Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 2008

Today's featured article archive

March 1

Joseph Priestley was an 18th-century British theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works. He is usually credited with the discovery of oxygen gas, although Carl Wilhelm Scheele and Antoine Lavoisier also have such a claim. During his lifetime, Priestley's considerable scientific reputation rested on his invention of soda water, his writings on electricity, and his discovery of several "airs" (gases), the most famous being what Priestley dubbed "dephlogisticated air" (oxygen). However, Priestley's determination to reject what would become the chemical revolution and to cling to phlogiston theory eventually left him isolated within the scientific community. Priestley's science was integral to his theology, and he consistently tried to fuse Enlightenment rationalism with Christian theism. In his metaphysical texts, Priestley attempted to combine theism, materialism, and determinism, a project that has been called "audacious and original". The controversial nature of Priestley's publications combined with his outspoken support of the French Revolution aroused public and governmental suspicion; he was eventually forced to flee to the United States after a mob burned down his home and church in 1791. (more...)

Recently featured: Hamilton, Ontario – M62 motorway – Axis naval activity in Australian waters

March 2

Josquin des Prez was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He was the most famous European composer between Guillaume Dufay and Palestrina, and is usually considered to be the central figure of the Franco-Flemish School. Josquin is widely considered by music scholars to be the first master of the high Renaissance style of polyphonic vocal music that was emerging during his lifetime. During the 16th century, Josquin gradually acquired the reputation as the greatest composer of the age, his mastery of technique and expression universally imitated and admired. Writers as diverse as Baldassare Castiglione and Martin Luther wrote about his reputation and fame; theorists such as Heinrich Glarean and Gioseffo Zarlino held his style as that best representing perfection. He was so admired that many anonymous compositions were attributed to him by copyists, probably to increase their sales. At least 374 works are attributed to him; it was only after the advent of modern analytical scholarship that some of these mistaken attributions have been challenged, on the basis of stylistic features and manuscript evidence. Yet in spite of Josquin's colossal reputation, which endured until the beginning of the Baroque era, and was revived in the 20th century, his biography is shadowy, and we know next to nothing about his personality. (more...)

Recently featured: Joseph Priestley – Hamilton, Ontario – M62 motorway

March 3

The Crusaders vs the Brumbies, 12th May 2006

The Crusaders are a New Zealand rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super 14 (formerly the Super 12). They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history. The franchise represents the Buller, Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, South Canterbury, Tasman, and West Coast provincial rugby unions. It was formed in 1996 to represent the upper South Island of New Zealand in the Super 12. Between 1996 and 2005, the team won the Super 12 title five times, in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2005. As a result of winning their fifth Super 12 title, the Crusaders were given the trophy permanently. In 2006, the Crusaders hosted the Hurricanes in the inaugural Super 14 final and won 19–12. The team's colours are red, black and white and their home ground is AMI Stadium. (more...)

Recently featured: Josquin des Prez – Joseph Priestley – Hamilton, Ontario

March 4

The Philadelphia Inquirer is a daily morning newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 and is the third oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States. Owned by the local group Philadelphia Media Holdings L.L.C., The Inquirer has the seventeenth largest average weekday U.S. newspaper circulation, and has won eighteen Pulitzer Prizes. Throughout The Inquirer's history, the paper has risen and fallen in prominence. The Inquirer first became a major newspaper during the American Civil War when The Inquirer's war coverage was popular on both sides. After the war the paper's circulation dramatically dropped, but was reinvigorated by the end of the 19th century. While founded with support towards the Democratic Party The Inquirer's political affiliation eventually shifted towards the Whig Party and then the Republican Party before officially becoming politically independent in the middle of the 20th century. New owners and editors in the 1970s turned The Inquirer into one of the most prominent newspapers in the country, winning seventeen Pulitzers in fifteen years. Since then, the prestige The Inquirer found in the 1980s has mostly disappeared because of cost-cutting and a shift of focus to more local coverage. (more...)

