This DYK STATS/Archive 2009 page is an archive of the monthly DYKSTATS leaders for each month in 2009, recognizing the DYK entries that have received the most page views while being featured on DYK.

On an important note: Please do not see this list as a competition, but rather a celebration of some of the most effective DYK hooks.

December 2009

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Wife selling (English custom)		18,000	... that in England until the early 20th century, a man wishing to separate from his wife could lead her to market by a halter and sell her (process pictured) to the highest bidder?
Trail of the Whispering Giants		17,500	... that Peter Wolf Toth created a Trail of the Whispering Giants (giant pictured) that winds through every U.S. state, two Canadian provinces, and even Hungary?
Kaiane Aldorino		17,400	... that on 12 December 2009, Kaiane Aldorino (pictured) became the first Miss World from Gibraltar?
Neocatastrophism		15,800	... that neocatastrophism is the theory that life-exterminating events such as gamma-ray bursts (pictured) in the Milky Way have stopped the advent of complex life elsewhere in its Galactic Habitable Zone?
Romanov Tercentenary (Fabergé egg)		15,100	... that the Romanov Tercentenary Fabergé egg (pictured) was made to celebrate 300 years of Romanov rule in Russia only four years before the end of the monarchy?
Bambi effect		13,700	... that because of the Bambi effect, some people will not eat a whole fish?
Battle of Ch'ongch'on River		13,400 = 7,500 + 5,900	... that " the longest retreat of the U.S. Army" was 120 miles (190 km)?
Eggnog Riot		12,200	... that future Confederate President Jefferson Davis (pictured) was among the participants in the Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy on 24–25 December 1826, but escaped court-martial?
HMS Speedy (1782)		11,600	... that the broadside of the 14-gun brig HMS Speedy was so slight, Commander Lord Thomas Cochrane was able to put it all in his pockets?
Cookie (cockatoo)		11,400	... that 76-year-old Cookie (pictured) is believed to be the oldest Major Mitchell's Cockatoo in any zoo?
2009 Norwegian spiral anomaly		11,200	... that the 2009 Norwegian spiral anomaly was later confirmed to be a failed launch of a Bulava missile from a Russian submarine?
Obama Doctrine		10,400	... that the term " Obama Doctrine" was used more than a year before Barack Obama (pictured) became president?
Schwa (restaurant)		10,200	... that Schwa, an upscale restaurant in Chicago, employs no receptionist, waiters, or other support staff?
Herman Lamm		10,100	... that infamous bank robber John Dillinger (pictured) studied the techniques of modern bank robbery developed by Herman Lamm?
RQ-170 Sentinel		9,900	... that the RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle was dubbed the "Beast of Kandahar" by an aviation expert before its existence was officially confirmed by the United States Air Force?
Side grip		9,100	... that although holding a handgun sideways makes aiming very hard, it has become popular in movies and rap culture?
SS President		9,100	... that SS President (pictured) became the first transatlantic steamship to founder when she disappeared in 1841 en route from New York to Liverpool with 136 people on board?
Rommelspargel		9,100	... that during the invasion of Normandy, more than a million Rommelspargel poles (pictured) placed to injure Allied paratroopers and glider infantry proved ineffective?
Smallpox Hospital		8,500	... that the former Smallpox Hospital (pictured) on Roosevelt Island is New York City's only landmarked ruins?
Drosera regia		8,500	... that the carnivorous plant Drosera regia (pictured, with prey) is one of the most imperiled Drosera species, with a single small population estimated to consist of only 50 mature plants?
Christmas in Nazi Germany		8,400	... that in Nazi Germany, Christmas featured decorating Christmas trees with swastikas, Germanic "sun wheels" and SS-style Nordic sig runes?
Tzintzuntzan (Mesoamerican site)		8,300	... that at the Tzintzuntzan pyramids (pictured) huge fires were lit to signal the P'urhépecha kingdom that it was time to go to war?
Marocco		8,100	... that by kneeling before a cross the renowned 16th-century English performing horse Marocco (pictured) saved his master from death by burning as a witch?
Federal Triangle		7,500	... that the Federal Triangle building complex in Washington, D.C. (construction pictured) has been called "one of the most important design and construction projects" in American history?
Eastern Air Lines Flight 663		7,400	... that, in 1965, Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while attempting to avoid a collision with an oncoming Pan American Airways Boeing 707?
Allied siege of La Rochelle		7,200	... that despite the Allied siege, La Rochelle was the last French city to be liberated from German occupation in 1945?
Vichaichan		7,200	... that Prince George Washington (pictured) was Front Palace and Vice King of Siam from 1868 to 1885?
Army of Flanders		7,100	... that the Army of Flanders ( Siege of Breda (1624) pictured) was the longest standing army in early modern history, operating from 1567 to 1706?
List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards		7,100	... that rapper Lil Jon, porn star Savanna Samson, football coach Mike Ditka, actor Antonio Banderas and US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (pictured) are among celebrities who own wineries and vineyards?
