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March 14

Illustration of the value of π

The number π (pi) is a mathematical constant, approximately equal to 3.14159, that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. It is an irrational number, meaning that it cannot be expressed exactly as a ratio of two integers, though it is sometimes approximated as ⁠22/7⁠. Its decimal representation never ends, nor does it enter a permanently repeating pattern. The digits of π appear to be evenly distributed, but no proof of this conjecture has been found. It appears in many formulae in mathematics and physics, and for thousands of years mathematicians have computed its value with increasing accuracy. Since the late 20th century, mathematicians and computer scientists have extended the decimal representation of π to many trillions of digits. Many equations from trigonometry and geometry rely on π, especially those concerning circles and spheres. A transcendental number, π is one of the most widely known mathematical constants. (Full article...)

March 15

Coin depicting Zenobia as empress

Zenobia (c. 240 – c. 274) was the queen of the Palmyrene Empire. Her husband Odaenathus became king in 260 and elevated Palmyra's power in the Near East by defeating the Sassanians and stabilizing the Roman East. After his assassination, she became the regent of her son Vaballathus and held de facto power throughout his reign. In 270, Zenobia launched an invasion which brought most of the Roman East under her sway, culminating with the annexation of Egypt. In reaction to Roman emperor Aurelian's campaign in 272, Zenobia declared Palmyra's secession from Rome, naming her son emperor and assuming the title of empress. The Romans were victorious after heavy fighting; the queen was besieged in her capital and captured by Aurelian. He exiled her to Rome, where she spent the remainder of her life. Zenobia fostered a multicultural and intellectual environment in her court, which was open to scholars and philosophers. Her biography has inspired historians, artists and novelists. (Full article...)

March 16

Advertisement for the film

Yan Ruisheng is a 1921 Chinese silent film directed by Ren Pengnian, starring Chen Shouzi and Wang Caiyun. A docudrama based on the murder of Wang Lianying the previous year, it follows a young man named Yan Ruisheng who kills a courtesan to steal her jewellery. When the crime is discovered, he and his accomplices flee, but Yan is captured and executed. China's first full-length feature film,Yan Ruisheng was produced as domestic short films were becoming increasingly common. It emphasized accuracy to real life in its casting and setting; the stars were chosen based on their physical resemblance to those involved, while extensive use of location shooting allowed scenes to be set in places associated with the murder. A commercial success upon release, the critical reception of its technical aspects was positive but the subject matter was challenged and the film faced several calls for banning.The film is thought to be lost. (Full article...)

March 17

The Corleck Head is a 1st or 2nd century AD three-faced Irish stone idol discovered in Drumeague in County Cavan c. 1855. Its dating to the Iron Age is based on its iconography, which is similar to that of contemporary northern European Celtic art artefacts. Most archaeologists believe that it probably depicts a Celtic god and was intended to be placed on top of a larger shrine. The head is carved from a single block of limestone into three simply described faces. They each have similar features, including protruding eyes, thin and narrow mouths and enigmatic expressions. The head's dating and cultural significance are difficult to establish. The faces may depict all-knowing, all-seeing gods representing the unity of the past, present and future. The head is assumed to have been intended for ceremonial used on the nearby Corleck Hill, a major religious centre during the late Iron Age and a site for celebration of the Lughnasadh, a pre-Christian harvest festival. (Full article...)

March 18

The Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State, in the Flatiron District of Manhattan in New York City, is used by the First Department of the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division. The original building, at the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and 25th Street, was designed by James Brown Lord in 1899. A six-story annex to the north, designed by Rogers & Butler, was completed in 1955, as was a renovation of the original structure. The courthouse's facade, made primarily of marble, originally had 21 sculptures, of which one was removed in 1955. The building's roof also contains the sculpture NOW by Shahzia Sikander, and its annex includes a Holocaust memorial by Harriet Feigenbaum. The courthouse was renovated in the 1980s and the 2000s; its architecture has received largely positive commentary. The Appellate Division Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its facade and interior are both city landmarks. (Full article...)

March 19

Hilary near peak intensity, off Mexico

Hurricane Hilary was a large and intense Pacific hurricane in August 2023 that brought torrential rainfall to the Pacific Coast of Mexico and the Southwest U.S., resulting in widespread flooding. It was the eighth named storm, sixth hurricane, and fourth major hurricane of the active and highly destructive, 2023 Pacific hurricane season. Hilary originated from a tropical wave south of Mexico on August 16, and became a hurricane a day later. It underwent rapid intensification, reaching maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) on August 18, making it a Category 4 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Thousands of people evacuated to shelters as ports closed along the Mexican Pacific coast. In anticipation of "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding", the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued its first-ever tropical storm warning for Southern California, extending from the Mexico–United States border to just north of Los Angeles. Death Valley National Park was closed for two months. (Full article...)

March 20

Robert Poore (20 March 1866 – 14 July 1938) was an Anglo-Irish cricketer and British Army officer. He played in first-class cricket playing county cricket in England for Hampshire, where he gained a reputation as a batsman. Poore also played first-class cricket in India for the Europeans in the Bombay Presidency Matches. He began his military service in the Volunteer Force with the 3rd (Royal Wiltshire Militia) Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment. From there, he transferred to the 7th Hussars. Poore served in the Second Matabele War in Southern Africa and later in the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902, during which he was seconded to the Mounted Military Police and served as provost marshal at Army Headquarters Pretoria. Decorated with the Distinguished Service Order during the war, Poore served in the First World War between 1914 and 1918, commanding the Jhansi Brigade of the British Indian Army, for which he was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire. (Full article...)

March 21

Sullivan in 1888

Arthur Sullivan (1842 –1900) was an English composer best known for his operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert. Among his early works were a ballet, a symphony, a cello concerto and a one-act comic opera, Cox and Box, which is still widely performed. He wrote his first opera with Gilbert, Thespis, in 1871. In 1875 the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte engaged Gilbert and Sullivan to create a one-act piece, Trial by Jury. Its box-office success led the partners to collaborate on 12 full-length comic operas, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. Sullivan's only grand opera, Ivanhoe, though initially successful in 1891, has rarely been revived. His works include 24 operas, 11 major orchestral works, 10 choral works and oratorios, 2 ballets, incidental music to several plays, and numerous church pieces, songs, and piano and chamber pieces. His hymns and songs include "Onward, Christian Soldiers" and "The Lost Chord". (Full article...)