Recently featured: Crusaders – Josquin des Prez – Joseph Priestley

March 5

In 2006, the North American Entertainment Software Rating Board changed the rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion from Teen (13+) to Mature (17+), citing "more detailed depictions of blood and gore" than had been previously considered, and "the presence in the PC version of the game of a locked-out art file that, if accessed by using an apparently unauthorized third party tool,"—the Oblivion Topless Mod—"allows the user to play the game with topless versions of female characters." In response to the new content, the ESRB conducted a new review of the video game Oblivion, showing to its reviewers the content originally submitted by the game's publisher along with the newly disclosed content. The new review resulted in an M rating. The ESRB reported that Bethesda Softworks, the game's developer and publisher, would promptly notify all retailers of the change, issue stickers for retailers and distributors to affix on the product, display the new rating in all following product shipments and marketing, and create a patch for download rendering the topless skin inaccessible. Bethesda complied with the request, but issued a press release declaring their disagreement with the ESRB's rationale. Although certain retailers began to check for ID before selling Oblivion as a result of the change, and the change elicited criticism for the ESRB, the events passed by with little notice from the public at large. Other commentators remarked on the injustice of punishing a company for the actions of independent modders, and one called the event a "pseudo-sequel" to the Hot Coffee minigame controversy. (more...)

Recently featured: The Philadelphia Inquirer – Crusaders – Josquin des Prez

March 6

HMS Ocean, typical of pre-dreadnought battleships

Pre-dreadnought battleships were an ocean-going type of battleship built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad battleship of the 1870s and 1880s. Built from steel, and protected by hardened steel armour, pre-dreadnought battleships carried a main battery of very heavy guns in turrets supported by one or more secondary batteries of lighter weapons. They were powered by coal-fuelled triple-expansion steam engines. In the 1890s, navies worldwide started to build battleships to a common design—in contrast to the chaotic development of ironclad warships in preceding decades, dozens of ships worldwide essentially followed the design of the British Majestic class. The similar appearance of battleships in the 1890s was underlined by the increasing number of ships being built. New naval powers like Germany, Japan, and the USA began to establish themselves with fleets of pre-dreadnoughts, while the navies of Britain, France, and Russia expanded to meet the threat. The main clashes of pre-dreadnought fleets came during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05. These dozens of battleships were abruptly made obsolete by the arrival of HMS Dreadnought in 1906. The existing battleships were decisively outclassed; new battleships were from then on known as dreadnoughts while the ships laid down previously were designated pre-dreadnoughts. (more...)

Recently featured: ESRB re-rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – The Philadelphia Inquirer – Crusaders

March 7

The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a Hall of Fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup. It was established in 1943 under the leadership of James T. Sutherland, and the first class of honoured members was inducted in 1945. It relocated to a former Bank of Montreal building in downtown Toronto in 1993, where it is currently located. An 18-person committee of players, coaches and others meets annually in June to select new honourees. Honoured members are inducted into the Hall of Fame in an annual ceremony held at the Hall of Fame building in November, which is followed by a special "Hockey Hall of Fame Game" between the Toronto Maple Leafs and a visiting team. As of 2007, 238 players, 96 builders and 14 on-ice officials have been inducted. The Hall of Fame has been criticized for focusing mainly on players from the NHL and largely ignoring players from other North American and international leagues. (more...)

Recently featured: Pre-dreadnought battleship – ESRB re-rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – The Philadelphia Inquirer

March 8

The Hoysala Empire was a prominent South Indian empire that ruled most of the modern-day state of Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur but was later moved to Halebidu. The Hoysala rulers were originally hill peoples of Malnad Karnataka, an elevated region in the Western Ghats range. In the 12th century, taking advantage of the warfare between the then ruling Western Chalukyas and Kalachuri kingdoms, they annexed areas of present-day Karnataka and the fertile areas north of the Kaveri River delta in present-day Tamil Nadu. By the 13th century, they governed most of present-day Karnataka, parts of Tamil Nadu and parts of western Andhra Pradesh in Deccan India. The Hoysala era was an important period in the development of art, architecture, and religion in South India. The empire is remembered today primarily for its temple architecture. Over a hundred surviving temples are scattered across Karnataka, including the well-known Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, and the Kesava Temple at Somanathapura. The Hoysala rulers also patronised the fine arts. This patronage encouraged literature to flourish in Kannada and Sanskrit. (more...)