Hawa Mahal		7,100	... that the Hawa Mahal (pictured) in Jaipur, India, has 953 small windows ( jharokhas) which were built with the intention to allow royal ladies to view the street below without being seen?
Thomas Baker (aviator)		7,000	... that Australian aviator Captain Thomas Baker (pictured) was credited with the destruction of 12 German aircraft between July and October 1918, before he was shot down and killed?
Vegreville egg		6,900	... that the Vegreville egg (pictured), a giant egg sculpture in Vegreville, Alberta, rotates on its axis to the wind like a weather vane?
The Body Issue		6,800 + 193	... that ESPN The Magazine's October 9, 2009, Body Issue sold more issues at the news stand than any other issue of the magazine in the prior two years?
Hippalectryon		6,800	... that hippalectryons (pictured) are mythological half-horse, half-rooster creatures which were probably thought to confer magical protection?
Pizza theorem		6,800	... that, according to the pizza theorem, a circular pizza that is sliced off-center into eight equal-angled wedges can still be divided equally between two people?
Lester Shubin		6,800	... that chemist Lester Shubin has been credited with saving the lives of thousands of police officers?
Atlantic torpedo		6,800	... that the Atlantic torpedo can produce an electric shock of up to 220 volts, and was the namesake of the naval weapon?
January 1985 Arctic outbreak		6,800	... that the January 1985 Arctic outbreak delayed the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan by an entire day and led to the ceremony being held indoors?
Super Falcon Submersible		6,700	... that the Super Falcon Submersible, which cost $1.5 million, is the world's fastest personal submarine?
SMS Scharnhorst		6,700	... that the German armored cruiser SMS Scharnhorst (pictured) sank with all hands, including Admiral von Spee, at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in 1914?
Swedish Wars on Bremen		6,600	... that after the Swedes twice failed to take Bremen, they founded a new town nearby?
Potamon fluviatile		6,500	... that crabs of the species Potamon fluviatile may have lived in Rome since before the Romans?
City Palace, Jaipur		6,500	... that the City Palace of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India, holds the world's two largest silver objects (one pictured)?
Junagarh Fort		6,300	... that Daulatpol gate in the Junagarh Fort (pictured) in India has 41 hand imprints of the wives of Maharajas of Bikaner, who committed sati (self immolation) on the funeral pyres of their husbands?
Max-Hellmuth Ostermann		6,300	... that World War II German fighter ace Max-Hellmuth Ostermann was so short that he had to fly with wooden blocks attached to his rudder pedals?
Golden Opulence Sundae		6,200	... that the world's most expensive ice cream treat, the Golden Opulence Sundae, is covered in gold?
Cover system (gaming)		6,100	... that the video game, Gears of War, revolutionized the cover system?
Forest migration		5,900	... that forests can migrate over the landscape?
Siege of Allenstein		5,800	... that the defense of Allenstein (Olsztyn) (castle pictured) in 1521 against a siege by the Teutonic Knights was successfully organized by the Catholic cleric and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus?
Rescued by Rover		5,600	... that the 1905 silent film Rescued by Rover was so popular that it had to be re-shot twice because the negatives wore out in order to meet the demand for prints?
Bush vs. Kerry Boxing		5,600	... that Bush vs. Kerry Boxing features Ralph Nader as a ring girl and Hillary Clinton as a referee?
Cesanese Comune		5,600	... that for her debut wine, American porn actress Savanna Samson (pictured) decided to use a blend based primarily on the rare Lazio grape Cesanese?
Dutch intervention in Bali (1849)		5,500	... that in the 1849 Dutch intervention in Bali, the defeated Balinese court committed mass suicide (pictured), traditionally known as a Puputan?}}
Battle of Wawon		5,500	... that the Battle of Wawon is considered to be Turkey's first real combat action since the end of World War I?
Speechless (Lady Gaga song)		5,400	... that the song " Speechless", by Lady Gaga, was written as a plea to her father to receive the open-heart surgery he needed for a bad aortic valve?
Seenotdienst		5,400	... that the German Seenotdienst (early aircraft pictured) was the first air-sea rescue service?
St Mary's Church, Goring-by-Sea		5,300	... that opponents of Hans Feibusch's "violently masculine and brutal" Christ in Majesty mural at St Mary's Church, Goring-by-Sea took their case to a consistory court?
Charles Fryatt		5,300	... that there is a mountain named after executed merchant mariner Captain Charles Fryatt, and another is named after his ship, SS Brussels?"
2–18 St Werburgh Street, Chester		5,100	... that Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster persuaded architect John Douglas to add half-timbering to his stone and brick design for 2–18 St Werburgh Street, Chester (pictured)?
Murphydoris		5,000	... that the nudibranch Murphydoris has a penis armed with spines?

November 2009

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
TiME (spacecraft)		27,400	... that TiME (artist's rendering pictured) is a boat that is not designed to sail on any water on this planet?
Aircraft camouflage		27,400	... that experiments with modern aircraft camouflage (pictured) have used panels that emit light?
