popular Wiki of the Day
About
Available on
Community
1122 episodes
pWotD Episode 2525: Chance Perdomo Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 507,899 views on Sunday, 31 March 2024 our article of the day is Chance Perdomo. Chance Perdomo (19 October 1996 – 29/30 March 2024) was a British actor, born in Los Angeles, and raised in Southampton, England. He earned a British Academy Television Award nomination for his performance in the BBC Three film Killed by My Debt (2018). He gained further prominence through his roles as Ambrose Spellman in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020) and Andre Anderson in the first season of the Amazon Prime series Gen V (2023). This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:02 UTC on Monday, 1 April 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Chance Perdomo on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chance_Perdomo. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Justin Neural.
pWotD Episode 2524: Cowboy Carter Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 172,652 views on Saturday, 30 March 2024 our article of the day is Cowboy Carter. Cowboy Carter (also referred to as Act II: Cowboy Carter) is the eighth studio album by the American singer Beyoncé. Released on March 29, 2024, via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records, the album is the second installment of Beyoncé's trilogy project conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, following Renaissance (2022). Mostly labeled a country, western and R&B album, Cowboy Carter contains elements of pop, opera, house, Jersey club, classic rock, hip hop, blues, soul, rock, rhythm and blues and folk. Conceptually, Cowboy Carter is presented as a broadcast by a fictional radio station (called KNTRY Radio) in Texas, with country singers Dolly Parton, Linda Martell and Willie Nelson acting as radio DJs. The album also features lesser known country artists such as Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, Shaboozey and Willie Jones, alongside collaborations with musicians Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Rhiannon Giddens, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers, Raye, Ryan Beatty and Jon Batiste. Two co-lead singles supported the album—"Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages". Upon release, Cowboy Carter was met with critical acclaim for Beyoncé's embrace of country music in context of celebrating the genre's Black roots with emphasis on the vocal performance and lyrics. Publications opined that Cowboy Carter highlighted Black musicians' place within country music, causing the listenership of Black country artists on streaming platforms and country radio to increase. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:13 UTC on Sunday, 31 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Cowboy Carter on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboy_Carter. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Ayanda Neural.
pWotD Episode 2523: Louis Gossett Jr. Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 441,029 views on Friday, 29 March 2024 our article of the day is Louis Gossett Jr.. Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (May 27, 1936 – March 29, 2024) was an American actor. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, he made his stage debut at the age of 17. Shortly thereafter, he successfully auditioned for the Broadway play Take a Giant Step. Gossett continued acting onstage in critically acclaimed plays including A Raisin in the Sun (1959), The Blacks (1961), Tambourines to Glory (1963), and The Zulu and the Zayda (1965). In 1977, Gossett appeared in the popular miniseries Roots, for which he won Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series at the Emmy Awards. Gossett continued acting in high-profile films, television, plays, and video games. In 1982, for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and became the first black actor to win in this category. At the Emmy Awards, Gossett continued to receive recognition, with nominations for The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots (1978), Palmerstown, U. S. A. (1981), Sadat (1983). Gossett appeared in 1985's Enemy Mine with Dennis Quaid, A Gathering of Old Men (1987), Touched by an Angel (1997), and Watchmen (2019). He won and was nominated at other ceremonies including the Golden Globe Awards, Black Reel Awards, and NAACP Image Awards. Gossett was also well-known for his role as Colonel Chappy Sinclair in the Iron Eagle film series (1986-1995). Gossett's other film appearances include Hal Ashby's The Landlord (1970), Paul Bogart's Skin Game (1971), George Cukor's Travels with My Aunt (1972), Stuart Rosenberg's The Laughing Policeman (1974), Philip Kaufman's The White Dawn (1974), Peter Yates's The Deep (1977), Wolfgang Petersen's Enemy Mine (1985), Christopher Cain's The Principal (1987), Mark Goldblatt's The Punisher (1989), Daniel Petrie's Toy Soldiers (1991), and Jasper, Texas (2003), and his television appearances include Bonanza (1971), The Jeffersons (1975), American Playhouse (1990), Stargate SG-1 (2005), Left Behind: World at War (2005), Boardwalk Empire (2013), and The Book of Negroes (2015). This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:19 UTC on Saturday, 30 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Louis Gossett Jr. on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Gossett_Jr.. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Matthew Neural.
pWotD Episode 2522: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 223,411 views on Thursday, 28 March 2024 our article of the day is Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a 2024 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard. Produced by Legendary Pictures, it is a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and the fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise. It is also the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise and the 13th film in the King Kong franchise. The film stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen. Hall, Henry, and Hottle reprise their roles from the previous film. In the film, Kong encounters more of his species in the Hollow Earth and must unite with Godzilla to stop their tyrannical leader and a powerful, climate-changing Titan from destroying the surface. Because of the box office and streaming success of Godzilla vs. Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic, Legendary announced a sequel in March 2022 and that filming would commence later that year. In May 2022, it was announced that Wingard would return to direct and Stevens had been cast as a lead. Filming began in July 2022 in the Gold Coast, Australia, and finished in November 2022. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on March 25, 2024, and was released internationally two days later. The film has received mixed reviews. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 05:17 UTC on Friday, 29 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_x_Kong%3A_The_New_Empire. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Matthew Standard.
