Wikipedia:Today's featured article/October 2012

October 1

The Monadnock Building is a skyscraper in the south Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. The north half of the building was built in 1891, and its decorative staircases were the first use of aluminum in building construction. The south half (pictured), constructed in 1893, is similar in color and profile to the original, but the design is more traditionally ornate. When completed, it was the largest office building in the world. The building was remodeled in 1938 in one of the first major skyscraper renovations. It was sold in 1979 and restored to its original condition. The north half is an unornamented vertical mass of purple-brown brick, flaring gently out at the base and top. The south half is vertically divided by brickwork at the base and rises to a large copper cornice at the roof. Projecting window bays in both halves allow large exposures of glass, giving the building an open appearance despite its mass. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Modern critics have called it a "triumph of unified design" and "one of the most exciting aesthetic experiences America's commercial architecture has produced". (more...)

Recently featured: Nancy Drew – Armillaria luteobubalina – Rhyolite, Nevada

October 2

The Battle of Bicocca was fought on April 27, 1522, during the Italian War of 1521–26. A combined French and Venetian force under Odet de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec, was decisively defeated by a Spanish-Imperial and Papal army under the overall command of Prospero Colonna. Lautrec then withdrew from Lombardy, leaving the Duchy of Milan in Imperial hands. Having been driven from Milan by an Imperial advance in late 1521, Lautrec had regrouped, attempting to strike at Colonna's lines of communication. However, when the Swiss mercenaries in French service did not receive their pay, they demanded an immediate battle, and Lautrec was forced to attack Colonna's fortified position in the park of the Arcimboldi Villa Bicocca, north of Milan. The Swiss pikemen advanced over open fields under heavy artillery fire to assault the Imperial positions, but were halted at a sunken road backed by earthworks. Having suffered massive casualties from the fire of Spanish arquebusiers, the Swiss retreated. Unwilling to fight further, they marched off to their cantons a few days later, and Lautrec retreated into Venetian territory with the remnants of his army. (more...)

Recently featured: Monadnock Building – Nancy Drew – Armillaria luteobubalina

October 3

"Say Say Say" is a pop song written and performed by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. The track was produced by George Martin (pictured) for McCartney's fifth solo album, Pipes of Peace (1983). The song was recorded during the production of McCartney's 1982 Tug of War album. After its release in October 1983, "Say Say Say" became Jackson's seventh top-ten hit in a year. It was a number one hit in the United States, Norway, Sweden and several other countries, reached number two in the United Kingdom, and peaked within the top ten in more than 20 countries, including Australia, Austria, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, the song was promoted with a music video directed by Bob Giraldi. The video – filmed in Santa Ynez Valley, California – features cameo appearances by Linda McCartney and La Toya Jackson. The short film centers around two con artists called "Mac and Jack" (played by McCartney and Jackson), and is credited for the introduction of dialogue and storyline to music videos. (more...)

Recently featured: Battle of Bicocca – Monadnock Building – Nancy Drew

October 4

Hurricane Guillermo was the sixth strongest Pacific hurricane on record, attaining peak winds of 160 mph (260 km/h). Forming out of a tropical wave on July 30, 1997, roughly 345 mi (555 km) south of Salina Cruz, Mexico, Guillermo tracked in a steady west-northwestward direction while intensifying. The system reached hurricane status by August 1 before undergoing rapid intensification the following day. At the end of this phase, the storm attained its peak intensity as a powerful Category 5 hurricane. The storm began to weaken during the afternoon of August 5 and was downgraded to a tropical storm on August 8. On August 15, the storm reached an unusually high latitude of 41.8°N before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone. The remnants persisted for more than a week as they tracked towards the northeast and later south and east before being absorbed by a larger extratropical system off the coast of California on August 24. Throughout Guillermo's extensive track, the storm never threatened any major landmass. However, owing to its extreme intensity, it produced large swells across the Pacific Ocean, affecting areas from Hawaii to coastal Mexico. Along the American Pacific coast, three people drowned because of high waves, two in Baja California and one in California. (more...)

