Wikipedia:Main Page history/2024 April 14b
From today's featured article
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The American poet Walt Whitman spoke publicly many times on Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. A series of at least eleven lectures on Lincoln's life and his assassination began in Steck Hall in New York City on April 14, 1879, and concluded in Philadelphia on April 14, 1890, two years before Whitman's death. They were generally well received, and cemented the poet's public image as an authority on Lincoln. Whitman greatly admired Lincoln and was moved by his assassination in 1865 to write several poems honoring him, including "O Captain! My Captain!", which Whitman recited during some of the talks. The lecture in 1887 at Madison Square Theatre in New York City is considered the most successful of the series, and was attended by many prominent members of American society. Whitman later described its reception as "the culminating hour" of his life. (This article is part of a featured topic: Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln.)
Did you know ...
- ... that 25 years after her career ended, Jennifer Martz (pictured) remains second in NCAA Division III history in hitting percentage?
- ... that Vince Lombardi resigned as head coach of the Green Bay Packers after the 1967 NFL season to focus on his role as the team's general manager?
- ... that Kameron Saunders is the only dancer in Taylor Swift's Eras Tour to have a spoken line?
- ... that Full Personality Expression was an organization for cross-dressers that was originally called the Hose & Heels Club?
- ... that Alda Milner-Barry, the older sister of World War II Enigma codebreaker Stuart Milner-Barry, worked for British military intelligence during World War I?
- ... that Geogaddi makes references to the Branch Davidians and their former leader, David Koresh?
- ... that the lyrics to Gen Hoshino's "Crazy Crazy" references members of the jazz group Crazy Cats through kanji?
- ... that the 2024 Hillhead by-election was the first by-election won by the Scottish Green Party?
- ... that Lou Novikoff asked if the ivy growing on the walls of Wrigley Field could be smoked?
In the news
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- In retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Iran conducts missile and drone strikes against Israel.
- Simon Harris (pictured) becomes Taoiseach of Ireland after Leo Varadkar's resignation.
- Nobel Prize–winning theoretical physicist Peter Higgs dies at the age of 94.
- A total solar eclipse appears across parts of North America.
- A ferry sinks off the northern coast of Mozambique, leaving more than 100 people dead.
On this day
April 14: Tamil New Year and other New Year festivals in South and Southeast Asia (2024); Day of the Georgian Language (1978)
- 43 BC – War of Mutina: Despite initial success, troops loyal to Mark Antony were defeated near the Via Aemilia in northern Italy by legions loyal to the Roman Senate.
- 1944 – The freighter Fort Stikine, carrying cotton bales, gold and ammunition, exploded in the harbour of Bombay, India, sinking surrounding ships and causing about 800 deaths.
- 1970 – After an oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13 exploded, disabling the spacecraft's electrical and life-support systems, astronaut Jack Swigert reported: "Houston, we've had a problem here" (audio featured).
- 1983 – Let's Dance, English musician David Bowie's best-selling album, was released.
- 1994 – Iraqi no-fly zones conflict: In a friendly-fire incident during Operation Provide Comfort, two U.S. Air Force aircraft mistakenly shot down two U.S. Army helicopters over northern Iraq, killing 26 people.
- Anne Sullivan (b. 1866)
- John Gielgud (b. 1904)
- Yakov Dzhugashvili (d. 1943)
Today's featured picture
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Nassarius arcularia, commonly known as the casket nassa or the little box dog whelk, is a species of sea snail in the Nassa mud snail or dog whelk family, Nassariidae. It is found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters across the world, inhabiting muddy areas close to the shoreline. The shell, which is very common, has a thickness of up to 3 centimetres (1.2 inches) and varies in form – for example, in the elongation of the whorls and the longitudinal folds – as well as in color, with some specimens entirely white while others have brown bands. The young of this species have folds and striae that are much more prominent. This composite photograph shows five different views of a N. arcularia shell, with a length of 2.2 centimetres (0.87 inches), that was collected in Madagascar. Photograph credit: H. Zell
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