Wikipedia:Today's featured article/August 2010

August 1

The Action of 1 August 1801 was a single ship action of the First Barbary War fought between the American schooner USS Enterprise and the Tripolitan polacca Tripoli off the coast of modern-day Libya. As part of Commodore Richard Dale's Mediterranean Squadron, Enterprise had been deployed with the American force blockading the Velayat of Tripoli. Under the command of Lieutenant Andrew Sterett, Enterprise had been sent to gather supplies at Malta. While cruising towards Malta, Enterprise engaged the Tripoli, commanded by Admiral Rais Mahomet Rous. Tripoli put up a stubborn fight and the engagement lasted for three hours before the polacca was finally captured. Although the Americans had taken the vessel, Sterett had no orders to take prizes and so was obliged to release her. Enterprise completed her journey to Malta, and received honor and praise from the squadron's Commodore on her return to the fleet. The success of the battle boosted morale in the United States, since it was that country's first victory in the war against the Tripolitans. The opposite occurred in Tripoli, where morale sank heavily upon learning of Tripoli's defeat. Despite Enterprise's triumph, the war continued indecisively for another four years. (more...)

Recently featured: Hurricane Grace – Central London Railway – No Line on the Horizon

August 2

Major urinary proteins (Mups) are a subfamily of proteins found in high abundance in the urine and other secretions of many mammals. They belong to a larger family of proteins known as lipocalins. Mups are encoded by a cluster of genes located on a single stretch of DNA, varying greatly in number between species: from at least 21 functional genes in mice to none in humans. Mups form a characteristic glove shape, encompassing a ligand-binding pocket that accommodates specific small, organic chemicals. Urinary proteins were first reported in rodents in 1932, during studies by Thomas Addis into the cause of proteinuria. They are potent human allergens largely responsible for a number of animal allergies. Their endogenous function within an animal is unknown, but as secreted proteins, they can act as pheromones or function as pheromone transporters and stabilizers, playing multiple roles in chemical communication between animals. They have been demonstrated to promote aggression in male mice, and one specific Mup found in male mouse urine is sexually attractive to female mice. Mups can also function as signals between different species. Accordingly, Mups can provide a range of identifying information about the donor animal. (more...)

Recently featured: Action of 1 August 1801 – Hurricane Grace – Central London Railway

August 3

Alice Ayres (1859–1885) was an English household assistant and nursemaid to the family of her brother-in-law and sister, Henry and Mary Ann Chandler. The Chandlers owned an oil and paint shop in Southwark, and Ayres lived with them above the shop. In 1885, fire broke out in the shop and Ayres rescued three of her nieces from the burning building but fatally injured herself. Ayres died during a period of great social change in Britain in the wake of the Industrial Revolution, in which a rapidly growing media was paying increasing attention to the activities of the poorer classes. The manner of her death caused great public interest, and large numbers of people attended her funeral and contributed to the funding of a memorial. She then underwent a "secular canonisation" and became widely depicted in the popular culture of the period. The circumstances of her death were distorted to give the impression that she was an employee willing to die for the sake of her employer's family. She was widely cited as a role model, and was promoted as an example of the values held by various social and political movements. In 1902 her name was added to the Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice and in 1936 a street near the scene of the fire was renamed Ayres Street in her honour. The case of Alice Ayres came to renewed public notice with the release of Patrick Marber's 1997 play Closer, and the 2004 film based on it. (more...)

Recently featured: Major urinary proteins – Action of 1 August 1801 – Hurricane Grace

August 4

Sentence spacing is the horizontal space between sentences in typeset text. Since the introduction of movable-type printing in Europe, various typographical conventions have been used in languages with a Latin-derived alphabet, including a normal word space (as between the words in a sentence), a single enlarged space, and two full spaces. Although modern digital fonts can automatically set up visually pleasing and consistent spacing following terminal punctuation, most debate is about whether to strike a keyboard's spacebar once or twice between sentences. Until the 20th century, publishing houses and printers in many countries used single, but enlarged spaces between sentences. There were exceptions to this traditional spacing method—printers in some countries preferred single spacing. This was French spacing. Double spacing, or placing two spaces between sentences, then came into widespread use with the introduction of the typewriter. From around 1950, single sentence spacing became standard in books, magazines, newspapers, and webpages. Regardless, many still believe that double spaces are correct. The majority of style guides opt for a single space after terminal punctuation for final and published work. (more...)

