Wikipedia:Main Page history/2016 August 26

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Ridley Scott in 2015
Ridley Scott

Prometheus is a 2012 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott (pictured), written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof, and starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron. In the late 21st century, the crew of Prometheus follows a star map seeking the origins of humanity; they arrive on a distant world and discover a threat that could cause the extinction of the human race. The film was initially conceived as a prequel to the Alien franchise. In late 2010 Lindelof and Scott rewrote a Spaihts script relying on the Alien universe, but exploring its own mythology and ideas. Principal photography began in March 2011, with an estimated $120–130 million budget. The film was released in 2012 in Britain and North America, and grossed over $403 million worldwide. Reviews praised the film's visual aesthetic design and the acting, especially Fassbender's performance as the android David. The plot drew a mixed response from critics, who faulted elements that remained unresolved or were predictable. A sequel, Alien: Covenant, is scheduled to be released in August 2017. (Full article...)

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Harrild & Sons jobbing press
Harrild & Sons jobbing press

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Proxima Centauri
Proxima Centauri

On this day...

August 26: Heroes' Day/Herero Day in Namibia; Women's Equality Day in the United States

Sigmund Jähn
Sigmund Jähn
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Destroyed Carroll County, Georgia poultry farm
Destroyed Carroll County, Georgia poultry farm

Fifty-seven tornadoes touched down across eight states in a moderate tornado outbreak spawned by Hurricane Katrina's outer bands. The event spanned August 26–31, 2005. Due to extreme devastation in coastal areas of Louisiana and Mississippi, multiple tornadoes may have been overlooked—overshadowed by the effects of storm surge and large-scale wind—and thus the full extent of the hurricane's tornado outbreak is uncertain. The outbreak began with an isolated F2 over the Florida Keys on August 26; no tornadoes were recorded the following day as the storm traversed the Gulf of Mexico. Four weak tornadoes were observed on August 28 as the hurricane approached land, each causing little damage. Coincident with Katrina's landfall, activity began in earnest on August 29 with numerous tornadoes touching down across Gulf Coast states. Georgia suffered the greatest impact on this day, with multiple F1 and F2 tornadoes causing significant damage; one person died in Carroll County, marking the first known instance of a tornado-related death in the state during August. (Full list...)

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Little Nemo

The September 29, 1907, edition of Little Nemo in Slumberland, a comic strip by Winsor McCay. This full-page weekly strip, which ran variously in the New York Herald and New York American under different titles, depicted a young boy named Nemo having fantastic dreams that were interrupted by his awakening in the final panel. In this episode, Nemo dreams of himself and the Little Imp exploring the big city as giants.

Comic: Winsor McCay

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