Wikipedia:Today's featured article/September 2018

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September 1

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Messier 87 is a supergiant elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It has about 12,000 globular clusters—compared to the 150 to 200 orbiting the Milky Way—and a jet of energetic plasma that originates at the core and extends at least 4,900 light-years. One of the brightest radio sources in the sky, it is a popular target for both amateur and professional astronomers. The French astronomer Charles Messier discovered the galaxy in 1781, and catalogued it as a nebulous feature while searching for objects that would otherwise confuse comet hunters. About 53.5 million light-years from Earth, M87 is the second brightest galaxy within the northern Virgo Cluster. Unlike disk-shaped spiral galaxies, M87 has no distinctive dust lanes. Instead, it has an almost featureless ellipsoidal shape typical of most giant elliptical galaxies, diminishing in luminosity away from the center. It has a supermassive black hole at its core, powering an active galactic nucleus. (Full article...)


September 2

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Mediterranean. Described as a new species in 1789 by French mycologist Pierre Bulliard, it is closely related to several other European boletes, including B. reticulatus, B. pinophilus, and the popular B. edulis. The fungus predominantly grows near broad-leaved trees and shrubs in symbiosis with the roots, enveloping them with sheaths of fungal tissue. Quercus suber, the cork oak, is a key host. The spore-bearing mushrooms appear above ground in summer and autumn, growing a large dark brown cap, up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. Like other boletes, B. aereus releases its spores through pores on the underside of the cap instead of gills; this surface is whitish when young, aging to a greenish-yellow. The squat brown stalk, up to 15 cm (6 in) tall and 10 cm (4 in) thick, is partially covered with a raised network pattern. (Full article...
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September 3

James Brown, a sheep farmer charged with the murder of "unknown aboriginal natives" in March 1849
James Brown

The Avenue Range Station massacre was the murder of at least nine Aboriginal Tanganekald people, who were shot by white settlers on the Avenue Range pastoral station in the colony of South Australia around September 1848, during the Australian frontier wars. Those confirmed to have been killed were an old blind man, three women, two teenage girls, and three female children, including a baby. The sheep farmer James Brown (pictured) and his overseer, Eastwood, were suspected, and Brown was charged with the murder of "unknown aboriginal natives" in March 1849. The magistrate who committed him for trial said that there was "little question of the butchery or the butcher". Further investigation was ordered, but by the November 1849 sittings of the Supreme Court in the colonial capital of Adelaide, the case had been dropped. At the time there were significant restrictions on the use of evidence given by Aboriginal witnesses, especially where a verdict could involve capital punishment. (Full article...)


September 4

Trey Parker
Trey Parker

"

Full article...
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September 5

Eckhart Hall and the administrative offices of the Metallurgical Laboratory

The

national laboratories, the Argonne National Laboratory, on 1 July 1946. (Full article...
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Part of the History of the Manhattan Project featured topic.

Recently featured:

September 6

subfossil remains and may have died out shortly after the arrival of humans on the island, but not enough radiocarbon dating has been done with this genus to know for certain. (Full article...
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September 7

Rihanna performing "Don't Stop the Music" in 2010
Rihanna

"

UK Singles Chart, number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number one in nine countries, including Australia, France, Germany, and Switzerland. It has sold more than 3.7 million copies in the US. The singer performed "Don't Stop the Music" at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards and the NRJ Music Awards in 2008, and included it on her Good Girl Gone Bad, Last Girl on Earth, Loud and Diamonds World Tour set lists. (Full article...
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September 8

A Six Sides of Steel match at the TNA Lockdown 2007 pay-per-view event
A Six Sides of Steel match

SLAM! Wrestling rated it a 6.5 out of 10. (Full article...
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September 9

