Learn 50 new things by clicking the random articles button on Wikipedia

Disappearance of Tracy Splinter
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Tracy_Splinter#/random

Splinter is(was?) a trilingual author. She vanished without a trace in August 2016. Splinter's parents have hired a private investigator to search for her. With the popularity of true crime podcasts these days, I wondered "Has anyone done one about Splinter?" Didn't find a podcast. BUT...A German dude who calls himself "The Universal Genius" has a theory:
https://logik-idee.com/2021/01/08/tracy-splinter-mord-und-das-universalgenie-manager-geliebte-in-chur-ihm-nach-vals-in-familienurlaub-nachgereist-sein-doppelleben-gefaehrdet-tot/

1996 Andhra Pradesh cyclone

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Andhra_Pradesh_cyclone#/random

This windstorm over India formed Nov. 4,1996 over the Bay of Bengal and lasted 3 days causing nearly $602 million in damages, leveling two villages in the process and leaving 1077 dead.

Checker Hall
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_Hall#/random

Checker Hall is the largest city in the northernmost parish of the island nation Barbados. (The country is subdivided into eleven of these corresponding to how the Church of England separated the country around a main cathedral for each parish ["region"]. The parish terminology is a reminder of Barbados' history as a British colony.) Fun fact: The government of Barbados is a republic similar in nature to that of England and another former British colony. (The U.S.)

Sum of Parts
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sum_of_Parts#/random

Sum of Parts is the third studio album from electronic artist Eon. (Eon is credited by some as a pioneer in the rave scene,  being a link between early Detroit techno and more contemporary dance music thanks to his 1990 acid techno composition "Spice" from his debut.)

Thames Nautical Training College https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Nautical_Training_College#/random
Basically a continually floating school for people interested in becoming naval officers or working seamen. Cue Looking Glass...

The 2013 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_NCAA_Division_I_Baseball_Tournament#/random
UCLA won in a clean sweep. It was the school's first national baseball title ever.

1984 Indian vice presidential election
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Indian_vice_presidential_election#/random
R. Venkataraman defeated B. C. Kamble 71.05% to 28.95%.

Some interesting things about India's system of government: It ends up having a lot in common with England's (which makes sense since it was a former British colony) and by extension a lot in common with the U.S. (since us "colonists" stole a lot from England's system of governance as well).

The Vice President serves a 5 year term and would take over if the President is impeached. They have a bicameral legislature. The veep is head of the "higher" house. (The Rajya Sabha)

IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE (1974 film)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Name_of_the_People_(1974_film)

This West German documentary, directed by Ottokar Runze, has a novel premise: prisoners currently serving time are convened as a court to judge the fate of other prisoners at the same facility who murdered fellow inmates. It won the Silver Bear award at the 24th Berlin International Film Festival.

Hazara University
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazara_University

A college in Pakistan seated on the junction of the sub-continent, China and Central Asia established 2001. Its motto is "Get Knowledge". No, I am NOT making that up.

KING OF THE DANCEHALL (SONG)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_the_Dancehall_(song)

A song by dancehall singer Beenie Man from his BACK TO BASICS album. Not really my thing. If I listen to Jamaican music, it tends to be Ska, rocksteady or "old-style" reggae.

GEOLOGY OF NORFOLK
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Norfolk#/random

Sorry if you're a geology fan but this and the small Polish Town entry are the last interesting so far IMHO. This is a region in eastern England. Oldest rocks from late Mesozoic/Cenozoic period dating back to the split of Pangaea. Sedimentary rocks: muddy limestone and Jurassic must ones.

LIST OF SCULPTURES IN HERĂSTRĂU PARK
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sculptures_in_Her%C4%83str%C4%83u_Park#/random
Park is in Bucharest, Romania. Most interesting one in my opinion is bases on a Romanian folktale about three shepherds and a talking ewe. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miori%C8%9Ba)

GIANT HAWAIIAN DARNER
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Hawaiian_darner#/random

This is one of the biggest of the "modern" dragonfly species but "big" is relative when wingspan is 152mm. 🤷‍♂️

DAVE CURREY (AMERICAN FOOTBALL)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Currey_(American_football)#/random

So my apologies if you're a big fan of college football coach Currey but it kinda seems like the phrase "meh" was invented just for him. (As a college coach anyhow. His coaching career for high school WAS impressive: 26-6 over 2 years).

He had a 22 year head coaching career beginning in 1967 with his best year in 1980 at Long Beach State with an 8-3 record, undefeated within the conference but 3-3 outside of the PCAA.

So Currey was this massive unstoppable coaching force within the PCAA right? Just ruling it for six years?

