Wikipedia:Main Page history/2015 April 3

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Amphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant of the phenethylamine class that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. It is also used as a performance enhancer and nootropic, and recreationally as an aphrodisiac and euphoriant. Amphetamine increases neurotransmitter activity in the brain, with its most pronounced effects on norepinephrine and dopamine. At therapeutic doses, this causes emotional and cognitive effects such as euphoria, change in libido, increased wakefulness, and improved cognitive control. It induces physical effects such as decreased reaction time, fatigue resistance, and increased muscle strength. Amphetamine exists as two enantiomers, levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine, and normally refers to an equal parts mixture of the two enantiomers in its free base form. It is a prescription medication in many countries, and unauthorized possession and distribution of amphetamine are often tightly controlled due to the significant health risks associated with uncontrolled or heavy use. (Full article...)

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... that the Anuradhapura cross (pictured) is the most ancient symbol of Christianity in Sri Lanka?
... that before he founded the Valley Times newspaper, Adam Yacenda worked as Richard Nixon's press secretary?
... that the documentary Morrissey: 25 Live commemorates Morrissey's 25-year solo career, and was filmed at a concert that sold out in 12 seconds?
... that Charles Coghlan, the first Premier of Southern Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe), was born in South Africa to an Irishman who served in the British Army?
... that Entomophaga grylli causes infected grasshoppers to die at the top of a plant?
... that a horse-drawn tram was used to move dynamite to and from the Dry Creek explosives depot?
... that FishCenter Live is a talk show commentating on footage of a fish tank?
... that General Phoumi Nosavan began a coup on his 45th birthday, even though he had no troops to command?

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Ongoing: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

Recent deaths

April 3: Good Friday (Western Christianity, 2015); Fast of the Firstborn begins at dawn and Passover begins at sunset (Judaism, 2015)

1860 – The Pony Express, a mail service that became the most direct means of long distance communication to the American West, began operation.
1888 – The first of eleven unsolved brutal murders of women committed in or near the impoverished Whitechapel district in the East End of London, occurred.
1948 – The Marshall Plan, an economic recovery program established by US Secretary of State George Marshall (pictured) to assist the post-World War II re-building of Europe, was signed into law.
1971 – The Japanese tokusatsu television series Kamen Rider premiered, marking the beginning of the long-running Kamen Rider franchise.
2013 – The northeastern section of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, experienced several flash floods that claimed the lives of at least 100 people.

More anniversaries: April 2 – April 3 – April 4

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One Tamil film and sixty-five Hindi films, including two yet-to-be-released, have been produced by the Indian entertainment company Yash Raj Films. The company was established by Yash Chopra (pictured) in 1970. Yash Raj Films started a film distribution business in 1997, and in addition to distributing their own productions, the company has distributed 34 films from other companies. Yash Raj Films' first release was the Chopra-directed Daag: A Poem of Love (1973). The company's most successful films include Kaala Patthar (1979), Chandni (1989), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Veer-Zaara (2004), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), and the three films in the Dhoom franchise (2004–14). In addition to directorial ventures from Yash Chopra and his son, Aditya Chopra, the company has launched several new directors, including Sanjay Gadhvi, Kunal Kohli, Siddharth Anand, and Shaad Ali. The most frequent collaborations of the company have been with the actors Rani Mukerji, Rishi Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, and Saif Ali Khan. (Full list...)

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Christ Crucified is an oil painting on canvas completed by Diego Velázquez, likely in 1632. Depicting the Crucifixion of Jesus, it shows a nearly naked Christ nailed to the cross in a contrapposto position. The painting is currently held by the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain.

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