Wikipedia
Wikipedia articles, each with what it's about and how it begins.
180 articles.
Kaja Kallas
Kaja Kallas is an Estonian politician and diplomat. She was the first female prime minister of Estonia, a role she held from 2021 until 2024, when she resigned in advance of her appointment as High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Since 2024, she has served in that role as well as Vice-President of the European Commission in the second von der Leyen Commission.
Akkan Suver
Akkan Suver is a Turkish journalist, author, academic and NGO leader. He is President of the Marmara Group Foundation.
Farang
Farang is a Persian word that originally referred to the Franks and later came to refer to Western or Latin Europeans in general. The word is borrowed from Old French franc or Latin francus, which are also the source of Modern English France, French.
Subutai
Subutai was a Mongol general and the primary military strategist of Genghis Khan and Ögedei Khan. He ultimately directed more than 20 campaigns, during which he conquered more territory than any other commander in history as part of the expansion of the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous empire in human history. He often gained victory by means of sophisticated strategies and routinely coordinated movements of armies that operated hundreds of kilometers apart from each other. Subutai is…
Garcinia indica
Garcinia indica, a plant in the mangosteen family (Clusiaceae), commonly known as kokum, is a fruit-bearing tree that has culinary, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses. It grows primarily in India's Western Ghats: in the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. It is considered as an endemic species to the Western Ghats and forests in India. It grows in coastal and foothill moist forests up to 1,000 metres elevation with more than 2,500 mm of average annual rainfall. It favors…
Perfect Strangers (TV series)
Perfect Strangers is an American sitcom that ran for eight seasons, from March 25, 1986, to August 6, 1993, on the ABC television network. Created by Dale McRaven, the series chronicles the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous.
Cobra effect
In economics, a perverse incentive is an incentive structure with undesirable results, particularly one where those effects are unexpected and contrary to the intentions of its designers.
Kittur Chennamma
Chennamma of Kittur was the Queen of the princely state of Kittur in present-day Karnataka. She led a rebellious armed resistance against the British East India Company, in order to retain control over her dominion. She defeated the British army in the first war, but died as a prisoner after a second war. As one of the first and few female rulers to lead kittur forces against British colonisation, she continues to be remembered as a folk heroine in Karnataka.
Gymnosophists
Gymnosophists were ancient Indian philosophers who pursued asceticism to the point of regarding food and clothing as detrimental to purity of thought. They are mentioned several times in Ancient Greek literature.
Berenice Troglodytica
Berenice Troglodytica, also called Berenike or Baranis, is an ancient seaport of Egypt on the western shore of the Red Sea. It is situated about 825 km south of Suez, 260 km east of Aswan in Upper Egypt and 140 km south of Marsa Alam. It was founded in 275 BCE by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BCE), who named it after his mother, Berenice I of Egypt.
International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during the 19th century from suggestions by Charles Trevelyan, William Jones, Monier Monier-Williams and other scholars, and formalised by the Transliteration Committee of the Geneva Oriental Congress, in September 1894. IAST makes it possible for the reader to…
Synopsis of Pure Mathematics
Synopsis of Pure Mathematics is a book by G. S. Carr, written in 1886. The book attempted to summarize the state of most of the basic mathematics known at the time.
Hoos
Hoos is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:Jan de Witte (bishop), 16th century Edward Hoos, former mayor of Jersey City Robert John Hoos, tax commissioner Fred Hoos, Canadian hockey player Herbert Hoos, German footballer Steffen Hoos, German biathleteHolger H. Hoos, German-Canadian computer scientist Laurien Hoos, Dutch athlete
Arm & Hammer
Arm & Hammer is a brand of baking soda–based consumer products marketed by Church & Dwight, a major American manufacturer of household products. The logo of the brand depicts the ancient symbol of a muscular arm holding a hammer inside a red circle with the brand name and slogan. Originally associated solely with baking soda and washing soda, the company began to expand the brand to other products in the late 1970s by using baking soda as a deodorizing ingredient. The new products included…
Purva paksha
Pūrvapakṣa, sometimes also transliterated as poorva paksha or purva paksha, literally means 'former view/position'. It is a tradition in the debates of Indian Logicians. It involves building a deep familiarity with the opponent's point of view before criticising it, similar to the modern day device of steelmanning. The purva paksha approach has been used by Adi Shankaracharya as well as Ramanuja and later acharyas in their works.
Use–mention distinction
In the field of analytic philosophy, a fundamental distinction is made between the ordinary use of a term and the mention of it. The distinction between using and mentioning a term can be illustrated with the English word cheese below:Cheese is derived from milk. Cheese is derived from the Old English word ċēse.