Nah. His record was 40-36 INSIDE the conference and 19-17 OUTSIDE of it. So more wins than losses but not THAT impressive.

Nevertheless, this just barely in the W column stretch convinced the University of Cincinnati to take Currey on as coach for five years where in his best years (1985-1986) he led the Bearcats to almost (ALMOST!) break even..5-6 each year.

His career record is 59-72.

2019-20 SUPER LEAGUE GREECE
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_Super_League_Greece#/random

Continuing the "football" theme. 1.1 million Greeks watched their games that year.

DUNBAR SCHOOL (FAIRMONT, WEST VIRGINIA)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar_School_(Fairmont,_West_Virginia)#/random
Historic black school in Marion County, West Virginia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Mitch_Mitchell_Floodway

MS Mitch Mitchell Floodway

Nicknamed “The Big Ditch” by people opposed to the plan, it really IS a big ditch designed to help divert waters in times of flooding away from central Wichita. It takes on water from Chisholm Creek, the Little Arkansas River and the Arkansas River and was built beginning in May 1950 after a history of serious flooding in the area wrapping up in 1959. Article doesn’t specifically address but it looks like no serious floods since it was built. Named in honor of a key engineer for the project in 2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seo_Tai_Ji_(album)

Seo Tai Ji (album)

Eponymous 1998 debut album from Korean alternative metal performer Seo Taiji. The album is entirely self-created including all instrumentation and production. The only part of it not created by Taiji was the packaging design. Despite little promotion, it sold over 1.3 million units making it a top-seller in South Korea. Three music videos were made for it but Taiji does not appear in them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_Lutheran_Church

Taiwan Lutheran Church

With roots extending back to 1954, this denomination currently has over 11,000 members and 40 local congregations in the country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obin

Obin

Indonesian textile designer Josephine Komara’s pseudonym. Most renowned for her work in reviving an ancient Indonesian dying technique known as “batik” which uses a small tool that looks like a small paintbrush with a hook on one end to pipe hot liquid wax onto the fabric as part of the patterning process. Batik is believed to date back to the 6th or 7th century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A647_road

A647 road

A so-called “A road” going from Leeds to Halifax approx. 17 miles (27 km) long. As a Yank, I had no idea what an “A” road was so I looked that up. If I understand correctly, it appears the “A” roads with single digits all proceed outward from London like spokes of a wheel numbered clockwise. Other A roads with multiple digits may branch from those first Londoncentric A roads or not. A647 branches off from the A6 (Luton to Carlisle). Fun fact: It boasts England’s first HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane although that may be a bit of a misnomer as it's not just for large passenger vans and buses: “high” occupancy is classified as a driver and one or more passengers so basically a carpool lane.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwierzyniec_Trzeci

Zwierzyniec Trzeci

A village in southern Poland, population 315 as of 2008 (saaaaa-lute!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Mein_Volk
An Mein Volk

German expression meaning “To My People”. Prussian King Frederick William III issued the Au Mein Volk proclamation in 1813 asking for their support against the armies of Napoleon. The document was the start of the German Campaign of 1813 which culminated in Bonaparte’s ouster as ruler of France.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colm%C3%A9ry
Colméry

A French commune. Most recent census (2004) showed 293 living there. Saaaaaa-lute!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriospermum_paradoxum
Eriospermum_paradoxum

A flowering geophytic plant (“geophytic” means the plant stores extra food below ground) indigenous to South Africa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola_Beverages_Philippines
Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines

In the Philippines, Coke bottles and distributes 19 brands out of 19 plants and 50 sales offices/distribution centers. They employ over 9700 Filipinos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Action_Bloc
Popular Action Bloc

A Kuwaiti political party considered to be center-right. Party is headed by Ahmed Al-Sadoun.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Forzani
Owned largest sporting goods chain in Canada. Ex-Canadian Football League player who ended up as part-owner of his former team (Calgary Stampeders)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0lham_Tanui_%C3%96zbilen
Turkish middle distance runner who is current world junior record holder for the mile run with a time of 3:49.29, set in 2009.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Church,_Newchurch
Medieval English church dating to the 13th century located on the Isle of Wight

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Chai
Currently the Chief Financial Officer of Uber. Alumnus of Harvard Business School.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_A._Montoya
In 1996, Montoya became the first Hispanic to serve as Treasurer of New Mexico. 3 years after leaving office, he was convicted of racketeering and served a 40 month prison sentence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Miller_(poet)
Ohio born poet who won a Fulbright to Queen’s University Belfast in 2013.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Schaus
Schaus was a NCAA/NBA basketball player (West Virginia Mountaineers/Indiana Pistons/New York Knicks), college coach/athletic director (West Virginia/Purdue) and NBA coach/GM (Los Angeles Lakers). First player at West Virginia to score 1,000 career points. First coach to reach the NIT finals, NCAA finals, and the NBA Finals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Lin-Manuel_Miranda