Santa Muerte		15,800 ( 9,000 + 6,800)	... that a cult in Mexico venerates " Santa Muerte" (pictured), who is condemned by the local Catholic Church?
Fucking, Austria		15,400	... that the Austrian town of Fucking installed theft-resistant road signs in 2005 because the signs were frequently stolen by tourists?
USS Borie (DD-215)		13,500	... that after ramming U-405, crewmen of USS Borie (DD-215) (pictured) fought the sub's crewmen with Tommy guns, rifles, pistols, shotguns and a flare pistol, and even by throwing a knife and an empty shell casing?
Brazilian battleship Aquidabã		12,100	... that Brazil's Aquidabã (pictured) was sunk twice in twelve years?
Sabi (dog)		11,800	... that when Sabi (pictured), the Australian Special Forces detection dog, was found after 14 months missing in action in Afghanistan, a journalist joked that she may have been on a spying mission?
Pokémon Jet		11,700	... that since 1988 All Nippon Airways has operated Pokémon Jets (pictured)?
Solway Firth Spaceman		11,100	... that the Solway Firth Spaceman is a photograph taken in 1964 in Cumbria, England, which appears to show a background figure in a white space suit?
Great Copper Mountain		10,800	... that the Great Copper Mountain (pictured) in Sweden was mined for a millennium, and at one time produced two-thirds of Europe's copper?
Argleton		10,800	... that Argleton appears on Google Maps as a settlement in West Lancashire, England, even though no such place exists?
Joe Cada		10,200	... that at 21 years old, Joe Cada (pictured) is the youngest person to win the World Series of Poker main event?
Charlie Bit My Finger		10,200	... that " Charlie Bit My Finger" is the most viewed video of all time on YouTube, with over 130 million hits?
Lozenge camouflage		9,400	... that Central Powers combat pilots often painted individual color schemes on their personal aircraft (example pictured) in spite of the factory-applied lozenge camouflage?
Dances with Smurfs		9,200	... that the South Park episode " Dances with Smurfs" calls out the similarities of the upcoming film Avatar to the 1990 film Dances with Wolves?
G-5 class motor torpedo boat	File:Ship-g5.jpg	9,200	... that when a Soviet G-5-class motor torpedo boat (pictured) fired a torpedo from its rear deck, it had to turn immediately to avoid being hit by its own torpedo?
Polygraph (duplicating device)		9,100	... that the " polygraph" (pictured) was an early 19th century mechanism used to create a duplicate of a handwritten document as it was created, as used by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson?
Margaret Nicholson		8,500	... that after George III was attacked with an ivory-handled dessert knife by Margaret Nicholson, the number of men guarding him was increased from 4 to 11?
Alexanderplatz demonstration		8,300	... that the Alexanderplatz demonstration (pictured) was one of the largest demonstrations in East German history?
Hiroki Kikuta		8,200	... that Hiroki Kikuta (pictured), despite composing music for over 20 video games and independent albums, has never received any formal music education?
List of American politicians who admit to cannabis use		8,200	... that Abraham Lincoln, one of many American politicians known for past use of cannabis, wrote that one of his "favorite things" was "smoking a pipe of sweet hemp"?
Islamic influences on Christian art		8,200	... that Islamic influences on Christian art are visible in Christian paintings, cult objects, and most of all architecture (example pictured)?
Gnomon of Saint-Sulpice		7,900	... that the Gnomon of Saint-Sulpice (pictured) was claimed to be "a pagan astronomical instrument" and "an ancient sundial" in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code?
Boletus amygdalinus		7,800	... that the exposed flesh of the mushroom Boletus amygdalinus (pictured) will immediately turn blue when cut?
Jet blast deflector		7,600	... that the most recent jet blast deflector (example pictured) developed for the USS George H.W. Bush is covered with heat-dissipating ceramic tiles similar to those used on the Space Shuttle?
Tachigali versicolor		7,600	... that the Suicide Tree flowers only once before dying and falling over, creating a small gap for its seedlings to grow in?
Częstochowa massacre		7,500	... that the entire Częstochowa massacre, in which hundreds of Poles and Jews were murdered by the Wehrmacht, was captured in narrative form by a German photographer?
Eroto-comatose lucidity		7,300	... that the sex magic technique of eroto-comatose lucidity can be traced back to the "sleep of Sialam" described by Paschal Beverly Randolph?
Pee (South Park)		7,200	... that the South Park episode " Pee" features a waterpark that becomes engulfed in tsunamis of urine, as a parody of the disaster film 2012?
Hell Gate (ghost town)		7,200 ( 4,200 + 3,000)	... that Hell Gate, a ghost town in western Montana, was the scene of several notorious lynchings in 1864?
BL 18 inch Mk I naval gun		7,100	... that a British 18-inch (460 mm) gun (example pictured) made naval history on 28 September 1918 as it fired the heaviest shell from the biggest gun at the longest range in combat to date?
Alice (TV miniseries)		7,100	... that Alice is a science fiction reimagining of the classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?
