Wikipedia:Main Page history/2019 June 5

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From today's featured article

The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is a species of extremely venomous snake native to parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the second-longest venomous snake after the king cobra; mature specimens generally exceed 2 metres (6.6 feet) and commonly grow to 3 m (10 ft). Specimens of 4.3 to 4.5 m (14.1 to 14.8 ft) have been reported. Its skin colour varies from grey to dark brown. The species is both terrestrial (ground-living) and arboreal; it inhabits savannah, woodland, rocky slopes and, in some regions, dense forest. It is diurnal and is known to prey on birds and small mammals. Over suitable surfaces, it can move at speeds up to 16 km/h (10 mph) for short distances. It is capable of striking at considerable range and may deliver a series of bites in rapid succession. Its venom, primarily composed of neurotoxins, is frequently fatal unless antivenom is administered. Despite its reputation as a formidable and highly aggressive species, the black mamba rarely attacks humans. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

Madame Wellington Koo
with her son in 1920

... that Madame Wellington Koo (pictured), the Chinese-Indonesian First Lady of pre-communist China, was featured as a "woman of style" in a 2015 fashion exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
... that due to the threat of Hurricane Floyd in 1999, Walt Disney World closed for a full day for the first time in its history?
... that Megumi Nakajima became so associated with her role as Ranka Lee in the anime series Macross Frontier that she feared she would be unable to establish her own identity as a voice actress?
... that InvisiblePeople.tv, which has produced interviews with hundreds of homeless people in over 100 cities, was founded by formerly-homeless television executive Mark Horvath?
... that five sacks of documents dating back to 1154 were recovered from a damp potting-shed while Irvine Gray was an archivist at the Gloucester Record Office?
... that Meghan Trainor's song "All About That Bass" was written in 40 minutes?
... that Moroccan businesswoman Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun helped kickstart the World Bank's Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative at the 2017 G20 Hamburg summit?
... that Calma glaucoides has such a rich diet of eggs that it does not need an anus?

In the news

Jordan Henderson

In association football, the UEFA Champions League concludes with Liverpool (captain Jordan Henderson pictured) defeating Tottenham Hotspur in the final.
Brigitte Bierlein is named interim chancellor of Austria, after a parliamentary motion of no confidence dismisses the government of Sebastian Kurz.
James Marape is elected Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, following the resignation of Peter O'Neill.
A river cruiser collides with another vessel and sinks in Budapest, Hungary, killing at least eleven people.

On this day

June 5: Constitution Day in Denmark; Naksa Day in Palestinian communities

June Rebellion in Paris

1832 – The June Rebellion (depicted), an anti-monarchist uprising, broke out in Paris.
1862 – Vietnamese guerrilla leader Trương Định decided to defy Emperor Tự Đức and the Treaty of Saigon, choosing to fight on against the Europeans.
1941 – Second Sino-Japanese War: During one sortie in a five-year bombing campaign on Chongqing, 4,000 people died of asphyxiation when the tunnel they were hiding in became blocked.
1981 – The Centers for Disease Control recorded a cluster of Pneumocystis pneumonia cases among homosexual men in Los Angeles, the first reported cases of AIDS.
2009 – After 65 straight days of civil disobedience, at least 31 people were killed in clashes between the National Police and indigenous people in Peru's Bagua Province.

John Couch Adams (b. 1819) · Theippan Maung Wa (b. 1899) · Kate Spade (d. 2018)

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Today's featured picture

The Mercedes-Benz W115 is a series of executive sedans introduced in 1968 by Mercedes-Benz, along with the similar W114, to replace the earlier W110 series. They were manufactured until model year 1976, when the W123 was released. W115 models featured four-cylinder engines and were marketed with the model numbers 200, 220, 230 and 240, some of which may have a "D" appended to indicate the use of a diesel engine instead of a petrol engine. The series was designed by Paul Bracq, featuring a three-box design. At the time, Mercedes retailed sedans in two size classes, with the W114 and the W115 positioned below the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

This picture shows a 1973 Mercedes-Benz W115 220D, photographed in 2015 near Gorczenica, Poland.

Photograph credit: 1bumer

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