Wikipedia:Today's featured article/December 2012

Today's featured article archive

December 1

Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil (1831–1853) was the daughter of Dom Pedro I, founder of Brazil's independence and its first emperor, and Amélie of Leuchtenberg. The only child from her father's second marriage, Maria Amélia was born in France following Pedro I's 1831 abdication in favor of his son Dom Pedro II. Before Maria Amélia was a month old, Pedro I left for Portugal to restore its crown to his eldest daughter Dona Maria II. He defeated his brother Miguel I (who had usurped Maria II's throne), only to die a few months later of tuberculosis. Maria Amélia's mother took her to Portugal, where she lived most of her life without ever visiting Brazil. Brazil's government refused to recognize Maria Amélia as a member of its Imperial House because she was born abroad. When her half-brother Pedro II was declared of age in 1840, he intervened to restore her position. Maria Amélia was engaged to Archduke Maximilian of Austria in 1852, but marriage plans were thwarted when she contracted tuberculosis and was taken to the island of Madeira to recover. Her health deteriorated, and she died on 4 February 1853. Her body was interred in Portugal's royal Braganza Pantheon; almost 130 years later, her remains were moved to Brazil. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Youngstown – Cologne War – Russula emetica

December 2

Theobald (c. 1090 – 1161) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1139 to 1161. He became a monk at the Abbey of Bec in Normandy in the late 11th or early 12th century, becoming abbot in 1137. King Stephen of England chose him to be Archbishop of Canterbury in 1138. During Theobald's term of office, Canterbury's claim to primacy over the Welsh ecclesiastics was resolved by Pope Eugene III in Canterbury's favour. Theobald faced challenges to his authority from a subordinate bishop, Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, and his relationship with King Stephen was turbulent. On one occasion Stephen forbade Theobald from attending a papal council; Theobald defied the king, resulting in the confiscation of his property and temporary exile. He succeeded in forcing peace on the king during the disorders of Stephen's reign by refusing to consecrate Stephen's son and heir, Eustace. After Eustace's death in 1153 Stephen recognised his rival Henry of Anjou as heir to the English throne, and Theobald was subsequently named regent of the kingdom after Stephen's death. Theobald died in 1161 following a long illness. Efforts were made to have him canonised as a saint, but without success. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil – Youngstown – Cologne War

December 3

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is the labor organization representing professional American football players in the National Football League (NFL). Founded in 1956, it was established to provide players with formal representation to negotiate compensation and the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. In the early years of the NFL, contractual negotiations took place between players and management; team owners were reluctant to engage in collective bargaining. A series of strikes and lockouts have occurred throughout the union's existence largely due to monetary and benefit disputes between the players and the owners. League rules that punished players for playing in rival football leagues resulted in litigation; the success of such lawsuits impelled the NFL to negotiate some work rules and minimum payments with the NFLPA. It was recognized by the NFL as the official bargaining agent for players in 1968. In addition to conducting labor negotiations, the NFLPA represents and protects the rights of players, ensures that the terms of the collective bargaining agreement are adhered to by the league and the teams, and negotiates and monitors retirement and insurance benefits. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Theobald of Bec – Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil – Youngstown

December 4

Jesse L. Brown (1926–1950) was the first African-American naval aviator in the United States Navy, and the first naval officer killed in the Korean War. Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to an impoverished family, Brown had an avid interest in aircraft from a young age. After graduating as salutatorian of his high school, he enlisted in the US Navy in 1946 and became a midshipman one year later after finishing a degree at Ohio State University. He earned his pilot wings on 21 October 1948, and was subsequently assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the USS Leyte. At the outset of the Korean War, the Leyte was ordered to the Korean Peninsula, arriving in October 1950. Brown flew 20 combat missions before his F4U Corsair aircraft came under fire and crashed on a remote mountaintop on 4 December 1950 during a mission supporting ground troops at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Brown died of his wounds in spite of efforts by wingman Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., who intentionally crashed his aircraft attempting a rescue and was later awarded the Medal of Honor. Brown's successes in the segregated US military were memorialized in several books, and the frigate USS Jesse L. Brown (FF-1089) was named in his honor. (Full article...)

