Wikipedia:Today's featured article/November 2005
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2004 - 2005
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| Today's featured articles for November 2005 | ||||||
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| An archive of Wikipedia's featured articles that appeared on the Main Page | ||||||
- November 1
In mathematics, the eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and eigenspaces of a transformation are important properties of this transformation. These key concepts play a major role in mathematics and, in particular, in linear algebra and functional analysis, as well as in numerous applied disciplines. The prefix eigen emphasizes the fact that these properties are important characteristics of the transformation. In many common cases knowing all eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a transformation is equivalent to the explicit knowledge of the transformation. The word eigen is German for "own", "peculiar", or "individual": the most likely translation into English mathematical jargon would be "characteristic", and some older references do use the expressions "characteristic value", "characteristic vector" and so forth, or even "eigenwert" which is German for eigenvalue, but the more distinctive term "eigenvalue" has become standard.
Recently featured: Gray Wolf – Speaker of the House of Commons – Metrication
- November 2
The geology of the Grand Canyon area exposes one of the most complete sequences of rock anywhere, representing a period of 1.4 billion years of the Earth's history in that part of North America. The major sedimentary rock layers exposed in the Grand Canyon and in the Grand Canyon National Park area range in age from 2 billion to about 200 million years old. Most were deposited in warm, shallow seas and near ancient, long-gone sea shores. Both marine and terrestrial sediments are represented, including fossilized sand dunes from an extinct desert. Uplift of the region started about 75 million years ago in the Laramide orogeny, a mountain-building event that is largely responsible for creating the Rocky Mountains to the east. The canyon did not start to form until 5.3 million years ago when the Gulf of California opened up and thus lowered the river's base level (its lowest point) from that of large inland lakes to sea level. About 2 million years ago volcanic activity started to deposit ash and lava over the area. The nearly 40 identified rock layers and 14 major unconformities (gaps in the geologic record) of the Grand Canyon form one of the most studied sequences of rock in the world.
Recently featured: Eigenvalue, eigenvector and eigenspace – Gray Wolf – Speaker of the House of Commons
- November 3
Sunset Boulevard is a 1950 film noir containing elements of drama, horror, and black comedy. Directed and cowritten by Billy Wilder, it was named for the famous boulevard that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. William Holden plays down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe Gillis and Gloria Swanson is Norma Desmond, a faded movie star who entraps the unsuspecting Gillis into her fantasy world in which she dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen. Director Cecil B. DeMille and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper portray themselves, and the film includes cameo appearances by leading silent film figures Buster Keaton, H. B. Warner and Anna Q. Nilsson. Praised by many critics when first released, Sunset Boulevard was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won three. It is widely accepted as a classic, often cited as one of the most noteworthy films of American cinema. Deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress in 1989, Sunset Boulevard was included in the first group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Recently featured: Geology of the Grand Canyon area – Eigenvalue, eigenvector and eigenspace – Gray Wolf
- November 4
Cheese is a solid food made from the curdled milk of cows, goats, sheep, or other mammals. The milk is curdled using some combination of rennet and acidification. Bacteria acidify the milk and play a role in defining the texture and flavor of most cheeses. Some cheeses also feature molds, either on the outer rind or throughout. There are hundreds of types of cheese. Different styles and flavors of cheese are the results of using different species of bacteria and molds, different levels of milk fat, variations in length of aging, and differing processing treatments. Cheeses are eaten raw or cooked, alone or with other ingredients. As they are heated, most cheeses melt and brown. Some cheeses melt smoothly, especially in the presence of acids or starch. Cheese fondue, with wine providing the acidity, is a good example of a smoothly-melted cheese dish. Other cheeses turn elastic and stringy when they melt, a quality that can be enjoyed in dishes like pizza. Some cheeses melt unevenly, their fats separating as they heat, while a few acid-curdled cheeses, including paneer and ricotta, do not melt at all and can become firmer when cooked.
Recently featured: Sunset Boulevard – Geology of the Grand Canyon area – Eigenvalue, eigenvector and eigenspace
- November 5
The Kammerlader was the first Norwegian breech loading rifle, and among the very first breech loaders adopted for use by an armed force anywhere in the world. A single shot, black powder rifle, the kammerlader was operated with a crank mounted on the side of the receiver. This made it much quicker and easier to load than the weapons previously used. Kammerladers quickly gained a reputation for being fast and accurate rifles, and would have been a deadly weapon against massed ranks of infantry. The kammerladers were phased out as more modern rifles were approved for use. They were either modified for rimfire cartridges, sold off to civilians or melted for scrap. Rifles sold to civilians were often modified for use as shotguns or hunting weapons. Today it is hard to find an unmodified kammerlader, and collectors often pay high prices for them.
