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From today's featured article Richard Wagner (1813–83) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor primarily known for his operas. His compositions, particularly those of his later period, are notable for their complex textures, rich harmonies and orchestration, and the elaborate use of leitmotifs—musical phrases associated with individual characters, places, ideas or plot elements. These innovations greatly influenced the development of classical music; his Tristan und Isolde is sometimes described as marking the start of modern music. Wagner revolutionised opera through his synthesis of the poetic, visual, musical and dramatic arts, first fully realised in his four-opera Ring cycle. He had his own opera house built at Bayreuth, containing many novel design features, where his most important stage works continue to be performed in an annual festival run by his descendants. Wagner's controversial writings on music, drama and politics have attracted extensive comment in recent decades, especially where they express antisemitic sentiments. The effects of his ideas can be traced in many of the arts throughout the 20th century. (Full article...) Recently featured: Tripura – Prince George of Denmark – Joppenbergh Mountain Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the St Kilda field mouse (pictured) lives 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of Scotland, and is twice the size of mainland mice? ... that Stryker Trahan was named for the title character in B.L. Stryker? ... that lesser mouse-tailed bats, when flying in a group, choose one of three frequencies for echolocation so as to avoid jamming each other? ... that Alice Ball developed an injectable medicine that was the most effective treatment of leprosy before the 1940s? ... that Momoiro Clover Z premiered their "Hymn to Labor" on a rooftop in Tokyo while wearing energy-saving suits? ... that Jameson Parker played fictional philanderer Brad Vernon in his first featured television role on One Life to Live? ... that the 1852 manuscript Meanderings of Memory is used as an early or first source for 51 entries in the Oxford English Dictionary, but when looked for in 2013, could not be located?

In the news An EF5 tornado (pictured) strikes outside Oklahoma City in the United States, killing at least 24 people. In ice hockey, the IIHF World Championship concludes with Sweden defeating Switzerland in the final. "Only Teardrops" by Danish singer Emmelie de Forest wins the Eurovision Song Contest. In rugby union, the Heineken Cup concludes with Toulon defeating Clermont in the final. An anti-homophobia demonstration in Tbilisi, Georgia, leads to clashes between activists and members of the Georgian Orthodox Church. An upsurge in violence in Iraq leaves more than 170 people dead over three days. Cyclone Mahasen causes significant damage in Southern and Southeastern Asia, resulting in more than 90 deaths. Recent deaths: Ray Manzarek – Jorge Rafael Videla On this day... May 22: Unity Day in Yemen (1990) 1826 – HMS Beagle (pictured) departed on her first voyage from Plymouth for a hydrographic survey of the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego regions of South America. 1915 – Five trains were involved in a crash near Gretna Green, Scotland, killing 227 people and injuring 246 others. 1980 – Pac-Man, an arcade game that became an icon of 1980s popular culture, made its debut in Japan. 1990 – The Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen merged to become the Republic of Yemen. 2003 – Swedish golfer Annika Sörenstam became the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event in 58 years. More anniversaries: May 21 – May 22 – May 23 It is now May 22, 2013 (UTC) – Reload this page

Today's featured picture USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship built for the United States Navy in the mid-1910s. Before being modernized beginning in 1929, she spent most of her time in training exercises; this photograph dates from that period. Arizona was sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Photo: Unknown; Restoration: Mmxx Recently featured: Messier 82 – Machinery Hall – Rembrandt

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