Recently featured: National Football League Players Association – Theobald of Bec – Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil

December 5

The Golden White-eye is a species of bird in the white-eye family Zosteropidae. It is the only species within the genus Cleptornis. The Golden White-eye was once considered to be a honeyeater in the family Meliphagidae and although it is now known to be a white-eye, its position within that family is still uncertain. The species is restricted to the islands of Saipan and Aguijan in the Northern Mariana Islands, where it is sympatric (shares its range) and competes with the related Bridled White-eye. The Golden White-eye has golden plumage and a pale eye-ring. It feeds on insects, fruit, and nectar and forages in pairs or small family groups. The bird is monogamous and lays two eggs in a small cup nest. Fossil evidence shows the Golden White-eye once also occurred on Tinian and Rota but was extirpated in those locations through the impact of human activities. Despite its current abundance on Saipan and Aguijan, and the fact that it has among the highest recorded densities for any bird, it is nevertheless considered to be critically endangered. It is threatened by the invasive Brown Tree Snake, which has recently become established on Saipan; efforts are under way to control the snakes and breed the white-eye in zoos. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Jesse L. Brown – National Football League Players Association – Theobald of Bec

December 6

Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books (example pictured) and issued many of the best known science fiction writers of the 1950s and 1960s. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns. It soon branched out into other genres, publishing its first science fiction title in 1953; this was a successful innovation, and within a few years, such titles outnumbered both mysteries and westerns. Ace became known for the tête-bêche binding format used for many of its early books, although it did not originate the format. Most of the early titles were published in this "Ace Double" format, and Ace continued to issue books in varied genres, bound tête-bêche, until 1973. These have proved attractive to book collectors, and some rare titles in mint condition command prices up to $1,000. It was one of the leading science fiction publishers for its first ten years, but its fortunes began to decline after the death of owner A. A. Wyn in 1967. Two prominent editors, Donald A. Wollheim and Terry Carr, left in 1971, and in 1972 Ace was sold to Grosset & Dunlap. It is now an imprint of Penguin Group (USA). (Full article...)

Recently featured: Golden White-eye – Jesse L. Brown – National Football League Players Association

December 7

Season two of Supernatural, an American paranormal drama television series created by Eric Kripke, premiered September 28, 2006, and concluded May 17, 2007, airing 22 episodes. The season focuses on protagonists Sam (Jared Padalecki, pictured) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) as they track down Azazel, the demon responsible for the deaths of their mother Mary and father John. They attempt to discover the demon's plan for Sam and other psychic children—young adults who were visited by Azazel as infants and given abilities, and whose mothers often then died in a fire. During their travels, they use their father's journal to help them carry on the family business—saving people and hunting supernatural creatures. The season aired Thursdays, 9:00 pm ET in the United States, and averaged only about 3.14 million viewers. The cast and crew garnered many award nominations, but the episodes received mixed reviews from critics. While both the brotherly chemistry between the lead actors and the decision to finish the main storyline were praised, the formulaic structure of the episodes was criticized. The season was internationally syndicated, released on DVD as a six-disc box, and made available through digital retailers. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Ace Books – Golden White-eye – Jesse L. Brown

December 8

"Imagine" is a song written and performed by English musician John Lennon. The best selling single of his solo career, its lyrical statement is one of idealistic collectivism. It challenges the listener to imagine a world at peace, without the divisiveness and barriers of borders, religious denominations and nationalities, and to consider the possibility that the focus of humanity should be living a life unattached to material possessions. Lennon and Yoko Ono co-produced the song and album of the same name with Phil Spector. One month after the September 1971 release of the LP, Lennon released "Imagine" as a single in the United States; the song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed of his solo career. Lennon released "Imagine" as a single in the United Kingdom in 1975, and the song has since sold more than 1.6 million copies in the UK. It earned a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, and Rolling Stone ranked it number 3 in their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". (Full article...)