Great Hippocampus Question		7,000	... that Charles Kingsley's Great Hippocampus Question satirised debate on ape origins following Charles Darwin's publication of On the Origin of Species (satirical image pictured) ?
Hooding		7,000	...that although British Prime Minister Edward Heath announced in 1972 that hooding was illegal, British soldiers were engaging in the practice in the Iraq War?
Sankichi Takahashi		6,900	... that after World War II, US General Douglas MacArthur placed Sankichi Takahashi on the list of the 59 most wanted Japanese?
1797 Sumatra earthquake 1861 Sumatra earthquake		6,700	... that the Sunda megathrust (pictured) was responsible for the great earthquakes of 1797 and 1861?
Gwalior Fort		6,600	... that during India's Mughal period, the Gwalior Fort (pictured) was used for imprisoning and killing royal princes?
Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 1901		6,600	... that because of its total lack of anti-tank guns, the Norwegian Army was forced to employ Model 1901 field guns (pictured) against German Panzers during the 1940 Norwegian Campaign?
Taylor Mitchell		6,400	... that in October 2009 Canadian folk singer Taylor Mitchell became the first adult in North America known to have been killed by coyotes?
AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity		6,400	... that the video game AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity was inspired by BASE jumping in a wingsuit?
Feng Zhenghu		6,300	... that Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu, now stranded in Tokyo Narita Airport, is likened to the Tom Hanks character in " The Terminal"?
Adalaj Stepwell		6,300	... that according to legend, a beautiful widow drowned herself in the Adalaj Stepwell (pictured) to avoid being remarried?
Hands of Perón		6,200	... that in 1987 the severed hands of former Argentinian President Juan Perón, (pictured), were stolen from his tomb and held for ransom?
Chrobry II Battalion		6,200	... that one of the platoons of the Chrobry II Battalion (badge pictured) was led by Witold Pilecki, who later wrote the first-ever report on the Holocaust?
Industrial web theory		6,200	... that the industrial web theory was originally based on the conviction by Air Corps Tactical School instructors that a fleet of heavy bombers was invincible?
Indefatigable class battlecruiser		6,000	... that the Indefatigable-class battlecruiser HMAS Australia (pictured) was the first flagship of the Royal Australian Navy?
Sandcastle worm		5,900	... that the underwater glue secreted by the sandcastle worm (pictured) is being investigated for potential medical applications, including holding bone fragments together?
Gorgon class monitor		5,600	... that because of shoddy workmanship, the magazine of the Gorgon-class monitor HMS Glatton (pictured) exploded only a week after the ship was commissioned?
Jumbo Jet (Cedar Point)		5,600	... that the roller coaster Jumbo Jet (pictured) has operated in at least four different amusement parks, in at least three countries, and on two continents?
Charles Crombie		5,600	... that Flight Lieutenant Charles Crombie shot down two Japanese bombers and damaged a third in a single action in 1943 despite his aircraft being ablaze?
Titan (dog)		5,600	... that Titan, a Great Dane, is currently recognised as the world's tallest dog, standing 107.3 cm (42.25 in) high at the shoulders?
Trachylepis atlantica		5,500	... that reports of "lizards with two tails" on Fernando de Noronha in the Atlantic Ocean may have been based on Trachylepis atlantica (pictured)?
El Infiernito		5,400	... that El Infiernito (pictured) is an archaeological site in Colombia, which served as a center of purification rites for the Muisca people, as well as a rudimentary astronomical observatory?
Cuprate		5,400	... that superconductors (example pictured) with the highest transition temperature are cuprates?
Modern Toilet		5,400	... that at Modern Toilet restaurants, the chairs are made out of toilets, dishes are served on plastic miniature toilet bowls, and drinks come in miniature urinals?
Siege of Godesberg (1583)		5,200	... that sappers blew up the Godesburg with mines (pictured), including a 1500 pound bomb, when the large caliber cannons did not damage the walls in the 1583 siege?
Nefertiti bust		5,200	... that the Nefertiti bust (pictured) was reinstated in Neues Museum in 2009 after 70 years away, including a period in a salt mine in World War II?
Jim Sanborn		5,000	... that Jim Sanborn's sculpture Kryptos (pictured), located at the United States CIA headquarters, contains text that remains undeciphered after more than 18 years?
Rembrandt (crater)		5,000	... that with a diameter of 715 km (444 mi), Rembrandt (pictured) is the second largest impact crater on Mercury?
Bluespotted ribbontail ray		5,000	... that the bluespotted ribbontail ray (pictured) is the most commonly found stingray in the home aquarium trade, even though it seldom thrives in captivity?
EL/M-2080 Green Pine		5,000	... that the Israeli ground-based missile-defense radar EL/M-2080 Green Pine (diagram pictured) operates in search, detection, tracking, and missile guidance modes simultaneously?

October 2009

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Gömböc		27,000	... that the discovery of geometrical body Gömböc (pictured) in 2006 helped understanding the body shape of turtles?
