# A stroll through Wikipedia **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [March 7, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660 "2019-03-07T00:17:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 34
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/662 "2024-05-23T21:54:42Z")
> **[The Haunted Mesa](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunted_Mesa)** > > The Haunted Mesa is a 1987 science fiction novel by American writer Louis L'Amour, set in the American Southwest amidst the ruins of the Anasazi. > Middle-aged man Mike Raglan specializes in paranormal investigations (and normally debunking the phenomena) has received urgent calls and mail from an old friend of his, Erik Hokart. Hokart was a scientist, inventor, and businessman who made a fortune in electronics. He was investigating a mountainous area in the Southwest, intending to build a seclude... > **[Cardigan (sweater)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardigan_(sweater))** > > A cardigan is a type of knitted sweater that has an open front, and is worn like a jacket. > Commonly cardigans are open fronted, have buttons, and are often knitted or woven: garments that are tied are instead considered a robe. > Knit garments with zippers can also be referred to as a cardigan. A current fashion trend has the garment with no buttons or zipper and hangs open by design.\[citation needed\] By contrast, a pullover (or sweater) does not open in front but must be "pulled over" the head ... > **[Fred Rogers](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers)** > > Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003), better known as Mister Rogers, was an American television host, author, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001. > Born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Rogers earned a bachelor's degree in music from Rollins College in 1951. He began his television career at NBC in New York City, returning to Pittsburgh in 1953 to ... ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2024, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/663 "2024-05-24T03:50:34Z")
> **[Fred Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers)** > > Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003), better known as Mister Rogers, was an American television host, author, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001. > Born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Rogers earned a bachelor's degree in music from Rollins College in 1951. He began his television career at NBC in New York City, returning to Pittsburgh in 1953 to ... > **[Presidential Medal of Freedom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom)** > > The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors". The award is not limited to U.S. citizens, and, while it is a civilian award, it can also be a... > **[Necklet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necklet)** > > A necklet is a type of decoration which is designed to be worn and displayed around a person's neck, rather than hung (draped) from the chest as is the standard practice for displaying most decorations. > In the Middle Ages most order's insignias were worn on a collar – see livery collar. Later, in the 16th century the insignia of the French Order of the Holy Spirit were worn on a ribbon. When, in the late 17th century, orders were divided into several classes, the cross on a ribbon around the nec... ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/664 "2024-06-03T14:22:18Z")
> **[Necklet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necklet)** > > A necklet is a type of decoration which is designed to be worn and displayed around a person's neck, rather than hung (draped) from the chest as is the standard practice for displaying most decorations. > In the Middle Ages most order's insignias were worn on a collar – see livery collar. Later, in the 16th century the insignia of the French Order of the Holy Spirit were worn on a ribbon. When, in the late 17th century, orders were divided into several classes, the cross on a ribbon around the nec... > **[Perlis](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlis)** > > Perlis\[note 1\] (Kedah Malay (Perlis dialect): Peghelih), also known by its honorific title Perlis Indera Kayangan, is a state of Malaysia in the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the smallest state in Malaysia by means of area and population, as well as the northernmost in the country. The state borders the Thai provinces of Satun and Songkhla to the north and the Malaysian state of Kedah to the south. Perlis is the only Malaysian state that is not divided into any districts, du... > **[Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Siamese_Treaty_of_1909)** > > The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 or Bangkok Treaty of 1909 was a treaty between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Siam signed on 10 March 1909, in Bangkok. Ratifications were exchanged in London on 9 July 1909, and the treaty established the modern Malaysia–Thailand border. The area around modern Pattani, Narathiwat, southernmost Songkhla, Satun, and Yala remained under Thai control, where decades later the South Thailand insurgency would erupt. Thailand relinquished its claims to so The K... ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/665 "2024-06-05T17:33:09Z")
[Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Siamese_Treaty_of_1909) [Si Rat Malai - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si_Rat_Malai) [Telegraphy - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraphy) ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/666 "2024-06-07T10:57:04Z")
