Anthophora bee

A frontal view of a bee of the Anthophora genus. This is one of the largest in the family Apidae, with over 450 species worldwide in 14 different subgenera. All species are solitary, though many nest in large aggregations.

pulmonary contusion

A pulmonary contusion is a contusion (bruise) of the lung, caused by chest trauma. As a result of damage to capillaries, blood and other fluids accumulate in the lung tissue. The excess fluid interferes with gas exchange, potentially leading to inadequate oxygen levels (hypoxia). Unlike pulmonary laceration, another type of lung injury, pulmonary contusion does not involve a cut or tear of the lung tissue. A pulmonary contusion usually is caused by blunt trauma but also is caused by explosions or a shock wave associated with penetrating trauma. With the use of explosives during World Wars I and II, pulmonary contusion resulting from blasts gained recognition. In the 1960s its occurrence began to receive wider recognition in civilians, for whom it is usually caused by traffic accidents. Often nothing more than supplemental oxygen and close monitoring is needed; however, intensive care may be required. The severity ranges from mild to deadly—small contusions may have little or no impact on the patient's health—yet pulmonary contusion is the most common type of potentially lethal chest trauma. With an estimated mortality rate of 14–40%, pulmonary contusion plays a key role in determining whether an individual will die or suffer serious ill effects as the result of trauma

cat gap

... that the cat gap is a period in the fossil record (cat illustration pictured) of approximately 25 to 17 million years ago in which there were few cats or cat-like species?
... that more than a million tourists visit the wine-producing regions in Argentina annually?
... that Jerry Ziesmer, who delivered the line "Terminate with extreme prejudice" in Apocalypse Now, was also the film's assistant director?
... that, apart from inventing the saxophone, Belgian musician Adolphe Sax also devised the brass instrument saxotromba?
... that the character Seo Hell from the Old English Gospel of Nicodemus tells Satan to leave her dwelling, and has been compared to the female being Hel of Norse mythology?
... that former Detroit Tigers pitcher Pat Underwood's first game in the major leagues was a 1-0 victory against his brother Tom?
... that Réseau de Transport d'Électricité, Europe's largest transmission system operator, manages a 100,000-kilometre (62,000 mi) network of high-voltage power lines?
... that enraged plebs burned down the home of Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus because of a rumor that he would rather slake lime with wine, than sell wine at the price they wanted?

Eastern Imperial Eagle

The Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) is a bird of prey from the Accipitridae family. It is a close relative to the Spanish Imperial Eagle and very similar to the Golden Eagle, but a little smaller and less powerful. The species can be found in Southeast Europe, West and Central Asia, but has nearly vanished from much of its former distribution area of Hungary and Austria

Tomb of Brother André

The tomb of Brother André, found in Saint Joseph's Oratory, a Roman Catholic basilica on the northern slope of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Brother André began the construction of a small chapel on the side of the mountain near College Notre-Dame, which was replaced by a larger church in 1917 and the current basilica in 1967, which is dedicated to Saint Joseph, to whom Brother André credited all his reported miracles. These were mostly related to some kind of healing power, and many pilgrims (handicapped, blind, ill, etc.) were allegedly healed. Pope John Paul II deemed the miracles to be authentic and beatified Brother André in 1982.

Albert Memorial

The Albert Memorial, a monument to Prince Albert found in Kensington Gardens, London, England, as seen from the south side. Directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria and designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic revival style. Opened in 1872, the memorial is 176 feet (54 m) tall, took over ten years to complete, and cost £120,000.

Parkmill

... that Parkmill in Gower, South Wales, is now the home of La Charrette, the smallest cinema in Wales (pictured)?
... that Susan Crawford and Kevin Werbach have been selected by President-elect Barack Obama to lead the review of the Federal Communications Commission?
... that the antihypertensive drug Losartan becomes a more potent blocker of angiotensin receptors after it is metabolised in the body?
... that artist Adam Neate left 1,000 prints, valued at £1 million, on London streets for anyone to pick up and keep?
... that for the 1967 television documentary CBS Reports: The Homosexuals, the network concealed the identity of one of the gay interview subjects by seating him behind a potted palm tree?
... that research done by C. Harmon Brown showed that female athletes were more loose-jointed and more prone to dislocated shoulders than male athletes?
... that Mount Wycheproof, standing just 43 metres (140 ft) high, is the smallest registered mountain in the world?
... that the single "Don't Tear It Down" from Spy vs Spy's album A.O. Mod. TV. Vers. was inspired by a government agency's attempts to demolish a building the band were squatting in?