Recently featured: Alice Ayres – Major urinary proteins – Action of 1 August 1801

August 5

The Rheinmetall 120 mm gun is a smoothbore tank gun designed and produced by the German Rheinmetall-DeTec AG company. It was developed in response to Soviet advances in armor technology and development of new armored threats. With production beginning in 1974, the first version of the gun, known as the L/44, was used on the German Leopard 2, and was soon produced under license for the American M1A1 Abrams and other tanks. The American version, the M256, is simplified, however, by using a coilspring recoil system instead of a hydraulic system. It has also been exported to South Korea and Japan, as well as nations which have procured the Leopard 2 and the M1 Abrams. Rheinmetall's 120-millimeter (4.7 in) L/44 tank gun has a length of 5.28 meters (5.77 yd), while the gun system weighs approximately 3,317 kilograms (7,313 lb). However, by 1990 the L/44 was not considered powerful enough to deal with modernized Soviet armor, such as the T-80B, which stimulated an effort by Rheinmetall to develop a better main armament. This first revolved around a 140-millimeter (5.5 in) tank gun, but later turned into a compromise which led to the development of an advanced 120-millimeter (4.7 in) gun. (more...)

Recently featured: Sentence spacing – Alice Ayres – Major urinary proteins

August 6

William Hillcourt (1900–1992) was an influential leader in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization for much of the 20th century, acclaimed as "the foremost influence on development of the Boy Scouting program". Hillcourt is especially noted as a writer and teacher in the areas of woodcraft, troop and patrol structure, and training. He was a prolific writer; his works include three editions of the BSA's widely circulated official Boy Scout Handbook, with over 12.6 million copies printed. Hillcourt developed and promoted the American adaptation of the Wood Badge program, the premier adult leader training program of Scouting. Hillcourt was Danish, but moved to the United States as a young adult and worked for the BSA. From his start in Danish Scouting in 1910 through his death in 1992, he was continuously active in Scouting. He traveled all over the world teaching and training both Scouts and Scouters, earning many of Scouting's highest honors. His legacy and influence can still be seen today in the BSA program and in Scouting training manuals and methods for both youth and adults. (more...)

Recently featured: Rheinmetall 120 mm gun – Sentence spacing – Alice Ayres

August 7

Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language dramatic play, La Tosca, is a melodramatic piece set in Rome in June 1800, with the Kingdom of Naples's control of Rome threatened by Napoleon's invasion of Italy. It depicts graphic scenes of torture, murder and suicide, yet it contains some of Puccini's best-known lyrical arias, and has inspired memorable performances from many of opera's leading singers. Tosca premiered at a time of unrest in Rome, and its first performance was delayed for a day for fear of disturbances. Despite indifferent reviews from the critics, the opera was an immediate success with the public. While critics have frequently dismissed the opera as a facile melodrama with confusions of plot—musicologist Joseph Kerman famously called it a "shabby little shocker"—the power of its score and the inventiveness of its orchestration have been widely acknowledged. The dramatic force of Tosca and its characters continues to fascinate both performers and audiences, and the work remains one of the most frequently performed operas. (more...)