> **[Telegraphy](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraphy)** > > Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pigeon post is not. Ancient signalling systems, although sometimes quite extensive and sophisticated as in China, were generally not capable of transmitting arbitrary text messages. Possible messages were fixed and predetermined, so such systems are thus not ... > **[Great Wall of China](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China)** > > The Great Wall of China (traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; simplified Chinese: 万里长城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng, literally "ten thousand li long wall") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe. Several walls were built from as early as the 7th century BC, with selective stretches later joined by Qin Shi Huang (220–206 BC), the first emperor of Ch... > **[Ibn Battuta](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Battuta)** > > Abū Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Abd Allāh Al-Lawātī (/ˌɪbən bætˈtuːtɑː/; 24 February 1304 – 1368/1369),\[a\] commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of thirty years from 1325 to 1354, Ibn Battuta visited most of North Africa, the Middle East, East Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, the Iberian Peninsula, and West Africa. Near the end of his life, he dictated an account of his journeys, titled A Gift to Those Who Contemplate th... ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/667 "2024-06-07T12:08:32Z")
> **[Ibn Battuta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Battuta)** > > Abū Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Abd Allāh Al-Lawātī (/ˌɪbən bætˈtuːtɑː/; 24 February 1304 – 1368/1369),\[a\] commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of thirty years from 1325 to 1354, Ibn Battuta visited most of North Africa, the Middle East, East Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, the Iberian Peninsula, and West Africa. Near the end of his life, he dictated an account of his journeys, titled A Gift to Those Who Contemplate th... > **[Laguatan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laguatan)** > > The Laguatan (Arabic: لواتة, romanized: Lawātah) was a Berber clan that inhabited the Cyrenaica area during the Roman period. They have been described as primarily raiders and nomadic, but others consider them a settled group who also raided. > The Laguatan emerged in the late 3rd century, when the first groups started a westward migration from their original homes in the Libyan Desert. Under the label of Austuriani (probably reflecting a then-dominant sub-tribe) they are recorded as raiding the C... > **[Gurzil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurzil)** > > Gurzil was an important ancient Berber deity. He is known from two sources, the Latin poem Iohannis by the 6th-century Christian Roman poet Corippus and a Neo-Punic inscription from Lepcis Magna. > According to Corippus, the Laguatan of Tripolitania carried a representation of Gurzil in the form of a bull into battle against the Romans when they revolted along with the Austurii in AD 546. They regarded Gurzil as the offspring of Amun, presumably the Amun whose temple was at Siwa, and a cow. Coripp... ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/668 "2024-06-07T13:14:48Z")
> **[Gurzil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurzil)** > > Gurzil was an important ancient Berber deity. He is known from two sources, the Latin poem Iohannis by the 6th-century Christian Roman poet Corippus and a Neo-Punic inscription from Lepcis Magna. > According to Corippus, the Laguatan of Tripolitania carried a representation of Gurzil in the form of a bull into battle against the Romans when they revolted along with the Austurii in AD 546. They regarded Gurzil as the offspring of Amun, presumably the Amun whose temple was at Siwa, and a cow. Coripp... > **[Leptis Magna](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepcis_Magna)** > > Leptis or Lepcis Magna, also known by other names in antiquity, was a prominent city of the Carthaginian Empire and Roman Libya at the mouth of the Wadi Lebda in the Mediterranean. > Established as a Punic settlement prior to 500 BC, the city experienced significant expansion under Roman Emperor Septimius Severus (r. 193–211), who was born in the city. The 3rd Augustan Legion was stationed here to defend the city against Berber incursions. After the legion's dissolution under Gordian III in 238, t... > **[365 Crete earthquake](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/365_Crete_earthquake)** > > The 365 Crete earthquake occurred at about sunrise on 21 July 365 in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an assumed epicentre near Crete. Geologists today estimate the undersea earthquake to have been a moment magnitude 8.5 or higher. It caused widespread destruction in the central and southern Diocese of Macedonia (modern Greece), Africa Proconsularis (northern Libya), Egypt, Cyprus, Sicily, and Hispania (Spain). On Crete, nearly all towns were destroyed. > The earthquake was followed by a tsunami wh... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/669 "2024-06-07T18:46:13Z")