MV Sirius Star

The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously to reinforce MONUC, the largest peacekeeping force in the world, stationed in Nord-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The first successful tracheal transplantation using a tissue-engineered organ created from the patient's own stem cells is performed in Spain.
New Zealand and Australian researchers identify a new species of penguin, the Waitaha penguin, which lived in New Zealand until its extinction 500 years ago.
Somali pirates capture the oil tanker MV Sirius Star (pictured), the largest vessel to date to be hijacked, off the coast of the Horn of Africa.
G-20 leaders meet at a summit in Washington, D.C. to discuss the current financial crisis.

Nassak Diamond

... that the Nassak Diamond (replica pictured), pillaged in the 1800s from a Hindu temple where it had resided for 300 years, was later used as a gimmick to attract partygoers to a 1976 benefit?
... that Australian politician John Robertson worked as a construction worker for the New South Wales Parliament to which he was later elected?
... that Anita Bryant's participation in Save Our Children, a coalition working to overturn gay rights ordinances in Miami and other cities in 1977 and 1978, destroyed her career?
... that Major League Baseball pitchers Jim Palmer and Mike Mussina each made six Opening Day starts for the Baltimore Orioles?
... that the rare skin disorder ichthyosis bullosa of Siemens may be caused by a spontaneous mutation in the keratin 2e gene on chromosome 12?
... that actor Jesse Plemons had to get 11 stitches in his chin after offering to do his own stunts on Friday Night Lights?
... that Begonia boliviensis, one of the species used the production of the first hybrid tuberous begonia raised in England, was introduced from Bolivia by the Victorian plant collector Richard Pearce?
... that the M115 anti-crop bomb was known as the "feather bomb" because it dropped feathers laced with fungal spores in order to spread wheat stem rust?

seabird

The Greater Crested Tern is a seabird in the tern family, which nests in dense colonies on coastlines and islands in the tropical and subtropical Old World. Its five subspecies breed in the area from South Africa around the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific and Australia, all populations dispersing widely from the breeding range after nesting. The Greater Crested Tern has grey upperparts, white underparts, a yellow bill, and a shaggy black crest which recedes in winter. Its young have a distinctive appearance, with strongly patterned grey, brown and white plumage, and rely on their parents for food for several months after they have fledged. Like all members of the genus Thalasseus, the Greater Crested Tern feeds by plunge diving for fish, usually in marine environments; the male offers fish to the female as part of the courtship ritual. This is an adaptable species which has learned to follow fishing boats for jettisoned bycatch, and to utilise unusual nest sites such as the roofs of buildings and artificial islands in salt pans and sewage works. Its eggs and young are taken by gulls and ibises, and human activities such as fishing, shooting and egg harvesting have caused local population declines. There are no global conservation concerns for this bird, which has a stable total population of more than 500,000 individuals. (more...)

Congregation Beth Elohim

Congregation Beth Elohim is a Reform congregation located at 274 Garfield Place and Eighth Avenue, in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 1861 as a more liberal breakaway from Congregation Baith Israel, in its first 65 years it attempted four mergers with other congregations, including three with Baith Israel, all of which failed. The congregation completed its current Classical Revival synagogue building in 1910 and its "Jewish Deco" (Romanesque Revival and Art Deco) Temple House in 1929. The congregation went through difficult times during the Great Depression, and the bank almost foreclosed on its buildings in 1946. Membership dropped significantly in the 1930s because of the Depression, and again in the 1970s as a result of demographic shifts. Programs for young children helped draw Jewish families back into the neighborhood and revitalize the membership. By 2006 Beth Elohim had over 1000 members, and, as of 2008[update], it was the largest Reform congregation in Brooklyn, the "oldest Brooklyn congregation that continues to function under its corporate name", and its pulpit was the oldest in continuous use in any Brooklyn synagogue. (more...)