Recently featured: William Hillcourt – Rheinmetall 120 mm gun – Sentence spacing

August 8

Terry Sanford (1917–1998) was a United States politician and educator from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford was the 65th Governor of North Carolina (1961–1965), a two-time U.S. Presidential candidate in the 1970s and a U.S. Senator (1986–1993). Sanford was a strong proponent of education and introduced a number of reforms and new programs in North Carolina's schools and institutions of higher education as the state's governor, increasing funding for education and establishing the North Carolina Fund. From 1969 to 1985, Sanford was President of Duke University. An Eagle Scout as a youth, Sanford became an FBI agent after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1939. During World War II, he saw combat in the European Theatre and received a battlefield commission. After the war, Sanford attended the University of North Carolina School of Law and began a legal career in the late 1940s, soon becoming involved in politics. A lifelong Democrat, he was noted for his progressive leadership in civil rights and education; although his opponents criticized him as a "tax-and-spend" liberal, Sanford is remembered as a major public figure of the South after World War II. (more...)

Recently featured: Tosca – William Hillcourt – Rheinmetall 120 mm gun

August 9

The flag of Singapore was first adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It was reconfirmed as the national flag when the Republic gained independence on 9 August 1965. The design is a horizontal bicolour of red above white, placed in the canton by a white crescent moon facing a pentagon of five small white five-pointed stars. The elements of the flag denote a young nation on the ascendant, universal brotherhood and equality, and national ideals. Vessels at sea do not use the national flag as an ensign. Merchant vessels and pleasure craft fly a civil ensign of red charged in white with a variant of the crescent and stars emblem in the centre. Non-military government vessels such as coast guard ships fly a state ensign of blue with the national flag in the canton, charged with an eight-pointed red and white compass rose in the lower fly. Naval warships fly a naval ensign similar to the state ensign, but in white with a red compass rose emblem. Rules defined by the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Act govern the use and display of the national flag. (more...)

Recently featured: Terry Sanford – Tosca – William Hillcourt

August 10

Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-largest city in the United States. With an estimated population of 389,625 in 2009, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region of 929,015 residents projected to reach one million between 2010 and 2012. The city serves as the county seat of Tulsa County, the most densely populated county in Oklahoma, and extends into Osage, Rogers, and Wagoner counties. Tulsa was first settled in the 1830s by the Lachapoka Band of the Creek Native American tribe. In 1921, it was the site of the infamous Tulsa Race Riot, one of the largest and most destructive acts of racial violence in the history of the United States. For most of the 20th century, the city held the nickname "Oil Capital of the World" and played a major role as one of the most important hubs for the American oil industry. Tulsa, along with several other cities, claims to be the birthplace of U.S. Route 66 and is also known for its Western Swing music. (more...)

Recently featured: Flag of Singapore – Terry Sanford – Tosca

August 11

The 2008 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 12, 2008, at the Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Japan. It was the 16th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 67 laps, was won by Fernando Alonso for the Renault team from fourth position on the starting grid. Robert Kubica finished second in a BMW Sauber, and Kimi Räikkönen third in a Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, the eventual Drivers' Champion, led the Championship going into the race, and started from pole position alongside Räikkönen. Hamilton's McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen began from third, next to Alonso. At the first corner Hamilton braked late, forcing Räikkönen wide. Hamilton was later given a penalty, and was criticised by the British racing press for overly aggressive driving. Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, Hamilton's principal Championship rival, was penalised after an incident on lap two in which he touched Hamilton's car and spun it around. The incident dropped Hamilton to the back of the field, from where he was unable to regain a pointscoring position. Massa later collided with Sébastien Bourdais of Toro Rosso. Bourdais was penalised after the race, and demoted from sixth to tenth position. The penalty prompted widespread criticism from the racing media and ex-drivers. The victory was Alonso's second consecutive win, after he started from 15th on the grid to win the Singapore Grand Prix. (more...)