Inner German border		16,100	..that people used home-made balloons and submarines to escape across the inner German border between East and West Germany during the Cold War?
Transmission Electron Aberration-corrected Microscope		16,000	... that with a TEAM one can see not only atoms, but also chemical bonds between them (see picture)?
The Italian (1915 film)		14,100	... that the 1915 film The Italian tells the story of an immigrant played by George Beban (pictured) who goes to America in search of fortune but finds a "Darwinian jungle" on New York's Lower East Side?
Micky McAvoy		13,600	...that " Mad Micky McAvoy" committed what was dubbed " the crime of the century" in 1983?
Breaker boy		13,200	... that breaker boys (pictured) were at risk for acid burns, asthma, black lung disease, accidental amputation, and death by smothering or crushing while working in coal breakers?
Suzuki Hayabusa		12,800	... that the 1999 Suzuki Hayabusa (pictured) was named the fastest production motorcycle of the 20th century?
Blackwell Island Light		12,800	... that that legends say that Blackwell Island Light (pictured) on Roosevelt Island in New York was built by an inmate from an insane asylum?
Aeroflot Flight 3352		11,800	... that the deadliest aircraft incident in Russia occurred because one air traffic controller fell asleep on the job?
Clara Williams		11,200	... that silent film star Clara Williams (pictured), known for her "forty famous frocks", appeared in more than 100 films between 1910 and 1918?
Aerial torpedo		10,400	... that Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske patented the aerial torpedo (example pictured) in 1912, and said it could be used against an enemy fleet in its own harbor?
Air Botswana		9,500	... that in 1999, an Air Botswana pilot committed suicide by crashing an ATR 42 (pictured) into, and destroying, the airline's fleet at Gaborone's airport?
Landflucht	—	9,200	... that in 1900 alone the Eastern German provinces lost about 1,600,000 people due to Landflucht?
Hereford Road Skew Bridge		9,000	... that Hereford Road Skew Bridge (pictured) has been described as one of the most " skew" railway bridges in England?
Cake Wrecks		8,600	... that pictures featured on Cake Wrecks, a photoblog founded in 2008, include a cake decorated with a sonogram image?
Jal Mahal		8,600	... that the restoration of Jal Mahal (pictured) plays an important role in improving the tourist industry of Jaipur in Rajasthan?
Psalmotoxin		8,600	... that psalmotoxin is a spider toxin from the venom of the South American tarantula Psalmopoeus cambridgei (pictured)?
SS Myron		8,400	... that when the steamer SS Myron (pictured) sank in 1919, she defied the adage that “ Lake Superior seldom gives up her dead” when 17 of her crew were found frozen to death wearing their lifejackets?
Lady Emma Herbert		8,200	... that Lady Emma Herbert, a bridesmaid of Camilla Parker-Bowles, is now a circus trapeze artist?
Tikal		8,100	... ... that the ancient city of Tikal (pictured) in Guatemala was one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya civilization?
List of places of worship in Worthing		8,000	... that a church in Worthing, England (pictured), has the world's only known replica of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, hand-painted at two-thirds scale by an untrained artist?
Katie Piper		8,000	... that Katie Piper, a former model who was burnt by acid in an attack arranged by her ex-boyfriend, had her face removed and rebuilt in a single operation, which was the first of its kind?
Vigilant Eagle		7,900	... that Vigilant Eagle can create an invisible protectant dome around an airport that can even block a missile?
Flag of Bhutan		7,800	... the current flag of Bhutan (pictured) was introduced after it was noticed the previous square version didn't flutter like the Indian flag?
Tutinama	File:Tutinama.jpeg	7,600	... that Tutinama is a collection of 52 Persian stories narrated through a parrot to prevent his owner (pictured) from committing adultery while her husband was away on business affairs?
Raven Ridge		7,200	... that Raven Ridge (pictured) displays sedimentary rock from the K–T boundary, a time period when numerous plant and animal species, including dinosaurs, disappeared completely from the fossil record?
Otto (dog)		7,200	... that the dachshund- terrier, Otto, is the oldest dog in the world at one hundred and forty-five dog years?
Civilization (film)		7,000	... that the epic anti-war film Civilization (poster pictured), depicting Jesus walking through the carnage of war, was credited with helping re-elect U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in 1916?
Bayonetta		7,000	... that the title witch of action game Bayonetta can form giant boots with her hair to attack enemies, but loses some of her clothing in the process?
Tahar Douis		6,900	.. that Moroccan alligator wrestler and circus strongman Tahar Douis set a world record by lifting 12 men weighing a total of 1,700 pounds on his shoulders?
Battle of Unsan		6,800	... that the defeat of the US 8th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Unsan has been called "one of the most devastating US losses of the Korean War."?
Bluestonehenge		6,800	... that a team of archaeologists has recently discovered the remains of a 5000-year old circle of bluestone monoliths, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from Stonehenge?
Pornography in Hungary		6,600	... that actress Michelle Wild, whose real name is Katalin Vad, changed her name to accommodate to the international distribution of Hungarian pornography?
