, and the new coins were issued to great public interest on August 2, 1909. Brenner's initials, on the reverse at its base, were deemed too prominent once the coins were issued, and were removed within days of the release. The initials were restored, this time on Lincoln's shoulder, in 1918. The coin was struck in steel in 1943 to aid in the war effort. Brenner's reverse was replaced in 1959 by a depiction of the Lincoln Memorial by Frank Gasparro. The Lincoln Memorial reverse was itself replaced in 2009 by commemorative designs marking the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth. Beginning in 2010, Bass's shield design was coined. (more...)

Recently featured: Lindow Man – Lemur – "Road to the Multiverse"

December 28

The Lince was a Spanish main battle tank development program during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was intended to replace the Spanish Army's M47 and M48 Patton tanks which it received through a military assistance program between 1954 and 1975. The Lince was also intended to complement the AMX-30E tanks manufactured for the Army during the 1970s. Focusing on mobility and firepower, the Lince program put secondary priority on protection and aimed for a tank lighter and faster than its competitors. The vehicle's size was also restricted by the Spanish railroad and highway network. To achieve a sufficient level of firepower and protection, given the size requirements, the Lince was to use Rheinmetall's 120 mm L/44 tank-gun and German composite armor from the Leopard 2A4. The Spanish government decided to upgrade its AMX-30Es in the late 1980s, which distracted attention from the program. The Lince was eventually canceled in 1990 when Spain adopted a large number of North American M60 Patton tanks retired from Europe in accordance with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. (more...)

Recently featured: Lincoln cent – Lindow Man – Lemur

December 29

Laurence of Canterbury was the second Archbishop of Canterbury. He was a member of the Gregorian mission sent from Italy to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, although the date of his arrival is disputed. He was consecrated archbishop by his predecessor, Augustine of Canterbury, in order to ensure continuity in the office. He attempted unsuccessfully to resolve differences with the native British bishops by corresponding with them about points of dispute. Laurence faced a crisis following the death of King Æthelberht of Kent, as the king's son and successor, Eadbald, had not embraced Christianity; he eventually converted. Laurence was revered as a saint after his death in 619. (more...)

Recently featured: Lince – Lincoln cent – Lindow Man

December 30

The Laplace–Runge–Lenz vector is a vector used chiefly to describe the shape and orientation of the orbit of one astronomical body around another, such as a planet revolving around a star. For two bodies interacting by Newtonian gravity, the LRL vector is a constant of motion, meaning that it is the same no matter where it is calculated on the orbit; equivalently, the LRL vector is said to be conserved. More generally, the LRL vector is conserved in all problems in which two bodies interact by a central force that varies as the inverse square of the distance between them; such problems are called Kepler problems. The hydrogen atom is a Kepler problem, since it comprises two charged particles interacting by Coulomb's law of electrostatics, another inverse square central force. The LRL vector was essential in the first quantum mechanical derivation of the spectrum of the hydrogen atom, before the development of the Schrödinger equation. The Laplace–Runge–Lenz vector is named after Pierre-Simon de Laplace, Carle Runge and Wilhelm Lenz. The LRL vector has been re-discovered several times and is also equivalent to the dimensionless eccentricity vector of celestial mechanics. Various generalizations of the LRL vector have been defined, which incorporate the effects of special relativity, electromagnetic fields and even different types of central forces. (more...)

Recently featured: Laurence of Canterbury – Lince – Lincoln cent

December 31

Georges Vézina (1887–1926) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and nine in the National Hockey League (NHL), all with the Montreal Canadiens. After being signed by the Canadiens in 1910, Vézina played in 327 consecutive regular season games and 39 playoff games, before leaving a game in 1925 due to illness. Vézina was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and died in 1926. The only goaltender to play for the Canadiens between 1910 and 1925, Vézina helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1916 and 1924, while reaching the Finals three more times. Nicknamed the "Chicoutimi Cucumber" for his calm composure, Vézina allowed the fewest goals against in the league seven times in his career: four times in the NHA and three times in the NHL. In 1918, Vézina became the first NHL goaltender to both record a shutout and earn an assist on a goal. At the start of the 1926–27 NHL season, the Canadiens donated the Vezina Trophy to the NHL as an award to the goaltender who allowed the fewest goals during the season. When the Hockey Hall of Fame opened in 1945, Vézina was one of the original twelve inductees. (more...)

Recently featured: Laplace–Runge–Lenz vector – Laurence of Canterbury – Lince