Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 August 5

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From today's featured article

The Common House Martin is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and temperate Asia, and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia. It feeds on insects which are caught in flight. It has a blue head and upperparts, white rump and pure white underparts, and is found in both open country and near human habitation. It is a noisy species, especially at its breeding colonies. It is similar in appearance to the two other martin species of the Delichon genus, which are endemic to eastern and southern Asia. Its scientific name (Delichon urbicum) and common name both relate to its use of man-made structures. It builds a closed cup nest from mud pellets under eaves or similar locations on buildings usually in colonies, but sometimes fouling below nests can be a problem. It is hunted by the Eurasian Hobby, and like other birds is affected by internal parasites and external fleas and mites, although its large range and population mean that it is not threatened globally. Its proximity to man has led to some cultural and literary references, including a description in Macbeth. (Full article...)

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From Wikipedia's newest content:

... that two dancing girls (statue pictured) performed an obscene dance in front of Tuyuhun soldiers, while Chai Shao of Tang attacked them from the rear with his cavalry?

... that Scottish band Mogwai began work on the soundtrack of French drama Les Revenants after reading only a few translated scripts?

... that architectural historians have described Goodwyns as "unusually good" for a council estate, with "more elegant than average" tower blocks?

... that bookless libraries consist of all-digital collections instead of printed works?

... that some 50 years before archaeologist Wang Zhongshu won the Japan-based Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize, he was a refugee fleeing from the Japanese invaders?

... that black truffles suppress plant growth around their host tree, creating an area that looks burned?

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In the news

Robert Mugabe (pictured) is re-elected as President of Zimbabwe.

In rugby union, the Chiefs defeat the Brumbies to win the Super Rugby championship.

Former U.S. intelligence analyst Edward Snowden is granted temporary asylum in Russia.

Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation upholds the four-year sentence of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud.

A new primate, the Lavasoa dwarf lemur, is discovered in Madagascar.

Mamnoon Hussain is elected as President of Pakistan.

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On this day...

August 5: Independence Day in Burkina Faso (1960); Civic Holiday in most areas of Canada (2013); International Beer Day

25 – Guangwu claimed the throne as emperor of the Han Dynasty after Wang Mang, who had seized the throne himself and proclaimed the Xin Dynasty, died when peasant rebels besieged Chang'an.

1583 – Explorer Humphrey Gilbert (pictured) established the first English colony in North America at what is now St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

1861 – With the passage of the Revenue Act, the U.S. government issued its first income tax: 3% of all incomes over $800 (later rescinded in 1872).

1925 – The Welsh political party Plaid Cymru was founded with the goals of promoting the Welsh language and the political independence of the Welsh nation.

2003 – A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the lobby of the JW Marriott Hotel in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, Indonesia, killing twelve people and injuring 150.

More anniversaries: August 4 – August 5 – August 6

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From today's featured list

The first instalment of The Flashman Papers by George MacDonald Fraser was published in 1969. The series of novels and short stories centre on the exploits of the fictional protagonist Harry Flashman, a cowardly British soldier and cad who is placed in a series of real historical incidents between 1839 and 1894. While the incidents and much of the detail in the novels have a factual background, Flashman's actions in the stories are either fictional, or Fraser uses the actions of unidentified individuals and assigns them to Flashman. During the course of Fraser's novels, Flashman goes from his expulsion from school into the army. Although he is a coward who tries to run away from any danger, he is involved in a number of notable military episodes from the 19th century, often taking actions that cause or affect subsequently infamous events. Flashman is a minor character in the 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days; a bully who is expelled from Rugby School for drunkenness. The character was then developed by Fraser, and appeared in a total of eleven novels and one collection of short stories featuring the character. Although chronology of the main series finishes in 1894, Flashman lives on until 1915 and he is also found in his late 80s in another Fraser book, Mr American. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

Jesse Owens (1913–1980) at the start of the 200 meters sprint in the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany. During the games, Owen won four gold medals, in the 100 m and 200 m sprint, the long jump, and the 4 × 100 m relay.

Photo: Unknown

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