Terrestrial Physics		6,600	... that Terrestrial Physics is a sculpture made out of a 1 million volt (low energy) particle accelerator?
Wilsonville railroad bridge		6,500	... that the Wilsonville railroad bridge in Oregon does not need to be painted?
Viedma Glacier		6,200	... that Viedma Glacier (pictured) is part of the huge Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the third largest expanse of continental ice after Greenland and Antarctica?
George Beban		6,000	... that the 1915 film The Italian tells the story of an immigrant played by George Beban (pictured) who goes to America in search of fortune but finds a "Darwinian jungle" on New York's Lower East Side?
Diu Fort		6,000	... that the Diu Fort (pictured) in India was voted one of seven wonders of Portuguese colonialism in an opinion poll in Portugal?
SS Myron		6,000	... that when the steamer SS Myron (pictured) sank in 1919, she defied the adage that “ Lake Superior seldom gives up her dead” when 17 of her crew were found frozen to death wearing their lifejackets?
Ernie Lopez		5,800	... that the selection of Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez for the California Boxing Hall of Fame led to his discovery in a Texas homeless shelter after being missing for 12 years?
Wally Tax		5,300	... that Dutch rocker Wally Tax learned English by age 11 by working as a pimp for American sailors in the Port of Amsterdam?
List of Dancing with the Stars (U.S.) competitors		5,100	... that of the 104 celebrity competitors that have appeared on the American version of Dancing with the Stars to date, three withdrew from the competition?
Ancient Priors		5,000	... that the 15th-century Ancient Priors in Crawley had hidden rooms reached by pulling meat-hooks to open a trapdoor and twisting a wall-carving to move a fireplace?

September 2009

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Nazi-Soviet military parade in Brest-Litovsk		30,900	... that a joint Nazi-Soviet military parade in Brest-Litovsk (pictured) was held on September 22, 1939, to display the power of the newly formed Soviet-Nazi pact to the whole world?
Arthur's Day		21,100	... that Arthur's Day benefit concerts—celebrating the 250th anniversary of Guinness (pictured)—will be held today in locations as diverse as Dublin, New York, Kuala Lumpur and Yaoundé?
Sakae Menda		17,200	... that Sakae Menda (pictured) was the first person in the history of Japan to be exonerated while on death row?
Mercury-Atlas 8		15,800	...that the Mercury-Atlas 8 spaceflight (pictured) in October 1962 was piloted by a turtle?
Effect of psychoactive drugs on animals		15,500	...that after ingesting caffeine, spiders fail to build a proper web (see picture)?
Chicken tax		14,100	... that the chicken tax led to Ford importing light trucks to the United States from Turkey and immediately shredding portions of their interiors in Baltimore?
Palacio del Sal		12,300	... that the rule of the Salt Hotel is "don't lick the walls"?
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower		11,700	... that a six-year-old boy was killed in 2004 after his head was crushed in a revolving door at the entrance of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (pictured) in Tokyo?
Breakers Hotel		11,500	... that the Sky Room atop the Breakers Hotel (pictured) was the local Airwatch headquarters in World War II?
SMS Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm		11,500	...that SMS Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm (pictured), a German-built pre-dreadnought battleship, was sold to the Ottoman Empire, renamed Heireddin Barbarossa, and sunk by a British submarine during World War I?
Honda DN-01		11,100	... that the Honda DN-01 motorcycle is the first road-going consumer vehicle with hydrostatic drive (pictured)?
Amphibious helicopter		11,000	... that the first practical amphibious helicopter was created in 1941 when Igor Sikorsky fitted floats to his VS-300 (pictured)?
Semyon Trofimovich Bychkov		10,916	... that Russian pilot Semyon Bychkov served both in the Soviet Air Forces and the Luftwaffe and was stripped of all Soviet awards posthumously?
Cog (advert)		10,900	... that the 2006 Honda ad Cog won more awards than any other advertisement in history?
Hans Stark		10,900	... that SS- Untersturmführer Hans Stark admitted that during the mass gassing of prisoners at Auschwitz, he inserted the Zyklon B into the gas chamber himself when a medical orderly did not turn up?
Dumbo (air-sea rescue)		10,800	... that American Dumbo rescue flights (aircraft pictured) worked with submarines and surface boats to help save downed airmen in the Pacific War?
The Disasters of War		9,700	... that Francisco Goya's series of etchings The Disasters of War was not published until 35 years after his death, when there was no risk of political repercussions?
Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron		9,600	... that the U.S. Coast Guard's Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron uses .50-caliber rifles to shoot out the engines of fleeing drug runners?
List of manned Mars mission plans in the 20th century		9,600	... that the first engineering analysis of a manned mission to Mars (artist's conception pictured) was made by Wernher von Braun in 1948, which included ten ships with seventy crewmembers?
Sex (film)		9,300	... that the 1920 film Sex, opening with its star performing a seductive "spider dance" clad in "a translucent cloak of webs", had its title censored in Pennsylvania?