Recently featured: "Say Say Say" – Battle of Bicocca – Monadnock Building

October 5

The Appaloosa is a horse breed best known for its colorful leopard-spotted coat pattern. It includes a wide range of body types because of the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. The color pattern of the Appaloosa is of great interest to those who study equine coat color genetics, as it and several other physical characteristics are linked to the leopard complex mutation (LP). Artwork depicting prehistoric horses with leopard spotting existed in cave paintings. The Nez Perce people of the United States Pacific Northwest developed the original American breed. It is best known as a stock horse used in a number of western riding disciplines, but is also a versatile breed with representatives seen in many other types of equestrian activity. The Nez Perce lost most of their horses after the Nez Perce War in 1877. A small number of dedicated breeders preserved the Appaloosa as a distinct breed until the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) was formed as the breed registry in 1938. (more...)

Recently featured: Hurricane Guillermo – "Say Say Say" – Battle of Bicocca

October 6

Fertilisation of Orchids, written by Charles Darwin (pictured) and published on 15 May 1862, explores the evolutionary interactions between insects and the orchids they pollinate, which Darwin had mentioned in his previous book, On the Origin of Species. Field studies and practical scientific investigations that were initially a recreation for Darwin—a relief from the drudgery of writing—developed into enjoyable and challenging experiments assisted by his family, friends, and correspondents worldwide. The book was his first detailed demonstration of the power of natural selection, showing how the benefits of cross-fertilisation lead to complex ecological relationships and the coevolution of orchids and insects, with cumulative small variations resulting in beautiful and complex functional forms that natural theology had attributed to a grand designer. It explained the puzzle of Catasetum, which was thought to have different species of flowers on the same plant, and produced the testable prediction that the long nectary of Angraecum sesquipedale meant that there must be a moth with an equally long proboscis. (more...)

Recently featured: Appaloosa – Hurricane Guillermo – "Say Say Say"

October 7

The exact nature of Sino-Tibetan relations during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) of China is unclear. Analysis of the relationship is further complicated by modern political conflicts and the application of Westphalian sovereignty to a time when the concept did not exist. Some Mainland Chinese scholars assert that the Ming Dynasty had unquestioned sovereignty over Tibet, citing the Ming court's issuing of various titles to Tibetan leaders, Tibetans' full acceptance of these titles, and a renewal process for successors of these titles that involved traveling to the Ming capital. Scholars within China also argue that Tibet has been an integral part of China since the 13th century and that it was thus a part of the Ming Empire. But most scholars outside China say that the relationship was one of suzerainty, that Ming titles were only nominal, that Tibet remained an independent region outside Ming control, and that it simply paid tribute until the reign of Jiajing (1521–1566), who ceased relations with Tibet. (more...)

Recently featured: Fertilisation of Orchids – Appaloosa – Hurricane Guillermo

October 8

Little Butte Creek is a 17-mile (27 km) long tributary of the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Its drainage basin consists of approximately 354 square miles (917 km²) of Jackson County and another 19 square miles (49 km²) of Klamath County. The north fork of the creek begins at Fish Lake, while the south fork begins near Brown Mountain. The two forks flow generally west until they meet near Lake Creek. The main stem then flows through the communities of Brownsboro, Eagle Point, and White City, finally emptying into the Rogue River about 3 miles (5 km) west of Eagle Point. Little Butte Creek's watershed was originally settled by the Takelma, and possibly the Shasta tribes of Native Americans. In the Rogue River Wars of the 1850s, most of the Native Americans were either killed or forced onto Indian reservations. On October 8, 1855, Major J. A. Lupton gathered 35 men from Jacksonville and attacked the Rogue River Indians near the mouth of Little Butte Creek, killing about 30 of them. Lupton was also killed, and eleven of his men were injured. (more...)

Recently featured: Tibet during the Ming Dynasty – Fertilisation of Orchids – Appaloosa

October 9

Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up currently includes drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, vocalist Maynard James Keenan, and bassist Justin Chancellor. Tool has won three Grammy Awards, performed worldwide tours, and produced albums that have topped the charts in several countries. The band emerged with a heavy metal sound on their first studio album, Undertow (1993), and became a dominant force in the alternative metal movement with the release of their second album, Ænima, in 1996. Their efforts to unify musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution continued with Lateralus (2001) and the most recent album, 10,000 Days (2006), gaining the band critical acclaim and commercial success around the world. Their long-awaited fifth album is in production. The band is generally described as a style-transcending act and part of progressive rock and art rock. The relationship between the band and today's music industry is ambivalent, at times marked by censorship and the band members' insistence on privacy. (more...)