Recently featured: Cheese – Sunset Boulevard – Geology of the Grand Canyon area
- November 6
Witold Lutosławski was one of the major European composers of the 20th century, and possibly the most significant Polish composer since Chopin. Lutosławski studied piano and composition in Warsaw, and during World War II he made a living in that city by playing the piano in bars. In the late 1940s and early 1950s his music was banned as formalist by the Stalinist authorities. In the last three decades of the century he became the pre-eminent musician of his country, and was presented with a large number of international honours, awards and prizes. Lutosławski's early compositions were overtly influenced by Polish folk music; from the late 1950s onwards he developed his own characteristically dense harmonies and innovative aleatory techniques. His works include four symphonies and a Concerto for Orchestra; he also composed concertos and song cycles for renowned musicians including Mstislav Rostropovich, Peter Pears, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. He was also a notable conductor of his own music.
Recently featured: Kammerlader – Cheese – Sunset Boulevard
- November 7
Arsenal Football Club is a football club based in north London. It plays in the FA Premier League and is one of the most successful clubs in England. Arsenal has won thirteen First Division and Premier League titles, and ten FA Cups, although the team has yet to achieve similar success in the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal was founded in south-east London in 1886, but moved to their current home ground, the Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, in 1913. In the summer of 2006, the club will move to the new 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium in nearby Ashburton Grove. Arsenal enjoys a fierce rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur, from nearby Tottenham, whom they play in the North London derby.
Recently featured: Witold Lutosławski – Kammerlader – Cheese
- November 8
Gyeongju is a city and prominent tourist destination in eastern South Korea. It lies in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, on the coast of the Sea of Japan. Numerous low mountains, outliers of the Taebaek range, are scattered throughout the city. Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla, a fact to which it owes its present-day prominence. The Silla kingdom arose at the turn of the 1st millennium, and ruled most of the Korean Peninsula from the 7th to the 9th centuries. A vast number of sites from this period remain in the city today. After the kingdom fell, the city gradually declined in importance. Today Gyeongju is a typical medium-sized city, having shared in the economic, demographic, and social trends that have shaped modern South Korea. However, amidst these trends the city has retained a distinctive identity. In tourism, it is one of South Korea's most well-known destinations. In manufacturing, it profits from its proximity to major industrial centers such as Ulsan. Gyeongju is connected to nationwide rail and expressway networks, which facilitate both industrial and tourist traffic.
Recently featured: Arsenal Football Club – Witold Lutosławski – Kammerlader
- November 9
Robert Arthur Lawson is considered one of New Zealand's most eminent 19th century architects. Lawson has been described as the architect who did more than any other to shape the architectural face of Victorian era cities, especially Dunedin. However, it is as the architect of over forty churches, including his monumental Gothic First Church and New Zealand's only complete "castle", Larnach Castle, that he is best remembered. Lawson is acclaimed for his work in both the Gothic revival and classical styles of architecture. He was prolific, and while isolated buildings remain in Scotland and Australia, it is in the Dunedin area that most surviving examples can now be found. Today he is held in high esteem in his adopted country; however, at the time of his death his reputation and architectural skills were still held by many in contempt following the partial collapse of his Seacliff lunatic asylum, at the time New Zealand's largest building. The great plaudits denied him in his lifetime were not to come until nearly a century after his death, when the glories of Victorian architecture began again to be recognised and appreciated.
Recently featured: Gyeongju – Arsenal Football Club – Witold Lutosławski
- November 10
Dogpatch USA is a defunct theme park located on Highway 7 between the cities of Harrison and Jasper in the state of Arkansas, USA, an area known today as Marble Falls. It was opened to the public in 1968 and was based on the popular comic strip Li'l Abner, which was created by cartoonist Al Capp and set in a fictional town called "Dogpatch". Dogpatch USA was a commercial success in its early years, and investors, buoyed with optimism about the park's future, decided to pursue extensive and heavily financed expansion in the form of a sister park, "Marble Falls", designed as a ski resort and convention center. But the following years would see a combination of characters and unforeseen events transform the high hopes of investors into a financial roller coaster ride which eventually ended in the park's demise. Ownership of the park changed hands many times throughout its history, and it was finally closed in 1993. Since that time much of the property of the twin parks has been neglected and frequently vandalized, and portions of the acreage are either entangled in legal issues, in a state of redevelopment, or for sale once again.