Recently featured: Tulsa, Oklahoma – Flag of Singapore – Terry Sanford

August 12

Thomas of Bayeux was Archbishop of York from 1070 until 1100. A native of Bayeux, he was educated at Liège and became a royal chaplain to Duke William of Normandy, later King William I of England. After the Norman Conquest, the King nominated Thomas to succeed Ealdred as Archbishop of York. After Thomas' election, Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, demanded an oath from Thomas to obey him and any future Archbishops of Canterbury; this was part of Lanfranc's claim that Canterbury was the primary bishopric, and its holder the head of the English Church. Thomas countered that York had never made such an oath, which resulted in Lanfranc's refusal to consecrate him. The King eventually persuaded Thomas to submit, but Thomas and Lanfranc continued to clash over ecclesiastical and various other issues. After William I's death, Thomas served his successor William II, and helped to put down a rebellion led by Thomas' old mentor Odo of Bayeux. During William II's reign, Thomas again became involved in the dispute with Canterbury over the primacy when he refused to consecrate the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Anselm, if Anselm was named the Primate of England in the consecration service. After William II's sudden death in 1100, Thomas arrived too late to crown King Henry I, and died soon after the coronation. (more...)

Recently featured: 2008 Japanese Grand Prix – Tulsa, Oklahoma – Flag of Singapore

August 13

The silky shark is a species of requiem shark, family Carcharhinidae, named for the smooth texture of its skin. It is one of the most abundant sharks in the pelagic zone, and can be found in tropical waters worldwide. Highly mobile and migratory, this shark is most often found over the edge of the continental shelf to a depth of 50 m (160 ft). The silky shark has a slender, streamlined body and typically grows to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long. A swift, inquisitive and persistent hunter, it feeds mainly on bony fishes and cephalopods, and has been known to drive them into compacted schools before launching open-mouthed, slashing attacks. This species often trails schools of tuna, a favored prey. The silky shark has an extremely acute sense of hearing, allowing it to localize the low-frequency sound generated by other feeding animals, and by extension, sources of food. Due to their abundance, they form a major component of commercial and artisanal shark fisheries in many countries. Data now suggest that silky shark numbers are declining around the world, which prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature to reassess its conservation status from Least Concern to Near Threatened in 2007. (more...)

Recently featured: Thomas of Bayeux – 2008 Japanese Grand Prix – Tulsa, Oklahoma

August 14

A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture conceived neither as an arthouse film nor as pornography. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature. Although the U.S. production of movies intended as second features largely ceased by the end of the 1950s, the term B movie continued to be used in the broader sense it maintains today. In its post–Golden Age usage, there is ambiguity on both sides of the definition: on the one hand, many B movies display a high degree of craft and aesthetic ingenuity; on the other, the primary interest of many inexpensive exploitation films is prurient. In some cases, both are true. In either usage, most B movies represent a particular genre—the Western was a Golden Age B movie staple, while low-budget science-fiction and horror films became more popular in the 1950s. (more...)

Recently featured: Silky shark – Thomas of Bayeux – 2008 Japanese Grand Prix

August 15

Chrono Cross is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger, which was released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Chrono Cross was developed primarily by director Masato Kato and producer Hiromichi Tanaka (pictured); other designers from Chrono Trigger contributed, including composer Yasunori Mitsuda. The story of Chrono Cross focuses on a teenager named Serge and a theme of parallel worlds. Faced with an alternate reality in which he died as a child, Serge endeavors to discover the truth of the two worlds' divergence. Upon its release in Japan in 1999 and in North America in 2000, Chrono Cross received high ratings and critical acclaim, earning a rare perfect 10.0 score from GameSpot. The game shipped 1.5 million copies worldwide, leading to a Greatest Hits re-release and continued life in Japan as part of the Ultimate Hits series. (more...)

Recently featured: B movie – Silky shark – Thomas of Bayeux

August 16

Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth-brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is a relatively close star at only 25 light-years from Earth, and one of the most luminous stars in the Sun's neighbourhood. Vega has been extensively studied by astronomers. It was the first star other than the Sun to have its photograph taken and the first to have its spectrum photographed. Historically, Vega served as the northern pole star around 12,000 BCE and will do so again at 13,727 CE. Vega is only about a tenth the age of the Sun, but it is evolving so quickly that it has already approached the midpoint of its life expectancy. It has an unusually low abundance of the elements with a higher atomic number than that of helium. It is rotating rapidly with a velocity of 274 km/s at the equator. Based on an observed excess emission of infrared radiation, Vega appears to have a circumstellar disk of dust. This dust is likely the result of collisions between objects in an orbiting debris disk, which is analogous to the Kuiper belt in the Solar System. Irregularities in Vega's disk also suggest the presence of at least one planet, likely to be about the size of Jupiter. (more...)