Recently featured: Hockey Hall of Fame – Pre-dreadnought battleship – ESRB re-rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

March 9

Plano Senior High School is a public secondary school in Plano, Texas, United States serving students in grades 11–12. The school is part of the Plano Independent School District, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. Plano is a two-time Blue Ribbon School and a Texas Exemplary School. Founded in 1891 as Plano Public School, serving both primary and secondary students, the school was by the mid-1910s sending a majority of its graduating classes on to college. Plano High School, created in 1952 by separating off the primary students into Mendenhall Elementary School, was immediately accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, allowing its graduates to enter college without taking an entrance exam. In 1964, Plano High School integrated with the Frederick Douglass School, formerly Plano Colored School, and the integrated football team won the first of the school's seven state championships in 1965. In 1975, the school moved to a new 96-acre (39 ha) campus with five buildings, very similar to the layout of a junior college, where it has remained since. Plano's Class of 2005, with 1112 graduates, was the second-largest high school graduating class in the U.S. that year, behind only that of Plano East Senior High School. (more...)

Recently featured: Hoysala Empire – Hockey Hall of Fame – Pre-dreadnought battleship

March 10

Slavery in ancient Greece was considered not only necessary but natural; neither the Stoics nor the Early Christians questioned the practice. However, some isolated debate began to appear, notably in Socratic dialogues, as early as the 4th century BC. Although slaves as dependent groups existed, such as the Penestae of Thessaly, the Spartan Helots or even the Klarotes of Crete, these were more like Medieval serfs. Other parts of Greece practiced chattel slavery, where the individual is deprived of liberty and forced to submit to an owner who may buy, sell, or lease him or her as one might any chattel good. The study of slavery in Ancient Greece poses a number of significant methodological problems. Documentation is disjointed and very fragmented, focusing on the city of Athens. No treatise is specifically devoted to the subject. Judicial pleadings of the 4th century BC were interested in slavery only as a source of revenue. Comedy and tragedy represented stereotypes. Iconography made no substantial differentiation between slave and craftsman. Even the terminology is often vague. (more...)

Recently featured: Plano Senior High School – Hoysala Empire – Hockey Hall of Fame

March 11

John Knox was a Scottish clergyman, a leader of the Protestant Reformation, and is considered the founder of the Presbyterian denomination. Influenced by early church reformers such as George Wishart, he joined the movement to reform the Scottish church. He was caught up in the ecclesiastical and political events that involved the murder of Cardinal Beaton in 1546 and the intervention of the regent of Scotland. He was taken prisoner by French forces the following year and exiled to England on his release in 1549. While in exile, Knox was licensed to work in the Church of England, where he quickly rose in the ranks to serve the King of England, Edward VI, as a royal chaplain. In this position, he exerted a reforming influence on the text of the Book of Common Prayer. In England he met and married his first wife, Marjorie. When Mary Tudor ascended the throne and reestablished Roman Catholicism, Knox was forced to resign his position and leave the country. On his return to Scotland, he led the Protestant Reformation in Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Protestant nobility. (more...)