pWotD Episode 2521: Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 292,006 views on Wednesday, 27 March 2024 our article of the day is Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. On March 26, 2024, at 1:28 a.m. EDT (05:28 UTC), the main spans of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, across the Patapsco River between Baltimore and Dundalk in the U. S. state of Maryland, collapsed after the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali struck one of its support pillars. Two people were rescued from the river; one had no injuries, while the other was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Six members of a construction crew working on the roadway were reported missing, presumed dead. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:51 UTC on Thursday, 28 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Scott_Key_Bridge_collapse. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Ivy Neural.
pWotD Episode 2520: Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore) Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 1,446,189 views on Tuesday, 26 March 2024 our article of the day is Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore). The Francis Scott Key Bridge was a steel arch continuous through truss bridge spanning the lower Patapsco River and outer Baltimore Harbor / Port carrying Maryland Route 695 (the Baltimore Beltway) between Hawkins Point, a neighborhood of Baltimore, and Dundalk in Maryland, United States. The main spans of the bridge were destroyed on March 26, 2024, when a container ship, the MV Dali, crashed into one of its support pillars. The crossing between Baltimore City and Baltimore County also passed through a small portion of Anne Arundel County. It was first known as the Outer Harbor Crossing until 1976, when it was renamed while still under construction. It has also been known as Key Bridge or Beltway Bridge. The main span of 1,200 feet (366 m) was the third longest span of any continuous truss in the world, and the total length was 8,636 feet (2,632 m) long. It was the second-longest bridge in the Baltimore metropolitan area, after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The bridge was opened on March 23, 1977, named for amateur poet Francis Scott Key (1779–1843), the author of the lyrics to the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". The Key Bridge was a toll facility operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA). The bridge was the outermost of three toll crossings of Baltimore's Harbor, two tunnels and one bridge. The bridge carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually. It was a designated hazardous materials truck route, as HAZMATs were prohibited in the Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry tunnels. Once completed, the bridge structure and its approaches became the final links in Interstate 695, the "Baltimore Beltway", completing a two-decade-long project. Despite being signed as part of I-695, the bridge was officially considered part of the state highway system and designated Maryland Route 695. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 06:13 UTC on Wednesday, 27 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore) on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Scott_Key_Bridge_%28Baltimore%29. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Salli Neural.
pWotD Episode 2519: The Three-Body Problem (novel) Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 271,098 views on Monday, 25 March 2024 our article of the day is The Three-Body Problem (novel). The Three-Body Problem (Chinese: 三体; lit. 'Three-Body') is a story by Chinese science fiction author Liu Cixin, the first novel in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. The series portrays a fictional past, present and future wherein Earth encounters an alien civilization from a nearby system of three sun-like stars orbiting one another, a representative example of the three-body problem in orbital mechanics. The story was originally serialized in Science Fiction World in 2006 before it was published as a standalone book in 2008. In 2006, it received the Galaxy Award (Yínhé Jiǎng) for Chinese science fiction. In 2012, it was described as one of the genre's most successful novels of the previous two decades. The English translation by Ken Liu was published by Tor Books in 2014. That translation was the first novel by an Asian writer to win a Hugo Award for Best Novel; it was also nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel. The book has been adapted into other media. In 2015, a Chinese film adaptation of the same name was in production, but it was never released. A Chinese TV series, Three-Body, released in early 2023 to critical success locally. An English language Netflix series, 3 Body Problem, was released in March 2024. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:00 UTC on Tuesday, 26 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see The Three-Body Problem (novel) on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three-Body_Problem_%28novel%29. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Matthew Neural.
pWotD Episode 2518: 2024 Indian Premier League Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 460,306 views on Sunday, 24 March 2024 our article of the day is 2024 Indian Premier League. The 2024 Indian Premier League (also known as IPL 17 and branded as TATA IPL 2024) is the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League, a franchise Twenty20 cricket league in India, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The tournament features ten teams and is being held from 22 March to 26 May 2024. Chennai Super Kings are the defending champions, having won their fifth title during the previous season beating Gujarat Titans, becoming the joint-successful franchise in the history of the tournament along with Mumbai Indians. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:52 UTC on Monday, 25 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see 2024 Indian Premier League on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Indian_Premier_League. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Salli Neural.