Recently featured: Chrono Cross – B movie – Silky shark

August 17

John Whittle (1882–1946) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" for members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Born in Tasmania, Whittle completed twelve months of active service during the Second Boer War, before returning to Australia and serving for five years in the Royal Navy as a stoker. Re-enlisting in the army, he was posted to the Army Service Corps, artillery, and Tasmanian Rifle Regiment prior to the First World War. Transferring to the Australian Imperial Force in 1915, Whittle joined the 12th Battalion in Egypt and embarked for the Western Front the following year. He won the Distinguished Conduct Medal for rushing a German trench and forcing the men from the position. He was decorated with the Victoria Cross following two separate actions during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in 1917. In the second, he attacked a machine gun crew, killing the group and seizing the gun. Wounded three times during the war, Whittle was the subject of two courts-martial due to his unruly behaviour. In 1918, he returned to Australia at the invitation of the Prime Minister to assist in recruitment. After being discharged from the military, he moved to Sydney. He died in 1946 at the age of 63. (more...)

Recently featured: Vega – Chrono Cross – B movie

August 18

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a joint disorder in which cracks form in the articular cartilage and the underlying subchondral bone. It is caused by blood deprivation in the subchondral bone, which leads to death of subchondral bone tissues in a process called avascular necrosis. The bone is then reabsorbed by the body, leaving the articular cartilage it supported prone to damage. The result is fragmentation of both cartilage and bone, and the free movement of these osteochondral fragments within the joint space, causing pain and further damage. In humans, OCD is a rare disease, occurring in only 15 to 30 people per 100,000 in the general population each year. Although rare, it is an important cause of joint pain in physically active adolescents. As their bones are still growing, adolescents are more likely than adults to recover from OCD, attributable to the growing bone's ability to repair damaged or dead bone tissue and cartilage in a process called bone remodeling. While OCD may affect any joint, the knee tends to be the most commonly affected, and constitutes 75% of all cases. (more...)

Recently featured: John Whittle – Vega – Chrono Cross

August 19

Constantine II of Scotland was an early King of Scotland, known then by the Gaelic name Alba. His reign, like those of his predecessors, was dominated by the actions of Viking rulers in Britain and Ireland, particularly the Uí Ímair. During Constantine's reign, the rulers of the southern kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia, later the kingdom of England, extended their authority northwards into the disputed kingdoms of Northumbria. At first allied with the southern rulers against the Vikings, Constantine in time came into conflict with them. King Æthelstan secured Constantine's submission in 927 and 934, but the two again fought when Constantine, allied with the Strathclyde Britons and the Viking king of Dublin, invaded Æthelstan's kingdom in 937, only to be defeated at the great battle of Brunanburh. In 943 Constantine abdicated the throne and retired to the Céli Dé monastery of St Andrews where he died in 952. His reign of 43 years, exceeded in Scotland only by that of King William the Lion before the Union of the Crowns in 1603, is believed to have played a defining part in the gaelicisation of Pictland in which his patronage of the Irish Céli Dé monastic reformers was a significant factor. During his reign the words "Scots" and "Scotland" (Old English: Scottas, Scotland) were first used to mean part of what is now Scotland. (more...)