Recently featured: Slavery in ancient Greece – Plano Senior High School – Hoysala Empire

March 12

Melodifestivalen is an annual music competition organised by Swedish public broadcasters Sveriges Television and Sveriges Radio. It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged almost every year since 1959. The competition is the most popular television programme in Sweden; it is also broadcast on radio and the Internet. The festival has produced four Eurovision winners and sixteen top-five placings for Sweden at the Contest. The winner of the Melodifestival has been chosen by panels of jurors since its inception. Since 1999, the juries have been joined by a public telephone vote which has an equal influence over the final outcome. The introduction of semifinals in 2002 raised the potential number of contestants from around twelve to thirty-two. A children's version of the competition, Lilla Melodifestivalen, also began in 2002. Light, orchestrated pop songs, known locally as schlager music, are seen as so prevalent that the festival is sometimes referred to as Schlagerfestivalen by the Swedish media. However, other styles of music such as rap, reggae, and glam rock have made an appearance since the event's expansion. The introduction of a grand final in Stockholm has attracted considerable tourism to the city. (more...)

Recently featured: John Knox – Slavery in ancient Greece – Plano Senior High School

March 13

The Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event was the large-scale mass extinction of animal and plant species in a geologically short period of time, approximately 65.5 million years ago (mya). It is associated with a geological signature, usually a thin band dated to that time and found in various parts of the world, known as the K–T boundary. The event marks the end of the Mesozoic Era, and the beginning of the Cenozoic Era. Non-avian dinosaur fossils are only found below the K–T boundary and became extinct immediately before or during the event. Mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs and many species of plants and invertebrates also became extinct. Mammalian and bird clades passed through the boundary with few extinctions, and radiation from those Maastrichtian clades occurred well past the boundary. Many scientists theorize that the K-T extinctions were caused by one or more catastrophic events such as massive asteroid impacts or increased volcanic activity. Several impact craters and massive volcanic activity in the Deccan traps have been dated to the approximate time of the extinction event. These geological events may have reduced sunlight and hindered photosynthesis, leading to a massive disruption in Earth's ecology. Other researchers believe the extinction was more gradual, resulting from slower changes in sea level or climate. (more...)

Recently featured: Melodifestivalen – John Knox – Slavery in ancient Greece

March 14

Liquid oxygen

Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group on the periodic table, and is a highly reactive nonmetallic period 2 element that readily forms compounds (notably oxides) with almost all other elements. At standard temperature and pressure two atoms of the element bind to form dioxygen, a colorless, odorless, tasteless diatomic gas with the formula O
₂. Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe by mass after hydrogen and helium and the most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust. Oxygen constitutes 88.8% of the mass of water and 20.9% of the volume of air. All the major classes of structural molecules in living organisms, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats contain oxygen, as do the major inorganic compounds that comprise animal shells, teeth, and bone. Another form (allotrope) of oxygen, ozone (O
₃), helps protect the biosphere from ultraviolet radiation with the high-altitude ozone layer, but is a pollutant near the surface where it is a by-product of smog. Oxygen was independently discovered by Joseph Priestley and Carl Wilhelm Scheele in the 1770s, but Priestley is usually given priority because he published his findings first. (more...)

Recently featured: Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event – Melodifestivalen – John Knox

March 15

"Trapped in the Closet" is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired on November 16, 2005. The plot of the episode centers on the South Park character Stan Marsh, as he joins Scientology in an attempt to find something "fun and free". After the discovery of his surprisingly high "thetan levels", he is recognized as the reincarnation of the founder of the church, L. Ron Hubbard. Isaac Hayes, the voice of Chef, quit the show shortly before the start of the tenth season. The reason for his departure, as reported by Matt Stone, was due to his faith in Scientology and this episode, which—despite initially supporting the show's satirical take on several talk shows—he claimed was very offensive. "Trapped in the Closet" was nominated for an Emmy Award in July 2006, in the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) category in July 2006, but lost to The Simpsons episode "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story". The episode was featured among Comedy Central's list of "10 South Parks That Changed The World", spoofed by Conan O'Brien in the opening segment of the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, and mentioned in the Scientology critique film, The Bridge. (more...)