Recently featured: Supernatural (season 2) – Ace Books – Golden White-eye

December 9

Anna (killed 653 or 654) was King of East Anglia from the early 640s until his death. Little is known of Anna's life or his reign, as few records have survived from this period. He was one of the three sons of Eni who ruled East Anglia, succeeding after Ecgric was killed in battle by Penda of Mercia. Anna was praised by Bede for his devotion to Christianity and was renowned for the saintliness of his family. In 645 Cenwalh of Wessex was driven from his kingdom by Penda and, due to Anna's influence, he was converted to Christianity while living as an exile at the East Anglian court. Upon his return from exile, Cenwalh re-established Christianity in his own kingdom and the people of Wessex then remained firmly Christian. Following the attack in 651 by Penda on the monastery at Cnobheresburg, which Anna richly endowed, he was forced by Penda to flee into exile. He may have travelled to the western kingdom of the Magonsæte and returned in about 653, but East Anglia was attacked again by Penda soon afterwards and at the Battle of Bulcamp the East Anglian army, led by Anna, was defeated by the Mercians, and Anna and his son Jurmin were both killed. He was succeeded by his brother, Æthelhere. (Full article...)

Recently featured: "Imagine" – Supernatural (season 2) – Ace Books

December 10

Drosera regia is a carnivorous plant in the sundew genus Drosera and is endemic to a single valley in South Africa. The tentacle-covered leaves can capture large prey, such as beetles, moths, and butterflies. The tentacles of all Drosera species are specialised stalked glands on the leaf's upper surface that produce a sticky mucilage. The leaves are considered active flypaper traps that respond to captured prey by bending to surround it. The genus name Drosera comes from the Greek word droseros, meaning "dew-covered". The specific epithet regia is derived from the Latin for "royal", a reference to the "striking appearance" of the species. It has many unusual relict characteristics not found in most other Drosera species, and these factors, combined with molecular data from phylogenetic analysis, contribute to the evidence that it possesses some of the most ancient characteristics within the genus. Of the two known populations of D. regia, the higher altitude site appears to be overgrown and is essentially extirpated. The lower altitude site is estimated to have about 50 mature plants, making it the most endangered Drosera species, since it is threatened with extinction in the wild.

Recently featured: Anna of East Anglia – "Imagine" – Supernatural (season 2)

December 11

The Battle of Radzymin, a key part of what later became known as the Battle of Warsaw, took place during the Polish–Soviet War (1919–21). The battle occurred near the town of Radzymin, some 20 kilometres (12 mi) north-east of Warsaw, between August 13 and 16, 1920. The first phase began with a frontal assault by the Red Army on the Praga bridgehead. The Soviet forces captured Radzymin on August 14 and breached the lines of the 1st Polish Army, which was defending Warsaw from the east. Radzymin changed hands several times in heavy fighting. The Russians wanted to break through the Polish defences to Warsaw, while the Polish aim was to defend the area long enough for a two-pronged counteroffensive to outflank the attacking forces. After three days of intense fighting, the corps-sized 1st Polish Army under General Franciszek Latinik managed to repel a direct assault by six Red Army rifle divisions at Radzymin and Ossów. The struggle for control of Radzymin forced General Józef Haller, commander of the Polish Northern Front, to start the 5th Army's counterattack earlier than planned. Radzymin was recaptured on August 15, and this victory proved to be one of the turning points of the Battle of Warsaw. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Drosera regia – Anna of East Anglia – "Imagine"

December 12

Pepper v Hart is a landmark decision in English law on the use of legislative history in statutory interpretation. The House of Lords, by a majority, established the principle that when primary legislation is ambiguous then, under certain circumstances, a court may refer to statements made in Parliament in an attempt to interpret the meaning of the legislation. Before this ruling, such an action would have been seen as a breach of parliamentary privilege. Lord Mackay (pictured), dissenting, argued that Hansard should not be considered admissible evidence due to the time and expense involved in a lawyer having to look up every debate and discussion on a particular statute when giving legal advice or preparing a case. The decision met a mixed reception. While the judiciary were cautiously accepting, legal academics argued that it violated rules of evidence, damaged the separation of powers between the executive and Parliament and caused additional expense in cases. In 2000, a senior judge, Lord Steyn, delivered a lecture in which he attacked the logic and legal theory behind the decision, and several subsequent judicial decisions have considerably limited the use of Pepper by the courts. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Battle of Radzymin – Drosera regia – Anna of East Anglia

