Friday, June 11, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 12, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 12, 2021 is Durrell's vontsira.
Durrell's vontsira (Salanoia durrelli) is a Madagascan mammal in the family Eupleridae of the order Carnivora. It is most closely related to the brown-tailed mongoose (Salanoia concolor), with which it forms the genus Salanoia. The two are genetically similar, but morphologically distinct, leading scientists to recognize them as separate species. The animal was first known to science after an individual was observed in 2004, and S. durrelli was described as a new species in 2010. A small, reddish-brown carnivore, Salanoia durrelli is characterized by broad feet with prominent pads, reddish-buff underparts, and broad, robust teeth, among other differences from the brown-tailed mongoose. In the only two weighed specimens, the body masses were 600 and 675 g (21.2 and 23.8 oz). S. durrelli is a marsh-dwelling animal that may feed on crustaceans and mollusks. It is found only in the Lac Alaotra area, a threatened ecosystem, and may also be endangered by competition with introduced species.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 11, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 11, 2021 is Sutton United 2–1 Coventry City (1989).
A 7 January 1989 match between Sutton United and Coventry City took place as part of the third round of the 1988–89 FA Cup association football competition. Coventry City were in the top tier of English league football, while Sutton United were in the fifth. Coventry, the away team, started as strong favourites. The home side took the lead three minutes before half-time when a corner towards the near post was missed by the Coventry goalkeeper and volleyed into the goal by Tony Rains. Seven minutes into the second half, David Phillips was able to shoot past the Sutton goalkeeper to make it 1–1. In the 59th minute, a short corner kick was crossed to Matthew Hanlan who volleyed in to give Sutton the lead once again. Despite numerous late chances for Coventry, the match ended 2–1. One of the most famous "giant-killings" in the competition's history, the match has been described as "the biggest shock in the history of the FA Cup [and] one of the biggest in any game ever".

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 10, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 10, 2021 is Hurricane Fay.
Hurricane Fay was the first of two hurricanes to make landfall on Bermuda in October 2014. The fifth hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, it was Bermuda's first landfalling hurricane since Emily in 1987. Fay briefly achieved Category 1 hurricane status while making landfall on Bermuda early on October 12, and despite its modest strength, produced extensive damage. Winds gusting over 100 mph (160 km/h) clogged roadways with downed trees and utility poles, and left a majority of the island's electric customers without power. The terminal building at L.F. Wade International Airport was flooded, and along the coast, the storm unmoored and destroyed numerous boats. Within six days, before cleanup efforts could be completed, the stronger Hurricane Gonzalo struck the island and compounded the damage. Fay and Gonzalo marked the first recorded instance of two Bermuda hurricane landfalls in one season.

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for June 9, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for June 9, 2021 is Emma Louisa Turner.
Emma Louisa Turner (9 June 1867 – 13 August 1940) was an English ornithologist and pioneering bird photographer. Due to family responsibilities, she did not take up photography until 1900. By 1904 she was giving talks illustrated with her own photographic slides and by 1908 was established as a professional lecturer. Turner spent part of each year in Norfolk, and her 1911 image of a nestling bittern was the first evidence of the species's return to the United Kingdom after its local extinction. She travelled widely in the United Kingdom and abroad photographing birds. She wrote eight books and many journal and magazine articles, and her image of a great crested grebe led to her being awarded the Royal Photographic Society's Gold Medal. She was one of the first women to be elected to fellowship of the Linnaean Society and the first female honorary member of the British Ornithologists' Union. Though not a graduate, she was also an honorary member of the British Federation of University Women.

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.