Wikipedia article of the day for April 19, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 19, 2021 is League of Legends.
League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games and released in 2009. Two teams of five players battle in player-versus-player combat, with each player controlling a character with a unique play style and abilities. At launch, the game was generally well-received; later critical reappraisals, arising as a result of the game's long lifespan, have trended positively, noting the regular content updates. In 2019 the game routinely recorded 8 million concurrent players, and its popularity and longevity have led to various tie-ins, including virtual groups like K/DA, narrative collaborations with Marvel Comics, spin-off video games, and an upcoming animated series. The game is played professionally, and is frequently cited as the world's largest esport; the 2019 League of Legends World Championship had over 100 million unique viewers, peaking at a concurrent 44 million viewers, with a minimum prize pool of US$2.5 million.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 18, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 18, 2021 is Kigali.
Kigali is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. The city has been Rwanda's economic, cultural, and transport hub since it became the capital following independence from Belgium in 1962. It is one of five provinces into which Rwanda was repartitioned in 2006. Kigali is divided into three districts—Gasabo, Kicukiro, and Nyarugenge—which historically had control of significant areas of local governance. Reforms in January 2020 transferred much of the districts' power to the city-wide council. The city also hosts the main residence and offices of the president of Rwanda and most government ministries. It was founded in 1907 as the headquarters of the German colonial resident. It grew slowly during the following decades, but since the Rwandan Civil War and the genocide it has experienced rapid population growth, with much of the city rebuilt. The largest contributor to Kigali's GDP is the service sector.

Wikipedia article of the day for April 17, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for April 17, 2021 is Yugoslav destroyer Zagreb.
Zagreb was the second of three Beograd-class destroyers built for the Royal Yugoslav Navy. She was designed to be deployed as part of a division led by the flotilla leader Dubrovnik. The first warship built in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Zagreb entered service in August 1939, was armed with a main battery of four 120 mm (4.7 in) guns in single mounts, and had a top speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). Yugoslavia entered World War II due to the German-led Axis invasion in April 1941. During the invasion, two of her officers scuttled her at the Bay of Kotor on 17 April 1941 to prevent her capture by Italian forces and were both killed by the explosion of the scuttling charges. A French film was made in 1967 about her demise and the deaths of the two officers. In 1973, on the thirtieth anniversary of the formation of the Yugoslav Navy, both men were posthumously awarded the Order of the People's Hero by President Josip Tito. (This article is part of a featured topic: Ships of the Royal Yugoslav Navy.)

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.