Opeth

Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band that formed in 1990 in Stockholm. While the band has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force since joining shortly after its inception. While firmly rooted in Scandinavian death metal, Opeth has consistently incorporated influence by progressive music, folk, blues rock and jazz into their usually lengthy songs. Many compositions include acoustic guitar interludes and strong dynamic shifts, as well as both growling and clean vocals. Though they rarely toured in support of their first four albums, Opeth conducted their first world tour after the 2001 release of Blackwater Park. Opeth has released nine studio albums, two live albums, one box set, and two DVDs. The band released its debut album Orchid in 1995, but did not experience American commercial success until the 2003 release of seventh effort Damnation which debuted at number 192 on the Billboard 200. Opeth's ninth studio album, Watershed, was released on June 3, 2008 and entered the Billboard 200 at #23. (more...)

A 1909 panorama of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A 1909 panorama of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa was first settled during the 1830s by the Creek Native American tribe. Shortly before Oklahoma's statehood on November 16, 1907, oil was discovered nearby and the city played a major role as one of the most important hubs for the American oil industry, eventually giving the city the nickname "Oil Capital of the World".

Palais Garnier Grand Staircase

The Grand Staircase of the Palais Garnier, a 2,200-seat opera house in Paris, France. A grand landmark designed by Charles Garnier in the Neo-Baroque style, it is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time. The building was completed in 1874 as a replacement for the Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique, which had been destroyed in a fire the year before.

location of the 1970 Tonghai earthquake

... that a large earthquake monitoring network was established in China's Yunnan Province 25 years after the 1970 Tonghai earthquake (location pictured)?
... that SOE officer Joachim Rønneberg was a leader of the Norwegian team attempting to sabotage the German nuclear energy project during WWII?
... that legend has it that Nainital Lake in Uttarakhand, India, was created when three pilgrims dug a hole which filled from the sacred Tibetan Lake Manasarovar?
... that the growth of Astragalus brauntonii, a species of milkvetch, is spurred by fire?
... that Beninese political figure Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin remained under house arrest from 1972 to 1981 after being overthrown in a coup d'état?
... that St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Troy, New York, was originally built as a replica of a Church in New Haven, Connecticut?
... that Norwegian Constituent Assembly member Nicolai Wergeland was father of feminist writer Camilla Collett and poet Henrik Wergeland?
... that, when amateur club TSV Vestenbergsgreuth beat German champions FC Bayern Munich 1–0 in the 1994-95 DFB Cup, a memorial stone was later erected to commemorate the event?

John Key

Egypt's antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass, announces the discovery of a 4,300-year-old pyramid belonging to Queen Sesheshet, mother of King Teti.
An accident aboard Russian submarine K-152 Nerpa kills 20, the worst Russian submarine disaster since Kursk.
A shipment of cocaine, worth €750 million, is seized off the coast of Ireland in the largest such seizure in the country's history.
A coalition consisting of the National Party (party leader John Key pictured), ACT and United Future wins a majority of seats in the Parliament of New Zealand.
At least 94 are dead after a school collapses in Pétionville, Haiti.
Johnson Toribiong is elected President of Palau following presidential elections.
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the world's youngest reigning monarch, is crowned the fifth Dragon King of Bhutan

Joe Sakic

Joe Sakic (born 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre of Croatian origin, who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 19-year tenure, Sakic has won the Stanley Cup twice, various NHL trophies, and has been voted into 13 NHL All-Star Games. Named captain of the team in 1992, he is regarded as one of the strongest team leaders to ever play in the league, and has been able to motivate his team throughout his entire career to play at a winning level. Over the course of his career, Sakic has been one of the most productive forwards in the game, having twice scored 50 goals and earning at least 100 points in six different seasons. His wrist shot, considered to be one of the best in the NHL, has been the source of much of his production. At the conclusion of the 2007–08 NHL season, he was the 8th all-time points leader in the NHL, as well as 14th in all-time goals and 11th in all-time assists. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, Sakic helped lead Team Canada to its first gold medal in 50 years, and was voted as the tournament's most valuable player.