The

commemorative fifty-cent piece struck by the United States Mint in 1927. Designed by Charles Keck, its obverse depicts early Vermont leader Ira Allen, brother of Ethan Allen. The reverse design of a catamount has been criticized as irrelevant to Vermont. On January 9, 1925, U.S. Senator Frank L. Greene of Vermont introduced legislation for commemorative coins to mark the 150th anniversary of Vermont independence in 1777 and of the American victory at the Battle of Bennington the same year. His bill passed the Senate without difficulty, but the House of Representatives added two more special half dollars. The Senate agreed to the changes, and President Calvin Coolidge signed the authorizing act on February 24, 1925. The coins did not sell out; over a fourth of the issue was returned for redemption and melting. Today, they can sell for hundreds of dollars, depending on condition. (Full article...
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September 10

D. Djajakusuma (1918–1987) was an Indonesian film director and promoter of traditional art forms. During the Japanese occupation from 1943 to 1945 he was a translator and actor. In the national revolution which followed, he worked for the military's educational division and several news agencies, as well as in drama. In 1951 he joined the National Film Corporation (Perfini) at the invitation of Usmar Ismail. After his directorial debut with Embun, he released a further eleven films with the company before leaving in 1964. He then returned to traditional Indonesian theatre, including wayang. Although he continued to direct movies, most of his energies were dedicated to promoting traditional art forms and teaching cinematography. His theatrical performances attempted to modernise traditional forms. He is credited with revitalising the Betawi theatre form lenong and received numerous awards for his filmmaking, including a lifetime achievement award at the Indonesian Film Festival. (Full article...)


September 11

William Burke
William Burke
William Hare
William Hare

The

hanged. His corpse was dissected and his skeleton displayed at the Anatomical Museum of Edinburgh Medical School, where it remains. (Full article...
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September 12

Drawing of Isis's typical iconography, with throne-shaped headdress

Greek deities, as the inventor of marriage and the protector of ships at sea. As Hellenistic culture was absorbed by Rome, the cult of Isis became a part of Roman religion, with distinctive festivals and initiation ceremonies. Her cult may have influenced aspects of Christianity, such as the veneration of Mary, but the evidence for this influence is ambiguous. Isis continues to appear in Western culture, particularly in esotericism and modern paganism, often as a personification of nature or the feminine aspect of divinity. (Full article...
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September 13

The

600 Fifth Avenue was built in 1952. Four towers were built in the 1960s and 1970s. (Full article...
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September 14

In 1896, running a front porch campaign, he defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan, and won a rematch four years later. McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish–American War, raised protective tariffs to promote American industry, and maintained the nation on the gold standard in a rejection of free silver. His administration ended with his assassination in September 1901, but his presidency began a period dominated by the Republican Party. (Full article...
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September 15

SMS Bayern

The

scuttled along with other fleet ships at the command of Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter. (Full article...
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Part of the Battleships of Germany featured topic.


September 16

Thomas F. Bayard

Thomas F. Bayard (1828–1898) was a lawyer, politician, and diplomat from Wilmington, Delaware. He served three terms as a US Senator from Delaware and made three unsuccessful bids for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. In 1885, President Grover Cleveland appointed him Secretary of State. Bayard worked with Cleveland to promote American trade in the Pacific while avoiding the acquisition of colonies at a time when many Americans clamored for them. He worked to resolve disputes over fishing and seal-hunting rights in the waters around the Canada–United States border. After four years in private life, he returned to the diplomatic arena as Ambassador to the United Kingdom, where he continued to strive for Anglo-American friendship. This brought him into conflict with his successor at the State Department, Richard Olney, when Olney and Cleveland were demanding more aggressive diplomatic overtures in the Venezuelan crisis of 1895. (Full article...)