pWotD Episode 2517: Indian Premier League Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 716,771 views on Saturday, 23 March 2024 our article of the day is Indian Premier League. The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as the TATA IPL, is a men's Twenty20 (T20) cricket league held annually in India. Founded by the BCCI in 2007, the league features ten city-based franchise teams. The IPL usually takes place during the summer, between March and May each year. It has an exclusive window in the ICC Future Tours Programme, resulting in fewer international cricket tours occurring during the IPL seasons. The IPL is the most popular cricket league in the world; in 2014, it ranked sixth in average attendance among all sports leagues. In 2010, the IPL became the first sporting event to be broadcast live on YouTube. Inspired by the success of the IPL, other Indian sports leagues have been established. In 2022, the league's brand value was estimated at ₹90,038 crore (US$11 billion). According to the BCCI, the 2015 IPL season contributed ₹1,150 crore (US$140 million) to India's GDP. In December 2022, the IPL achieved a valuation of US$10.9 billion, becoming a decacorn and registering a 75% growth in dollar terms since 2020 when it was valued at $6.2 billion, according to a report by the consulting firm D and P Advisory. Its 2023 final became the most streamed live event on the internet, with 32 million viewers. In 2023, the league sold its media rights for the period of 2023–2027 for US$6.4 billion to Viacom18 and Star Sports, meaning each IPL match was valued at $13.4 million. As of 2023, there have been sixteen seasons of the tournament. The current champions are the Chennai Super Kings, who won the 2023 season after defeating the Gujarat Titans in the final. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:58 UTC on Sunday, 24 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Indian Premier League on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Premier_League. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Geraint Standard.
pWotD Episode 2516: Catherine, Princess of Wales Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 477,408 views on Friday, 22 March 2024 our article of the day is Catherine, Princess of Wales. Catherine, Princess of Wales, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne. Born in Reading, Catherine grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire. She was educated at St Andrew's School and Marlborough College before studying art history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where she met Prince William in 2001. She held several jobs in retail and marketing and pursued charity work before their engagement was announced in November 2010. They married on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey. The couple have three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis. Catherine holds patronage with over 20 charitable and military organisations including the Anna Freud Centre, Action for Children, SportsAid, and the National Portrait Gallery. She undertakes projects through the Royal Foundation, with her charity work focusing on issues surrounding early childhood care, addiction, and art. To encourage people to discuss their mental health problems, Catherine envisioned the mental health awareness campaign Heads Together, which she launched with her husband William and brother-in-law Harry in April 2016. The media have called Catherine's impact on British and American fashion the "Kate Middleton effect". Time listed her as one of the most influential people in the world in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and as a finalist in 2018. On 9 September 2022, she became Princess of Wales when her husband was created Prince of Wales by his father, King Charles III. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:16 UTC on Saturday, 23 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Catherine, Princess of Wales on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine%2C_Princess_of_Wales. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Kimberly Neural.
pWotD Episode 2515: Brian Peck Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 274,805 views on Thursday, 21 March 2024 our article of the day is Brian Peck. Brian Richard Peck (born July 29, 1960) is an American convicted sex offender, former actor, dialogue coach, director and producer. As an actor, Peck is best known for his role as Scuz in The Return of the Living Dead as well as Pickle Boy on All That, the latter of which employed him as a dialogue coach. Peck also appeared on Boy Meets World, Growing Pains and The Amanda Show. He also directed comedy horror anthology film The Willies (1990). He was a body double for Alan Thicke on Growing Pains. He was arrested on August 19, 2003, for lewd conduct with a minor, being initially charged with 11 counts. In March 2024, on the Investigation Discovery documentary series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, Nickelodeon star Drake Bell, whom Peck worked with on The Amanda Show, was revealed to be his victim. In 2004, Peck was convicted of two counts and was sentenced to serve 16 months in prison and register as a sex offender. After his release, he was hired to work on the Disney Channel teen sitcom The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He did voiceover work for three episodes but was later fired after Disney Channel executives learned of his conviction, and his voice lines and on-screen credits were replaced; he was never on set nor interacted with the show's cast or crew. He lives in Los Angeles, California as of 2024 and has not worked in the entertainment industry since 2019. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:38 UTC on Friday, 22 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Brian Peck on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Peck. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Geraint Standard.
pWotD Episode 2514: Aaron Taylor-Johnson Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 266,391 views on Wednesday, 20 March 2024 our article of the day is Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Aaron Perry Taylor-Johnson (né Johnson; born 13 June 1990) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of the title character in Kick-Ass (2010) and its 2013 sequel as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe character Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Johnson began performing as a child and appeared in films including Shanghai Knights (2003), The Illusionist (2006), and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008). He had his breakthrough performance as John Lennon in the biopic Nowhere Boy (2009), directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, whom he married in 2012. He followed this with roles in the crime thriller Savages (2012), period drama Anna Karenina (2012), and monster film Godzilla (2014). For his performance as a psychopathic drifter in the thriller film Nocturnal Animals (2016), Taylor-Johnson won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He has since appeared in the action films Tenet (2020) and Bullet Train (2022). This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:28 UTC on Thursday, 21 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Aaron Taylor-Johnson on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Taylor-Johnson. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Arthur Neural.
