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The Wikipedia article of the day for July 13, 2020 is Si Tjonat . Si Tjonat is a 1929 bandit film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). The silent film was directed by Nelson Wong and produced by Wong and Jo Eng Sek. It was shot in black and white and starred Ku Fung May and Herman Sim. Based on the novel (cover pictured) by F. D. J. Pangemanann, it follows an indigenous man who flees to Batavia (today Jakarta) and becomes a bandit after killing his fellow villager. After kidnapping an ethnic Chinese woman, he is defeated and brought to justice. The story had proved popular with ethnic Chinese readers and was often adapted to the stage by Betawi troupes as a lenong stage performance, but the film received mixed reviews. Although it was intended as a serial, no sequel was ever made; the production house, Batavia Motion Picture, closed soon afterwards. Several works in the same genre as Si Tjonat were released, including Si Pitoeng in 1931, which used the same director and star. T

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 12, 2020 is Tricholoma pardinum . Tricholoma pardinum is a gilled mushroom widely distributed across North America and Europe, as well as parts of Asia. It was first officially described by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1801. The imposing fruit bodies (mushrooms) of T. pardinum appear in beech woodland in summer and autumn. The pale grey cap, up to 15 cm (6 in) in diameter, is covered with dark brownish to greyish scales. The gills are whitish, and are not attached to the stout white to pale grey-brown stalk. The spore print is white. One of the more toxic members of the genus Tricholoma, the species has been implicated in many episodes of mushroom poisoning, probably because it is a large, attractive mushroom with a pleasant smell and taste, and it bears a superficial resemblance to several edible species, like Tricholoma terreum. Ingesting T. pardinum—even in small quantities—results in a severe, persistent gastroenteritis caused by an unkno

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 5, 2020 is Black currawong . The black currawong (Strepera fuliginosa), also known as the black jay, is a large passerine bird endemic to Tasmania and nearby islands in the Bass Strait. One of three currawong species, it is closely related to the butcherbirds and Australian magpie in the family Artamidae. It is a large crow-like bird, around 50 cm (20 in) long, with yellow irises, a heavy bill, and black plumage with white wing patches. The sexes are similar in appearance. Three subspecies are recognised, one of which, S. f. colei of King Island, is vulnerable to extinction. The black currawong is generally sedentary, although populations at higher altitudes relocate to lower areas during the cooler months. The habitat includes densely forested areas as well as alpine heathland. It is rare below altitudes of 200 m (660 ft). Its omnivore diet includes a variety of berries, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. Less arboreal than the pied curraw

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 29, 2020 is Harmon Killebrew . Harmon Killebrew (June 29, 1936 – May 17, 2011) was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Minnesota Twins, Killebrew was a prolific power hitter who, at the time of his retirement, had the fourth most home runs in major league history. Second only to Babe Ruth in home runs in the American League, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. He led the American League six times in home runs and three times in runs batted in (RBIs), and was named to thirteen All-Star teams. His finest season was 1969, when he hit 49 home runs and recorded 140 RBIs. Known for his quick hands and exceptional upper body strength, Killebrew hit the longest measured home runs at Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium, 520 ft (158 m), and Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, 471 ft (144 m). He was the first of

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 21, 2020 is High Explosive Research . High Explosive Research was the independent British project to develop atomic bombs after the Second World War. The decision to undertake it was made in 1947 and publicly announced in 1948. The project was a civil, not a military, one. Production facilities were constructed under the direction of Christopher Hinton, including a uranium metal plant at Springfields, nuclear reactors and a plutonium processing plant at Windscale, and a gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment facility at Capenhurst, near Chester. The first nuclear reactor in the UK went critical at Harwell on 15 August 1947. William Penney directed bomb design from Fort Halstead, and later Aldermaston in Berkshire. The first British atomic bomb was successfully tested in Operation Hurricane (pictured) off the Monte Bello Islands in Australia on 3 October 1952. Britain thereby became the third country to test nuclear weapons. The project concluded

