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From today's featured article

Frank Hague (January 17, 1876 – January 1, 1956) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, from 1917 to 1947. Hague ran a political machine that dominated politics in Hudson County and often in the entire state of New Jersey. Born into poverty in Jersey City, Hague first gained office at age 20 and rose through the political ranks. During his 30 years as mayor, Hague's influence reached the national level. His ability to gain huge majorities in Hudson County for the Democrats helped win the state in elections for governor and for president, and his machine dispensed jobs and aid in exchange for votes. He wielded his greatest power under Franklin D. Roosevelt, controlling funding for New Deal projects. Among these were the Jersey City Medical Center and Roosevelt Stadium. By the 1940s, Hague spent much time vacationing, and other ethnic groups challenged the Irish dominance in the city. He resigned in 1947 in favor of his nephew, Frank Hague Eggers. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Detail from The Death of Inayat Khan

... that the Indian emperor Jahangir was so amazed by the emaciated condition of a dying nobleman that he ordered a court artist to create a painting of him (detail pictured)?
... that Young MasterChef judge Poppy O'Toole accidentally caused an archaic term for the vulva to trend online?
... that Against the Current singer Chrissy Costanza sang a promotional song for the Genshin Impact character Mavuika?
... that John David Kali, Kenya's first government chief whip, survived detention by British colonisers for nine years?
... that the genetic lines of Poecilia koperi and P. wandae blur in areas where they meet, likely due to occasional hybridization?
... that Gustav Schädler, the prime minister of Liechtenstein, was forced to resign due to an embezzlement scandal?
... that Lady Gaga referenced Alexander McQueen's game of fashion chess for The Mayhem Ball?
... that the gardens around the Cenotaph in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, a monument erected after the First World War, are a popular resting spot for locals?
... that during his tenure as Indonesia's deputy ambassador to Singapore, Andradjati spent most of his time in Changi Airport?

In the news

Sikhio train disaster

Thirty people are killed when a crane falls onto a passenger train (pictured) in Sikhio district, Thailand.
Following a Saudi-led offensive, Yemeni government forces take control of Aden, the capital of the Southern Transitional Council.
Faustin-Archange Touadéra is re-elected as the president of the Central African Republic.
Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in as the interim president of Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro during United States strikes on the capital.

On this day

January 17

Raoul Wallenberg

1773 – On James Cook's second voyage, his vessel HMS Resolution became the first vessel to cross the Antarctic Circle.
1945 – Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who had saved thousands of Jews from the Holocaust, was taken into Soviet custody during the Siege of Budapest and was never seen in public again.
1961 – Three days before leaving office, U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered a farewell speech to the nation, in which he warned about the dangers of the military–industrial complex.
1989 – Patrick Purdy opened fire in an elementary school in Stockton, California, killing 5 and wounding 32 others.
2010 – The first spate of violence between Muslims and Christians began in Jos, Nigeria, and would end in more than 200 deaths.

William Backhouse (b. 1593)
Big Bear (d. 1888)
Barbara Jordan (d. 1996)
Tom Kilburn (d. 2001)

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Today's featured picture

Aglais io, commonly known as the European peacock, is a colourful butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, found in Europe and temperate Asia as far east as Japan. It is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees, and therefore often appears quite early in spring. The butterfly lays its eggs in batches of up to 400 at a time, with caterpillars hatching after about a week. These are shiny black with six rows of barbed spikes and a series of white dots on each segment. At the end of this phase they form a chrysalis which is either grey, brown or green, and may have a blackish tinge. This A. io caterpillar on a stinging nettle was photographed in Ruggeller Riet, Liechtenstein.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

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