> **[365 Crete earthquake](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/365_Crete_earthquake)** > > The 365 Crete earthquake occurred at about sunrise on 21 July 365 in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an assumed epicentre near Crete. Geologists today estimate the undersea earthquake to have been a moment magnitude 8.5 or higher. It caused widespread destruction in the central and southern Diocese of Macedonia (modern Greece), Africa Proconsularis (northern Libya), Egypt, Cyprus, Sicily, and Hispania (Spain). On Crete, nearly all towns were destroyed. > The earthquake was followed by a tsunami wh... > **[Paganism](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism)** > > Paganism (from classical Latin pāgānus "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. In the time of the Roman Empire, individuals fell into the pagan class either because they were increasingly rural and provincial relative to the Christian population, or because they were not milites Christi (soldiers of Christ). Alternative terms used in During... > **[Gentile](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentile)** > > Gentile (/ˈdʒɛntaɪl/) is a word that today usually means someone who is not Jewish. Other groups that claim Israelite heritage, notably Mormons, have historically used the term gentile to describe outsiders. More rarely, the term is used as a synonym for heathen or pagan. As a term used to describe non-members of a religious/ethnic group, gentile is sometimes compared to other words used to describe the "outgroup" in other cultures (see List of terms for ethnic out-groups). > In some translations ... ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/670 "2024-06-27T02:03:58Z")
> **[Gentile](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentile)** > > Gentile (/ˈdʒɛntaɪl/) is a word that today usually means someone who is not Jewish. Other groups that claim Israelite heritage, notably Mormons, have historically used the term gentile to describe outsiders. More rarely, the term is used as a synonym for heathen or pagan. As a term used to describe non-members of a religious/ethnic group, gentile is sometimes compared to other words used to describe the "outgroup" in other cultures (see List of terms for ethnic out-groups). > In some translations ... > **[Menachem Kellner](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menachem_Kellner)** > > Menachem Kellner (born 1946) is an American-Israeli academic and Jewish scholar of medieval Jewish philosophy with a particular focus on the philosophy of Maimonides. He is a retired Professor of Jewish Thought at the University of Haifa and is the founding chair of the Department of Philosophy and Jewish Thought at Shalem College in Jerusalem. He has taught courses in philosophy, religious studies, medieval and modern Jewish philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis, the College of Willia... > **[University of Virginia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Virginia)** > > The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his Academical Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The original governing Board of Visitors included three U.S. presidents: Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe, the latter as sitting president of the United States at the time of its foundation. As its first two rectors, Presidents Jefferson and Madison played key roles ... ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2024, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/671 "2024-06-27T02:48:09Z")
> **[University of Virginia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Virginia)** > > The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his Academical Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The original governing Board of Visitors included three U.S. presidents: Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe, the latter as sitting president of the United States at the time of its foundation. As its first two rectors, Presidents Jefferson and Madison played key roles ... > **[Edgar Allan Poe](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe)** > > Edgar Allan Poe (né Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, author, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States, and of American literature. Poe was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story, and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre,... > **[Pseudonym](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudonym)** > > A pseudonym (/ˈsjuːdənɪm/; from Ancient Greek ψευδώνυμος (pseudṓnumos) 'lit. falsely named') or alias (/ˈeɪli.əs/) is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's own. Many pseudonym holders use them because they wish to remain anonymous, but anonymity is difficult to achieve and often fraught with legal issues. > Pseudonyms include s... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2024, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/672 "2024-06-27T03:01:05Z")