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 15, 2020 is A Song Flung Up to Heaven . A Song Flung Up to Heaven is the sixth book in a series of autobiographies by author Maya Angelou (pictured). Set between 1965 and 1968, it begins where her previous book All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes ends, with her return to the United States from Accra, Ghana, where she had lived for four years. The assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. frame the beginning and end of the book. Angelou describes how she dealt with these events and the sweeping changes both in the country and in her personal life, and how she coped with her return home. The book ends with Angelou writing the opening lines to her first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelou wrote Song in 2002, sixteen years after All God's Children. By that time she had received recognition as an author, poet and spokesperson. A recorded version of the book received the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 7, 2020 is Wolf . The wolf (Canis lupus) is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. It is the largest extant member of Canidae, males averaging 40 kg (88 lb) and females 37 kg (82 lb). On average, wolves measure 105–160 cm (41–63 in) in length and 80–85 cm (31–33 in) at shoulder height. Compared to coyotes and jackals, wolves have more pointed ears and muzzles, as well as shorter torsos and longer tails. The fur of a wolf is usually mottled white, brown, gray, and black. Up to 38 subspecies have been recognized, including the domestic dog. Wolves live in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair accompanied by their offspring. Fights over territory are among the principal causes of mortality. The wolf is mainly a carnivore and feeds primarily on large wild hooved mammals, though it also eats smaller animals, livestock, carrion, and garbage. Most recorded wolf attacks on people have been attributed to rabies. They have been both r

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 31, 2020 is British hydrogen bomb programme . The British hydrogen bomb programme was the ultimately successful British effort to develop thermonuclear weapons. The successful test of an atomic bomb in Operation Hurricane in 1952 made Britain a nuclear power, but hopes that the United States would be sufficiently impressed to restore the Special Relationship were soon disappointed. In 1954, Cabinet agreed to proceed with the development of the hydrogen bomb. The scientists at the Atomic Weapons Establishment did not know how to build one, but produced three designs: Orange Herald, a large boosted fission weapon; Green Bamboo, an interim design; and Green Granite, a true thermonuclear design. The first series of Operation Grapple tests (newsreel featured) were hailed as a success, but Green Granite was a failure. In November 1957, they successfully tested a thermonuclear design. Subsequent tests demonstrated a mastery of the technology. Together

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 27, 2020 is Australasian Antarctic Expedition . The Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911–1914), headed by Douglas Mawson, explored the largely uncharted coast of Antarctica due south of Australia. Mawson was inspired to lead his own venture by his experiences on Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod expedition in 1907–1909. During its time in Antarctica, the Australasian Antarctic Expedition's sledging parties covered around 2,600 miles (4,180 km) of unexplored territory. Its ship, SY Aurora (pictured), navigated 1,800 miles (2,900 km) of unmapped coastline. Scientific activities included meteorological measurements, magnetic observations, an expansive oceanographic program, and the collection of many biological and geological samples, including the discovery of the first meteorite found in Antarctica. The expedition was the first to establish and maintain wireless contact between Antarctica and Australia. Its broad exploration program laid the

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 25, 2020 is Hurricane Fred (2015) . Hurricane Fred was the easternmost Atlantic hurricane ever to form in the tropics, and the first to move through Cape Verde since 1892. The second hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season, Fred became a Category 1 hurricane on August 31 as it approached Cape Verde, which was placed under a hurricane warning for the first time ever. The Barlavento Islands endured gales and flooding rains as the eye of the hurricane paralleled their shorelines. Structural damage across Boa Vista and Sal presented as leveled roofs, damaged homes and toppled utility poles. Farmers on São Nicolau suffered crop and livestock losses when they saw their lands flood. Fred's rains, though destructive, alleviated a drought across the Sotavento Islands of Cape Verde. Elsewhere, violent seas along the West African shoreline destroyed fishing villages and submerged homes in Senegal. Between the coasts of West Africa and Cape Ver

