The Wikipedia article of the day for June 15, 2016 is Amanita bisporigera.
Amanita bisporigera is a fungus that produces a deadly poisonous mushroom commonly known as the destroying angel, a name it shares with three other lethal white Amanita species. It is found on the ground in mixed coniferous and deciduous forests of Eastern North America, and rarely in western North America and Colombia. It has a smooth white cap that can reach up to 10 cm (3.9 in) across with crowded white gills, and a stalk up to 14 cm (5.5 in) long with a delicate white skirt-like ring near the top. The bulbous base is covered with a membranous sac-like volva. First described in 1906, A. bisporigera typically bears two spores on the basidia, as the species name suggests. The mushroom produces amatoxins, which inhibit a vital enzyme when eaten, RNA polymerase II. The first symptoms of poisoning appear 6 to 24 hours after consumption, followed by a period of apparent improvement, then by progressive liver and kidney failure, and death after four days or more. The DNA of A. bisporigera has been partially sequenced, and the genes responsible for the production of amatoxins have been determined.
Wikipedia article of the day for June 15, 2016
Wikipedia article of the day for June 14, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for June 14, 2016 is 2003 Sri Lanka cyclone.
The 2003 Sri Lanka cyclone produced the worst flooding in that country in 56 years. The first storm of the 2003 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, it developed over the Bay of Bengal on May 10 and reached peak maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h (85 mph) on May 13, making it a very severe cyclonic storm according to the India Meteorological Department. In the wake of prolonged precipitation during the first half of May, the stationary cyclone in the central Bay of Bengal produced torrential rains across southwest Sri Lanka, especially in the mountains. A station at Ratnapura recorded 366.1 millimetres (14.41 in) of rainfall in 18 hours on May 17, including 99.8 mm (3.93 in) in one hour. Flooding and landslides destroyed 24,750 homes and damaged 32,426 others, displacing about 800,000 people. Damage totaled about US$135 million, and there were 260 deaths. The cyclone also produced some rainfall in the Indian Andaman and Nicobar Islands and along India’s eastern coast. The storm funneled moisture away from the mainland, possibly contributing to a heat wave that killed 1,900 people.
Wikipedia article of the day for June 13, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for June 13, 2016 is North Carolina-class battleship.
The two battleships of the North Carolina class were built shortly before the US entered World War II. North Carolina (launched 13 June 1940) and Washington had 16-inch guns, heavy firepower for their size, but their design sacrificed some speed and armor. North Carolina took part in every major US naval offensive of the Pacific War and was the most highly decorated American battleship of World War II. Washington initially went undetected by the Japanese in the second naval battle of Guadalcanal, a chaotic night engagement, until its main guns hit the battleship Kirishima at close range, sinking the ship the next day. In February 1944, Washington’s bow was crushed in a collision with the battleship Indiana, but the damage was repaired in time to join the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June. After the war, both ships helped withdraw American military personnel from overseas deployments. The vessels were laid up in the reserve fleet until the early 1960s, when Washington was scrapped and North Carolina became a permanent museum ship in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Wikipedia article of the day for June 12, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for June 12, 2016 is James B. Weaver.
James B. Weaver (1833–1912) was a two-time candidate for US president and a congressman from Iowa. After serving in the Union Army in the Civil War, Weaver worked for the election of Republican candidates, as an advocate for farmers and laborers. He switched to the Greenback Party, and with Democratic support, won election to the House in 1878. The Greenbackers nominated Weaver for president in 1880, but he received only 3.3 percent of the popular vote. He was again elected to the House in 1884 and 1886, where he worked for expansion of the money supply and for the opening of Indian Territory to white settlement. As the Greenback Party fell apart, he helped organize a new left-wing party, the Populists, and was their nominee for president in 1892. This time he gained 8.5 percent of the popular vote and won five states. The Populists merged with the Democrats by the end of the 19th century, and Weaver went with them, promoting the candidacy of William Jennings Bryan for president in 1896, 1900, and 1908. Several of Weaver’s political goals became law after his death, including the direct election of senators and a graduated income tax.
Wikipedia article of the day for June 11, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for June 11, 2016 is Portrait of Monsieur Bertin.
Portrait of Monsieur Bertin is an 1832 oil-on-canvas painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. It depicts Louis-François Bertin (1766–1841), a writer, art collector and director of the pro-royalist Journal des débats. Having achieved acclaim as a history painter, Ingres accepted portrait commissions with reluctance, regarding them as a distraction. The painting had a prolonged genesis; he agonised over the pose and made several preparatory sketches. The final work presents Bertin as a personification of the commercially minded leaders of the liberal reign of Louis Philippe I, emanating a restless energy. He is physically imposing and self-assured but his real life personality shines though – warm, wry and engaging to those who had earned his trust. The portrait is an unflinchingly realistic depiction of aging; Ingres emphasises the furrowed skin and thinning hair of an overweight man who maintains his resolve and determination. Although Bertin’s family worried that the painting might been seen as a caricature, it is widely regarded as Ingres’ finest male portrait and has been at the Musée du Louvre since 1897.