Dutch Golden Age painting		9,300	...that in Dutch Golden Age painting a lute (example pictured), stocking or bird may represent a visual sexual pun?
Beardmore Relics		9,200	... that no one was allowed to take photographs of the Beardmore Relics for more than thirty years?
1900 BCE Near East mass migration		8,800	... that in eastern Turkey around 1900 BCE a Near East mass migration set in motion a vast wave of refugees that changed Greek history forever?
Dalarö wreck		8,700	... that the cargo of the Dalarö wreck (pictured), sunk in the Baltic Sea, included coal and several Bartmann jugs?
Heroes Cross on Caraiman Peak		8,400	... that Heroes Cross on Caraiman Peak, illuminated at night by 300 light bulbs of 500 watts each, can be seen from dozens of miles away?
Warp!		8,300	... that The Chicago Reader in 2007 said the 1971 science fiction theatrical production Warp! "anticipated the Star Wars phenom by several years"?
Butt Hole Road		7,900	... that the residents of England's Butt Hole Road raised £300 to have the name of the street changed to keep tourists away and end jokes about the street's name?
Engraved gem		7,300	... that collectors of engraved gems (example pictured) include Julius Caesar, Pope Paul II, Rubens, Christina of Sweden and Catherine the Great?
Okęcie Airport Incident		7,300	... that as a result of the Okęcie Airport Incident in 1980, four top players of the Polish national football team were disqualified, and one of them never capped for Poland again?
Raonaid Murray	—	7,100	... that the murder of 17-year-old Raonaid Murray has still not been solved ten years after it occurred?
Bartmann jug		6,900	... that the cargo of the Dalarö wreck, sunk in the Baltic Sea, included coal and several Bartmann jugs (pictured)?
Bellum_se_ipsum_alet		6,800	... that bellum se ipsum alet, "the war feeds itself", was a military strategy used during the Thirty Years' War?
David Snell		6,800	...that David Snell, who was the first person to allege that Japan had tested its own atomic bomb prior to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, later became a writer for Life Magazine?
Trzy Korony		6,600	... that the observation deck atop Trzy Korony (pictured) in Pieniny National Park (Poland) hangs over a 500-metre (1,600 ft) precipice with a near perfect view of the Dunajec River Gorge?
A-1 lifeboat		6,600	... that the Higgins Industries A-1 lifeboat was first dropped by parachute to save six American airmen stranded in the North Sea in 1945?
Frank Coghlan, Jr.	—	6,500	... that Frank Coghlan said "damn" in Gone with the Wind, but is best known known for saying "Shazam" in Captain Marvel, the first big screen depiction of a comic book superhero?
15th Arizona Territorial Legislature		6,400	... that members of the 15th Arizona Territorial Legislature used a glass eye and the services of a prostitute to ensure passage of the session's first act?
Bellary Fort		6,300	... that a French engineer who built the Bellary Fort (pictured) was executed by Hyder Ali because the fort was lower than a nearby hill?
Sherry Boucher		6,300	...that the former actress Sherry Boucher, formerly married to George Peppard, is now a Realtor in Bossier Parish, Louisiana?
Scottish Rite Cathedral (Long Beach, California)		5,800	... that the Scottish Rite Cathedral (pictured), covered in some 250 tons of ornamental terra cotta, was among the first eight structures designated as a Long Beach Historic Landmark?
Tutte 12-cage		5,800	... that the Tutte 12-cage (example pictured) is a 3- regular graph with 126 vertices and 189 edges?
Fred McQueen	—	5,700	... that Fred McQueen, the son of Steve McQueen, is in the 20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope, one of the most expensive Japanese films ever made?
Doodle Jump		5,700	... that iPod Touch/ iPhone game Doodle Jump has been the top paid downloaded app in five countries including the US?
Caroline Moore		5,600	... that Caroline Moore was 14 years old when she discovered supernova 2008ha?
Edith Green - Wendell Wyatt Federal Building		5,600	... that a single bucket of water was used to extinguish a three-alarm fire at the Edith Green - Wendell Wyatt Federal Building (pictured) in Portland, Oregon, USA?
The Little Stranger		5,400	... that the reviewer from The Times was so unnerved by Sarah Waters' book The Little Stranger that she confessed she had to stop reading it?
Leonid Rogozov		5,300	... that Leonid Rogozov had to perform an appendectomy on himself because he was the only doctor stationed at the Soviet Antarctic research station Novolazarevskaya?
Tecolutla, Veracruz		5,200	...that Tecolutla, Veracruz is famous for the "Tecolutla Monster" that washed up on shore in 1969?
the Wolf Woman		5,100	... that reviewers called The Wolf Woman the "greatest vampire picture of all" and its star, Louise Glaum, "the greatest vampire woman of all time"?
Alaska Road Commission		5,100	... that commissioners of the Alaska Road Commission declared that it had "no pretense of having built roads adapted for automobile travel" (bad road pictured)?
