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From today's featured article

Ficus macrophylla, the Moreton Bay fig, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the family Moraceae native to eastern Australia. A strangler fig, it usually germinates in the canopy of a host tree and lives as an epiphyte until its roots establish contact with the ground; it then enlarges, reaching up to 60 m (200 ft) in height. The large leathery, dark green leaves are 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long. The fruit is small, round and greenish, ripening and turning purple at any time of year. Inverted inflorescences, with flowers lining an internal cavity, are pollinated only by fig wasps. Many bird species, including pigeons, parrots and various passerines, eat the fruit. Old specimens of F. macrophylla can reach tremendous size with imposing buttress roots, and the species is widely used as a feature tree in public parks and gardens in warmer climates. Its aggressive root system renders it unsuitable for all but the largest private gardens. (Full article...)

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Santal 33

... that the social theory of distinction could explain why the more popular the perfume Santal 33 (pictured) became, the less some people liked it?
... that the demesne of Rostellan contains an 18th-century folly, built by the landowner in honour of the actress Sarah Siddons?
... that Fran Todman, who fundraised for the Retina Foundation for decades, was honored with an electrophysiology laboratory at the Schepens Eye Research Institute being named for her?
... that the Idalion bilingual, one of six Phoenician inscriptions found in 1870 at Dali, Cyprus, was the "Rosetta Stone" for the decipherment of the Cypriot syllabary?
... that Shanghai-born lawyer Ezekiel Toeg formed leading collections of the stamps of the British West Indies?
... that in My Memoir, former United States first lady Edith Wilson detailed how she became Woodrow Wilson's gatekeeper after his stroke, prioritizing his official duties?
... that Ethiopian runner Helen Bekele Tola has stated a desire to compete for Switzerland at the 2020 Summer Olympics?
... that voice actor Justin Roiland got drunk to record the part of Rick in the Rick and Morty episode "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender"?

In the news

COVID-19 pandemic: Disease; Virus; By location; Impact; Vaccines; Portal

Protesters in front of the US Capitol

Rioters supporting Donald Trump storm the United States Capitol (pictured), disrupting certification of the presidential election and forcing Congress to evacuate.
In the United States, the Democratic Party wins control of the Senate, with victories in regular and special Senate elections in Georgia.
Saudi Arabia reopens its border with Qatar, ending a three-year diplomatic crisis.

On this day

January 9

Ernest Shackleton and his team with the British flag

1909 – Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition, planted the British flag (pictured) 97.5 nautical miles (180.6 km; 112.2 mi) from the South Pole, the farthest south explorers had reached at the time.
1917 – First World War: Troops of the British Empire defeated Ottoman forces at the Battle of Rafa on the Sinai–Palestine border in present-day Rafah.
1996 – First Chechen War: Chechen separatists launched raids in the city of Kizlyar, Dagestan, which turned into a massive hostage crisis involving thousands of civilians.
2011 – In poor weather conditions, Iran Air Flight 277 crashed near Urmia Airport, Iran, killing 78 people.

Caleb Strong (b. 1745)
Thomas William Robertson (b. 1829)
Makinti Napanangka (d. 2011)

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Today's featured picture

This historical depiction of the coat of arms of Connecticut was illustrated by the American engraver Henry Mitchell in State Arms of the Union, published in 1876 by Louis Prang. The southernmost state in New England, Connecticut ratified the Constitution of the United States on January 9, 1788, becoming the fifth state to be admitted to the Union. The three grape vines on the shield may represent either the early towns of Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield, or the three original colonies. An 1889 article by the state librarian stated: "The vines symbolize the Colony brought over and planted here in the wilderness. We read in the 80th Psalm: 'Thou has brought a vine out of Egypt: Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it' ... and the motto expresses our belief that He who brought over the vine continues to take care of it – Qui transtulit sustinet." The same design appears on the state seal.

Illustration credit: Henry Mitchell; restored by Andrew Shiva

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