Recently featured: Oxygen – Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event – Melodifestivalen

March 16

The Storm botnet is a botnet, a group of "zombie" computers controlled remotely. In September 2007, it was estimated to run on anywhere from 1 million to 50 million computer systems linked by the Storm Worm, a Trojan horse that has spread through e-mail spam. Other sources have placed the size of the botnet to be around 250,000 to 1 million compromised systems. The Storm botnet was first identified around January 2007, with the Storm worm at one point accounting for 8% of all malware on Microsoft Windows computers. The botnet reportedly is powerful enough as of September 2007 to force entire countries off the Internet, and is estimated to be able to potentially execute more instructions per second than some of the world's top supercomputers. Used in a variety of criminal activities, the Storm botnet has displayed defensive behaviors which indicated that its controllers were actively protecting the botnet against attempts at tracking and disabling it. The botnet has specifically attacked the online operations of some security vendors and researchers who attempted to investigate the botnet. It was revealed by one security expert, Joe Stewart, that in late 2007 the operators of the botnet began to further decentralize their operations, in possible plans to sell portions of the Storm botnet to other operators. Some reports as of late 2007 indicated the Storm botnet to be in decline, but many security experts reported that they expect the botnet to remain a major security risk online, and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation considers the botnet a major risk to increased bank fraud, identity theft, and other cyber crimes. (more...)

Recently featured: Trapped in the Closet – Oxygen – Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event

March 17

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century Middle English alliterative chivalric romance outlining an adventure of Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table. In this Arthurian tale, Sir Gawain accepts a challenge from a mysterious warrior who is completely green, from his clothes and hair to his beard and skin. The "Green Knight" offers to allow anyone to strike him with his axe if the challenger will take a return blow in a year and a day. Gawain accepts, and beheads him in one blow, only to have the Green Knight stand up, pick up his head, and remind Gawain to meet him at the appointed time. The story of Gawain's struggle to meet the appointment and his adventures along the way demonstrate chivalry and loyalty. The poem survives on a single manuscript, the Cotton Nero A.x., on which are also written three religious pieces. These works are thought to have been written by the same unknown author, dubbed the "Pearl Poet" or "Gawain poet". All four narrative poems are written in a North West Midland dialect of Middle English. Everything from the Green Knight, to the beheading game, to the girdle given to Gawain as protection from the axe, is richly symbolic and steeped in Celtic, Germanic, and other folklore and cultural traditions. (more...)

Recently featured: Storm botnet – Trapped in the Closet – Oxygen

March 18

Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth daughter and sixth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Louise spent her early life under the roof of her parents, and when her father died in 1861, she took on the role as a companion to her mother. In 1871, Louise married John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, and became the first daughter of a sovereign to marry a British subject since 1515. Although the marriage was initially happy, the couple drifted apart as a result of their childlessness and the Queen's constraints on their activities. In 1878, Louise's husband was appointed Governor General of Canada, and Louise spent five years as his consort. When Louise returned to Britain, she remained close to the Queen and undertook a number of public duties on her behalf. Following the Queen's death in 1901, she remained close to younger generations of the British royal family, and died in 1939 at the age of 91. Louise was a talented sculptress and an artist, and several of her sculptures remain today. (more...)

Recently featured: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – Storm botnet – Trapped in the Closet

March 19

Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico is a federal assistance nutritional program provided by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) solely to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States. It provides over $1.5 billion in supplemental economic resources to help just over 1 million impoverished residents cope with their nutritional needs. Since its inception in 1982, the program has been providing low-income families living in Puerto Rico with cash benefits used for food purchases. It is a collaborative effort between the USDA and the island's government, where the former provides annual federal appropriations for the Puerto Rico government to distribute individually among eligible participants. Although the methods of providing such benefits have changed over the years, the program's basic objective of helping low-income families meet their nutritional needs has remained constant. It has, however, been controversial throughout its existence. Federal reviews and assessments have revealed deficiencies in its operations and management, requiring the implementation of various changes, including increased scrutiny. It has also attracted both criticism and advocacy from Puerto Rico and the United States over its effectiveness in helping poor families and its impact on Puerto Rico's social classes and economy. (more...)