> **[Pseudonym](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudonym)** > > A pseudonym (/ˈsjuːdənɪm/; from Ancient Greek ψευδώνυμος (pseudṓnumos) 'lit. falsely named') or alias (/ˈeɪli.əs/) is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's own. Many pseudonym holders use them because they wish to remain anonymous, but anonymity is difficult to achieve and often fraught with legal issues. > Pseudonyms include s... > **[Ellery Queen](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellery_Queen)** > > Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1928 by the American detective fiction writers Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905–1971). It is also the name of their main fictional detective, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve baffling murder cases. From 1929 to 1971, Dannay and Lee wrote around forty novels and short story collections in which Ellery Queen appears as a character. > Under the pseudonym Ellery Queen, they also edited more... > **[Jim Hutton](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hutton)** > > Dana James Hutton (May 31, 1934 – June 2, 1979), known as Jim Hutton, was an American actor in film and television best remembered for his role as Ellery Queen in the 1970s TV series of the same name, and his screen partnership with Paula Prentiss in four films, starting with Where the Boys Are. He is the father of actor Timothy Hutton. > Hutton was born on May 31, 1934, in Binghamton, New York, the son of Helen and Thomas R. Hutton, an editor and managing editor of the Binghamton Press. Hutton'... ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2024, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/673 "2024-06-27T04:16:17Z")
> **[Jim Hutton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hutton)** > > Dana James Hutton (May 31, 1934 – June 2, 1979), known as Jim Hutton, was an American actor in film and television best remembered for his role as Ellery Queen in the 1970s TV series of the same name, and his screen partnership with Paula Prentiss in four films, starting with Where the Boys Are. He is the father of actor Timothy Hutton. > Hutton was born on May 31, 1934, in Binghamton, New York, the son of Helen and Thomas R. Hutton, an editor and managing editor of the Binghamton Press. Hutton'... > **[Timothy Hutton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Hutton)** > > Timothy Hutton (born August 16, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is the youngest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at age 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People (1980). Hutton has since appeared regularly in feature films and on television, with roles in the drama Taps (1981), the spy film The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), and the horror film The Dark Half (1993), among others. > Between 2000 and 2002, Hutton starred as A... > **[Taps (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taps_(film))** > > Taps is a 1981 American thriller drama film starring George C. Scott and Timothy Hutton, with Ronny Cox, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, Giancarlo Esposito and Evan Handler in supporting roles. Hutton was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1982. The film was directed by Harold Becker from a screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen, James Lineberger,\[user-generated source?\] and Darryl Ponicsan, based on Devery Freeman's 1979 novel Father Sky. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre. It was fil Th... ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/674 "2024-06-30T14:12:38Z")
> **[Taps (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taps_(film))** > > Taps is a 1981 American thriller drama film starring George C. Scott and Timothy Hutton, with Ronny Cox, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, Giancarlo Esposito and Evan Handler in supporting roles. Hutton was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1982. The film was directed by Harold Becker from a screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen, James Lineberger,\[user-generated source?\] and Darryl Ponicsan, based on Devery Freeman's 1979 novel Father Sky. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre. It was fil Th... > **[M48 Patton](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M48_Patton)** > > 177.8 km (110.5 mi) > The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun Tank: M48. It was designed as a replacement for the M26 Pershing, M4 Sherman, M46 and M47 Patton tanks, and was the main battle tank of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps in the Vietnam War.: 5  Nearly 12,000 M48s were built, mainly by Chrysler and American Locomotive Company, from 1952 to 1961. The M48 Patton was the first U.S. medium gun tan... > **[American Locomotive Company](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Locomotive_Company)** > > The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer that operated from 1901 to 1969, initially specializing in the production of locomotives but later diversifying and fabricating at various times diesel generators, automobiles, steel, tanks, munitions, oil-production equipment, as well as heat exchangers for nuclear power plants. > The company was formed by the merger of seven locomotive manufacturers and Schenectady Locomotive Engine Manufactory o... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/675 "2024-06-30T15:40:11Z")
> **[American Locomotive Company](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Locomotive_Company)** > > The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer that operated from 1901 to 1969, initially specializing in the production of locomotives but later diversifying and fabricating at various times diesel generators, automobiles, steel, tanks, munitions, oil-production equipment, as well as heat exchangers for nuclear power plants. > The company was formed by the merger of seven locomotive manufacturers and Schenectady Locomotive Engine Manufactory o... > **[Union Pacific Railroad](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_Railroad)** > > The Union Pacific Railroad (reporting marks UP, UPP, UPY) is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over 32,200 miles (51,800 km) routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, with