pWotD Episode 2513: Nowruz Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 996,028 views on Tuesday, 19 March 2024 our article of the day is Nowruz. Nowruz (Persian: نوروز [noːˈɾuːz]) is the Iranian or Persian New Year celebrated by various ethnic groups worldwide. It is a festival based on the spring equinox— which marks the first day of the new year in the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar, on or around 21 March on the Gregorian calendar. The day of Nowruz has its origins in the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism and is thus rooted in the traditions of the Iranian peoples; however, it has been celebrated by diverse communities for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Balkans, and South Asia. Presently, while it is largely a secular holiday for most celebrants and enjoyed by people of several different faiths and backgrounds, Nowruz remains a holy day for Zoroastrians, Baháʼís, and some Muslim communities. As the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, i.e. the moment at which the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year. Traditional customs of Nowruz include fire and water, ritual dances, gift exchanges, reciting poetry, symbolic objects and more; these customs differ between the diverse peoples and countries that celebrate the festival. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:30 UTC on Wednesday, 20 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Nowruz on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Kajal Neural.
pWotD Episode 2512: 2024 Russian presidential election Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 207,392 views on Monday, 18 March 2024 our article of the day is 2024 Russian presidential election. Presidential elections were held in Russia from 15 to 17 March 2024. It was the eighth presidential election in the country. Incumbent president Vladimir Putin claimed victory with 87% of the vote, the highest percentage of victory in a presidential election in post-Soviet Russia, gaining a fifth term that was widely viewed as a foregone conclusion. He is scheduled to be inaugurated on 7 May 2024. In November 2023, former member of the State Duma, Boris Nadezhdin, became the first person backed by a registered political party to announce his candidacy, running on an anti-war platform. He was followed by incumbent and independent candidate Vladimir Putin in December 2023, who is eligible to seek re-election as a result of the 2020 constitutional amendments. Later the same month, Leonid Slutsky of the LDPR, Nikolay Kharitonov of the Communist Party and Vladislav Davankov of New People announced their candidacies. Other candidates also declared their candidacy but were barred for various reasons. Despite passing the initial stages of the process, on 8 February 2024, Nadezhdin was barred from running. The decision was announced at a special CEC session, citing alleged irregularities in the signatures of voters supporting his candidacy. Nadezhdin's status as the only explicitly anti-war candidate was widely regarded as the real reason for his disqualification, although Davankov also promised "peace and negotiations" with Ukraine. As was the case in the 2018 presidential election, and as anticipated by international observers, the election was not free and fair. The election campaign was held amid political repressions, with Putin's authoritarian rule intensifying after he launched a full-scale war with Ukraine in 2022. No credible opposition figures were permitted to stand for election; genuine critics of Putin were dead, imprisoned, living in exile, or barred from the ballot. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, viewed as the most viable Putin rival, was imprisoned on politically motivated charges in 2021, was imprisoned at a remote Arctic penal colony in 2021; his prison term was repeatedly extended, and he was deemed ineligible for the ballot. Nalvany died in prison in February 2024, weeks before the election, under suspicious circumstances. The three-day balloted period was marked by state propaganda, censorship, and electoral fraud and manipulation. Novaya Gazeta, an independent newspaper, estimated that 31.6 million votes, half the total number of votes recorded, were fake. Russia held the election in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine; Russian soldiers and election officials forced many Ukrainians to vote, sometimes at gunpoint. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:29 UTC on Tuesday, 19 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see 2024 Russian presidential election on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Russian_presidential_election. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Aria Neural.
pWotD Episode 2511: Saint Patrick's Day Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 541,434 views on Sunday, 17 March 2024 our article of the day is Saint Patrick's Day. Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit. 'the Day of the Festival of Patrick'), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and, by extension, celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services and historically the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption. Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (for provincial government employees), and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, United States, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, especially amongst Irish diaspora. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Modern celebrations have been greatly influenced by those of the Irish diaspora, particularly those that developed in North America. However, there has been criticism of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for having become too commercialised and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish people. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:05 UTC on Monday, 18 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Saint Patrick's Day on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Joey Neural.
pWotD Episode 2510: Poor Things (film) Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 181,885 views on Saturday, 16 March 2024 our article of the day is Poor Things (film). Poor Things is a 2023 film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Tony McNamara, based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray. A co-production between Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the film stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael. It focuses on Bella Baxter, a woman in Victorian London who is brought back to life via brain transplant and embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery. Principal photography took place in Hungary from August to December 2021. Poor Things premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2023, and won the Golden Lion there. The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 8, 2023, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on January 12, 2024, by Searchlight Pictures. It has grossed over $108 million worldwide on a budget of $35 million. Poor Things was named one of the top ten films of 2023 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute, and received numerous other accolades, including four wins at the 96th Academy Awards, two wins at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, and five wins at the 77th British Academy Film Awards, with Stone winning Best Actress at each of these ceremonies. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:41 UTC on Sunday, 17 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Poor Things (film) on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_Things_%28film%29. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Ivy Neural.
pWotD Episode 2509: Ides of March Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 232,921 views on Friday, 15 March 2024 our article of the day is Ides of March. The Ides of March (; Latin: Idus Martiae, Late Latin: Idus Martii) is the day on the Roman calendar marked as the Idus, roughly the midpoint of a month, of Martius, corresponding to 15 March on the Gregorian calendar. It was marked by several major religious observances. In 44 BC, it became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar, which made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:05 UTC on Saturday, 16 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Ides of March on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ides_of_March. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Joanna Standard.