Recently featured: Little Butte Creek – Tibet during the Ming Dynasty – Fertilisation of Orchids

October 10

Allegro is a musical by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics), their third collaboration for the stage, which premiered on Broadway on October 10, 1947. After the immense successes of the first two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel, the pair sought a subject for their next play. Hammerstein had long contemplated a serious work that would deal with the problems of an ordinary man in the fast-moving modern world. Rodgers and he sought to create a work that would be as innovative as their first two stage musicals. To that end, they created a play with a large cast, including a Greek chorus. After a disastrous tryout in New Haven, Connecticut, the musical opened on Broadway to a large advance sale of tickets and very mixed reviews. The Broadway run, directed by Agnes de Mille, ended after nine months; it had no West End production and has rarely been revived. (more...)

Recently featured: Tool – Little Butte Creek – Tibet during the Ming Dynasty

October 11

Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the southeastern coast of Africa. The nation comprises the island of Madagascar as well as numerous smaller peripheral islands. Madagascar split from India around 88 million years ago, allowing plants and animals on the island to evolve to a biodiversity hotspot; over 90 percent of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth. The island is among the last major land masses to be reached by humans; its first settlers arrived on outrigger canoes from Borneo around 2350 years ago, followed over 1000 years later by migrants from East Africa. The Malagasy people are often divided into eighteen or more sub-groups of which the largest are the Merina of the central highlands. At the turn of the 19th century, most of the island's numerous kingdoms were united under Merina rulers as the Kingdom of Madagascar. The monarchy collapsed in 1897 when the island was absorbed into the French colonial empire, from which the island regained independence in 1960. Since 1992 the nation has officially been governed as a constitutional democracy from its capital at Antananarivo. However, in a popular uprising in 2009 the last elected president Marc Ravalomanana was made to resign and presidential power was transferred to Andry Rajoelina in a move widely viewed by the international community as a coup d'état. (more...)

Recently featured: Allegro – Tool – Little Butte Creek

October 12

Ruth Norman (1900–1993) was an American religious leader who co-founded the Unarius Academy of Science with her husband Ernest Norman. The couple discussed numerous details about their past lives and spiritual visits to other planets, forming a mythology from these accounts. Ernest died in 1971, prompting Ruth to serve as their group's leader and primary channeler. In early 1974, she predicted that a space fleet of benevolent extraterrestrials, the Space Brothers, would land on Earth later that year. After the extraterrestrials' non-appearance, Norman stated that trauma she had suffered in a past life had caused her to make an inaccurate prediction. Undaunted, she rented a building for Unarius' meetings and sought publicity for the movement, claiming to have united the Earth with an interplanetary confederation. She revised the Space Brothers' expected landing date several times, before finally settling on 2001. Despite predicting that she would live to see the extraterrestrials land, Norman died in 1993. Unarius continued to operate and celebrate her leadership after her death. (more...)

Recently featured: Madagascar – Allegro – Tool

October 13

Bernard Bosanquet (1877–1936) was an English cricketer best known for inventing the googly, a delivery designed to deceive the batsman. He played first-class cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club and appeared in seven Test matches for England as an all-rounder. While playing a tabletop game, Bosanquet devised a new technique for delivering a ball, later named the "googly", which he practised while attending Oriel College, Oxford. He first used it in cricket matches around 1900, but it was not until 1903, when he had a successful season as a bowler, that his new delivery began to attract attention. He was selected in 1903–04 to tour Australia with England and made his Test debut. Although his batting was unsuccessful, he performed well as a bowler and troubled all the opposing batsmen. His career with the ball peaked when he bowled England to victory in the first Test against Australia in 1905, but he remained an inconsistent performer. In subsequent years, he bowled infrequently and played little first-class cricket. (more...)

