Wikipedia:Main Page history/2016 March 14

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From today's featured article

Sarcoscypha coccinea, commonly known as the scarlet elf cup, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcoscyphaceae of the order Pezizales. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, it has been found in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Australia. It grows on decaying sticks and branches in damp spots on forest floors, generally buried under leaf litter or in the soil. The cup-shaped fruit bodies are usually produced during the cooler months of winter and early spring. The brilliant red interiors of the cups, from which the common and scientific names are derived, contrast with the lighter exteriors. The edibility of the fruit bodies is not clearly established, but their small size, tough texture and insubstantial fruitings would dissuade most people from collecting for the table. The fungus has been used medicinally by the Oneida Indians, and as a colorful component of table decorations in England. The species Molliardiomyces eucoccinea is an imperfect form of the fungus that lacks a sexually reproductive stage in its life cycle. (Full article...)

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Air-bicycle

... that Carl Edgar Myers invented an air-bicycle (illustrated) that navigated through the air like a bicycle?
... that in "The Bookworm", a Chinese scholar fathers a child with a character in his books?
... that the mother of women's advocate Gilda E. Nardone was a displaced homemaker?
... that seeds of the grass Aeluropus lagopoides can germinate at concentrations of salt roughly equivalent to that of seawater?
... that Mabel Sine Wadsworth sent teams of outreach workers door to door in rural Maine in the 1950s and 1960s to teach women about birth control?
... that Jake Doran is the youngest player to have signed for a Big Bash League team?
... that the British plant pathologist Mary Glynne climbed Mount Fuji when she was 68?
... that penile injuries can be caused by dogs, metal rings, zippers, and more?

In the news

Total solar eclipse, viewed from Balikpapan

An explosion in Ankara, Turkey, kills at least 36 people and injures at least 125 others.
At least 16 people are killed in shootings at a beach resort in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast.
Google DeepMind's AlphaGo computer program wins a series against Lee Sedol, one of the world's best Go players.
A total solar eclipse occurs, with totality (pictured) visible from Indonesia and the North Pacific.
In the Slovak parliamentary election, Direction – Social Democracy remains the largest political party but loses its majority in the National Council.

Ongoing events:
- Zika virus outbreak
- European migrant crisis
Recent deaths:

On this day...

March 14: Clean Monday (Eastern Christianity, 2016); New Year's Day (Sikhs); White Day in East Asia; Commonwealth Day in the Commonwealth of Nations (2016); Pi Day (United States)

A cotton gin

1794 – American inventor Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin (pictured), the first ever machine that quickly and easily separated cotton fibers from their seedpods.
1885 – The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan's most frequently performed Savoy opera, debuted at the Savoy Theatre in London.
1931 – Alam Ara, the first Indian film with sound, was released.
1978 – Israeli–Lebanese conflict: The Israel Defense Forces began Operation Litani, invading and occupying southern Lebanon, and pushing PLO troops north up to the Litani River.
1991 – The "Birmingham Six", wrongly convicted of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings in England, were released after sixteen years in prison.

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From today's featured list

Sue Bird

The University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies women's basketball team has had 29 players selected in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft. Seventeen of those selections were in the first round of the draft; four players—Sue Bird (pictured) in 2002, Diana Taurasi in 2004, Tina Charles in 2010, and Maya Moore in 2011—were picked first overall. A Connecticut women's basketball alumna has been selected in 16 of the last 18 WNBA Drafts. In addition to the 29 draftees, two UConn women's basketball players—Rebecca Lobo in 1997 and Nykesha Sales in 1999—were allocated to specific teams during the initial formation of the WNBA. Connecticut women's basketball alumni have had a significant impact on the WNBA. Two players have been named both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player (MVP) in their careers—Taurasi was Rookie of the Year in 2004 and MVP in 2009, while Moore was Rookie of the Year in 2011 and MVP in 2014. In addition, Charles was the 2010 Rookie of the Year. (Full list...)

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Homme au bain ("Man at His Bath") is an oil painting completed by the French Impressionist Gustave Caillebotte in 1884. The canvas measures 145 by 114 centimetres (57 in × 45 in). The painting was held in private collections from the artist's death until June 2011, when it was acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Interpretations of the painting and its male nude have contrasted the figure's masculinity with his vulnerability.

Painting: Gustave Caillebotte

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