pWotD Episode 2508: Steak and Blowjob Day Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 185,248 views on Thursday, 14 March 2024 our article of the day is Steak and Blowjob Day. Steak and Blowjob Day (sometimes Steak & BJ Day or Steak and Knobber Day) is a satirical unofficial holiday created in the United States as a male response to Valentine's Day and celebrated a month later, on March 14. On the day, women are purportedly supposed to cook a filet steak for and perform fellatio on a man in response to cards, chocolate, flowers and other gifts given by men on Valentine's Day. The observance has no official status, being a popular Internet meme rather than an actual holiday, but various souvenirs and video clips have been produced about it. It was conceived in 2002 by DJ Tom Birdsey on WFNX radio. It has been suggested that Steak and Blowjob Day is a backlash against the feminist movement; the holiday has been criticized as sexist and patriarchal, though it has also been positively received by some, and used as a platform to fundraise for breast cancer research. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:47 UTC on Friday, 15 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Steak and Blowjob Day on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steak_and_Blowjob_Day. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Joey Standard.
pWotD Episode 2507: Iron lung Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 277,810 views on Wednesday, 13 March 2024 our article of the day is Iron lung. An iron lung is a type of negative pressure ventilator (NPV), a mechanical respirator which encloses most of a person's body and varies the air pressure in the enclosed space to stimulate breathing. It assists breathing when muscle control is lost, or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability. Need for this treatment may result from diseases including polio and botulism and certain poisons (for example, barbiturates, tubocurarine). The use of iron lungs is largely obsolete in modern medicine as more modern breathing therapies have been developed and due to the eradication of polio in most of the world. However, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic revived some interest in the device as a cheap, readily-producible substitute for positive-pressure ventilators, which were feared to be outnumbered by patients potentially needing temporary artificially assisted respiration. The iron lung is a large horizontal cylinder designed to stimulate breathing in patients who have lost control of their respiratory muscles. The patient's head is exposed outside the cylinder, while the body is sealed inside. Air pressure inside the cylinder is cycled to facilitate inhalation and exhalation. Devices like the Drinker, Emerson, and Both respirators are examples of iron lungs, which can be manually or mechanically powered. Smaller versions, like the cuirass ventilator and jacket ventilator, enclose only the patient's torso. Breathing in humans occurs through negative pressure, where the rib cage expands and the diaphragm contracts, causing air to flow in and out of the lungs. The concept of external negative pressure ventilation was introduced by John Mayow in 1670. The first widely used device was the iron lung, developed by Philip Drinker and Louis Shaw in 1928. Initially used for coal gas poisoning treatment, the iron lung gained fame for treating respiratory failure caused by polio in the mid-20th century. John Haven Emerson introduced an improved and more affordable version in 1931. The Both respirator, a cheaper and lighter alternative to the Drinker model, was invented in Australia in 1937. British philanthropist William Morris financed the production of the Both–Nuffield respirators, donating them to hospitals throughout Britain and the British Empire. During the polio outbreaks of the 1940s and 1950s, iron lungs filled hospital wards, assisting patients with paralyzed diaphragms in their recovery. Polio vaccination programs and the development of modern ventilators have nearly eradicated the use of iron lungs in the developed world. Positive pressure ventilation systems, which blow air into the patient's lungs via intubation, have become more common than negative pressure systems like iron lungs. However, negative pressure ventilation is more similar to normal physiological breathing and may be preferable in rare conditions. As of 2008, around 30 patients in the U. S. were still using iron lungs. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shortage of modern ventilators, some enterprises developed prototypes of new, easily producible versions of the iron lung. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:46 UTC on Thursday, 14 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Iron lung on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_lung. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Olivia Neural.
pWotD Episode 2506: Eric Carmen Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 395,694 views on Tuesday, 12 March 2024 our article of the day is Eric Carmen. Eric Howard Carmen (August 11, 1949 – March 2024) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist. He was first known as the lead vocalist of the Raspberries. He had numerous hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries (who had a million-selling single with "Go All the Way"), and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All by Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It", "Hungry Eyes", and "Make Me Lose Control". This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:53 UTC on Wednesday, 13 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Eric Carmen on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Carmen. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Niamh Neural.
pWotD Episode 2505: Emma Stone Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 1,046,349 views on Monday, 11 March 2024 our article of the day is Emma Stone. Emily Jean "Emma" Stone (born November 6, 1988) is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2017, she was the world's highest-paid actress and named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, Stone began acting as a child in a theater production of The Wind in the Willows in 2000. As a teenager, she relocated to Los Angeles and made her television debut in In Search of the New Partridge Family (2004), a reality show that produced only an unsold pilot. After small television roles, she appeared in a series of well-received teen comedy films, such as Superbad (2007), Zombieland (2009), and Easy A (2010), which was Stone's first leading role. Following this breakthrough, she starred in the romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and the period drama The Help (2011), and gained wider recognition as Gwen Stacy in the The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and its 2014 sequel. Stone has won two Academy Awards for Best Actress: for her role as an aspiring actress in Damien Chazelle's romantic musical La La Land (2016); and for her role as a resurrected suicide victim in Yorgos Lanthimos fantasy film Poor Things (2023). She received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her roles as a recovering drug addict in Birdman (2014), and as Abigail Masham in The Favourite (2018). She also starred in the dark comedy miniseries Maniac (2018) and in The Curse (2023), and portrayed the title role in the crime comedy Cruella (2021). On Broadway, Stone has starred as Sally Bowles in a revival of the musical Cabaret (2014–2015). She and her husband, Dave McCary, founded the production company Fruit Tree in 2020, under which they have produced the films When You Finish Saving the World (2022) and Problemista (2023). This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:06 UTC on Tuesday, 12 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Emma Stone on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Stone. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Kimberly Neural.