Recently featured: Osteochondritis dissecans – John Whittle – Vega

August 20

Benjamin Morrell (1795–1839) was an American sealing captain and explorer who between 1823 and 1831 made a series of voyages, mainly to the Southern Ocean and the Pacific Islands. Morrell's reputation among his peers was for untruth and fantasy. Claims in his partly ghost-written memoir, A Narrative of Four Voyages, especially those relating to his Antarctic experiences, have been disputed by geographers and historians. After running away to sea at the age of 16 and being twice captured and imprisoned by the British during the War of 1812, Morrell sailed before the mast for several years and subsequently became captain of the sealer Wasp. In 1823 he took Wasp for an extended voyage into sub-Antarctic waters, and it was from this first of four voyages that much of the controversy surrounding his reputation developed. Many of his claims—the first landing on Bouvet Island, a Weddell Sea penetration to 70°S, an extremely rapid passage of 3,500 miles (5,600 km) at improbably high latitudes, and the discovery of a coastline he named New South Greenland—have been doubted or proved false. His subsequent three voyages, in other ships, were less contentious, although his descriptions of various incidents have been dismissed as fanciful or absurd. He is believed to have died in 1839 of a fever contracted in Portuguese East Africa. (more...)

Recently featured: Constantine II of Scotland – Osteochondritis dissecans – John Whittle

August 21

Edmund Evans (1826–1905) was a prominent English wood engraver and colour printer during the Victorian era. Evans specialized in full-colour printing, which became popular in the mid-19th century. He employed and collaborated with illustrators such as Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, and Richard Doyle to produce what are now considered to be classic children's books. Although little is known about his life, he wrote a short autobiography before his death in 1905 in which he described his life as a printer in Victorian London. After finishing an apprenticeship, Evans went into business for himself. By the early 1850s, he had made a reputation as a printer of covers for cheap novels known as yellow-backs. In the early 1860s, Evans began to print children's toy books and picture books in association with the printing house Routledge and Warne. His intention was to produce books for children that were beautiful and inexpensive. For three decades he produced multiple volumes each year, first illustrated by Crane, and later by Caldecott and Greenaway. (more...)

Recently featured: Benjamin Morrell – Constantine II of Scotland – Osteochondritis dissecans

August 22

Norton Priory is an historic site in Norton, Runcorn, Cheshire, North West England, comprising the remains of an abbey complex dating from the 12th to 16th centuries, and an 18th-century country house. The remains are a scheduled ancient monument and have been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. They are considered to be the most important monastic remains in Cheshire. In 1966 the site was given in trust for the use of the general public. Excavation of the site began in 1971, and became the largest to be carried out by modern methods on any European monastic site. It revealed the foundations and lower parts of the walls of the monastery buildings and the abbey church. Important finds included: a Norman doorway; a finely carved arcade; a floor of mosaic tiles, the largest floor area of this type to be found in any modern excavation; the remains of the kiln where the tiles were fired; a bell pit used for casting the bell; and a large medieval statue of Saint Christopher. The site, including a museum, the excavated ruins, and the surrounding garden and woodland, was opened to the public in the 1970s. In 1984, a redesigned walled garden was also opened. Norton Priory is now a visitor attraction, and the museum trust organises a programme of events, exhibitions, educational courses, and outreach projects. (more...)

Recently featured: Edmund Evans – Benjamin Morrell – Constantine II of Scotland

August 23

The ANAK Society is the oldest known secret society and honor society based at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, Georgia, US. Founded in 1908, ANAK's purpose is "to honor outstanding juniors and seniors who have shown both exemplary leadership and a true love for Georgia Tech". The society's name refers to Anak, a biblical figure said to be the forefather of a race of giants. Although not originally founded as a secret society, ANAK has kept its activities and membership rosters confidential since 1961. Membership is made public upon a student's graduation or a faculty member's retirement. The ANAK Society's membership comprises at least 1,100 Georgia Tech graduates, faculty members, and honorary members. Notable members include Jimmy Carter, Bobby Dodd, Ivan Allen Jr., and most of Georgia Tech's presidents. Membership in the ANAK Society has long been considered the highest honor a Georgia Tech student can receive, although the society's activities have been the object of suspicion and controversy in recent years. (more...)