Recently featured: Ruth Norman – Madagascar – Allegro

October 14

The Southern Cross Expedition, officially known as the British Antarctic Expedition 1898–1900, was the first British venture of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, and the forerunner of the more celebrated journeys of Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton. The brainchild of the Norwegian-born, half-British explorer and schoolmaster Carsten Borchgrevink, it was the first expedition to over-winter on the Antarctic mainland, the first to visit the Great Ice Barrier since James Clark Ross in 1839–43, and the first to successfully land on the Barrier's surface. It also pioneered the use of dogs and sledges in Antarctic travel. The expedition was privately financed by the British magazine publisher Sir George Newnes. Taken south in the ship Southern Cross in August 1898, Borchgrevink's party spent the winter of 1899 at Cape Adare, the north-west extremity of the Ross Sea. (more...)

Recently featured: Bernard Bosanquet – Ruth Norman – Madagascar

October 15

SMS Friedrich der Grosse was the second vessel of the Kaiser class of battleships of the German Imperial Navy. She was commissioned into the fleet on 15 October 1912. Assigned to the III Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of World War I, she served as fleet flagship from her commissioning until 1917. The ship participated in all the major fleet operations of World War I, including the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, from which she emerged unscathed. After Germany's defeat and the signing of the armistice in November 1918, Friedrich der Grosse and most of the capital ships of the High Seas Fleet were interned by the British Royal Navy in Scapa Flow. On 21 June 1919, days before the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the fleet to be scuttled to ensure that the British could not seize the ships. Friedrich der Grosse was raised in 1936 and broken up for scrap metal. (more...)

Recently featured: Southern Cross Expedition – Bernard Bosanquet – Ruth Norman

October 16

The Northern Pintail is a duck with wide geographic distribution that breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator. Unusual for a bird with such a large range, it has no geographical subspecies if the possibly con-specific Eaton's Pintail is considered to be a separate species. It is a fairly large duck, with a long pointed tail that gives rise to the species' English and scientific names. The Northern Pintail's many names describe the male's two long black tail feathers, which in flight look like a single pin or twig. Hens make a coarse quack and the drakes a flute-like whistle. The Northern Pintail is a bird of open wetlands which nests on the ground, often some distance from water. It feeds by dabbling for plant food and adds small invertebrates to its diet during the nesting season. When not breeding, it is highly gregarious, forming large mixed flocks with other species of duck. (more...)

Recently featured: SMS Friedrich der Grosse – Southern Cross Expedition – Bernard Bosanquet

October 17

The Mercury dime is a ten-cent coin struck by the United States Mint from 1916 to 1945. Designed by Adolph Weinman, it gained its common name as the obverse depiction of a young Liberty, identifiable by her winged Phrygian cap, was confused with the Roman god Mercury. The coin's reverse depicts a fasces, symbolizing unity and strength, and an olive branch, signifying peace. By 1916, the dime, quarter, and half dollar designed by Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber had been struck for 25 years, and could be replaced by the Treasury, of which the Mint is a part, without Congressional authorization. Mint officials were under the misapprehension that the designs had to be changed, and held a competition among three sculptors, in which Barber, who had been in his position for 36 years, also took part. Weinman's designs for the dime and half dollar were selected. Although the new coin's design was admired for its beauty, the Mint made modifications to it upon learning that vending machine manufacturers were having difficulties making the new dime work in their devices. The coin continued to be minted until 1945, when the Treasury ordered that a new design, featuring recently deceased president Franklin Roosevelt, take its place. (more...)

Recently featured: Northern Pintail – SMS Friedrich der Grosse – Southern Cross Expedition

October 18

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1660–1744) was one of the most influential women in British history due to her close friendship with Queen Anne of Great Britain. By the time Anne became queen in 1702, Sarah had become a powerful friend and a dangerous enemy, the last in the long line of Stuart favourites. A strong-willed woman who liked to get her own way, Sarah tried the Queen's patience whenever she disagreed with her on political, court or church appointments. Sarah enjoyed an unusually close relationship with her husband, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, whom she married in 1677. When Anne came to the throne, the Duke of Marlborough, together with Sidney Godolphin, rose to head the government, partly due to his wife's friendship with the queen. Sarah campaigned on behalf of the British Whig Party, while also devoting time to building projects such as the construction of Blenheim Palace. The money she inherited from the Marlborough trust made her one of the richest women in Europe. (more...)

