Wikipedia article of the day for April 12, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 12, 2021 is Space Shuttle.
The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from April 12, 1981, to July 21, 2011, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the United States. Launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, five Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles flew on a total of 135 missions during 30 years. They conducted science experiments in orbit, helped build the International Space Station, and launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope. Four fully operational orbiters were initially built: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery (pictured), and Atlantis. Lost in mission accidents were Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003, with a total of fourteen astronauts killed. A fifth operational orbiter, Endeavour, was built in 1991 to replace Challenger. The Space Shuttle was retired from service upon the conclusion of Atlantis's final flight.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 11, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 11, 2021 is The Boat Races 2015.
The 2015 Boat Races took place on 11 April. The Boat Race is an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames. For the first time ever, the men's, women's and both reserve races were all held on the Tideway. In the men's reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie faced Oxford's Isis after the women's race, as a preliminary to the main men's race, while the women's reserve race, held the day before, saw Oxford's Osiris race against Cambridge's Blondie. Oxford's women won the first running of the Women's Boat Race on the Tideway, and the 70th overall, by ​6 1⁄2 lengths, to take the overall record in the event to 41–29 in Cambridge's favour. Oxford also won the men's reserve race, with Isis winning by 3 lengths. In the main men's race, umpired by Boris Rankov, Oxford (crew pictured) won by ​6 1⁄2 lengths, taking the overall record in the event to 81–79 in Cambridge's favour. The women's reserve race was won by Osiris by 15 lengths, making the overall record 21–20 to Cambridge.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 10, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 10, 2021 is Isopogon anethifolius.
Isopogon anethifolius is a shrub in the family Proteaceae. The species is found only in coastal areas near Sydney in New South Wales, and to the immediate west. It occurs naturally in woodland, open forest and heathland on sandstone soils. An upright shrub, it can reach to 3 m (10 ft) in height, with terete leaves that are divided and narrow. The yellow flowers appear from September to December and are prominently displayed. They are followed by round grey cones, which give the plant its common name of drumsticks. The small hairy seeds are found in the old flower parts. I. anethifolius regenerates after bushfire by resprouting from its woody base, known as a lignotuber, as well as from seed. It was described by Richard Salisbury in 1796, and was first grown in the United Kingdom the same year. One of the easiest members of the genus Isopogon to cultivate, I. anethifolius grows readily in the garden if located in a sunny or partly shaded spot with sandy soil and good drainage.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 9, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 9, 2021 is Parks and Recreation (season 1).
The six episodes of the first season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television networks on Thursdays between April 9 and May 14, 2009. The comedy series was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, who served as executive producers with Howard Klein. The season stars Amy Poehler (pictured), Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, and Aubrey Plaza, and focuses on Leslie Knope (Poehler), the deputy director of the parks and recreation department of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Early test screenings were poor, and many critics and industry observers were skeptical about the show's chances of success. The premiere episode was watched by 6.77 million households, but the ratings declined to a season low of 4.25 million households for the final episode, "Rock Show". Even so, "Rock Show" received the best reviews of the season and convinced some critics that the series had found the right tone.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 8, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 8, 2021 is Antiochus XII Dionysus.
Antiochus XII Dionysus (died 82 BC) was a Seleucid ruler who reigned as King of Syria during the Hellenistic period from 87 BC until his death. He was the youngest son of Antiochus VIII, who was assassinated in 96 BC. Antiochus XII's four brothers laid claim to the throne. His brother Philip I defeated his brother Demetrius III in 87 BC and remained in the Syrian capital Antioch. Ignoring the territories of Philip I, Antiochus XII gained control of Damascus and consolidated his territory within inner Syria. He focused his attention on Syria's southern reaches into which the Judaeans and Nabataeans sought to expand, reinforced his southern frontier, and fought two campaigns against Nabataea and Judea. After winning several victories, he was killed by the Nabateans at the Battle of Cana in 82 BC. The Nabatean king Aretas III captured Damascus, and the Syrian throne was claimed by Cleopatra Selene and her son Antiochus XIII.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 7, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 7, 2021 is République-class battleship.
The République class consisted of a pair of pre-dreadnought battleships—République and Patrie (pictured)—built for the French Navy in the early 1900s. They were a significant improvement over previous French battleships, with the same four 305 mm (12 in) guns and eighteen 164 mm (6.5 in) guns, but with most of the 164 mm guns mounted in gun turrets rather than in casemates. They also had more effective armored protection. Both ships entered service in January 1907, shortly after the British HMS Dreadnought made all existing battleships obsolescent. During World War I, both ships operated in the Mediterranean. Patrie supported the Gallipoli campaign from May 1915 and République joined her in January 1916. Both ships then became involved in Greece, where they assisted a coup against the neutral but pro-German government that ultimately led to Greece's entry into the war on the side of the Allies. Neither ship saw any further action. République was decommissioned in 1921, and Patrie not until 1937.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 6, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 6, 2021 is The Rite of Spring.
The Rite of Spring is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company, with choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky and stage designs and costumes (pictured) by Nicholas Roerich. The ballet caused a near-riot in the audience when first performed, on 29 May 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, but rapidly achieved success, and later became recognised as one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century. The score has many novel features, including experiments in tonality, metre, rhythm, stress and dissonance. The scenario is the celebration of spring by various primitive rituals, at the end of which a sacrificial victim dances herself to death. After its explosive premiere the ballet was not performed until the 1920s, when Léonide Massine's rechoreographed version was the first of many innovative productions directed by the world's leading choreographers. Providing "endless stimulation for performers and listeners" alike, The Rite is among the most recorded works in the classical repertoire.