Recently featured: Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – Storm botnet

March 20

A Paleolithic-style diet is a contemporary diet regime, consisting of commonly available modern foods. It emulates the diet of wild plants and animals that humans and their close relatives habitually consumed during the Paleolithic (the Old Stone Age), a period of about 2 million years duration that ended about 10,000 years ago. First popularized in the mid 1970s by a gastroenterologist named Walter L. Voegtlin, this dietary approach is based on the premise that modern humans are genetically adapted to the diet of their Paleolithic ancestors. Proponents of Paleolithic-style diets differ in their dietary prescriptions, but all agree that people today should eat mainly meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots and nuts, and avoid grains, legumes, dairy products, salt and refined sugar. This dietary approach is a controversial topic amongst nutritionists and anthropologists. Advocates argue that modern human populations subsisting on traditional diets similar to those of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers are largely free of diseases of affluence, and that such diets produce beneficial health outcomes in controlled medical studies. Supporters point to several potentially therapeutic nutritional characteristics of preagricultural diets. Critics of this nutritional approach have taken issue with its underlying evolutionary logic, and have disputed certain dietary prescriptions on the grounds that they pose health risks and may not reflect real Paleolithic diets. (more...)

Recently featured: Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico – Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

March 21

Surfer Rosa is the debut album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British independent record label 4AD. The album's unusual and offbeat subject matter is augmented by experimental recording, low-fidelity production and a unique drum sound that owes much to sound engineer Steve Albini. Surfer Rosa contains many of the themes present in the Pixies' earlier output, including Spanish lyrics and references to Puerto Rico. Because of 4AD's independent status, distribution in the United States was handled by British label Rough Trade Records; however, it failed to chart in either country. "Gigantic" was the only single taken from the release, and only reached #93 on the UK Singles Chart. Despite this, Surfer Rosa was rereleased in the U.S. by Elektra Records in 1992, and in 2005 was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. (more...)

Recently featured: Paleolithic-style diet – Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico – Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll

March 22

Reese Witherspoon is an American actress who has established herself as one of the highest-paid Hollywood actresses in recent years. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the movie The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower. In 1996, Witherspoon's performance in Freeway established her as a rising star and led to roles in three major 1998 movies: Overnight Delivery, Pleasantville, and Twilight. The following year, Witherspoon appeared in the critically acclaimed Election, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. 2001 marked her career's turning point with the breakout role as Elle Woods in the box office hit Legally Blonde, and in 2002 she starred in Sweet Home Alabama, which became her biggest commercial film success to date. 2003 saw her return as lead actress and executive producer of Legally Blonde 2. In 2005, Witherspoon received worldwide attention and praise for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, which earned her an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. Witherspoon owns a production company named Type A Films. (more...)

Recently featured: Surfer Rosa – Paleolithic-style diet – Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico

March 23

The Freedom Monument is a memorial, located in Riga, Latvia, in honor of soldiers killed in action during the Latvian War of Independence. It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence and sovereignty of Latvia. Unveiled in 1935, the 42-metre (138 ft) high monument of granite, travertine and copper often serves as the focal point of public gatherings and official ceremonies. The sculptures and bas-reliefs of the Freedom Monument, arranged in thirteen groups, depict Latvian culture and history. The core of the monument is composed of tetragonal shapes on top of each other, decreasing in size towards the top, completed by a 19-metre (62 ft) high travertine column bearing the copper figure of Liberty lifting three gilded stars. After several contests the monument was finally built at the beginning of the 1930s according to the scheme "Shine like a star!" by Latvian sculptor Kārlis Zāle. During World War II Latvia was annexed by the USSR and the Freedom Monument was considered for demolition, but no such move was carried out. Soviet sculptor Vera Mukhina is sometimes credited with the rescue of the monument, possibly because she considered it to be of the highest artistic value. It remained a symbol of national independence to the general public and on 14 June 1987 about 5,000 people gathered there to commemorate the victims of the Soviet regime and to lay flowers. This rally began the national independence movement and three years later the independence of Latvia was re-established. (more...)