Recently featured: Mercury dime – Northern Pintail – SMS Friedrich der Grosse

October 19

United States v. Wong Kim Ark is an 1898 United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that virtually everyone born in the United States is a U.S. citizen. This decision established an important precedent in its interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Wong Kim Ark, who was born in San Francisco to Chinese parents around 1871, had been denied re-entry to the U.S. after a trip abroad, under a law restricting Chinese immigration. He challenged the government's refusal to recognize his citizenship, and the Supreme Court ruled that the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment encompassed essentially everyone born in the U.S.—even children of foreigners. Attempts have been made in Congress to restrict birthright citizenship, either through statutory redefinition of the term jurisdiction or by overriding both the Wong Kim Ark ruling and the Citizenship Clause itself through an amendment to the Constitution, but no such proposal has been enacted. (more...)

Recently featured: Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough – Mercury dime – Northern Pintail

October 20

Andjar Asmara (1902–1961) was a dramatist and filmmaker active in the cinema of the Dutch East Indies. Born in West Sumatra, he first found employment as a reporter in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) before becoming a writer for the Padangsche Opera in Padang. In Padang he developed a new, dialogue-centric style which later spread throughout the region. After returning to Batavia in 1929 he spent several years as a theatre and film critic before joining the Dardanella touring troupe. He left Dardanella in 1936 to establish his own troupe and subsequently worked at a publisher, writing serials based on successful films. In 1940 he was asked to join The Teng Chun's company, Java Industrial Film, helping with marketing and working as a director for two productions. Andjar directed three films in the late 1940s and wrote four screenplays before spending the remainder of his life writing serials based on local films and publishing film criticism. Historians recognise him as a pioneer of theatre and one of the first native Indonesian film directors. (more...)

Recently featured: United States v. Wong Kim Ark – Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough – Mercury dime

October 21

A virus is a biological agent that reproduces inside the cells of living hosts. When infected, a host cell is forced to produce many thousands of identical copies of the original virus, at an extraordinary rate. Unlike most living things, viruses do not have cells that divide; new viruses are assembled in the infected host cell. Over 2,000 species of viruses have been discovered. A virus consists of two or three parts: genes, made from either DNA or RNA, long molecules that carry the genetic information; a protein coat that protects the genes; and in some, an envelope of fat that surrounds and protects them when they are not contained within a host cell. Viruses vary in shape from the simple helical and icosahedral to more complex structures. They spread in many different ways. Whereas viruses such as influenza are spread through the air by people when they cough or sneeze, others such as norovirus, which are transmitted by the faecal–oral route, contaminate hands, food and water. Rotavirus is often spread by direct contact with infected children. The human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, is one of several major viruses that are transmitted during sex. Viral infections often cause disease in humans and animals; however, they are usually eliminated by the immune system, conferring lifetime immunity to the host for that virus. (more...)

Recently featured: Andjar Asmara – United States v. Wong Kim Ark – Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough

October 22

The opera Nixon in China by John Adams (pictured), with a libretto by Alice Goodman, premiered at the Houston Grand Opera on October 22, 1987. Adams' first opera, it was inspired by the 1972 visit to China by US President Richard Nixon. The composer augmented the usual orchestral instruments with a large saxophone section, additional percussion, and an electronic synthesizer. Displaying a variety of musical styles, the score embraces minimalism alongside passages echoing 19th-century composers, and mixes Stravinskian 20th-century neoclassicism, jazz references, and big band sounds reminiscent of Nixon's youth in the 1930s. The opera has been presented on many occasions, in both Europe and North America, and has been recorded twice. In 2011, the opera was staged at the Metropolitan Opera, based on the original sets. Recent critical opinion recognizes the work as a significant and lasting contribution to American opera. (more...)

Recently featured: Introduction to viruses – Andjar Asmara – United States v. Wong Kim Ark

October 23

Ian Fleming (1908–1964) was an English author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer, best known for his James Bond series of spy novels. While working in British Naval Intelligence during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in the planning stages of intelligence and military operations, and his wartime service and subsequent career as a journalist provided much of the background, detail and depth of the James Bond novels. Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952. It was a success, and eleven Bond novels and two short-story collections followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels revolved around James Bond, an officer in the British Secret Service. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-four times, portrayed by seven actors, and the latest screen incarnation, Skyfall, is due to premiere in London on 23 October 2012. (more...)