pWotD Episode 2504: Chelonitoxism Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 291,037 views on Sunday, 10 March 2024 our article of the day is Chelonitoxism. Chelonitoxism or chelonitoxication is a type of food poisoning which occasionally results from eating turtles, particularly marine turtles, in the region of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is considered rare. Four species of marine turtle have been associated with chelonitoxism: hawksbill turtle (Eremochelys imbricata), green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta gigas), leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), plus the freshwater species New Guinea giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys bibroni). Consumption of these species has caused poisoning incidents at various times of year in various tropical and subtropical locations, including such places as Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines and New Guinea, as well as southern South Asia (Gulf of Mannar) and the Zanzibar archipelago. The southern South Asia region has recorded 89 deaths from (primarily hawksbill and green) sea turtle poisoning from 1840 to 1983, mainly in Tamil Nadu and northern and western Sri Lanka. Chelonitoxism can be deadly, and supportive treatment is the only treatment available; there is no known antidote. Sea turtle is a traditional food in the region of the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Symptoms of chelonitoxism begin to show up within hours to a week following ingestion of turtle meat which has not been repeatedly parboiled. Children are especially susceptible, and the toxins have been reported to transfer readily via breastfeeding, even when the mother experiences no illness. Digestive system signs include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dysphagia, tongue abnormalities and a firm, nontender liver. Autopsies have revealed hemorrhage in liver, esophagus and stomach, with mucosal edema of the esophagus, stomach and intestines. Fatty changes and necrosis of the liver were present. Other organs found to be abnormal on autopsy include swollen gall bladder, congested kidneys and enlarged spleen. Cardiovascular signs include variable slight tachycardia and a moderate drop in systolic blood pressure, pallor and, on autopsy, a flabby heart with hemorrhagic petechiae. Neurological signs include increased salivation, sweating, vertigo, lethargy and diminished deep reflexes, sometimes followed by coma and death. Death was found to result from respiratory failure. On autopsy, cerebral cortical edema was found, along with hemorrhagic petechiae. Low fever, thirst, constipation and spontaneous abortion have also been reported, while typical signs of allergic reaction are absent. A full recovery can take weeks, and it is not known whether any aftereffects are permanent. While standard hospital toxicology screens detected no known toxins, stomach contents of hospitalized patients fed to small laboratory animals killed the animals. Silas and Bastian have speculated that chelonitoxism may involve a neurotoxin. Research on the biochemistry of both poisonous turtle tissues and tissues of turtle poisoning patients is scant, and local medical practitioners have minimal treatment protocols for chelonitoxism at their disposal. Currently, with loggerheads (and other turtles under pressure from hunting) under legal protection against hunting, researchers hope that programs to discourage turtle consumption on health grounds may both increase turtle numbers and prevent human morbidity and mortality. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:26 UTC on Monday, 11 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Chelonitoxism on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelonitoxism. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Emma Standard.
pWotD Episode 2503: Anthony Joshua Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 347,410 views on Saturday, 9 March 2024 our article of the day is Anthony Joshua. Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua (born 15 October 1989) is a British professional boxer. He is a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, having held the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Organization (WBO) titles twice between 2016 and 2021. He also held the International Boxing Organization (IBO) title twice during that reign. At regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles from 2015 to 2016. As an amateur, Joshua represented England at the 2011 World Championships in the super-heavyweight division, winning a silver medal. He also represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, winning gold. In 2014, a year after turning professional, he was named Prospect of the Year by The Ring magazine. In 2017, his victorious fight against Wladimir Klitschko was named Fight of the Year by The Ring and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Joshua is the second English boxer, after James DeGale, to win both a gold medal at the Olympics and a world title by a major professional sanctioning body, as well as the first English heavyweight to do so. As of October 2022, Joshua is ranked as the world's second-best active heavyweight by BoxRec, third by The Ring, and fourth by Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and ESPN, as well as the sixth-best active boxer, pound for pound, by BoxRec. He has been ranked by BoxRec as among the world's top 10 heavyweights since 2014, and was ranked at No. 1 at the conclusion of 2016 and 2017. Joshua's knockout-to-win percentage stands at 88%, with an overall knockout percentage of 58% in world heavyweight title fights. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:51 UTC on Sunday, 10 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Anthony Joshua on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Joshua. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Joanna Standard.
