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Today's featured article Lycoperdon echinatum, commonly known as the spiny puffball or the spring puffball, is a type of puffball mushroom in the genus Lycoperdon. The saprobic species has been found in Africa, Europe, Central America and North America, where it grows on soil in deciduous woods, glades, and pastures. Molecular analysis indicates that Lycoperdon echinatum is closely related to the puffball genus Handkea. Initially white in color, the puffballs turn a dark brown as they mature, at the same time changing from nearly round to somewhat flattened. The fruit bodies are edible when young, when the interior is white and firm and before it has turned into a powdery brown mass of spores. Young specimens of L. echinatum resemble another edible spiny puffball, Lycoperdon pulcherrimum, but this latter species does not turn brown as it ages. Laboratory tests have shown that extracts of the fruit bodies can inhibit the growth of several bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. (more...) Recently featured: Sinking of the RMS Titanic – Galápagos tortoise – Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Oregon's Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center (Hillsboro clinic pictured) started in a garage and now has over US$20 million in annual revenue? ... that the memoirs of life in the Lvov Ghetto during the Holocaust written by Maurycy Allerhand were unknown for over 20 years and first published only after the Revolutions of 1989? ... that the Arcade Fire song "No Cars Go" originally appeared on their self-titled extended play and was reworked for their second album, Neon Bible? ... that the royal catchfly is pollinated by the ruby-throated hummingbird? ... that the female factory workers featured in the book The Sugar Girls would stuff their turbans with underwear to make them look more fashionable? ... that although later writers claimed William the Conqueror's victory in the 1057 Battle of Varaville was a massacre, contemporary writers barely noticed it? ... that Walter Rea, the leading scorer for the 1919–20 Michigan Wolverines basketball team, later became the university's spokesman on "panty raids"?

In the news In the United Kingdom, Neptune Collonges (pictured) wins the Grand National horse race, in the event's closest-ever finish. The rocket carrying Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3, a North Korean Earth observation satellite, explodes shortly after launch. Amid an early presidential election, mutinous soldiers take control of Bissau, Guinea-Bissau's capital. The ruling Saenuri Party, led by Park Geun-hye, retains its majority in the National Assembly of South Korea. An 8.6-magnitude earthquake strikes 430 km (270 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, initially prompting tsunami warnings across the Indian Ocean. On this day... April 16: Patriots' Day (Massachusetts and Maine, 2012); Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C. 1520 – Citizens of Toledo, Castile, who were opposed to the rule of the foreign-born Charles V, rose up in revolt when the royal government attempted to unseat radical city councilors. 1853 – The first passenger line of what would become Indian Railways, the state-owned railway company of India, opened between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Thane. 1919 – Polish–Soviet War: The Polish army launched the Vilna offensive to capture Vilnius (now in modern Lithuania) from the Red Army. 2001 – India and Bangladesh began a five-day conflict over their disputed border, which ended in a stalemate. 2007 – In one of the deadliest shooting incidents in United States history, a gunman killed 32 people and wounded over 20 more before committing suicide at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia (memorial pictured). More anniversaries: April 15 – April 16 – April 17 It is now April 16, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured list British film actor, comedian, director, producer, writer, musician and music composer Charlie Chaplin's work in motion pictures spanned from 1914 until 1967. During his early years in film, he became established as a worldwide cinematic idol renowned for his tramp persona (pictured). In 1918, Chaplin began producing his own films, initially releasing them through First National and then through United Artists, a corporation he co-founded with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith. During his lifetime, Chaplin received three awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At the 1st Academy Awards ceremony, held on May 16, 1929, he won an honorary award for writing, directing, producing, and acting in The Circus. Chaplin also received Academy Award nominations in 1940 for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay for The Great Dictator and in 1947 for his screenplay of Monsieur Verdoux. (more...)

Today's featured picture Sir Peter Ustinov (1921–2004) was an English actor, writer and dramatist. A noted wit and raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. He was also a respected intellectual and diplomat who, in addition to his various academic posts, served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and President of the World Federalist Movement. Ustinov was the winner of numerous awards over his life, including Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, BAFTA Awards, Golden Globes, and a Grammy Award. Photo: Allan Warren Recently featured: Level junction – Metallic Ringtail – Vertical replenishment

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