Recently featured: Nixon in China – Introduction to viruses – Andjar Asmara

October 24

Hadji Ali (c. 1888–92 – 1937) was a vaudeville performance artist famous for acts of controlled regurgitation. Thought to be of Egyptian extraction, his best-known feats included water spouting, smoke swallowing and nut and handkerchief swallowing followed by disgorgement in an order chosen by the audience. The mainstay of Ali's act was "water spouting". After swallowing large amounts of water, 60 to 100 glasses at a time, he spouted it in a continuous stream for a sustained period of time, sometimes approaching one minute. Ali's most famous stunt, and the highlight of his act, was drinking copious amounts of water followed by kerosene, and then acting by turns as a human flamethrower and fire extinguisher as he expelled the two liquids onto a theatrical prop. Ali had a dedicated following on the vaudeville circuit in the United States and performed for heads of state including Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Ali's unusual gastric abilities led to rumors that the Rockefeller Institute had offered a large sum of money to obtain his stomach post-mortem. After he died in England his body was offered to Johns Hopkins for study, though the offer was declined. (more...)

Recently featured: Ian Fleming – Nixon in China – Introduction to viruses

October 25

George II (1683–1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. His grandmother, Sophia of Hanover, became second in line to the British throne after about fifty Catholics higher in line were excluded by the Act of Settlement, which restricted the succession to Protestants. After the deaths of Sophia and Queen Anne, his father, George I, inherited the throne. As king from 1727, George II exercised little control over British domestic policy, which was largely controlled by parliament. He had a difficult relationship with his eldest son, Frederick, who supported the parliamentary opposition. George became the last British monarch to lead an army in battle when he participated in the Battle of Dettingen in 1743. In 1745, supporters of the Catholic claimant to the throne, James Francis Edward Stuart, led by James's son Charles Edward Stuart, attempted and failed to depose George. Frederick died unexpectedly in 1751, and George's grandson, George III, became king on George II's death in 1760. Historians initially tended to view George II with disdain, but more recently, some scholars have re-assessed his legacy and conclude that he held and exercised influence in foreign policy and military appointments. (more...)

Recently featured: Hadji Ali – Ian Fleming – Nixon in China

October 26

Charles Carroll (1661–1720) was a wealthy lawyer and planter in colonial Maryland. Carroll, a Catholic, is best known because his efforts to hold office in the Protestant-dominated colony resulted in the disfranchisement of Maryland Catholics. The second son of Irish Catholic parents, Carroll was educated in France as a lawyer before returning to England, where he pursued the first steps in a legal career. Before that career developed, he secured a position as Attorney General of the young colony of Maryland. Its founder George Calvert and his descendants intended it as a refuge for Catholics. Carroll supported Charles Calvert, the colony's Catholic proprietor, in an unsuccessful effort to prevent the Protestant majority from gaining political control. Following the overthrow of the Calvert proprietorship and the subsequent exclusion of Catholics from colonial government, Carroll turned his attention to planting, law, business, and various offices in the proprietor's remnant organization. He was the wealthiest man in the colony by the time of his death. (more...)

Recently featured: George II of Great Britain – Hadji Ali – Ian Fleming

October 27

Louis Riel is a 2003 historical biography in comics by Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown. It deals with the relationship of Métis rebel leader Louis Riel (pictured) with the newly established Canadian government. It begins shortly before the 1869 Red River Rebellion, and ends with Riel's 1885 hanging for high treason. The book explores the possibly schizophrenic aspect of Riel's personality—he believed God had named him Prophet of the New World, destined to lead the Métis people to freedom. The work is noted for its emotional disengagement, its intentionally flat dialogue, and a minimalist drawing style inspired by Harold Gray's comic strip Little Orphan Annie. The lengthy, hand-lettered appendix provides insight on Brown's creative process and biases, and highlights where he changed historical facts to create a more engaging story. It was the first comic book to receive a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. It was critically well received, and won three Harvey Awards. The original serialization (1999–2003) sold poorly, but the book version was a surprise bestseller. Its success played a major part in gaining shelf space for serious graphic novels in mainstream North American bookstores. (more...)

