Fort Concho

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 4, 2021 is Fort Concho. Fort Concho is a former United States Army installation and a National Historic Landmark located in San Angelo, Texas. It was established in 1867 and was an active military base for 22 years. The fort was the base of the 4th Cavalry from 1867 to 1875, and of the “Buffalo Soldiers” of the 10th Cavalry from 1875 to 1882. The fort was abandoned in June 1889 and over the next twenty years was divided into residences and businesses, with the buildings repurposed or recycled for their materials. Efforts to preserve and restore Fort Concho began in the 1900s and the Fort Concho Museum was founded in 1928. Fort…

Ambulocetus

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 3, 2021 is Ambulocetus. Ambulocetus natans is a species of early amphibious archaeocete cetacean from the Kuldana Formation in Pakistan during the early Eocene, 48 or 47 million years ago. It is among the most completely known Eocene cetaceans, vital to the study of cetacean evolution and the transition from land to sea. Ambulocetus probably had a long, broad, and powerful snout, and eyes near the top of the head. It may have hunted like a crocodile, waiting near the water’s surface and ambushing large mammals, using the jaws to clamp onto and drown or thrash prey. It may have swum like a river otter, alternating beats of the hind limbs while keeping…

Green rosella

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 2, 2021 is Green rosella. The green rosella (Platycercus caledonicus) is a parrot native to the Australian state of Tasmania and some Bass Strait islands. The species was described by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788. At up to 37 cm (14.5 in) long, it is the largest species in its genus. Its underparts, neck and head are yellow, with a red band above the beak and violet-blue cheeks. The back is mostly black and green, and its long tail blue and green. The female has duller yellow plumage and more prominent red markings, as well as a smaller beak. Found in a wide range of habitats with some form of tree…

John Early (educator)

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 1, 2021 is John Early (educator). John Early (July 1, 1814 – May 23, 1873) was a Catholic priest and Jesuit who held several prominent positions in American academia. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United States in 1833 and was educated in Maryland and Washington, D.C. After he began ministering, he was appointed the president of the College of the Holy Cross in 1848. In 1852, he founded St. Ignatius Church and Loyola College in Baltimore to educate the lay former students of St. Mary’s Seminary and College. Early left in 1858 to become the president of Georgetown University, which operated through the Civil War despite being commandeered several times by the Union Army. In…