Wikipedia article of the day for April 16, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 16, 2021 is Persuasion (1995 film).
Persuasion is a 1995 period-drama film directed by Roger Michell and based on Jane Austen's 1817 eponymous novel. Amanda Root stars as protagonist Anne Elliot, while Ciarán Hinds plays her romantic interest, Frederick Wentworth. The film, adapted by the writer Nick Dear, is set in 19th-century England, eight years after Anne was persuaded to reject Wentworth's marriage proposal. Persuasion follows the two as they become reacquainted, while other characters try to interfere. Persuasion was shot chronologically, allowing Root to portray Anne's emotional development. The BBC, the original producer, later partnered with the US WGBH Boston and the French Millesime. This released a larger budget and allowed filming in locations including Lyme Regis and Bath (location pictured). Costume designer Alexandra Byrne produced clothing that appeared "lived-in", winning a BAFTA for her work. The film aired on 16 April 1995 on BBC Two and Sony released the film in US cinemas on 27 September 1995. Persuasion received generally positive reviews, with many praising Root's performance.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 15, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 15, 2021 is Aftermath (Rolling Stones album).
Aftermath is a 1966 album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Following a newfound success that rivalled their contemporaries in the Beatles, the album is the Stones' first to consist entirely of original songs, all credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (both pictured), who wrote dark, sarcastic, provocative lyrics about love, desire, power and dominance, modern society and rock stardom. Brian Jones experimented with instruments not usually associated with popular music, including the sitar, Appalachian dulcimer and marimbas, which expanded the band's music beyond their blues and R&B influences. An immediate success rivalling the Beatles' Rubber Soul (1965), Aftermath reflected youth culture in the Swinging London scene and countercultural values while pioneering the album era and subversive content in punk and glam rock. It is considered the most formative of the Stones' early music and their first classic album, frequently appearing on professional rankings of the greatest albums.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 14, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 14, 2021 is Dreamsnake.
Dreamsnake is a 1978 science fiction novel by American writer Vonda N. McIntyre. It is an expansion of her Nebula Award–winning 1973 novelette "Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand". The main character, Snake, is a healer who uses genetically modified serpents to cure sickness in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust on Earth. The titular "dreamsnake" is an alien serpent whose venom gives dying people pleasant dreams. The novel follows Snake as she seeks to replace her dead dreamsnake. The book is an example of second-wave feminism in science fiction. McIntyre subverted gendered narratives, including by placing a woman at the center of a heroic quest. Dreamsnake also explored social structures and sexuality from a feminist perspective, and examined themes of healing and cross-cultural interaction. The novel won the 1978 Nebula Award, the 1979 Hugo Award, and the 1979 Locus Poll Award. Snake's strength and self-sufficiency were noted by commentators, while McIntyre's writing and the book's themes also received praise.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 13, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 13, 2021 is Argentinosaurus.
Argentinosaurus is a genus of giant sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now Argentina. It was one of the largest land animals of all time, and possibly the largest, with length estimates ranging from 30 to 39.7 metres (98 to 130 ft) and weight estimates from 50 to 100 tonnes (55 to 110 short tons). It was a member of Titanosauria, the dominant group of sauropods during the Cretaceous. The first Argentinosaurus bone was discovered in 1987 by a farmer near the city of Plaza Huincul in the Huincul Formation, which is rich in dinosaur fossils. A scientific excavation of the site led by the Argentine palaeontologist José Bonaparte was conducted in 1989, yielding several back vertebrae and parts of a sacrum—fused vertebrae between the back and tail vertebrae. Additional specimens include a complete femur (thigh bone) and the shaft of another. The fragmentary nature of the remains makes their interpretation difficult.

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.