December 13

Rex Ryan (born 1962) is an American football head coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). After serving as an assistant coach for 22 years, Ryan attained his first head coaching job in the NFL with the Jets in 2009. He is the son of former Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals head coach Buddy Ryan and is the fraternal twin brother of Rob Ryan, defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. Upon graduating from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Ryan spent the next 22 years serving as an assistant coach on different teams at both the college and professional level. At the behest of their head coach Brian Billick, Ryan joined the Baltimore Ravens in 1999 and spent nine years there. In 2005 he earned the title of defensive coordinator and in 2008 became the assistant head coach. Hours after the Ravens lost to the Steelers in the 2008 playoffs, Ryan accepted a contract offer from the Jets for their vacant head coaching position. He has become well known throughout the league for his outspoken manner, boisterous attitude and success with the Jets, and his teams are highly regarded by critics for their defensive capabilities. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Pepper v Hart – Battle of Radzymin – Drosera regia

December 14

Vidya Balan (born 1978) is an Indian film actress, who appears in Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam language films. At age sixteen, Balan landed her first acting role in the sitcom Hum Paanch (1995). After making several unsuccessful attempts to start a career in film, she acted in television commercials and music videos. In 2003, Balan made her feature film debut with the independent Bengali drama Bhalo Theko and in 2005, she garnered praise for her first Hindi film, Parineeta. Her subsequent portrayal of glamorous characters in the films Heyy Babyy (2007) and Kismat Konnection (2008) met with negative comments from film critics. She later portrayed five consecutive roles to wide critical acclaim in Paa (2009), Ishqiya (2010), No One Killed Jessica (2011), The Dirty Picture (2011), and Kahaani (2012). These roles have fetched her the tag of a "female hero" and established her as a leading contemporary actress of Hindi cinema. Balan has received one National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards and four Screen Awards. She married film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur on 14 December 2012. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Rex Ryan – Pepper v Hart – Battle of Radzymin

December 15

The common toad is an amphibian found throughout most of Europe, with the exception of Ireland, Iceland and some Mediterranean islands. It is an inconspicuous animal as it usually lies hidden during the day, becoming active at dusk and spending the night hunting for the invertebrates on which it feeds. It moves with a slow ungainly walk or short jumps and has greyish brown skin covered with wart-like lumps. Although usually a solitary animal, in the breeding season large numbers converge on certain breeding ponds, where the males compete to mate with the females. Eggs are laid in gelatinous strings in the water and later hatch out into tadpoles. After several months of growth and development, these sprout limbs and undergo metamorphosis into tiny toads. The juveniles emerge from the water and remain largely terrestrial for the rest of their lives. The common toad seems to be in decline in part of its range but overall is listed as being of "Least Concern" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is threatened by habitat loss, especially by drainage of its breeding sites, and some toads get killed on the roads as they make their annual migrations. It has long been associated in popular culture and literature with witchcraft. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Vidya Balan – Rex Ryan – Pepper v Hart

December 16

The 1950 Atlantic hurricane season was the first year in the Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) in which storms were given names by the United States Air Force from the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet. It was an active season with sixteen tropical storms, eleven of which developed into hurricanes. Eight of these hurricanes were intense enough to be classified as major hurricanes—a denomination reserved for storms that attained sustained winds equivalent to a Category 3 or greater on the present-day Saffir-Simpson scale. The high number of major hurricanes make 1950 the holder of the record for the most systems of such intensity in a single season. The large quantity of strong storms during the year yielded the highest seasonal accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) of the 20th century. The tropical cyclones of the season produced a total of 88 fatalities and $38.5 million in property damage. The first officially named Atlantic hurricane was Hurricane Able (path pictured), which formed on August 12, brushed the North Carolina coastline, and later moved across southeastern Canada. The strongest hurricane of the season, Hurricane Dog, reached the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, and caused extensive damage to the Leeward Islands. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Common toad – Vidya Balan – Rex Ryan

December 17

"Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" is the ninth episode of the first season of the animated comedy television series South Park. The show's first Christmas special, it portrays the Jewish character Kyle feeling excluded from the town's Christmas celebrations and being comforted by Mr. Hankey, who can talk and sing. As Mr. Hankey does not come alive in the presence of other characters, they begin to think that Kyle is delusional. In another plot strand, the townspeople remove all symbols of Christmas from South Park to render the celebrations politically correct and inoffensive. When all the children start believing in him, Mr. Hankey finally reveals himself to everyone and scolds them for losing sight of the good things of Christmas and focusing on the bad. The townspeople apologize to Kyle, then sing Christmas songs and watch Mr. Hankey fly away with Santa Claus. Heavily influenced by the Peanuts Christmas special A Charlie Brown Christmas, "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" was the first South Park musical episode and the only episode in season one in which Kenny does not die. It is a satire of political correctness and religious sensitivity and has been described as one of the classic South Park episodes. (Full article...)