Recently featured: Charles Carroll the Settler – George II of Great Britain – Hadji Ali

October 28

The porbeagle is a species of mackerel shark in the family Lamnidae, distributed widely in the cold and temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere. The porbeagle typically reaches 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in length and a weight of 135 kg (298 lb). Gray above and white below, the porbeagle has a very stout midsection that tapers towards the long, pointed snout and the narrow base of the tail. It has large pectoral and first dorsal fins, tiny pelvic, second dorsal, and anal fins, and a crescent-shaped caudal fin. The most distinctive features of this species are its three-cusped teeth, the white blotch on the back of its first dorsal fin, and the two pairs of lateral keels on its tail. Preying mainly on bony fishes and cephalopods, the porbeagle is an opportunistic hunter that regularly moves up and down in the water column, catching prey in midwater as well as off the bottom. It is well regarded as a game fish by recreational anglers. The porbeagle's meat and fins are highly valued, which has led to a long history of intense human exploitation. However, this species cannot sustain heavy fishing pressure because of its low reproductive capacity. (more...)

Recently featured: Louis Riel – Charles Carroll the Settler – George II of Great Britain

October 29

"Give Peace a Chance" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and the show's 109th episode overall. Written by Peter Nowalk and directed by Chandra Wilson, the episode was originally broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on October 29, 2009. Grey's Anatomy centers around a group of young doctors in training. In this episode, Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey, pictured) performs an operation on a hospital technician's "inoperable" tumor, despite the objections of the chief of surgery, Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.). The episode was designed to revolve around Dempsey's character. Mark Saul, Jesse Williams, and Nora Zehetner returned as guest stars, while Faran Tahir made his first and only appearance. Viewed by 13.74 million people, "Give Peace a Chance" won Wilson an NAACP Image Award for directing, and was generally well received among critics. (Read the full article)

Recently featured: Porbeagle – Louis Riel – Charles Carroll the Settler

October 30

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924) was an Irish composer, teacher, and conductor. While still an undergraduate at the University of Cambridge, Stanford was appointed organist of Trinity College. He was instrumental in raising the status of the Cambridge University Musical Society, attracting international stars to perform with it. In 1882, aged 29, he was one of the founding professors of the Royal College of Music, where he taught composition for the rest of his life. From 1887 he was also the professor of music at Cambridge. As a teacher, Stanford was sceptical about modernism, and based his instruction chiefly on classical principles as exemplified in the music of Brahms. Among his pupils were rising composers whose fame went on to surpass his own, such as Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams. As a conductor, Stanford held posts with the Bach Choir and the Leeds triennial music festival. He composed a substantial number of concert works, including seven symphonies, but his best-remembered pieces are his choral works for church performance, chiefly composed in the Anglican tradition. Some critics regarded Stanford, together with Hubert Parry and Alexander Mackenzie, as responsible for a renaissance in English music. (Read the full article)

Recently featured: "Give Peace a Chance" – Porbeagle – Louis Riel

October 31

Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror monster film, the first sequel to Frankenstein (1931). Bride of Frankenstein was directed by James Whale and stars Boris Karloff as the monster, Elsa Lanchester in the dual role of his mate and Mary Shelley, Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein and Ernest Thesiger as Doctor Septimus Pretorius. The film follows on immediately from the events of its predecessor, and it is rooted in a subplot of the original Mary Shelley novel, Frankenstein (1818). In Bride of Frankenstein, a chastened Henry Frankenstein abandons his plans to create life, only to be tempted and finally coerced by the monster, encouraged by Henry's old mentor Dr. Pretorius, into constructing a mate for him. Preparation began shortly after the first film premiered, but script problems delayed the project. Principal photography started in January 1935, with creative personnel from the original returning in front of and behind the camera. Bride of Frankenstein was released to critical and popular acclaim, although it encountered difficulties with some state and national censorship boards. Since its release the film's reputation has grown, and it is hailed as Whale's masterpiece. (Read the full article)

Recently featured: Charles Villiers Stanford – "Give Peace a Chance" – Porbeagle