Monday, June 7, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 8, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 8, 2021 is SS Minnesotan.
SS Minnesotan was a cargo ship built in 1912 for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company. During World War I, she was known as USAT Minnesotan in service for the U.S. Army and USS Minnesotan (ID-4545) in service for the U.S. Navy. She was built as one of eight sister ships, and employed in inter-coastal service via the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Panama Canal. In World War I, Minnesotan carried cargo and animals to France from September 1917. After the Armistice, she returned over 8,000 American troops. In 1919, Minnesotan resumed inter-coastal cargo service. During World War II, the ship was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and initially sailed between New York and Caribbean ports. In the latter half of 1943, Minnesotan sailed between Indian Ocean ports, and the following year between ports in New York and the United Kingdom, before returning to the Caribbean. In 1949, Minnesotan was sold to Italian owners, who renamed her Maria Luisa R. She was scrapped in 1952 at Bari.

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 7, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 7, 2021 is Interstate 69 in Michigan.
Interstate 69 in Michigan is a state trunkline highway that enters the state of Michigan south of Coldwater and passes the cities of Lansing and Flint in the Lower Peninsula. I-96 is a part of the Interstate Highway System, and will eventually run from the Mexican border in Texas to the Canadian border at Port Huron, Michigan. A north–south freeway from the Indiana–Michigan border to the Lansing area, it changes direction to east–west after running concurrently with I-96. The freeway continues to Port Huron before terminating in the middle of the twin-span Blue Water Bridge while running concurrently with I-94 at the border. There are four related business loops for I-69 in the state, connecting the freeway to adjacent cities. Predecessors to I-69 include the first M-29, US Highway 27 (US 27), M-78 and M-21. The freeway was not included on the original Interstate Highway System planning maps in the mid-1950s, but it was added in 1958 along a shorter route. Michigan built segments of freeway for the future Interstate in the 1960s, and the state was granted additional Interstate mileage in 1968 to extend I-69 north and east to Flint. Later extensions in 1973 and 1987 resulted in the modern highway. The first freeway segment designated as I-69 in Michigan opened in 1967, and the last was completed in 1992, finishing Michigan's Interstate System. US 27 previously ran concurrently with I-69 from the Indiana–Michigan state line north to the Lansing area, but this designation was removed in 2002.

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 6, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 6, 2021 is Laguna del Maule (volcano).
Laguna del Maule is a volcanic field in the Andes mountain range of Chile. The volcanic field covers an area of 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi) and features at least 130 volcanic vents. The field gets its name from Laguna del Maule, a lake surrounded by cones, lava domes, lava coulees and lava flows. The field's volcanic activity began 1.5 million years ago during the Pleistocene. Three major caldera-forming eruptions took place in the volcanic field prior to the last glacial period. Volcanic activity has increased during the postglacial era. In pre-Columbian times, the field was a regionally important source of obsidian. Today geothermal phenomena occur at Laguna del Maule. Between 2004 and 2007, ground inflation began in the volcanic field, indicating the intrusion of a sill beneath it. The rate of inflation is faster than those measured on other inflating volcanoes, which has created concern about the potential for impending large-scale eruptive activity.

Friday, June 4, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 5, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 5, 2021 is Johnny Owen.
Johnny Owen (1956–1980) was a Welsh professional boxer. He won his first title, the bantamweight title for the Welsh Area, in March 1977, seven months after turning professional. Later in 1977, Owen defeated Paddy Maguire for the British bantamweight title, becoming the first Welshman in more than 60 years to hold the belt. He defeated Paul Ferreri for the Commonwealth bantamweight title but was controversially beaten by Juan Francisco Rodríguez for the European title. He later defeated Rodríguez in a rematch. Owen challenged World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Lupe Pintor for his world bantamweight title on 19 September 1980, losing in a twelfth-round knockout, leaving the ring on a stretcher. He never regained consciousness, dying seven weeks later at age 24. Owen possessed a professional career record of 25 wins (11 by knockout), 1 draw and 2 defeats. A statue (pictured) commemorating his life and career stands in his home town of Merthyr Tydfil.

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 4, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 4, 2021 is Bring Us Together.
"Bring Us Together" was a political slogan popularized after the election of Republican candidate Richard Nixon as President of the United States in the 1968 election. The text was derived from a sign that 13-year-old Vicki Lynne Cole stated that she had carried at Nixon's rally in her home town of Deshler, Ohio, during the campaign. After being told of the sign, Nixon's speechwriters, including William Safire, began inserting the phrase into his speeches. Nixon mentioned the rally sign in his victory speech, adopting the phrase as representing his administration's initial goal—to reunify the bitterly divided country. Nixon invited Cole and her family to the presidential inauguration, and she appeared on a float in the inaugural parade (pictured). The phrase "Bring Us Together" was used ironically by Democrats when Nixon proposed policies with which they disagreed. In newspaper columns written in the final years before his 2009 death, Safire expressed doubt that Cole's sign had ever existed.

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 3, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 3, 2021 is Watching the River Flow.
"Watching the River Flow" is a blues rock song by American singer Bob Dylan, released as a single on June 3, 1971. Produced by Leon Russell, it was written and recorded during a session in March 1971 at Blue Rock Studio in New York City. The collaboration with Russell formed in part through Dylan's desire for a new sound, after a period of immersion in country rock music. The song has been interpreted as Dylan's account of his writer's block in the early 1970s, and his wish to deliver less politically engaged material and find a new balance between public and private life. A minor hit in some countries, "Watching the River Flow" was included on the 1971 Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II and other Dylan compilation albums. The song has been covered by many artists, including a recording by five current and former Rolling Stones that was part of a tribute project for pianist Ian Stewart.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 2, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 2, 2021 is Warner Bros. Movie World.
Warner Bros. Movie World is a theme park on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Owned and operated by Village Roadshow's Theme Parks division, the park opened on 3 June 1991 after a star-studded opening ceremony the previous day. Many park attractions are based on Warner Bros. and related DC Comics properties, including thrill rides such as Batwing Spaceshot and Superman Escape, family attractions such as Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D and Wild West Falls Adventure Ride, entertainment at the Roxy Theatre and the Hollywood Stunt Driver live show. Film characters regularly roam the grounds to interact and take photos with guests. Each afternoon, characters participate in a parade along Main Street. The seasonal Fright Nights and White Christmas events are hosted annually. The park has survived financial hardships and remains among Australia's most popular tourist destinations. As of 2016, it receives a yearly average of 1.4 million visitors.