Part of the

United States presidential election, 1880 featured topic
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September 17

A WestJet Encore Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft with landing gear extended
Bombardier Q400 NextGen, flown by WestJet Encore

Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft (pictured), a variant of the Bombardier Dash 8. The airline was initially staffed with non-union employees but the pilots have since unionized. (Full article...
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September 18

Section of Hatteras Island washed out by storm surge
Section of Hatteras Island
washed out by storm surge

Hurricane Isabel struck North Carolina on the East Coast of the United States on September 18, 2003. Forming in early September in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the storm had moved northwestward, with peak winds of 165 mph (265 km/h). Isabel made landfall on the Outer Banks with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h), then quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania the next day. It produced moderate to heavy damage across eastern North Carolina. Storm surge and strong winds in Dare County damaged thousands of houses and created a 2,000-foot (600 m) inlet on Hatteras Island (pictured), washing out parts of North Carolina Highway 12 and isolating the village of Hatteras for two months. Across the state, up to 700,000 residents were left without power. Three deaths in North Carolina were attributed to the storm, and statewide damage was estimated at $450 million. (Full article...)

Part of the Hurricane Isabel featured topic.


September 19

Kate Sheppard (1848–1934) was the most prominent member of the women's suffrage movement in New Zealand, and is one of that nation's best-known historical figures. Born in Liverpool, England, she migrated to New Zealand with her family in 1868, joining religious and social organisations there, including the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). In 1887 she was appointed the WCTU's National Superintendent for Franchise and Legislation. Sheppard promoted women's suffrage by organising petitions and public meetings, by writing letters to the press, and by developing contacts with politicians. She was the editor of the White Ribbon, the first woman-operated newspaper in New Zealand. Through her skilful writing and persuasive public speaking, her work culminated in the grant of the vote to women on 19 September 1893, making New Zealand the first nation to grant universal suffrage. (Full article...)


September 20

Cast of the holotype tooth at the Geological Museum in Copenhagen
Cast of the holotype tooth

titanosaur tooth. (Full article...
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September 21

Science Fiction, March 1939

Robert W. Lowndes took over in late 1941, and remained editor until the end. The initial launch of the magazines came as part of a boom in science fiction pulp magazine publishing at the end of the 1930s, but in 1943 wartime paper shortages ended their run. In the 1950s, with the market improving again, both magazines were relaunched. Lowndes set a friendly and engaging tone in the magazines, with letter columns and reader departments that interested fans. He was successful in obtaining good stories partly because he had good relationships with several well-known and emerging writers. Among the stories he published were "The Liberation of Earth" by William Tenn and "If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth" by Arthur C. Clarke. (Full article...
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September 22

Foreign Office in 1944 and served in several sensitive posts, including a spell as secretary to Hector McNeil, the deputy to Ernest Bevin, the Foreign Secretary. In the critical postwar period Burgess had access to information on all aspects of Britain's foreign policy, and may have passed thousands of documents to his Soviet controllers. He fled to Moscow in May 1951 and never left the Soviet Union. (Full article...
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September 23

The red-billed tropicbird is a seabird, one of three species in the family Phaethontidae. Resembling a tern, it has mostly white plumage with some black markings on the wings and back, a black mask and a red bill. Most adults have tail streamers that are about two times their body length, and generally longer in males than in females. Described by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th edition of Systema Naturae (1758), this species ranges across the Indian Ocean, the tropical Atlantic, and the eastern Pacific. Nesting takes place in loose colonies. A single egg is laid, and incubated by both sexes for about six weeks. After a chick fledges, the parents will usually stop visiting the nest and the chick will leave. Red-billed tropicbirds of all ages feed on fish and squid, catching them by diving from the air into the water. The birds sometimes follow surface-feeding predators that drive prey to the surface, where they can be seized. (Full article...)


September 24

The crew of the US PT boat PT 59 inspects the wreckage of the Japanes submarine I-1
Wreckage of the Japanese submarine I-1

six-month campaign for control of the island. (Full article...
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Part of the Guadalcanal Campaign featured topic.


