The 2005 United States Grand Prix was the ninth race and only American race of the 2005 Formula One season. Held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it was won by Ferrari's Michael Schumacher(pictured). In the days before the race, several Michelintyres suffered failures on the speedway's resurfaced track. Michelin advised its seven customer teams (representing 14 cars in the race) that without a reduction in speed in the last turn of the speedway, the tyres provided for the race would only be safe for 10 laps—but Formula One rules in 2005 prohibited tyre changes during the race. Unable to come to a compromise with the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, the Michelin teams decided not to participate. They completed the parade lap to avoid sanctions, but retired to the pits before the race started; only the six cars from teams using Bridgestone tyres (Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi) competed. The race generated negative publicity for the sport, especially in the US, a market in which Formula One had struggled to establish itself over the preceding 20 years. (Full article...)
... that Gérôme's painting of Cleopatra and Caesar(pictured) was commissioned by French courtesan La Païva for use as a transparent silk room divider in her mansion?
U.S. Open champions are crowned annually in a golf competition conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA). The tournament was established in 1895, when Horace Rawlins won the inaugural championship. The U.S. Open is the second of the four major championships to be played each year. The champion receives a gold champion's medal, and the U.S. Open Championship Cup, which the winner is allowed to keep for a year. Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones(pictured), Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus hold the record for the most U.S. Open victories, with four victories each. Anderson holds the record for most consecutive wins with three (1903–05). Hale Irwin is the oldest winner of the U.S. Open: he was 45 years 15 days old when he won the 1990 Open. The youngest winner of the U.S. Open is John McDermott who was 19 years 315 days old when he won in 1911. Rory McIlroy holds the record for both the lowest aggregate score and score under par in 2011 at 268 and 16-under. (Full list...)
The Bottomley projection is an equal area map projection introduced by Henry Bottomley and intended as an alternative to the Bonne projection. Shapes are distorted outside the central meridian. The shape of the projection can vary depending on the eccentricity of the arcs (representing lines of latitude).
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