Wikipedia:Main Page history/2021 May 1b

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From today's featured article

The Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia was a republic within the Caucasus region of the Soviet Union that existed from 1921 to 1931. Formed in the aftermath of the Red Army invasion of Georgia in February 1921, it was independent until December, when a treaty united it with the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1931 it was replaced with the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within Georgia. Abkhazia was a major tobacco producer in this era, growing over half of the Soviet Union's supply. It also produced tea, wine, and citrus fruits, and became one of the wealthiest regions in the country. Its sub-tropical climate made it a prime holiday destination; Joseph Stalin and other Soviet leaders had dachas in the region and spent considerable time there. An ethnically diverse region, Abkhazia was nominally led by the Abkhaz people, who made up less than 30 percent of the population. Other major groups included Georgians, Armenians, Greeks, and Russians. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Detail from Matilda de Bailleul's illuminated psalter

... that Euphemia de Walliers made additions to the illuminated psalter (detail pictured) left by her predecessor as Wherwell Abbey's prioress, Matilda de Bailleul?
... that a researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation described Google's Federated Learning of Cohorts as "a technology that should not exist"?
... that although they were positioned just a few miles away, the soldiers of George Johnstone's brigade were unaware of the Battle of Waterloo taking place?
... that "Der am Kreuz ist meine Liebe" (He on the Cross is my love) is the first line of four hymns from the 17th, 18th and 20th centuries?
... that Camillo Vaz managed Paris Saint-Germain Féminine when they qualified for the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time?
... that officially sanctioned methods to combat drought in Turkey include better protecting river basins, building underground dams, rainwater harvesting, using more grey water, and praying for rain?
... that classicist Alfred Klotz wrote a textbook promoting scientific racism that turned out to be a commercial failure?
... that Dendroides canadensis larvae alternate between two different adaptive mechanisms to survive in subzero temperatures?

In the news

Tianhe space station module

In Israel, at least 45 people are killed in a crowd crush at a religious festival on Mount Meron.
China launches the Tianhe space station module (pictured) on a Long March 5B rocket, the first module in the upcoming Tiangong space station.
American astronaut Michael Collins, the command module pilot for Apollo 11, dies at the age of 90.
At the Academy Awards, Nomadland wins three awards, including Best Picture.

On this day

May 1: International Workers' Day; Beltane and Samhain in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively; Maharashtra Day in Maharashtra, India (1960); Loyalty Day in the United States

Scene from Citizen Kane

1707 – Under the terms of the Acts of Union, the Kingdoms of England and Scotland merged to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, with a single parliament and government based in Westminster.
1941 – Citizen Kane (scene pictured), a widely acclaimed film by actor and director Orson Welles, premiered.
1991 – In Major League Baseball, Rickey Henderson broke the record for stolen bases on the same night that Nolan Ryan broke his own record for no-hitters.
2016 – The evacuation of nearly 88,000 people began when a wildfire swept through Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, and burned for another 14 months, becoming the costliest disaster in Canadian history.

Alexander William Williamson (b. 1824)
Marie-Aimée Roger-Miclos (b. 1860)
Ranasinghe Premadasa (d. 1993)

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Today's featured picture

Fred Rogers

Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was an American television host, author, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001. He is seen here testifying before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, chaired by John Pastore, on May 1, 1969, advocating for greater funding for the proposed Public Broadcasting Service.

Video credit: United States Senate

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