Recently featured: 1950 Atlantic hurricane season – Common toad – Vidya Balan

December 18

Final Fantasy is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. It centers on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games (RPGs), but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise. The first game in the series, published in 1987, was conceived by Sakaguchi as his last-ditch effort in the game industry; the title was a success and spawned sequels. The video game series has since branched into other genres. Although most Final Fantasy installments are supposedly independent stories with different settings and main characters, they feature identical elements that define the franchise. Plots center on a group of heroes battling a great evil while exploring the characters' internal struggles and relationships. The series has been commercially and critically successful; it is Square Enix's best selling video game franchise, with more than 100 million units sold, and one of the best-selling video game franchises. It was awarded a star on the Walk of Game in 2006, and holds seven Guinness World Records in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008. It has also introduced many features now common in role-playing video games and has been credited with helping to popularize console-based RPGs in markets outside Japan. (Full article...)

Recently featured: "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" – 1950 Atlantic hurricane season – Common toad

December 19

James Tod (1782–1835) was an English officer of the British East India Company and an Oriental scholar. He combined his official role and his amateur interests to create a series of works about the history and geography of India, particularly the area then known as Rajputana (present-day Rajasthan). He travelled to India in 1799 as a cadet in the Bengal Army and rose quickly in rank. After the Third Anglo-Maratha War, during which Tod was involved in the intelligence department, he was appointed Political Agent for some areas of Rajputana. His task was to help unify the region under the control of the East India Company. While Tod was initially successful, his methods were questioned. Over time, his work was restricted and his areas of oversight were significantly curtailed. In 1823, due to declining health and reputation, Tod resigned and returned to England. He then published a number of academic works about India, based on materials collected during his travels. His major works have been criticised as inaccurate and biased. However, he is highly regarded in some areas of India and his accounts of India in general and the Rajputs in particular had a significant impact on British views for many years. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Final Fantasy – "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" – 1950 Atlantic hurricane season

December 20

The 2012 phenomenon comprises a range of eschatological beliefs according to which cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on 21 December 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. Various astronomical alignments and numerological formulae have been proposed as pertaining to this date, though none have been accepted by mainstream scholarship. A New Age interpretation of this transition is that this date marks the start of a time in which Earth and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and that 2012 may mark the beginning of a new era. Others suggest that the date marks the end of the world or a similar catastrophe. Scenarios suggested for the end of the world include the arrival of the next solar maximum, an interaction between Earth and the black hole at the centre of the galaxy, or Earth's collision with a planet called "Nibiru". Scholars from various disciplines have dismissed the idea of such cataclysmic events occurring in 2012. Mayanist scholars state that predictions of impending doom are not found in any of the extant classic Maya accounts, and that the idea that the Long Count calendar "ends" in 2012 misrepresents Maya history and culture. (Full article...)

Recently featured: James Tod – Final Fantasy – "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo"

December 21

Worlds End State Park is a 780-acre (316 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park, nearly surrounded by Loyalsock State Forest, is in the Loyalsock Creek valley, southeast of the borough of Forksville. The name Worlds End has been used since at least 1872, but its origins are uncertain and the park was officially known as Whirls End State Forest Park from 1936 to 1943. The park's land was once home to Native Americans, followed by settlers who cleared the land for subsistence farming and later built sawmills. The second growth forests in and surrounding Worlds End State Park are partially a result of the efforts of the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. They helped overcome the clearcutting of the early 20th century, and built many of the park's facilities, including the cabins that have earned it a place on the National Register of Historic Places. A wide variety of wildlife is found in the park, which is also part of an Important Bird Area. The park offers year-round recreational opportunities, including environmental education, hiking, camping, whitewater rafting, swimming, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, and fishing. (Full article...)