which it shares a duopoly on transcontinental freight rail lines in the Western, Midwestern and West South Central United States. > Founded in 1862, the original Union Pacific Rail Road was part of th... > **[Promontory, Utah](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promontory,_Utah)** > > Promontory is an area of high ground in Box Elder County, Utah, United States, 32 mi (51 km) west of Brigham City and 66 mi (106 km) northwest of Salt Lake City. Rising to an elevation of 4,902 feet (1,494 m) above sea level, it lies to the north of the Promontory Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. It is notable as the location of Promontory Summit, where the First transcontinental railroad from Sacramento to Omaha in the United States was officially completed on May 10, 1869. The location is ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/676 "2024-07-01T01:04:52Z")
> **[Promontory, Utah](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promontory,_Utah)** > > Promontory is an area of high ground in Box Elder County, Utah, United States, 32 mi (51 km) west of Brigham City and 66 mi (106 km) northwest of Salt Lake City. Rising to an elevation of 4,902 feet (1,494 m) above sea level, it lies to the north of the Promontory Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. It is notable as the location of Promontory Summit, where the First transcontinental railroad from Sacramento to Omaha in the United States was officially completed on May 10, 1869. The location is > **[Standard-gauge railway](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Standard-gauge_railway&diffonly=true)** > > A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in). The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the most widely used track gauge around the world, with about 55% of the lines in the world using it. > All high-speed rail lines use standard gauge except those in Russia, Finland, and Uzbekistan. The distance between the inside edges... > **[George Stephenson](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stephenson)** > > George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer during the Industrial Revolution. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victorians as a great example of diligent application and thirst for improvement. His chosen rail gauge, sometimes called "Stephenson gauge",\[i\] was the basis for the .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line- P... ---
**Author:** ![knoodler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ccd318/32.png) [@knoodler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knoodler)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/677 "2024-07-01T18:29:47Z")
> **[George Stephenson](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stephenson)** > > George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer during the Industrial Revolution. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victorians as a great example of diligent application and thirst for improvement. His chosen rail gauge, sometimes called "Stephenson gauge",\[i\] was the basis for the .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line- P... > **[Royal Society](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Society)** > > The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, recognising excellence in science, supporting outstanding science, providing scientific advice for policy, education and public engagement and fostering international and global co-operation. Founded on 28 November 1660, it was granted a royal charter by Ki... > **[Invisible College](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_College)** > > Invisible College is the term used for a small community of interacting scholars who often met face-to-face, exchanged ideas and encouraged each other. One group that has been described as a precursor group to the Royal Society of London consisted of a number of natural philosophers around Robert Boyle, such as Christopher Wren. It has been suggested that other members included prominent figures later closely concerned with the Royal Society; but several groups preceded the formation of the The... ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2024, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/678 "2024-07-03T03:15:37Z")
> **[Invisible College](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_College)** > > Invisible College is the term used for a small community of interacting scholars who often met face-to-face, exchanged ideas and encouraged each other. One group that has been described as a precursor group to the Royal Society of London consisted of a number of natural philosophers around Robert Boyle, such as Christopher Wren. It has been suggested that other members included prominent figures later closely concerned with the Royal Society; but several groups preceded the formation of the The... > **[John Wilkins](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkins)** > > John Wilkins FRS (14 February 1614 – 19 November 1672) was an Anglican clergyman, natural philosopher, and author, and was one of the founders of the Royal Society. He was Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death. > Wilkins is one of the few persons to have headed a college at both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. He was a polymath, although not one of the most important scientific innovators of the period. His personal qualities were brought out, and obvious to his ... > **[Great Fire of London](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_London)** > > The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the wall to the west. The death toll is generally thought to have been relatively small, although some historians have challenged this belief. > The fire started in a bakery in Pudding Lane shortly after midnight on Sunday 2 September, and spread rapidly. The use... ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/679 "2024-07-10T05:42:15Z")