Abraham Wald
Abraham Wald was a Hungarian-American mathematician and statistician who contributed to decision theory, geometry and econometrics, and founded the field of sequential analysis. One of his well-known statistical works was written during World War II on how to minimize the damage to bomber aircraft and took into account the survivorship bias in his calculations. He spent his research career at Columbia University. He was the grandson of Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Glasner.
Hanlon's razor
Hanlon's razor is an adage or rule of thumb that states, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." It is a philosophical razor that promotes a way of eliminating unlikely explanations for human behavior, purportedly named after the American writer Robert J. Hanlon, who submitted the statement to Murphy's Law Book Two: More Reasons Why Things Go Wrong! (1980).
Arthur W. Ryder
Arthur William Ryder was a professor of Sanskrit at the University of California, Berkeley. He is best known for translating a number of Sanskrit works into English, including the Panchatantra and the Bhagavad Gita.
Church of Science
The Foundation series is a science fiction novel series written by American author Isaac Asimov. It was first published as a series of short stories and novellas in 1942–1950, and subsequently as three novels in 1951–1953: Foundation (1951), Foundation and Empire (1952), and Second Foundation (1953). Known as The Foundation Trilogy for nearly thirty years, it won the one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1966. Asimov later added volumes, with two sequels, Foundation's Edge (1982)…
K. K. Shailaja
K. Kundan Shailaja is an Indian politician who served as the Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Social Justice of Kerala from 25 May 2016 to 19 May 2021. From 2016 to 2026, she represented the Mattanur Assembly constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
Sidney Bechet
Sidney Joseph Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, first recording in July 1923, a few months after trumpeter Louis Armstrong's recording debut with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. His erratic temper hampered his music career, and not until the late 1940s did he earn wide acclaim. Bechet spent much of his later life in France.
Partial zero-emissions vehicle
A partial zero-emission vehicle, in the United States, is an automobile that has zero evaporative emissions from its fuel system, has a 15-year warranty on its emission-control components, and meets SULEV tailpipe-emission standards.
List of countries by population in 1600
This is a list of countries by population in 1600. Estimate numbers are from the beginning of the year, and exact population figures are for countries that held a census on various dates in that year. The bulk of these numbers are sourced from Alexander V. Avakov's Two Thousand Years of Economic Statistics, Volume 1, pages 15 to 17, which cover population figures from the year 1600 divided into modern borders. Avakov, in turn, cites a variety of sources, mostly Angus Maddison. More specific…
Overseas Citizenship of India
Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) is a form of permanent residency available to people of Indian origin which allows them to live and work in India indefinitely. It allows the cardholders a lifetime entry to the country along with benefits such as being able to own real estate and make other investments in the country.
John Barton (missionary)
John Barton (1836–1908) was an English Anglican missionary in India. He served as the founding principal of the Cathedral Mission College in Kolkota in 1865.
History of large numbers
Different cultures used different traditional numeral systems for naming large numbers. The extent of large numbers used varied in each culture. Two interesting points in using large numbers are the confusion on the term billion and milliard in many countries, and the use of zillion to denote a very large number where precision is not required.
Dixon Ticonderoga Company
The Dixon Ticonderoga Company is an American manufacturer of office and art supplies based in Heathrow, Florida. A subsidiary of Italian-based F.I.L.A. SpA, the company offers a number of brands, with one of the most well-known being Ticonderoga: the yellow No. 2 (HB) pencil known for its distinctive green and yellow ferrule. Other brands include Dixon and Oriole pencils, Dixon Industrial products, Prang school and art supplies, and Lyra and Pacon art products.
Fayum mummy portraits
Mummy portraits or Fayum mummy portraits are a type of naturalistic encaustic portrait typically painted on wooden boards attached to the mummies of upper class individuals living in Egypt during the Roman period. They belong to the tradition of panel painting, one of the most highly regarded forms of art in the Classical world. The Fayum portraits are the only large body of art from that tradition to have survived.
Edsger W. Dijkstra
Edsger Wybe Dijkstra was a Dutch computer scientist, programmer, mathematician, and science essayist.
Bazel (software)
Bazel is a free and open-source software tool used for the automation of building and testing software.
Juncus effusus
Juncus effusus is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant species in the rush family Juncaceae, with the common names common rush or soft rush.
Cognitive distortion
A cognitive distortion is a thought that causes a person to perceive reality inaccurately due to being exaggerated or irrational. Cognitive distortions are involved in the onset or perpetuation of psychopathological states, such as depression and anxiety. Cognitive distortions are negative or biased thought patterns that distort one’s perception of reality, often leading to unnecessary stress, anxiety, or self-doubt. These distortions, such as mind reading, fortune telling, and emotional…
Scalable Inman Flash Replacement
Scalable Inman Flash Replacement (sIFR) is an obsolete JavaScript and Adobe Flash dynamic web fonts implementation, enabling the replacement of text elements on HTML web pages with Flash equivalents. It is open-source and was initially developed by Mike Davidson and improved by Mark Wubben. It is a scalable variety of HTML text-to-flash replacement pioneered by Shaun Inman.