Recently featured: Norton Priory – Edmund Evans – Benjamin Morrell

August 24

Joy Division was an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. The band, primarily consisting of Ian Curtis (vocals and occasional guitar), Bernard Sumner (pictured) (guitar and keyboards), Peter Hook (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Stephen Morris (drums and percussion), rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences to develop a sound and style that pioneered the post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Their self-released 1978 debut EP, An Ideal for Living, caught the attention of the Manchester television personality Tony Wilson. Their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, was released in 1979 on Wilson's independent record label Factory Records and drew critical acclaim. Despite the band's growing success, Curtis was beset with depression and personal difficulties, including a dissolving marriage and his diagnosis with epilepsy. He found it increasingly difficult to perform at live concerts, and often had seizures during performances. On the eve of the band's first American tour in 1980, Curtis, overwhelmed with depression, committed suicide. Joy Division's posthumously released second album, Closer, and the single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" became the band's highest charting releases. After the death of Curtis, the remaining members reformed as New Order, achieving critical and commercial success. (more...)

Recently featured: ANAK Society – Norton Priory – Edmund Evans

August 25

Ethan Hawke (born 1970) is an American actor, writer and film director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with River Phoenix in the movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role. He then appeared in such films as White Fang (1991), A Midnight Clear (1992), and Alive (1993) before taking a role in the 1994 Generation X drama Reality Bites, for which he received critical acclaim. In 1995 he starred in the romantic drama Before Sunrise, and later in its sequel Before Sunset (2004). In 2001, Hawke was cast in a supporting role in Training Day (2001), for which he received a Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category. Other films have included the science fiction feature Gattaca (1997), the title role in Michael Almereyda's Hamlet (2000), the action thriller Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), and the crime drama Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007). He made his directorial debut with the 2002 independent feature Chelsea Walls. Between 1998 and 2004 Hawke was married to actress Uma Thurman. (more...)

Recently featured: Joy Division – ANAK Society – Norton Priory

August 26

Allosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 145 million years ago, in the late Jurassic period. A large bipedal predator, it averaged 8.5 meters (28 ft) in length, possibly reaching over 12 meters (39 ft). Relative to the large and powerful hindlimbs, its three-fingered forelimbs were small; the body was balanced by a long, heavy tail. Allosaurus was at the top of the food chain; potential prey included ornithopods, stegosaurids, and sauropods. Some paleontologists believe Allosaurus had cooperative social behavior and hunted in packs, while others think they worked individually. It may have attacked large prey by ambush, using its upper jaws like a hatchet. As one of the first well-known theropod dinosaurs, it has long attracted attention outside paleontological circles, and has been a lead dinosaur in several films and documentaries. (more...)

Recently featured: Ethan Hawke – Joy Division – ANAK Society

August 27

The Baltimore Steam Packet Company was an American steamship line from 1840 to 1962, providing overnight steamboat service on the Chesapeake Bay, primarily between Baltimore, Maryland, and Norfolk, Virginia. Called a "packet" for the mail packets carried on government mail contracts, the term in the 19th century came to mean a steamer line operating on a regular, fixed daily schedule between two or more cities. By the time the venerable packet line ceased operation in 1962 after 122 years of existence, it was the last surviving overnight steamship passenger service in the United States. In addition to regularly calling on Baltimore and Norfolk, the Baltimore Steam Packet Company also provided freight, passenger and vehicle transport to Washington, D.C., Old Point Comfort, and Richmond, Virginia, at various times during its history. (more...)

Recently featured: Allosaurus – Ethan Hawke – Joy Division

August 28

Hurricane Bob was a weak hurricane that affected the southeast United States in July 1985. The second tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season, the system developed from a tropical wave on July 21 in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Bob began moving east, striking southwestern Florida as a weak tropical storm. The storm then turned to the north and quickly intensified to hurricane status on July 24. The next day, it made landfall near Beaufort, South Carolina, becoming one of a record-tying six hurricanes to hit the United States during a single season. Bob caused $20 million in damage and five indirect deaths. In Florida, the storm produced heavy rainfall, peaking at over 20 inches (500 mm) in Everglades City. In most areas, the rainfall was beneficial due to dry conditions that had persisted throughout the year. Damage was minimal in South Carolina, where the hurricane made its final landfall. In Virginia, the storm spawned three tornadoes, one of which destroyed two houses. (more...)