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 20, 2020 is Aitraaz . Aitraaz (Objection) is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film directed by Abbas–Mustan. It stars Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra (pictured), along with Kareena Kapoor Khan, Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal and Annu Kapoor. It was produced by Subhash Ghai, with a screenplay by Shyam Goel and Shiraz Ahmed, and soundtrack by Himesh Reshammiya. In the film, a man is accused of sexual harassment by his female superior. It was released to positive reviews, and to widespread critical acclaim for Chopra's performance as Sonia Roy. Aitraaz was a commercial success, grossing over ₹260 million at the box office against a budget of ₹110 million. At the 50th Filmfare Awards, Chopra was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and won Best Performance in a Negative Role for her work. She also won the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress and the Screen Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role. The film r

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 19, 2020 is Russian battleship Peresvet . Peresvet was the lead ship of the three pre-dreadnought battleships of the Peresvet class built for the Imperial Russian Navy at the end of the nineteenth century. The ship was transferred to the Pacific Squadron upon completion and based at Port Arthur from 1903. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05, she participated in the Battle of Port Arthur and was seriously damaged during the Battle of the Yellow Sea and again in the Siege of Port Arthur. The ship was scuttled before the Russians surrendered, then salvaged by the Japanese and placed into service with the name Sagami. Partially rearmed, Sagami was reclassified by the Imperial Japanese Navy as a coastal defence ship in 1912. In 1916, the Japanese sold her to the Russians, their allies since the beginning of World War I. En route to the White Sea in early 1917, she sank off Port Said, Egypt, after striking mines laid by a German submarine.

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 18, 2020 is Bath School disaster . The Bath School disaster was a series of violent attacks perpetrated by Andrew Kehoe in Bath Township, Michigan. The attacks killed 38 elementary schoolchildren and 6 adults, and injured at least 58 other people. On the morning of May 18, 1927 – having previously murdered his wife at their farm – Kehoe set off almost simultaneous explosions at his home and at the Bath Consolidated School (pictured). His devices destroyed the farm's buildings and ripped through the north wing of the school. As rescuers began working at the school, Kehoe drove up to the schoolyard and set off dynamite inside his shrapnel-filled truck, killing himself and several others nearby. During the rescue and recovery efforts, searchers discovered 500 pounds (230 kg) of unexploded dynamite and pyrotol in the south wing of the school that had been set to detonate at the same time as the north wing explosions.

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 17, 2020 is Frank Matcham . Frank Matcham (22 November 1854 – 17 May 1920) was an English theatre architect and designer. Matcham was best known for his work in London, under Moss Empires, which included the designs of the Hippodrome (1900), Hackney Empire (1901), Coliseum (1903), Palladium (1910), and the Victoria Palace (1911). During his 40-year career, he was responsible for the design and construction of over 90 theatres and the redesign and refurbishment of a further 80 throughout the United Kingdom. According to the dramatist Alan Bennett, there was a Matcham theatre in every corner of the UK. Matcham's use of cantilevers for the galleries allowed him to discontinue the use of columns, which would otherwise obstruct the audience's view of the stage. The auditorium decorations were often mixed with Tudor strap-work, Louis XIV detail, Anglo-Indian motifs, naval and military insignia, rococo panels, classical statuary, and baroque c

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 16, 2020 is Juan Davis Bradburn . Juan Davis Bradburn (1787–1842) was a brigadier general in the Mexican Army. His actions as commandant of the garrison at Anahuac (historical markers pictured) in Mexican Texas in 1831 and 1832 led to the events known as the Anahuac Disturbances. Born in the United States, he became an officer in the Mexican Army in 1821. In 1830, he established a new military and customs post at Anahuac in Texas. The local settlers resented Bradburn's efforts to withhold land titles from those who had dubious ownership, his attempts to enforce previously ignored customs laws, and his refusal to return fugitive slaves. A large force of Texians marched on Anahuac to secure the release of arrested settlers who had been denied protections offered by the United States Bill of Rights, even though these rights were not guaranteed in Mexico. The confrontation forced Bradburn's expulsion from Texas and encouraged further armed