pWotD Episode 2502: Akira Toriyama Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 1,446,256 views on Friday, 8 March 2024 our article of the day is Akira Toriyama. Akira Toriyama (Japanese: 鳥山 明, Hepburn: Toriyama Akira, April 5, 1955 – March 1, 2024) was a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for creating the popular manga series Dr. Slump, before going on to create Dragon Ball (his most notable work) and acting as a character designer for several popular video games such as the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. Toriyama is regarded as one of the authors who changed the history of manga, as his works are highly influential and popular, particularly Dragon Ball, which many manga artists cite as a source of inspiration. He earned the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen manga with Dr. Slump, and it went on to sell over 35 million copies in Japan. It was adapted into a successful anime series, with a second anime created in 1997, 13 years after the manga ended. His next series, Dragon Ball, would become one of the most popular and successful manga in the world. Having sold 260 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling manga series of all time and is considered to be one of the main reasons for the period when manga circulation was at its highest in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Overseas, Dragon Ball's anime adaptations have been more successful than the manga and are credited with boosting anime's popularity in the Western world. In 2019, Toriyama was decorated a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:47 UTC on Saturday, 9 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Akira Toriyama on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Toriyama. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Justin Neural.
pWotD Episode 2501: Lola Beltrán Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 389,127 views on Thursday, 7 March 2024 our article of the day is Lola Beltrán. María Lucila "Lola" Beltrán Ruiz (7 March 1932 – 24 March 1996) was a Mexican actress and singer. She is and was one of Mexico's most acclaimed singers of Ranchera and Huapango music. She collaborated with other Mexican music stars such as Amalia Mendoza, Juan Gabriel and Lucha Villa. She was internationally renowned for her interpretation of the songs "Cucurrucucú paloma" and "Paloma Negra" and sang before world leaders. She was nicknamed Lola la Grande ("Lola the Great"). Her song Soy infeliz ("I'm Unhappy") was the opening music for Pedro Almodóvar's film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:03 UTC on Friday, 8 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Lola Beltrán on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lola_Beltr%C3%A1n. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Ivy Neural.
pWotD Episode 2500: Bohemian Grove Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 243,512 views on Wednesday, 6 March 2024 our article of the day is Bohemian Grove. Bohemian Grove, Monte Rio, California (United States), is a restricted 2,700-acre (1,100 ha) campground at 20601 Bohemian Avenue, belonging to a private gentlemen's club known as the Bohemian Club. In mid-July each year, Bohemian Grove hosts a more than two-week encampment of some of the most prominent men in the world. The Bohemian Club's all-male membership includes artists and musicians, as well as many prominent business leaders, government officials, former U. S. presidents, senior media executives, and people of power. Members may invite guests to the Grove. Guests may be invited to the Grove for either the "Spring Jinks" in June or the main July encampment. Bohemian Club members can schedule private day-use events at the Grove any time it is not being used for Club-wide purposes, and they are allowed at these times to bring spouses, family, and friends, although female and minor guests must be off the property by 9 or 10 pm. After 40 years of membership, the men earn "Old Guard" status, giving them reserved seating at the Grove's daily talks, as well as other perks. Former U. S. president Herbert Hoover was inducted into the Old Guard on March 4, 1953; he had joined the club exactly 40 years prior. Redwood branches from the Grove were flown to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, where they were used to decorate a banquet room for the celebration. In his acceptance speech, Hoover compared the honor of the "Old Guard" status to his frequent role as veteran counselor to later presidents. The Club motto is "Weaving Spiders Come Not Here," which implies that outside concerns and business deals (networking) are to be left outside. When gathered in groups, Bohemians usually adhere to the injunction, although discussion of business often occurs between pairs of members. Important political and business deals have been developed at the Grove. The Grove is particularly famous for a Manhattan Project planning meeting that took place there in September 1942, which subsequently led to the atomic bomb. Those attending this meeting included Ernest Lawrence, J. Robert Oppenheimer, the S-1 Executive Committee heads, such as the presidents of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, along with representatives of Standard Oil and General Electric as well as various military officials. At the time, Oppenheimer was not an S-1 member, although Lawrence and Oppenheimer hosted the meeting. Grove members take particular pride in this event and often relate the story to new attendees. Other behavior at the campground has led to numerous claims and even some parody in popular culture. One example was President Richard Nixon's comments from a May 13, 1971, tape recording talking about upper-class San Franciscans: "The Bohemian Grove, which I attend from time to time—it is the most faggy goddamned thing you could ever imagine, with that San Francisco crowd." This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:20 UTC on Thursday, 7 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Bohemian Grove on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Grove. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Joanna Standard.