Recently featured: Baltimore Steam Packet Company – Allosaurus – Ethan Hawke

August 29

Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke and broadcast since 1973 on BBC One. The longest-running sitcom in the world, it premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse. Having run for 31 series, the last episode aired on 29 August 2010. Set and filmed in and around Holmfirth, West Yorkshire (pictured), the series centres on a trio of old men whose line-up has changed over the years, although most notably comprised Bill Owen as the scruffy and child-like Compo, Peter Sallis as deep-thinking, meek Norman Clegg and Brian Wilde as quirky war veteran Foggy. Other "third men" in the trio include Michael Bates as authoritarian snob Blamire, Michael Aldridge as eccentric inventor Seymour and Frank Thornton as former police officer Truly. Gradually, the cast has grown to include a variety of supporting characters, each contributing their own subplots to the show and often becoming unwillingly involved in the schemes of the trio. Although critics have noted a decline in the show's quality since Owen's death in 1999, Last of the Summer Wine has been shown in 25 countries, garnered large audiences for the BBC and has been praised for its positive portrayal of older people and family-friendly humour. (more...)

Recently featured: Hurricane Bob (1985) – Baltimore Steam Packet Company – Allosaurus

August 30

The bog turtle is a semiaquatic turtle that is endemic to the eastern United States. It was discovered in Pennsylvania in the 18th century and first scientifically described in 1801. It is the smallest North American turtle, measuring about 10 centimeters (4 in) long when fully grown. Although the bog turtle is similar in appearance to the painted or spotted turtles, its closest relative is the somewhat larger wood turtle. The bog turtle can be found from Vermont in the north, south to Georgia and west to Ohio. Diurnal and secretive, it spends most of its time buried in mud and, during the winter months, in hibernation. The bog turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on small invertebrates. Adult bog turtles weigh 110 grams (3.9 oz) on average. Their skins and shells are typically dark brown, with a distinctive orange spot on each side of the neck. Considered threatened at the federal level, the bog turtle is protected under the United States' Endangered Species Act. Invasive plants and urban development have eradicated much of the bog turtle's habitat, substantially reducing its numbers. Demand for the bog turtle is high in the black market pet trade, partly because of its small size and unique characteristics. Various private projects have been undertaken in an attempt to reverse the decline in the turtle's population. The turtle has a low reproduction rate; females lay an average of three eggs per clutch and lay one clutch per year. The young tend to grow rapidly, reaching sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 10 years old. Bog turtles live for an average of 20 to 30 years in the wild. Since 1973, the Bronx Zoo has successfully bred bog turtles in captivity. (more...)

Recently featured: Last of the Summer Wine – Hurricane Bob (1985) – Baltimore Steam Packet Company

August 31

Oberon is the outermost major moon of the planet Uranus. It is the second largest and second most massive of Uranian moons, and the ninth most massive moon in the Solar System. Discovered by William Herschel in 1787, Oberon is named after a character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Its orbit lies partially outside Uranus's magnetosphere. Oberon consists of approximately equal amounts of ice and rock, and is likely differentiated into a rocky core and an icy mantle. A layer of liquid water may be present at the core/mantle boundary. The surface of Oberon, which is dark and slightly red in color, appears to have been primarily shaped by asteroid and comet impacts. It is covered by numerous impact craters reaching 210 km in diameter. Oberon possesses a system of canyons (scarps) formed as a result of the expansion of its interior during its early evolution. This moon probably formed from the accretion disk that surrounded Uranus just after the planet's formation. As of 2010, the Uranian system has been studied up close only once: by the spacecraft Voyager 2 in January 1986. It took several images of Oberon, which allowed mapping of about 40% of the moon’s surface. (more...)

Recently featured: Bog turtle – Last of the Summer Wine – Hurricane Bob (1985)