Nattō
Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from whole soybeans that have been fermented with Bacillus subtilis var. natto. It is often served as a breakfast food with rice. It is served with karashi mustard, soy or tare sauce, and sometimes spring onion. Within Japan, natto is most popular in the eastern regions, including Kantō, Tōhoku, and Hokkaido.
Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628
The Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628, also called the Last Great War of Antiquity, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire. It was the final and most devastating conflict of the Roman–Persian wars. The previous war between the two powers had ended in 591 after the emperor Maurice helped the Sasanian king Khosrow II regain his throne. In 602, Maurice was murdered by his political rival Phocas. Khosrow declared war, ostensibly to avenge the death of the deposed emperor…
Julia Child
Julia Carolyn Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963 and ran for almost ten years.
Iosevka
This list of monospaced typefaces details standard monospaced fonts used in classical typesetting and printing.
I've Been Working on the Railroad
"I've Been Working on the Railroad" is an American folk song. The first published version appeared as "Levee Song" in Carmina Princetonia, a book of Princeton University songs published in 1894. The earliest known recording is by The Shannon Quartet, released by Victor Records in 1923.
Women in Sikhism
The principles of Sikhism state that women have the same souls as men and thus possess an equal right to cultivate their spirituality with equal chances of achieving salvation. Women participate in all Sikh religious, cultural, social, and secular activities including lead religious congregations, take part in the Akhand Path, perform Kirtan, perform Gatka and work as a Granthis.
The Honourable Schoolboy
The Honourable Schoolboy is a 1977 spy novel by the English author John le Carré. It follows the spymaster George Smiley and his agents as they attempt to carry out a successful offensive espionage operation in Southeast Asia while rebuilding the Circus following the events of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Chigali
Chigali is a popular tangy tamarind treat usually made in Southern India, especially in the state of Karnataka. Chigali is also referred to as Imli ki Goli in Northern India. Chigali has been introduced into the Indian FMCG market under the brand name "Chicley".
Tapioca balls
A tapioca pearl, also known as a tapioca ball, is an edible translucent sphere produced from tapioca, a starch made from the cassava root. They originated as a cheaper alternative to sago in Southeast Asian cuisine. When used as an ingredient in bubble tea, they are most commonly referred to as pearls or boba. The starch pearls are typically five to ten millimeters in diameter. By adding different ingredients, like water, sugar, or some other type of sweetener like honey, tapioca pearls can be…
Etymology of tea
The etymology of the various words for tea reflects the history of transmission of tea drinking culture and trade from China to countries around the world. In this context, tea generally refers to the plant Camellia sinensis and/or the aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot boiling water over the leaves. Most of the words for tea worldwide originate from Chinese pronunciations of the word 茶, and they fall into three broad groups: te, cha and chai, present in English as tea, cha or char, and…
List of oldest companies
The oldest companies in the world are the brands and companies which remain operating since inception, excluding associations and educational, government, or religious organizations.
List of oldest continuously inhabited cities
This is a list of present-day cities by the time period over which they have been continuously inhabited as a city. The age claims listed are generally disputed. Differences in opinion can result from different definitions of "city" as well as "continuous habitation", and historical evidence is often disputed. Caveats to the validity of each claim are discussed in the "Notes" column.
Wikipedia:Lamest edit wars
Journey (2012 video game)
Journey is an adventure game developed by Thatgamecompany and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The indie game was released on the PlayStation Network in March 2012 and ported to PlayStation 4 in July 2015. It was later released on Windows in June 2019 and iOS in August 2019 by Annapurna Interactive.
Enga Chinna Rasa
Enga Chinna Rasa is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language drama film written, directed by, and starring K. Bhagyaraj. The story was inspired by the Kannada novel Ardhaangi by B. Puttaswamayya. It was released on 17 June 1987. The film was remade in Hindi as Beta (1992), in Kannada as Annayya, in Telugu as Abbayigaru, and in Odia as Santana (1998).
Peganum harmala
Peganum harmala, commonly called wild rue, Syrian rue, African rue, esfand or espand, or harmel, is a perennial, herbaceous plant, with a woody underground rootstock, of the family Nitrariaceae, usually growing in saline soils in temperate desert and Mediterranean regions. Its common English-language name came about because of a resemblance to rue. Its seeds contain a high concentration of diverse beta-carboline alkaloids.