Wikipedia article of the day for June 10, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for June 10, 2016 is Coinage Act of 1873.
The Coinage Act of 1873 declared that US dollar coins struck from silver bullion were no longer considered legal tender, thus placing the nation firmly on the gold standard and ending bimetallism. In 1869, silver was expensive, and not much of it was being presented at the Mint to be struck into coins, but Deputy Comptroller of the Currency John Jay Knox and others foresaw that cheaper ore from the Comstock Lode and elsewhere would soon became available. To replace the outdated Mint Act of 1837, Knox drafted a bill that took nearly three years to pass. It was rarely mentioned during Congressional debates that the bill would end bimetallism, though this was not concealed. The bill was finally signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant. When silver prices dropped in 1876, producers sought to have their bullion struck at the Mint, only to learn that this was no longer possible. The resulting political controversy lasted the remainder of the century, pitting those who valued the deflationary gold standard against those who called the Act the “Crime of ’73”, believing the free coinage of silver to be necessary for economic prosperity.
Wikipedia article of the day for June 9, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for June 9, 2016 is Sonam Kapoor.
Sonam Kapoor (born 9 June 1985) is an Indian film star and one of the highest-paid Bollywood actresses. The daughter of actor Anil Kapoor, she studied theatre and arts at the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore. She became an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the film Black (2005), and made her acting debut in the romantic drama Saawariya (2007). She had her first commercial success three years later in the romantic comedy I Hate Luv Storys (2010), followed by a string of commercial failures. The financially successful Raanjhanaa (2013) marked a turning point in her career, earning her several Best Actress nominations. She played a princess in the melodrama Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015)—one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films—and garnered critical acclaim for portraying the titular role in the biographical thriller Neerja (2016), one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films featuring a female protagonist. She is outspoken in support of breast cancer awareness, LGBT rights, and other causes. She has been nominated for four Filmfare Awards.
Wikipedia article of the day for June 8, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for June 8, 2016 is Paul McCartney.
Paul McCartney (b. 1942) is an English singer-songwriter and composer. Along with John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he was a member of the Beatles, a 1960s rock band that became the top-selling band of all time, and one of the most critically acclaimed. His Beatles song “Yesterday” has been covered by over 2,200 artists, more than any other copyrighted song in history. After the band’s break-up, he pursued a solo career and formed Wings with Denny Laine and Linda McCartney, his first wife. Wings’ 1977 release “Mull of Kintyre” is one of the all-time best-selling singles in the UK. A two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beatles and as a solo artist) and a 21-time Grammy Award winner, McCartney has written or co-written 32 number one Billboard Hot 100 songs. He has released an extensive catalogue of songs as a solo artist and has composed classical and electronic music. He has supported international charities promoting animal rights, land mine removal, vegetarianism, poverty reduction, and music education. He was knighted for his contributions to music in 1997.
Wikipedia article of the day for June 7, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for June 7, 2016 is Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption is a 2000 role-playing video game developed by Nihilistic Software. Released by Activision for Microsoft Windows on June 7, 2000, and for Mac OS in 2001, the game is based on White Wolf Publishing’s role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade. It follows the vampire Christof Romuald from the Dark Ages of 12th century Prague and Vienna to modern-day London and New York City in search of his humanity and his kidnapped love, the nun Anezka. The player controls Christof and up to three allies in first- and third-person perspectives. Nihilistic took 24 months to complete the game on a budget of US$1.8 million. The game received a mixed critical response; reviewers praised its graphics and multiplayer functionality, but were polarized by the quality of the story and combat. Its high-quality graphics and sound ran poorly on some computer systems. It received the 1999 Game Critics Awards for Best Role-Playing Game. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, set in the same fictional universe, was released in November 2004.
Wikipedia article of the day for June 6, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for June 6, 2016 is Omaha Beach.
Omaha Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on D-Day, 6 June 1944, during World War II. The untested 29th Infantry Division and nine companies of U.S. Army Rangers assaulted the western half of the beach; the battle-hardened 1st Infantry Division targeted the eastern half. The opposing German 352nd Infantry Division troops, mostly teenagers with no battalion-level training and some Eastern Front veterans, were largely deployed in strongpoints along the coast. The initial assault waves of tanks, infantry, and combat engineer forces were tasked with reducing the coastal defenses to allow larger ships to land. Little went as planned: most landing craft missed their targets, and the defenses were unexpectedly strong. Troops could not clear the heavily defended exits off the beach, delaying later landings. Groups of survivors eventually improvised assaults, scaling the bluffs between the most heavily defended points. By the end of the day, two small isolated footholds had been won, and the original objective of a beachhead 5 miles deep was achieved within days.
