Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for July 8, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 8, 2021 is George W. Romney.
George Romney (July 8, 1907 – July 26, 1995) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician, and the father of Mitt Romney. George Romney was born to Americans living in the Mormon colonies in Mexico. He spent much of his youth in Salt Lake City, but moved to Detroit in 1939, working in the automotive industry, and rising to lead American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962. Entering politics at a 1961 Michigan state constitutional convention, he was elected governor in 1962, 1964, and 1966. He ran for the Republican nomination for president in 1968, but was defeated by Richard Nixon. President Nixon appointed Romney as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Romney's plans, which included housing for the poor and the desegregation of suburbs, were modestly successful. He left office in 1973, returning to the private sector. Devoutly religious, he presided over the Detroit Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as a regional representative of the Twelve within his church.

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for July 7, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 7, 2021 is First Punic War.
The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of three wars between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 23 years they struggled for supremacy, primarily on the island of Sicily and its surrounding waters, and also in North Africa. After immense losses on both sides the Carthaginians were defeated. The war began with the Romans gaining a foothold on Sicily. In 260 BC they built a navy to challenge Carthage's, and inflicted several defeats. Taking advantage of their naval victories, the Romans launched an invasion of North Africa, which failed. In 249 BC they besieged the last two Carthaginian strongholds on Sicily. After several years of stalemate, the Romans rebuilt their fleet and blockaded the Carthaginian garrisons. A Carthaginian fleet attempted to relieve them, but the fleet's destruction in 241 BC forced the cut-off Carthaginian troops to negotiate for peace. (This article is part of a featured topic: Punic Wars.)

Monday, July 5, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for July 6, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 6, 2021 is Lion-class battlecruiser.
Two Lion-class battlecruisers were built, for the Royal Navy before World War I. Lion served as the flagship of the British Grand Fleet's battlecruisers during most of the war, and Princess Royal became the flagship of the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron in 1915. The two ships were a significant improvement over their predecessors in terms of speed, armament and armour. They both participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1914, where Lion sank the German light cruiser Cöln. In the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915, Lion was badly damaged and Princess Royal scored several hits, one crippling the German armoured cruiser Blücher, which allowed the enemy vessel to be caught and sunk. At the Battle of Jutland in 1916, Lion suffered a serious cordite fire that could have destroyed the ship, and Princess Royal was moderately damaged. They were both put into reserve in 1920, and were sold for scrap a few years later. (This article is part of a featured topic: Battlecruisers of the world.)

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for July 5, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 5, 2021 is Imaginative Tales.
Imaginative Tales was an American fantasy and science fiction magazine launched in September 1954 by William Hamling's Greenleaf Publishing Company. It began as a vehicle for novel-length humorous fantasy, with initial issues featuring stories by Charles F. Myers and Robert Bloch. After a year, Hamling switched the focus to science fiction, and it became similar in content to its sister magazine Imagination, publishing routine space operas. In 1958, with public interest in space high, Hamling changed the title to Space Travel, but there was little effect on sales. Magazine circulation was suffering because of the rise of the paperback, and the liquidation in 1957 of American News Company, a major magazine distributor, made it even harder for small magazines to survive. Hamling eventually folded both Imaginative Tales and Imagination in 1958, preferring to invest the money in Rogue, a men's magazine he had started in imitation of Playboy in 1955.

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for July 4, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 4, 2021 is Fort Concho.
Fort Concho is a former United States Army installation and a National Historic Landmark located in San Angelo, Texas. It was established in 1867 and was an active military base for 22 years. The fort was the base of the 4th Cavalry from 1867 to 1875, and of the "Buffalo Soldiers" of the 10th Cavalry from 1875 to 1882. The fort was abandoned in June 1889 and over the next twenty years was divided into residences and businesses, with the buildings repurposed or recycled for their materials. Efforts to preserve and restore Fort Concho began in the 1900s and the Fort Concho Museum was founded in 1928. Fort Concho was named a National Historic Landmark District on July 4, 1961, and is one of the best-preserved examples of the military installations built by the US Army in Texas.

Friday, July 2, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for July 3, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 3, 2021 is Ambulocetus.
Ambulocetus natans is a species of early amphibious archaeocete cetacean from the Kuldana Formation in Pakistan during the early Eocene, 48 or 47 million years ago. It is among the most completely known Eocene cetaceans, vital to the study of cetacean evolution and the transition from land to sea. Ambulocetus probably had a long, broad, and powerful snout, and eyes near the top of the head. It may have hunted like a crocodile, waiting near the water's surface and ambushing large mammals, using the jaws to clamp onto and drown or thrash prey. It may have swum like a river otter, alternating beats of the hind limbs while keeping the forelimbs tucked in for most of its propulsive power, simultaneously undulating the torso and tail. It had four functional limbs and may have walked much like a sea lion. It possibly had webbed feet and lacked a tail fluke. It lived in a hot, coastal swamp, probably in a river mouth.

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for July 2, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 2, 2021 is Green rosella.
The green rosella (Platycercus caledonicus) is a parrot native to the Australian state of Tasmania and some Bass Strait islands. The species was described by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788. At up to 37 cm (14.5 in) long, it is the largest species in its genus. Its underparts, neck and head are yellow, with a red band above the beak and violet-blue cheeks. The back is mostly black and green, and its long tail blue and green. The female has duller yellow plumage and more prominent red markings, as well as a smaller beak. Found in a wide range of habitats with some form of tree cover, the green rosella is predominantly herbivorous, consuming seeds, berries, nuts, fruits, and flowers, but it may also eat insect larvae and insects such as psyllids. Nesting takes place in tree hollows. The green rosella is widespread across Tasmania, but the King Island subspecies has been classed as vulnerable.