proboscis

male syrphid fly (Eristalinus taeniops) using its long proboscis to forage nectar from a Common Hawkweed flower. The eyes coming together at the top of the head (holoptic eyes) is typical of syrphid males

Bicoloured Antbird

The Bicoloured Antbird (Gymnopithys leucaspis) is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (pictured), the world's youngest reigning monarch, is crowned the fifth Dragon King of Bhutan.
Barack Obama of the Democratic Party becomes the first African American to be elected President of the United States.
An airplane crashes amidst rush-hour traffic in Mexico City, killing Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño and 12 others.
Rupiah Banda of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy is elected President of Zambia.
Lewis Hamilton wins the 2008 Formula One Drivers' Championship, beating Felipe Massa by one point.
Sébastien Loeb of the Citroën team becomes the first driver to win the World Rally Championship for a fifth consecutive time.
Heavy floods affect Vietnam and southern China, flooding Hanoi and killing at least 100.

Trevi Fountain,

The Trevi Fountain, located in the rione of Trevi in Rome, Italy, is the city's largest and most ambitious Baroque fountain. Standing 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide, it was commissioned in 1730 and completed in 1762, with restoration work done in 1998.

Buffalo pebble snail

... that the Buffalo pebble snail (pictured) is adapted to survive both on rocks in a fast stream and also on sandy bottoms in stagnant water?
... that computer software company Red Hat made its largest acquisition ever when it acquired free software support company Cygnus Solutions for US$674 million?
... that the African and Malagasy Union was a former intergovernmental organization created to promote cooperation among African states, but went defunct in 1985?
... that M-68 was a discontinuous state trunkline highway in Northern Michigan between 1940 and 1946?
... that Jean Robic, winner of the 1947 Tour de France, was so light that at mountain summits he was handed lead and mercury-ballasted drinking bottles for gravity-assisted descents?
... that the connective tissue disorder gerodermia osteodysplastica is also known as "Walt Disney dwarfism" because the first known patients were described as resembling "dwarves from a Walt Disney film"?
... that Milton Hebald's 1960 sculpture depicted the 12 signs of the zodiac on the Pan Am Worldport at John F. Kennedy International Airport?

seals of the then-47 U.S. states

A lithograph from 1876, showing the seals of the then-47 U.S. states and territories as well as the District of Columbia. Some of these seals have changed since this image was created

Hong Kong Skyline

The night skyline of Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon, as seen from Victoria Peak, the tallest mountain on Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong is located on China's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Guangdong province in the north and faces the South China Sea in the east, west and south. It has a population of 6.9 million people, and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Japanese Navy

The attack on Sydney Harbour was a raid during World War II by submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy on the cities of Sydney and Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. On the night of 31 May – 1 June 1942, three Ko-hyoteki class midget submarines, each with a two-member crew, entered Sydney Harbour to sink Allied warships. After being detected and attacked, the crews of two of the midget submarines scuttled their boats and committed suicide without engaging Allied vessels. The third attempted to torpedo the heavy cruiser USS Chicago but instead sank the converted ferry HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors. This midget submarine then disappeared, its fate remaining a mystery until 2006, when amateur scuba divers discovered the wreck off Sydney's northern beaches. Immediately following the raid the five Japanese fleet submarines that carried the midgets to Australia embarked on a campaign to disrupt merchant shipping in eastern Australian waters. The midget submarine attacks are among the best-known examples of Axis naval activity in Australian waters during World War II. The main impact was psychological and popular fear of an impending invasion forced the Australian military to upgrade defences. (more...)

Four-spotted Chaser

The Four-spotted Chaser or Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata) is a common dragonfly species, so named for the characteristic four spots on the wings. They are found throughout Europe, Asia, and North America