Wikipedia:Main Page history/2015 November 7

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From today's featured article

Perovskia atriplicifolia, commonly called Russian sage, is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant and subshrub. Although not a member of the genus of the common sage, it is closely related. It typically reaches 0.5–1.2 m (1 ft 8 in–3 ft 11 in) tall, with square stems and gray-green leaves that yield a distinctive odor when crushed, but it is best known for its blue or violet blossoms arranged in showy, branched panicles. Native to the steppes and hills of southwestern and central Asia, it was introduced to cultivation by Vasily Perovsky in the 19th century. Several cultivars have been developed; 'Blue Spire' is the most common. The species has a long history of use in its native range in traditional medicine, for a variety of ailments. Its flowers can be eaten in salads or crushed for dyemaking. P. atriplicifolia was the Perennial Plant Association's 1995 Plant of the Year, and the 'Blue Spire' cultivar received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

Joglo style roof associated with Javanese aristocrats

... that the social and economic status of the owners of a Javanese traditional house (example pictured) can be ascertained by the shape of the roof?
... that Roshanara, who was born and trained in India, taught Bette Davis to dance?
... that the Program for Action, a transportation proposal in New York City, was drastically truncated in the 1970s due to a lack of funds?
... that the one known fossil of the ant species Pachycondyla petrosa might be either a queen or worker?
... that the funicular at Valle de Trápaga-Trapagaran provides panoramic views over the Estuary of Bilbao?
... that Harry Anthony replaced John Bieling in the American Quartet?
... that it took only six months to complete the production of Frozen Fever?
... that Ion Buzdugan, poet and deputy of the Romanian nationalist Bessarabian Peasants' Party, was chided for his poor grasp of the Romanian language?

In the news

Victor Ponta

At least 41 people are killed when an Antonov An-12 cargo plane crashes near Juba, South Sudan.
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta (pictured) resigns over the fatal Colectiv nightclub fire.
Cyclone Chapala becomes the first hurricane-force storm on record to strike mainland Yemen.
In horse racing, Michelle Payne becomes the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, riding Prince of Penzance.
In baseball, the Kansas City Royals defeat the New York Mets to win the World Series.

Ongoing events:
- European migrant crisis
Recent deaths:

On this day...

November 7: October Revolution Day in Belarus and various other regions of the former Soviet Union

Hillary Clinton

1665 – The London Gazette, the oldest surviving English-language newspaper, was first published as the Oxford Gazette.
1775 – Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of the British Colony of Virginia, signed a proclamation promising freedom for slaves of Patriots if they joined the British Armed Forces.
1917 – Vladimir Lenin led a Bolshevik insurrection against the Provisional Government of Alexander Kerensky, starting the Bolshevik Revolution.
1987 – Singapore's first Mass Rapid Transit line was opened, starting with train services between Yio Chu Kang and Toa Payoh stations.
2000 – Hillary Clinton (pictured) was elected as a Senator, becoming the first First Lady to win public office in the United States.

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Today's featured picture

L'Umbracle is a landscaped walk found in the City of Arts and Sciences complex in Valencia, Spain. It is lined with plant species indigenous to Valencia and features 55 fixed arches and 54 floating arches that stand 18 metres (59 ft) high.

Photograph: David Iliff

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