Recently featured: 2012 phenomenon – James Tod – Final Fantasy

December 22

Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, in the late 19th century. Although it was only in existence from 1878 to 1889, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the first from a working-class background to win the Football Association Challenge Cup (better known as the FA Cup, trophy pictured). The cup had previously been won only by teams of wealthy amateurs from the home counties, and Olympic's victory against Old Etonians F.C. in 1883 marked a turning point in the sport's transition from a pastime for upper-class gentlemen to a professional sport. Olympic, however, proved unable to compete with wealthier and better-supported clubs in the professional era. Most of Olympic's home matches took place at the Hole-i'-th-Wall stadium, named after an adjacent public house. One Olympic player, James Ward, was selected for the England team while playing for the club. Six other former or future England internationals played for Olympic, including Jack Hunter, who was the club's coach at the time of Olympic's FA Cup win. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Worlds End State Park – 2012 phenomenon – James Tod

December 23

New York State Route 319 was a state highway in Chenango County, New York, in the United States. It was 5.47 miles (8.80 km) long and connected the hamlet of Preston to the nearby city of Norwich. What became NY 319 was originally built during the early 19th century as the privately owned Norwich and Preston Turnpike. The state of New York assumed ownership in the early 20th century, and the Preston–Norwich state highway was designated as NY 319 as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. Maintenance of NY 319 was split between the state and the city of Norwich, with the New York State Department of Transportation handling the part of the route west of the city limits. In 1962, the New York State Legislature approved a highway maintenance swap that would transfer the state-maintained section of NY 319 to Chenango County when a new alignment was constructed for NY 23 through the northwestern part of the county. The project was completed in July 1984, at which time the NY 319 designation was completely removed and Chenango County assumed maintenance of the route's former alignment west of Norwich. The new county road was redesignated County Route 10A. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Blackburn Olympic F.C. – Worlds End State Park – 2012 phenomenon

December 24

Cosima Wagner (1837–1930) was the daughter of pianist and composer Franz Liszt, and the second wife of composer Richard Wagner. She was previously married to the conductor Hans von Bülow. With Wagner she founded the Bayreuth Festival as a showcase for his stage works; after his death she directed the festival for more than 20 years, building its repertoire to form the Bayreuth canon of ten operas and establishing it as a major event in the world of musical theatre. She opposed theatrical innovations and adhered closely to Wagner's original productions of his works, an approach continued by her successors long after her retirement in 1907. Under her influence, Bayreuth became identified with antisemitism and theories of German racial and cultural superiority. This was a defining feature of Bayreuth for decades, into the Nazi era which closely followed her death in 1930; thus, although she is widely perceived as the saviour of the festival, her legacy remains controversial. (Full article...)

Recently featured: New York State Route 319 – Blackburn Olympic F.C. – Worlds End State Park

December 25

William the Conqueror (c. 1028 – 1087) was the first Norman King of England. He had been Duke of Normandy since 1035, although his illegitimate status and youth caused him difficulties and he did not secure his hold over the duchy until about 1060. In the 1050s and early 1060s William became a contender for the English throne, then held by his childless relative Edward the Confessor. Among other potential claimants was the powerful English earl Harold Godwinson, whom Edward named as the next king on his deathbed in January 1066. William argued that Edward had previously promised him the throne, and that Harold had sworn to support William's claim. William invaded England in September 1066, defeating Harold at the Battle of Hastings, and was crowned on Christmas Day 1066. Several unsuccessful rebellions followed, but by 1075 William's hold on England was mostly secure. William's final years were marked by difficulties in his continental domains, troubles with his eldest son, and threatened invasions of England by the Danes. In 1086 he ordered the compilation of the Domesday Book, listing all the landholders in England and their holdings. He died in September 1087 on campaign in northern France, and was buried in Caen. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Cosima Wagner – New York State Route 319 – Blackburn Olympic F.C.

