Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 December 26

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From today's featured article
Psilocybe aztecorum is a species of psilocybin mushroom in the Strophariaceae family. Known only from central Mexico, the fungus grows on decomposing woody debris, and is found in mountainous areas at elevations of 3,200 to 4,000 m (10,500 to 13,000 ft), typically in meadows or open, grassy forests associated with Hartweg's Pine. The mushrooms have convex to bell-shaped caps 1.5–2 cm (0.6–0.8 in) in diameter, set atop slender cylindrical stems that are up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) long. The color of the caps changes with variations in hydration, and ranges from dark chestnut brown to straw yellow or whitish when dry. The species was first reported by French mycologist Roger Heim in 1956 as a variety of Psilocybe mexicana before he officially described it under its current name a year later. Named for its association with the Aztec people, P. aztecorum may have been one of the sacred mushroom species, or teonanácatl ("flesh of the gods"), reported in the codices of 16th-century Spanish chronicler Bernardino de Sahagún. The mushrooms are still used for spiritual ceremonies by Nahuatl Indians in the Popocatépetl region, although this traditional usage is waning. (Full article...) Recently featured: William the Conqueror – Cosima Wagner – New York State Route 319 Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that besides being India's second longest serving prime minister, Indira Gandhi (pictured) was also the world's second longest serving female prime minister? ... that a single HVDC converter can convert up to two thousand megawatts of electric power from DC to AC? ... that Catalan flamenco guitarist "Chicuelo" has been the music director of Shōji Kojima's dance company in Japan since 1992? ... that the "get out the vote" system used by Mitt Romney in the 2012 United States presidential election crashed repeatedly on election day, depriving his campaign of last-minute information? ... that William I of Germany was crowned King of Prussia in the Schlosskirche within Königsberg Castle? ... that the second single from Leona Lewis' third studio album Glassheart was originally going to be "Fireflies", but "Lovebird" was released instead? ... that the extinct maple Acer ivanofense is known from four Alaskan fossils? ... that Erdene Zuu Monastery in Mongolia has a 24-inch penis? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
A gang rape in Delhi sparks widespread demonstrations across India. Park Geun-hye is elected President of South Korea, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Swiss bank UBS is fined US$1.5 billion for its role in the Libor scandal. Former Congolese militia leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui is acquitted by the International Criminal Court of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Shinzō Abe is elected Prime Minister of Japan as the Liberal Democratic Party gains an absolute majority in the House of Representatives. Twenty-eight people, including the gunman, are dead following a shooting at an elementary school in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Recent deaths: Jack Klugman Syrian civil war – Wikinews – More current events...
On this day...
December 26: Boxing Day in Commonwealth countries; St. Stephen's Day (Western Christianity); Twelve Holy Days begin (Esoteric Christianity); Kwanzaa begins (United States) 1606 – The first recorded performance of the play King Lear, a tragedy by William Shakespeare based on the legendary King Lear of Britain, was held. 1862 – American Civil War: Confederate defenders were victorious in the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou as the Union Army attempted to capture the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. 1919 – American baseball player Babe Ruth (pictured) was sold by the Boston Red Sox to their rivals, the New York Yankees, starting the 84-year-long Curse of the Bambino. 1991 – The Supreme Soviet officially dissolved itself, completing the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 2006 – The Hengchun earthquake struck off the southwest coast of Taiwan, on the anniversaries of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that devastated coastal communities across Southeast and South Asia, and of the 2003 Bam earthquake that destroyed areas of southeastern Iran. More anniversaries: December 25 – December 26 – December 27 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now December 26, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Two banknotes for Confederate States of America dollars, in five (top) and 100 dollar (bottom) amounts. The notes were first issued just before the outbreak of the Civil War by the Confederacy. They were not backed by hard assets, but simply by a promise to pay the bearer after Confederate victory. By the end of the war, the notes were worthless. Today, the "Greybacks" are prized as collector's items.

Restoration: Michael Holley

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