> **[Great Fire of London](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_London)** > > The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the wall to the west. The death toll is generally thought to have been relatively small, although some historians have challenged this belief. > The fire started in a bakery in Pudding Lane shortly after midnight on Sunday 2 September, and spread rapidly. The use... > **[Urban sprawl](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_sprawl)** > > Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses, dense multi family apartments, office buildings and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a more or less densely populated city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growth in many urban areas of housing, commercial development, and roads over large expanses of land, with little concern for very dense urban planning. Sometimes t In Europe, t... > **[Leapfrogging](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leapfrogging)** > > Leapfrogging is a concept used in many domains of the economics and business fields, and was originally developed in the area of industrial organization and economic growth. The main idea behind the concept of leapfrogging is that small and incremental innovations lead a dominant firm to stay ahead. However, sometimes, radical innovations will permit new firms to leapfrog the ancient and dominant firm. The phenomenon can occur to firms but also to leadership of countries or cities, where a dev In... ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/680 "2024-07-10T14:36:05Z")
> **[Leapfrogging](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leapfrogging)** > > Leapfrogging is a concept used in many domains of the economics and business fields, and was originally developed in the area of industrial organization and economic growth. The main idea behind the concept of leapfrogging is that small and incremental innovations lead a dominant firm to stay ahead. However, sometimes, radical innovations will permit new firms to leapfrog the ancient and dominant firm. The phenomenon can occur to firms but also to leadership of countries or cities, where a dev In... > **[Kuznets curve](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuznets_curve)** > > The Kuznets curve (/ˈkʌznɛts/) expresses a hypothesis advanced by economist Simon Kuznets in the 1950s and 1960s. According to this hypothesis, as an economy develops, market forces first increase and then decrease economic inequality. > The Kuznets curve appeared to be consistent with experience at the time it was proposed. However, since the 1970s, inequality has risen in the US and other developed countries, which invalidates the hypothesis.\[citation needed\] > The Kuznets ratio is a measurement... > **[Forest transition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_transition)** > > Forest transition refers to a geographic theory describing a reversal or turnaround in land-use trends for a given territory from a period of net forest area loss (i.e., deforestation) to a period of net forest area gain. The term "landscape turnaround" has also been used to represent a more general recovery of natural areas that is independent of biome type. > Changes in forest area (like deforestation) may follow a pattern suggested by the forest transition (FT) theory, whereby at early stages i... ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660/681 "2024-07-29T01:18:33Z")
> **[Forest transition](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_transition)** > > Forest transition refers to a geographic theory describing a reversal or turnaround in land-use trends for a given territory from a period of net forest area loss (i.e., deforestation) to a period of net forest area gain. The term "landscape turnaround" has also been used to represent a more general recovery of natural areas that is independent of biome type. > Changes in forest area (like deforestation) may follow a pattern suggested by the forest transition (FT) theory, whereby at early stages i... > **[El Salvador](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Salvador)** > > El Salvador,\[a\] officially the Republic of El Salvador,\[b\] is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is San Salvador. The country's population in 2023 was estimated to be 6.5 million. > Among the Mesoamerican nations that historically controlled the region are the Lenca (after 600 AD), the Mayans, and then the Cuzcatlecs. Archaeological monuments also ... > **[Rome Statute](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rome_Statute&diffonly=true)** > > The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC). It was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rome, Italy on 17 July 1998 and it entered into force on 1 July 2002. As of February 2024, 124 states are party to the statute. Among other things, it establishes court function, jurisdiction and structure. > The Rome Statute established four core international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime ... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stroll-through-wikipedia/830660.md?page=35)