Wikipedia:Main Page history/2014 November 3

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From today's featured article

The Bivalvia comprise a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. Bivalves include clams, oysters, cockles, mussels, scallops, and numerous other families that live in saltwater or in freshwater. The majority are filter feeders. Most bivalves bury themselves in sediment, where they are relatively safe from predation, though some others lie on the sea floor or attach themselves to rocks or other hard surfaces. A bivalve's shell (giant clam shell pictured) is composed of calcium carbonate, and consists of two, usually similar, parts called valves, which can open and close without becoming disarticulated. Adult shell sizes of bivalves vary from fractions of a millimetre to over a metre in length, but the majority of species do not exceed 10 cm (4 in). Bivalves have long been a part of the diet of coastal human populations, and pearl oysters are the most common source of natural pearls. Bivalves first appear in the fossil record more than 500 million years ago. The total number of living species is approximately 9,200. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

From Wikipedia's new and recently improved content:

... that the crest of No. 77 Squadron RAAF (F/A-18 Hornet pictured) features an oriental temple lion nicknamed the "grumpy monkey"?
... that BlackBerry CEO John Chen joked about the iPhone 6 "bendgate" incident while introducing the Passport?
... that the Rechthuis in the Dutch village of Bellingwolde was used as a courthouse from 1643 to 1811?
... that the 2014 romantic comedy film Anjada Gandu represents actor Sathish Neenasam's first commercial film role as a solo hero?
... that Antananarivo Province was excluded from the republic proposed by the other five of Madagascar's provinces in 2002?
... that Barton Currie edited the Country Gentleman and the Ladies Home Journal, and hired Zane Grey to write for both?
... that some kinds of supernova may create zombies in space?

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In the news

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crashes in the Mojave Desert during a test flight, killing one person.
Following violent protests, Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaoré resigns.
In baseball, the San Francisco Giants defeat the Kansas City Royals to win the World Series (MVP Madison Bumgarner pictured).
An Antares rocket explodes during the launch of the unmanned Cygnus CRS-3 spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Call of Tunisia wins a plurality in the Tunisian parliamentary election, ahead of Ennahda.

Ongoing: Ebola outbreak – Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Recent deaths: Michael Sata

On this day...

November 3: Culture Day in Japan

1812 – French invasion of Russia: As Napoleon's Grande Armée began its retreat, its rear guard was defeated at the Battle of Vyazma.
1838 – The Times of India, the world's largest circulated English-language daily broadsheet newspaper, was founded as the The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce.
1954 – The first film featuring the giant monster known as Godzilla, was released.
1969 – U.S. President Richard Nixon made a plea to the "silent majority", referring to those Americans who did not join in the large demonstrations against the Vietnam War at the time.
2007 – Pakistani President and Chief of Army Staff Pervez Musharraf (pictured) declared a state of emergency across Pakistan, suspending the Pakistani Constitution.

More anniversaries: November 2 – November 3 – November 4

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From today's featured list

Music recording certifications are typically awarded by the global music industry based on the total units sold or shipped to the retailers. These awards and their requirements are defined by the various certifying bodies representing the music industry in various countries and territories worldwide. The standard certification awards given consist of Gold (example pictured), Platinum, and sometimes Diamond awards, in ascending order; the UK also has a Silver certification, ranking below Gold. In most cases, a "Multi-Platinum" or "Multi-Diamond" award is given for multiples of the Platinum or Diamond requirements. Though all certifying bodies give awards for album sales or shipments, many also certify singles, paid digital downloads, music videos, music DVDs, and master ringtones. Additionally, some certifying bodies have separate threshold scales for works of domestic or international origins, varying genres, lengths, and formats. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

Henrik Freischlader (b. 1982) is a German blues guitarist and singer. He began his career in 1998, and established his own label, Cable Car Records, in 2009.

Photograph: Stefan Krause

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