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 15, 2020 is Claudio Monteverdi . Claudio Monteverdi (15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, string player and maestro di cappella. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered a transitional figure between the Renaissance and the Baroque periods of music history. He was a court musician in Mantua (c. 1590 – 1613), and then maestro di cappella at St Mark's Basilica in the Republic of Venice. His surviving music includes nine books of madrigals, in the tradition of earlier Renaissance polyphony – but also experimenting with the basso continuo technique, distinctive of the Baroque – as well as large-scale sacred works, including the Vespro della Beata Vergine (Vespers for the Blessed Virgin), and three complete operas. His music enjoyed a rediscovery from the 1880s onwards, and he is now seen as a significant influence in European musical history. Seven of his operas

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 14, 2020 is Spalding War Memorial . Spalding War Memorial is a First World War memorial in the gardens of Ayscoughfee Hall in Spalding, Lincolnshire, in eastern England. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The proposal originated with Barbara McLaren; her husband Francis McLaren, the town's member of parliament, was killed during the war. Lutyens produced a plan for a cross in a grand memorial cloister surrounding a circular pond. The memorial was to be built in the hall's formal gardens, which were owned by the local council. After a public meeting and a vote in 1919, a reduced-scale version emerged as the preferred option. The memorial consists of a brick pavilion at the south end of the garden and a Stone of Remembrance, both at the head of a long reflecting pool (pictured). The design was not used in any of Lutyens's other war memorials but it influenced several of his cemeteries on the Western Front. The memorial was unveiled

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 13, 2020 is These Are the Voyages... . "These Are the Voyages..." is the series finale of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. The episode, which first aired on the UPN network on May 13, 2005, is a frame story, where the 22nd-century events of Star Trek: Enterprise are recreated on a 24th-century holodeck on Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Featuring guest stars Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, and Jeffrey Combs, the episode has Commander William Riker grappling with making a difficult admission to his commanding officer about a cover-up. Riker turns for guidance to the simulated events of the year 2161, when the crew of Enterprise travels home to Earth for the formation of the United Federation of Planets and Commander Trip Tucker, played by Connor Trinneer (pictured), saves the captain's life. UPN and Paramount had announced in February 2005 that the fourth season would be the sh

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 12, 2020 is Superliner (railcar) . The Superliner is a type of bilevel intercity railroad passenger car used by Amtrak, the national rail passenger carrier in the United States. The design was based on Budd's Hi-Level vehicles, employed by the Santa Fe Railway on its El Capitan trains. Pullman-Standard built 284 cars, known as Superliner I (lounge pictured), from 1975 to 1981; Bombardier Transportation built 195, known as Superliner II, from 1991 to 1996. Car types include coaches, dining cars, lounges, and sleeping cars. Most passenger spaces are on the upper level, which features a row of windows on both sides. Boarding is on the lower level; passengers climb up a center stairwell to access the upper level. The first Superliner I cars entered service in February 1979, with deliveries continuing through 1981. Amtrak assigned the cars to both long-distance and short-distance trains in the Western United States. The first permanent assignmen

The Wikipedia article of the day for May 11, 2020 is Sega Saturn . The Sega Saturn is a 32-bit home video game console developed by Sega. Released in 1994 in Japan, and 1995 in North America and Europe, the Saturn is the successor to the Sega Genesis, and Sega's fourth game console. It has dual-CPU architecture and eight processors, and was designed around a CPU developed by electronics company Hitachi. Its games are in CD-ROM format. The system was initially successful in Japan, but failed to sell large numbers in the United States after a surprise launch four months before its scheduled release, and an aggressive price war against Sony's PlayStation. Following the release of the Nintendo 64 in late 1996, the Saturn rapidly lost market share in the U.S., and was discontinued in 1998 in the country. The console is considered a commercial failure, selling just over 9 million units worldwide, blamed in part due to Sega's failure to release a Sonic the Hedgehog video game, kn