pWotD Episode 2499: Facebook Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 411,328 views on Tuesday, 5 March 2024 our article of the day is Facebook. Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes, its name derives from the face book directories often given to American university students. Membership was initially limited to Harvard students, gradually expanding to other North American universities. Since 2006, Facebook allows everyone to register from 13 years old (or older), except in the case of a handful of nations, where the age limit is 14 years. As of December 2022, Facebook claimed 3 billion monthly active users. As of October 2023, Facebook ranked as the 3rd most visited website in the world, with 22.56% of its traffic coming from the United States. It was the most downloaded mobile app of the 2010s. Facebook can be accessed from devices with Internet connectivity, such as personal computers, tablets and smartphones. After registering, users can create a profile revealing information about themselves. They can post text, photos and multimedia which are shared with any other users who have agreed to be their friend or, with different privacy settings, publicly. Users can also communicate directly with each other with Messenger, join common-interest groups, and receive notifications on the activities of their Facebook friends and the pages they follow. The subject of numerous controversies, Facebook has often been criticized over issues such as user privacy (as with the Cambridge Analytica data scandal), political manipulation (as with the 2016 U. S. elections) and mass surveillance. Facebook has also been subject to criticism over psychological effects such as addiction and low self-esteem, and various controversies over content such as fake news, conspiracy theories, copyright infringement, and hate speech. Commentators have accused Facebook of willingly facilitating the spread of such content, as well as exaggerating its number of users to appeal to advertisers. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:08 UTC on Wednesday, 6 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Facebook on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Kimberly Standard.
pWotD Episode 2498: Dune (2021 film) Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 266,929 views on Monday, 4 March 2024 our article of the day is Dune (2021 film). Dune (titled onscreen as Dune: Part One) is a 2021 American epic science fiction film directed and co-produced by Denis Villeneuve, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth. It is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. Set in the distant future, the film follows Paul Atreides as his family, the noble House Atreides, is thrust into a war for the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis. The ensemble cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. The film is the third adaptation of Dune, following David Lynch's 1984 film and John Harrison's 2000 television miniseries. After an unsuccessful attempt by Paramount Pictures to produce a new adaptation, Legendary Entertainment acquired the Dune film and television rights in 2016, with Villeneuve signing on as director in February 2017. Production contracts were secured only for the first film, relying on its success before a sequel would be produced. Principal photography took place from March to July 2019 at locations including Budapest, Jordan, Norway, and Abu Dhabi. Dune was scheduled for a late 2020 release but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2021, before its international release on September 15; it was then released in United States theaters and streaming on HBO Max on October 22. Dune was a box office success, grossing almost $435 million on a $165 million budget. It was well received by critics and audiences with praise for Villeneuve's direction, screenplay, the visual effects, ambition, costume design, Hans Zimmer's musical score, cinematography, and faithfulness to the source material. The film won six awards at the 94th Academy Awards and was nominated in four other categories, including Best Picture, in addition to receiving numerous other accolades. A sequel, Dune: Part Two, was released in March 2024. In February 2024, Villeneuve said the script for the production of a third part was "almost finished". This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:28 UTC on Tuesday, 5 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Dune (2021 film) on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_%282021_film%29. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Ruth Neural.
pWotD Episode 2497: Mukesh Ambani Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 417,431 views on Sunday, 3 March 2024 our article of the day is Mukesh Ambani. Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani (born 19 April 1957) is an Indian billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, India's most valuable company by market value. With an estimated net worth of $112.1 billion according to Forbes as of February 2024, he is the richest person in Asia and 11th richest in the world. Sometimes characterized as a plutocrat; he has attracted both fame and notoriety for reports of market manipulation, political corruption, cronyism, and exploitation. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:02 UTC on Monday, 4 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Mukesh Ambani on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukesh_Ambani. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Aria Neural.
pWotD Episode 2496: Dune: Part Two Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day. With 443,905 views on Saturday, 2 March 2024 our article of the day is Dune: Part Two. Dune: Part Two is a 2024 American epic science fiction film directed and co-produced by Denis Villeneuve, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts. The sequel to Dune (2021), it is the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. It follows Paul Atreides as he unites with the Fremen people of the desert planet Arrakis to wage war against House Harkonnen. Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem reprise their roles from the first film, with Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, and Souheila Yacoub joining the ensemble cast. Development began after Legendary Entertainment acquired film and television rights for Dune in 2016. Villeneuve signed on as director for the film in 2017, with the intention of making a two-part adaptation of the novel due to its complexity. Production contracts were only secured for a first film, with the second film having to be green-lit based on the first's success. Though Villeneuve was concerned about the sequel's certainty after the first film had a simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max release, Warner Bros. Pictures assured him the sequel would happen if it performed well on HBO Max. After the critical and commercial success of the first film, Warner Bros. and Legendary green-lit Dune: Part Two in October 2021. Most of the new cast members were announced in 2022. Principal photography took place in Budapest, Italy, Jordan and Abu Dhabi between July and December 2022. Dune: Part Two had its world premiere at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico on February 6, 2024, and was released in the United States on March 1, 2024. The film received largely rave reviews from critics. This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 04:10 UTC on Sunday, 3 March 2024. For the full current version of the article, see Dune: Part Two on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune%3A_Part_Two. This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com https://wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes. Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai http://masto.ai/@wikioftheday/. Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner http://curmudgeons-corner.com, a current events podcast. Until next time, I'm Matthew Standard.