Recently featured: Reese Witherspoon – Surfer Rosa – Paleolithic-style diet

March 24

The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Its many unusual characteristics include the use of rocks as tools to forage and to open shells, luxurious fur that is the densest of all animals with up to 150,000 hairs per cm² (nearly 1 million per sq in), and its role as a keystone species, controlling populations of marine herbivores which would otherwise inflict extensive damage to kelp forest ecosystems. Although the sea otter belongs to the weasel family and can walk on land, it can also live exclusively in the ocean. Once hunted to the brink of extinction for its fur, the sea otter's numbers have rebounded in about two-thirds of its historic range, a recovery that is considered one of the greatest successes in marine conservation. However, it remains classified as an endangered species and is highly vulnerable to oil spills. (more...)

Recently featured: Freedom Monument – Reese Witherspoon – Surfer Rosa

March 25

The technology of the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD) was advanced, providing some of the most prolific technological advancements in Chinese history, much of which came from talented statesmen drafted by the government through imperial examinations. The ingenuity of mechanical engineering had a long tradition in China. The Song Dynasty engineer Su Song admitted that he and his contemporaries were building upon the achievements of the ancients such as Zhang Heng, an astronomer, inventor, and early master of mechanical gears. The application of movable type printing advanced the already widespread use of woodblock printing to educate and amuse Confucian students and the masses. The application of new weapons employing the use of gunpowder enabled the Song Dynasty to ward off its militant enemies until its collapse to the Mongol forces of Kublai Khan, in the late 13th century. Notable advancements in civil engineering, nautics, and metallurgy were made in Song China, as well as the introduction of the windmill to China during the 13th century. These advancements, along with the introduction of paper-printed money, helped revolutionize and sustain the economy of the Song Dynasty. (more...)

Recently featured: Sea otter – Freedom Monument – Reese Witherspoon

March 26

The flag of Armenia

The Flag of Armenia consists of three horizontal bands of equal width, red on the top, blue in the middle, and orange on the bottom. The Armenian Supreme Council adopted the current flag on August 24, 1990. On June 15, 2006, the Law on the National Flag of Armenia was passed by the Armenian Parliament. Throughout history, there were many variations of the Armenian flag. In ancient times, Armenian dynasties were represented by different symbolic animals displayed on their flags. In the twentieth century, various Soviet flags represented the Armenian nation. (more...)

Recently featured: Technology of the Song Dynasty – Sea otter – Freedom Monument

March 27

Damage from Chesapeake Potomac Hurricane

The 1933 Atlantic hurricane season was the second most active Atlantic hurricane season on record, with 21 storms forming during that year. The season, which began on June 1, 1933 and lasted until November 30, 1933, was surpassed only by the 2005 season, which broke the record with its 28 storms. The 1933 season saw tropical activity before its start, and a tropical cyclone was active for all but 13 days from June 28 to October 7. Tropical cyclones that did not approach populated areas or shipping lanes, especially if they were relatively weak and of short duration, may have remained undetected. Because technologies such as satellite monitoring were not available until the 1960s, historical data on tropical cyclones from this period are often not reliable. Compensating for the lack of reliable observation, one hurricane researcher estimates the season produced 24 tropical cyclones. Ten of the season's 21 storms attained hurricane status. Five of those were major hurricanes, with sustained winds of over 111 mph (179 km/h); the strongest reached peak winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) near the Bahamas in early October. The season produced several deadly storms, with eight storms killing more than 20 people. All but one of the 21 known storms affected land at some point during their lifetimes. (more...)