December 26

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 13,100 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

December 27

Hōshō was the world's first commissioned ship to be designed and built as an aircraft carrier, and the first aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). Commissioned in 1922, the ship was used for testing aircraft and equipment, and to evaluate operational methods and tactics. She provided valuable lessons and experience for the IJN in early carrier air operations. Hōshō and her aircraft participated in the Shanghai Incident in 1932 and in the opening stages of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937. During those two conflicts, her aircraft supported Imperial Japanese Army ground operations and engaged in combat with aircraft of the Nationalist Chinese Air Force. The small size of the ship and her assigned airgroups (usually around 15 aircraft) limited the effectiveness of her contributions. As a result, the carrier was placed in reserve after her return to Japan from China and she became a training carrier in 1939. During World War II, Hōshō participated in the Battle of Midway in June 1942 in a secondary role. After the battle, the carrier resumed her training role for the duration of the conflict and survived the war with only minor damage. She was used as a repatriation transport after the war and was scrapped in 1946. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Psilocybe aztecorum – William the Conqueror – Cosima Wagner

December 28

Christopher Wallace (1972–1997), best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper/hip hop artist. Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and began rapping when he was a teenager. The release of Wallace's debut album Ready to Die in 1994 made him a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene and increased New York's visibility in the genre at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip hop feud dominating the scene at the time. On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 16 days later, hit No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification). Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Two more albums have been released since his death. In 2012, The Source ranked him No. 3 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō – Psilocybe aztecorum – William the Conqueror

December 29

The War against Nabis, or the Laconian War, of 195 BC was fought between the Greek city-state of Sparta under their ruler Nabis (depicted) and a coalition composed of Rome, the Achaean League, Pergamum, Rhodes, and Macedon. During the Second Macedonian War (200–196 BC), Macedon had given Sparta control over Argos, an important city on the Aegean coast. Sparta's continued occupation of Argos thereafter was used as a pretext for Rome and its allies to declare war. The anti-Spartan coalition laid siege to Argos, captured the Spartan naval base at Gythium, and invested and besieged Sparta itself. Negotiations led to peace on Rome's terms, under which Argos and the coastal towns of Laconia were separated from Sparta and the Spartans were compelled to pay a war indemnity to Rome for eight years. Argos joined the Achaean League, and the Laconian towns were placed under Achaean protection. As a result of the war, Sparta lost its position as a major power in Greece. All consequent Spartan attempts to recover the losses failed and Nabis, the last sovereign ruler, was eventually murdered. Soon after, Sparta was forcibly made a member of the Achaean League, ending several centuries of fierce political independence. (Full article...)

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December 30

Muckaty Station is a 2,380-square-kilometre (590,000-acre) Aboriginal freehold landholding in Australia's Northern Territory, approximately 800 kilometres (500 mi) south of Darwin. Originally under traditional Indigenous Australian ownership, the area became a pastoral lease in the late 19th century and for many years operated as a cattle station. Muckaty Station was returned to its Indigenous custodians in 1999. It is traversed by the Stuart Highway, built in the 1940s along the route of the service track for the Australian Overland Telegraph Line, a natural gas pipeline, and the Adelaide–Darwin railway. The area comprises semi-arid stony ridges, claypans and a stony plateau, and experiences a sub-tropical climate, with a wet season between January and March. The vegetation is mostly scrubland, including spinifex grasslands. The fauna is generally typical of Australian desert environments, and includes the red kangaroo (pictured), the eastern wallaroo, the northern nail-tail wallaby, and the spinifex hopping mouse. A site within Muckaty is being considered for Australia's low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste storage and disposal facility. The plan is subject to a Federal Court challenge due to be heard early in 2013. (Full article...)

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December 31

Terang Boelan is a 1937 film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Written by Saeroen, directed by Albert Balink, and starring Rd Mochtar, Roekiah and E. T. Effendi, the film follows two lovers who elope after one is nearly forced to marry an opium smuggler. Shot in the Indies and Singapore and partially inspired by the 1936 Hollywood film The Jungle Princess, Terang Boelan was aimed at native audiences and included kroncong music and several actors from Balink's previous work, Pareh (1936). It was a commercial success in both the Indies and abroad (under the title Full Moon), earning 200,000 Straits dollars in British Malaya. This success revived the faltering domestic film industry and inspired films aimed at Malay audiences in Malaya, creating a formula of songs, beautiful scenery and romance that was followed for decades afterwards. Modern critical reception of the film, which has been lost since at least the 1970s, has generally been positive. The Indonesian film historian Misbach Yusa Biran described it as a turning point in the history of Indonesian cinema for its catalytic effect on the industry's growth. (Full article...)

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