Recently featured: Robert Arthur Lawson – Gyeongju – Arsenal Football Club
- November 11
The Peterborough Chronicle is one of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles that contains unique information about the history of England after the Norman Conquest. According to philologist J.A.W. Bennett, it is the only prose history in English between the Conquest and the later 14th century. When William the Conqueror took England and Anglo-Norman became the official language, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles generally ceased. The monks of Peterborough Abbey, however, continued to compile events in theirs. While the Peterborough Chronicle is not professional history, it is one of the few first-hand accounts of the period 1070 to 1154 in England written in English and from a non-courtly point of view. It is also a valuable source of information about the early Middle English language itself. The linguistic innovations recorded in its second continuation are plentiful, and at least one innovation, the feminine pronoun "she", is first recorded in the Peterborough Chronicle.
Recently featured: Dogpatch USA – Robert Arthur Lawson – Gyeongju
- November 12
Katamari Damacy is a Japanese video game designed by Keita Takahashi and published by Namco. The game follows a Prince on his mission to rebuild the stars, constellations and the Moon, which his father has accidentally destroyed. This is achieved by rolling a magical sticky ball called a katamari around various locations, collecting objects ranging from thumbtacks to buildings until the ball has grown to sufficient size for a star. This makes the game fall in both the puzzle and action genres, since both thinking and dexterity are needed to complete a mission. Katamari Damacy's story, characters, and settings are bizarre and try in almost no way to be realistic. The many quirks and idiosyncrasies of the plot, settings and characters are left completely unexplained to the player. These unusual characteristics are quite reminiscent of the early days of computer gaming; The game's simple controls and colorful graphics seem to be targeted towards a young audience; however, due to its innovative gameplay and surreal setting, it has attracted the attention of many people of all ages.
Recently featured: Peterborough Chronicle – Dogpatch USA – Robert Arthur Lawson
- November 13
The German S-mine (Schrapnellmine) is the most well-known version of a class of mines known as bounding mines, which launch into the air about waist height to then explode, propelling shrapnel horizontally at lethal speeds. The S-mine was an antipersonnel landmine developed by Nazi Germany in the 1930s and used extensively by German forces during World War II. It was designed to be used in open areas and to attack unshielded infantry. Two versions were produced, designated by the year of their first production: the SMi-35 and SMi-44. There are only minor differences between the two models (TM-E 30-451, 1945). The S-mine entered production in 1935 and served as a key part of the defensive strategy of the Third Reich. Until production ceased with the defeat of Germany in 1945, Germany produced over 1.93 million S-mines (Valias, 2005). These mines were responsible for inflicting heavy casualties and slowing, or even repelling, drives into German-held territory throughout the war. The design was lethal, successful and much imitated, and remains one of the definitive weapons of World War II.
Recently featured: Katamari Damacy – Peterborough Chronicle – Dogpatch USA
- November 14
Pan American World Airways was the principal international airline of the United States from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991. Originally founded as a seaplane service out of Key West, Florida, the airline became a major company; it was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry, including the widespread use of jet aircraft, jumbo jets, and computerized reservation systems. Identified by its blue globe logo and the use of "Clipper" in aircraft names and call signs, the airline was a cultural icon of the 20th century, and the unofficial flag carrier of the United States. Pan Am went through two incarnations after 1991. The second Pan Am operated from 1996 to 1998 with a focus on low-cost, long-distance flights between the U.S. and the Caribbean. The current incarnation, based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and known as the Pan Am "Clipper Connection," is operated by Boston-Maine Airways. The airline currently flies to destinations in the northeastern United States, Florida, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.
Recently featured: S-mine – Katamari Damacy – Peterborough Chronicle
- November 15
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was discovered in a photograph taken on the night of March 24, 1993 with the Schmidt telescope at the Mount Palomar Observatory in California, and was the ninth comet discovered by astronomers Carolyn and Eugene M. Shoemaker and David Levy. It turned out to be the first comet observed orbiting a planet (Jupiter, in this case) and not the Sun. The comet was also unusual because it was in fragments, due to a close encounter with Jupiter in July 1992 when it approached closer to the planet than its Roche limit and was pulled apart by tidal forces. Between July 16 and July 22, 1994, the fragments of the comet collided with Jupiter's southern hemisphere at 60 kilometres per second (37 miles per second), providing the first direct observation of the collision of two solar system objects. The collision resulted in disruptions in Jupiter's atmosphere, such as plumes and bubbles of gas, and dark spots in the atmosphere which remained visible for several months. The event was closely observed and recorded by astronomers worldwide as a result of its tremendous scientific importance, and also generated a large amount of coverage in the popular media.
Recently featured: Pan American World Airways – S-mine – Katamari Damacy
- November 16
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- November 17
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- November 18
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- November 19
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- November 20
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- November 21
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- November 22
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- November 23
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- November 24
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- November 25
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- November 26
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- November 27
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- November 28
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- November 29
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- November 30
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