Never knew that he was a McArthur Award “genius” or that he had a Pulitzer I will have to look for the one that got a Pulitzer nom but didn’t win (“In the Heights”) just in case it’s as good as “Hamilton” was.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Widows_of_Thursdays



AKA “Las viudas de los jueves” in the original Spanish. It’s a crime drama. No real mention of any notoriety critically though so I probably won’t go to the trouble of watching it



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_religious_movement

An entirely new religion (distinct from the existing “major” religions of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism) so it can’t be merely a new denomination of offshoot of those. Depending on the categorizing authority to be “new” it originated either after 1830 (the Latter Day Saint movement being the first of these “NRMs”) or after the Second World War ended in 1945 with some authorities saying after the 1960s. Some of the more widely known NRMs include the Latter Day Saints (“Mormons”), Unification Church (“Moonies”), the Nation of Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Scientology



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picton_Road,_New_South_Wales

If you find yourself Down Under in Picton, this will get you to Wollongong. (Sorry there really wasn’t anything of much interest here)



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Hardy_Eckstorm

A writer, ornithologist and folklorist particularly renowned as an expert of Maine Founded a National Audubon Society chapter at Smith College (in Massachusetts). Made history in 1889 by becoming the first female school superintendent in Maine.

6) Paul Aksel Johansen
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Aksel_Johansen#/random

A wheelchair curler. And a pretty good one judging by his Norwegian team making the Paralympic Championship six times.

7) The Batcave
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batcave#/random

Yes, THAT Batcave although there are other articles about its use in a non-literal sense. I like Batman but I'm not a fanboy so there were some cool factoids I learned. Such as to get to the secret entrance behind the grandfather clock you "unlock" the door by setting the clock hands to the exact time when Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered. Or that originally there was no cave at all...just an underground tunnel from Wayne Manor to an old barn where the Batmobile was kept hidden.

5) Besselian elements
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Besselian_elements
A set of mathematical values, named after 19th century German astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, used to predict the shape of “occultations”. No they don’t have anything to do with human sacrifice. Astronomers have decided that saying “eclipse” is just too basic so they chose this more florid and exclusionary term for it. There are a separate more complicated set to figure out where the occultation would be observed.

6) Paul O'Kelly
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_O%27Kelly
Bio about a guy who briefly headed up a team in the Gaelic football league. For those reading Stateside, the ball used resembles a volleyball but the game rules are a mixture of Australian rules football, American football and soccer in that you can advance the ball by passing or carrying as in American football, kicking as in soccer, bouncing it or “soloing”…dropping the ball and then kicking it up into the hands.

7) Tydeus eriophyes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tydeus_eriophyes A mite, 300 microns long, indigenous to South Africa

8) English National Ballet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_National_Ballet
One of the four major British ballet companies in operation since 1950.

9) Georgy Roshko
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgy_Roshko

Roman Catholic priest who converted from Russian Orthodox Church In 1933. Known for working to assist development of Catholicism in the Orient.

1)Loring, Alaska
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loring,_Alaska

This was a one-time cannery and fishing village on Revillagigedo Island but the post office closed in 1936 leaving this as a Census designated place only. It's located on the archipelago part of the state about 15 miles north of Ketchikan and had a population of 4 in the 2010 Census. READ 2/19/2020

2) Pierre Berès
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Ber%C3%A8s

Berès was a “famous” French bookseller. The inventory of his Paris shop proved worth $35M euros In 2005 at auction. READ 2/20/2020
3) Sweet 'n' Short
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_%27n_Short

This article about a 1991 movie shot in South Africa was so confusing that this is either a true summation of the strangest comedy ever filmed or the article was written while under the influence. It’s disjointed enough that I would consider watching the film In order to restructure the article into something passing for coherence. And dig the tagline: “Oh Schucks...it's the New South Africa!.” READ 2/20/2020
4) Pierazzo (crater)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierazzo_(crater)

This one was kinda heavy on jargon (“The ejecta blanket contains multiple lobate impact melt flows”). About all I really got out of it was that it was named after an Italian scientist who studied impact craters and that it is, itself, an impact crater. I get the idea that it’s a “big deal” among lunar craters because its creation sent out rays for about 50 miles in all directions. READ 2/20/2020

A fun way to do something "nerdy"