Recently featured: Flag of Armenia – Technology of the Song Dynasty – Sea otter

March 28

E. Urner Goodman was an influential leader in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) movement for much of the twentieth century. Goodman was the national program director from 1931 until 1951, during the organization's formative years of significant growth when the Cub Scouting and Exploring programs were established. He developed the BSA's national training center in the early 1930s and was responsible for publication of the widely read Boy Scout Handbook and other Scouting books, writing the Leaders Handbook used by Scout leaders in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1950s, Goodman was Executive Director of Men's Work for the National Council of Churches in New York City and active in church work. Goodman is best remembered today for having created the Order of the Arrow, a popular and highly successful program of the BSA which continues to honor Scouts for their cheerful service. Since its founding in 1915, the Order of the Arrow has grown to become a nationwide program having thousands of members, which recognizes those Scouts who best exemplify the virtues of cheerful service, camping, and leadership by membership in BSA's honor society. As of 2007, the Order of the Arrow has more than 183,000 members. (more...)

Recently featured: 1933 Atlantic hurricane season – Flag of Armenia – Technology of the Song Dynasty

March 29

The Free Association of German Trade Unions (FVdG) was a trade union federation in Imperial and early Weimar Germany. It was founded in 1897 in Halle as the national umbrella organization of the localist current of the German labor movement. During the years following its formation, the FVdG began to adopt increasingly radical positions. During the German socialist movement's debate over the use of mass strikes, the FVdG advanced the view that the general strike must be a weapon in the hands of the working class. The federation believed the mass strike was the last step before a socialist revolution and became increasingly critical of parliamentary action. Disputes with the mainstream labor movement finally led to the expulsion of FVdG members from the Social Democratic Party of Germany in 1908 and the complete severing of relations between the two organizations. Anarchist and especially syndicalist positions became increasingly popular within the FVdG. Immediately after the November Revolution, the FVdG very quickly became a mass organization. It was particularly attractive to miners from the Ruhr area opposed to the mainstream unions' reformist policies. In December 1919, the federation merged with several minor left communist unions to become the Free Workers' Union of Germany. (more...)

Recently featured: E. Urner Goodman – 1933 Atlantic hurricane season – Flag of Armenia

March 30

December to Dismember (2006) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment and starring their ECW brand. It took place on December 3 2006 at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia. Its name is derived from the December to Dismember event held by the original Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1995. The main event was an Extreme Elimination Chamber match for the ECW World Championship. The six participants were defending Champion The Big Show, Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam, Hardcore Holly, CM Punk and Test, and the match was eventually won by Lashley who last eliminated the Big Show after spearing him. The main match on the undercard was a tag team bout between The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) and MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro), which was won by The Hardys. The pay-per-view had the lowest buyrate in WWE history, with only 90,000 people ordering the event. Although it was scheduled to be held again in 2007, the show was canceled after all pay-per-view events became tri-branded, which would have meant there would be pay-per-view events with the entire roster on two consecutive weeks. (more...)

Recently featured: Free Association of German Trade Unions – E. Urner Goodman – 1933 Atlantic hurricane season

March 31

Genéral Kisempia Sungilanga, former Chief of Staff of the FARDC

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) is the state military organisation responsible for defending the Democratic Republic of Congo. The FARDC is being rebuilt as part of the peace process which followed the end of the Second Congo War in July 2003. The FARDC is dominated by its land forces but also includes a small air force and a smaller navy. Together the three services may number around 130,000 personnel. In parallel, there is also a presidential force called the Republican Guard. The National Congolese Police (PNC) are not part of the Armed Forces. In general, there is very little coherent information available on the FARDC. The government in the capital city Kinshasa, the United Nations, the European Union, and bilateral partners which include Angola, South Africa, and Belgium are attempting to create a viable force with the ability to provide the DRC with stability and security. However, this process is being hampered by corruption, the near-impotence of the government, and inadequate donor coordination. The various military units now grouped under the FARDC banner are some of the most unstable in Africa after years of war and underfunding. (more...)

Recently featured: December to Dismember (2006) – Free Association of German Trade Unions – E. Urner Goodman