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From today's featured article

African bush elephant (left), Asian elephant (top right), and African forest elephant (bottom right)

Elephants are the largest existing land animals. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. Three living species are recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant (all pictured). Distinctive features of elephants include a long, flexible proboscis (trunk), long tusks, large ear flaps, pillar-like legs, and grey skin. They are herbivorous, and stay near water when it is accessible. Females (cows) tend to live in family groups, which can consist of one female with her calves or several related females with offspring. After reaching adulthood, males (bulls) live separately, either alone or with other males. Elephants communicate by touch, sight, smell, and sound. Threats to their populations include poaching for their ivory tusks, habitat destruction, and conflicts with local people. Elephants are iconic in human culture and have been featured in art, folklore, religion, literature, and popular culture. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Paper fortune teller

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In the news

Wildfire damage to Lahaina

Wildfires in Hawaii kill more than 80 people and destroy much of Lahaina (damage pictured) on the island of Maui.
Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio is assassinated in Quito, eleven days before the general election.
The Hazara Express train derails in Sindh, Pakistan, killing 30 people.
In cricket, the Ashes concludes with Australia retaining the trophy, drawing the series against England.

On this day

August 12

Sue, the most complete T. rex skeleton found

1099 – Crusades: Fatimid forces under al-Afdal Shahanshah began retreating to Egypt after the Battle of Ascalon, concluding the First Crusade.
1952 – Thirteen Jewish poets were executed in Moscow for espionage based on false confessions.
1969 – The Troubles: Riots erupted in the neighbourhood of Bogside in Derry, and spread across much of Northern Ireland.
1985 – Japan Air Lines Flight 123 crashed into Mount Takamagahara in Gunma Prefecture, killing 520 of 524 people on board in the world's worst single-aircraft aviation disaster.
1990 – Near Faith, South Dakota, American paleontologist Sue Hendrickson found one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons, nicknamed Sue (pictured).

Jænberht (d. 792)
Thomas F. Mulledy (b. 1794)
Aleksandar Đurić (b. 1970)
Evaline Ness (d. 1986)

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Today's featured picture

Sissieretta Jones (1868 or 1869 – 1933) was an American soprano. Sometimes nicknamed "The Black Patti" in reference to the Italian opera singer Adelina Patti, her repertoire included grand opera, light opera, and popular music. Jones was trained at the Providence Academy of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music, and made her New York debut in 1888 at Steinway Hall. Four years later, she performed at the White House for President Benjamin Harrison. She sang for four consecutive presidents and the British royal family, attaining international success. Besides the United States and the West Indies, Jones toured in South America, Australia, India, southern Africa and Europe. This color lithograph of Jones was produced in 1899 to advertise her performances.

Lithograph credit: Metropolitan Printing Company; restored by Adam Cuerden

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