September 25

Possible depiction of Æthelbald
Possible depiction
of Æthelbald

Midlands of England, from 716 until he was killed in 757. He came to the throne after the death of his cousin, King Ceolred, who had driven him into exile. During his long reign, Mercia became the dominant kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons, and recovered the position of pre-eminence it had enjoyed during the strong reigns of Mercian kings Penda and Wulfhere between about 628 and 675. When Æthelbald came to the throne, both Wessex and Kent were ruled by stronger kings, but within fifteen years Æthelbald was ruling all England south of the river Humber, according to the contemporary chronicler Bede. Æthelbald was killed in 757 by his bodyguards. He was succeeded briefly by Beornred, of whom little is known. Within a year, Offa, the grandson of Æthelbald's cousin Eanwulf, had seized the throne, possibly after a brief civil war. Under Offa, Mercia entered its most prosperous and influential period. (Full article...
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September 26

US 25 along Gratiot Avenue in Detroit in 1941

US Highway 25 in the state of Michigan (US 25) was a highway that ran northeasterly from the Ohio state line near Toledo through Monroe and Detroit to Port Huron. Continuing near the foot of the Blue Water Bridge, it proceeded north and northwesterly along the Lake Huron shoreline to the tip of The Thumb in Port Austin. Created with the initial US Highway System in 1926, US 25 followed some roadways dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and replaced several state highway designations. The highway was extended to Port Austin in 1933. Starting in the early 1960s, segments of Interstate 75 and Interstate 94 were built, and US 25 was shifted to follow them concurrently south of Detroit to Port Huron. On September 26, 1973, the entire designation was removed from the state. The final routing of the highway is still maintained by the state under eight different designations, some unsigned. (Full article...)

Part of the US Highways in Michigan series, one of Wikipedia's featured topics.


September 27

The Orient Express
The Orient Express

Bond series, starring Sean Connery. (Full article...
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September 28

A linking book
A linking book

Myst IV: Revelation is the fourth installment in the Myst series, developed by the French video game publisher Ubisoft. First released on September 28, 2004, it uses pre-rendered graphics and digital video, as in Myst III: Exile, but adds real-time 3D effects. The player is sent to question the sons and recover the daughter of Atrus, a man who creates links to other worlds by writing special linking books (illustration shown). Development of Revelation lasted more than three years, requiring as many as eighty Ubisoft employees. The original score was written by Exile's composer, Jack Wall. Musician Peter Gabriel lent his voice and a song to the audio. Overall, reception to the game was positive; reviewers lauded the visuals, sound, and puzzles, but some took issue with the control scheme. Revelation is the last game in the Myst series to use both pre-rendered backgrounds and full-motion video. (Full article...)

Part of the Myst series featured topic.


September 29

episcopate, lending John money and undertaking diplomatic missions on his behalf. In 1205 John attempted to further reward de Gray by making him Archbishop of Canterbury, but a disputed election process led to de Gray's selection being quashed by Pope Innocent III in 1206. Stephen Langton was consecrated as archbishop against John's wishes, triggering a long dispute with the papacy. The pope imposed various sanctions on England and John. In 1209 de Gray became governor of Ireland for John, and spent until 1213 attempting to impose royal government there on the Anglo-Norman barons and the native Irish. He travelled to Rome to secure a papal pardon after the final settlement of the dispute with John. After the pardon, de Gray was appointed Bishop of Durham, but he died on his way back to England. (Full article...
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September 30

Jean Bolikango in 1960

Jean Bolikango (1909–1982) was a Congolese educator, writer, and conservative politician. He was Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), in September 1960 and from February to August 1962. Enjoying substantial popularity among the Bangala people, he headed the Parti de l'Unité Nationale and worked as a key opposition member in Parliament in the early 1960s. Beginning his career in the Belgian Congo as a teacher in Catholic schools, he wrote a novel and worked as a journalist before turning to politics in the late 1950s. Though he held a top communications post in the colonial administration, he became a leader in the push for independence. After the Republic of the Congo became independent in 1960, he promoted both a united Congo and strong ties with Belgium. The President of the Congo posthumously awarded Bolikango a medal in 2005 for his long career in public service. (Full article...)