Single-pass bore finishing		5,100	... that single-pass bore finishing can finish a bore to a size tolerance of 0.001 mm and a geometry tolerance of 0.0003 mm?
Sheridan, Oregon		5,000	... the about a third of the population of Sheridan, Oregon, are criminals?
Operation Teardrop		5,000	... that the United States Navy conducted Operation Teardrop in 1945 in the mistaken belief that German U-boats were en route to attack the United States east coast with V-1 flying bombs?
Pulque		5,000	... that pulque (jar pictured) was a popular Mexican alcoholic drink made from sap of the maguey plant?

August 2009

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Burning money		24,700	... that burning money (pictured) can provide for behavior modification, political notoriety, and a warm fireplace?
Chamber of Art and Curiosities		21,700	... that the painting of the hussar Gregor Baci (pictured) belongs to the Chamber of Art and Curiosities at Ambras castle?
Sakuradamon incident (1860)		19,900	... that in the Sakuradamon incident in 1860 (pictured) Japan's pro-foreign Chief Minister Ii Naosuke was assassinated by xenophobic samurai?
John 3:7 (sign)		16,300	... that John 3:7, once flung from a train window, made the news again in 2009 after going missing on a train?
Omar Doom		15,600	... that film director Quentin Tarantino encouraged Omar Doom to become an actor, and cast Doom in Inglourious Basterds two weeks before filming began?
No homo		14,900	... that rapper Lil Wayne is said to have brought the phrase " no homo" into the mainstream of hip hop?
Ferret legging		14,500	... that the sport of ferret legging is open only to sober male contestants, who must first remove their underwear?
Dexia Tower		13,800	.. that the Dexia Tower in Brussels has reduced its nightly light show (pictured) to only 10 minutes an hour due to the recession?
Chindia Tower		12,400	... that the name of Chindia Tower (pictured) in Târgovişte, Romania may be related to the medieval curfew that began at sunset?
Roy Sullivan		11,600	... that in his lifetime, Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning seven times, but died from a gunshot?
Mir mine		11,500	... that the Mir diamond mine (satellite image pictured) is so large that its natural downward air flow can crash helicopters?
The Queen of Hearts (poem)		11,300	... that the Queen of Hearts (illustration pictured) first had her tarts stolen in April 1782?
Venera 4		10,900	... that a front part of Venera 4 (pictured), the first probe to land on another planet, was made of sugar?
Firearms of Japan		10,800	... that the firearms of Japan (pictured) go back to the 13th century, but were almost totally abandoned for 200 years during Japan's Seclusion period?
Brown diamonds		10,800	... that the world's largest brown diamond was found in a scrap heap by a young girl?
Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein		10,800	... that Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein (pictured), the only person in Egyptian history to voluntarily renounce his rights of succession to the throne, did so to pursue a life of discovery and travel?
Watergate complex		10,500	... that the Watergate complex's buildings (pictured) were designed to emulate the proposed Inner Loop Expressway and the shape of the Kennedy Center, whose original design was curvilinear?
USS Missouri grounding incident		10,400	... that it took two weeks and 23 vessels to free the battleship Missouri after she ran aground (pictured) on 23 January 1950?
SMS Derfflinger		10,100	... that because of her tough resistance during the Battle of Jutland, the German battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger (pictured) was nicknamed "Iron Dog" by the British Royal Navy?
Kids Are People Too!		8,800	... that kids are people too!
Where's Herb?		8,700	... that in the mid-1980s, Burger King offered customers $5,000 for finding a nerd?
Okeanos Explorer		8,400	... that the ROV on NOAA's new exploratory vessel, Okeanos Explorer (pictured), can descend nearly 19,000 feet and provides real-time viewing of the ocean floor?
Fort Laramie Three-Mile Hog Ranch		7,800	... that Three-Mile Hog Ranch was a center for prostitution for soldiers at Fort Laramie?
Negative index metamaterials		7,700	... that metamaterials with a negative refractive index cause light to bend in unusual ways (pictured) and offer the possibility of making an object undetectable to incident radiation (that is, invisible)?
Curtis Redden		7,500	... that Michigan end Curtis Redden (pictured) died in World War I after he had described the night sky over the battlefield as "weird, hideous, fascinating, sublime"?
Arrest of Henry Louis Gates		7,400	... that Sgt. James Crowley, who arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, has taught a course entitled " Racial Profiling"?
Slow Cow		7,400	... that the "anti-energy" drink Slow Cow is a parody of Red Bull?
Church of St. Casimir the Prince		7,300	... that once a year almost 1,000 mummified bodies are put on public display inside the monastic crypt at the Church of St. Casimir the Prince (pictured), one of 123 churches of Kraków ?
Frances Munds		7,300	... that suffragette Frances Munds (pictured) was elected a senator five years before the 19th Amendment granted American women the right to vote?
Mug		7,100	... that topologically, a mug is equivalent (see picture) to a doughnut?
2009 World Series of Poker results		6,900	... that despite a poor economy, a record number of people anted up $1,000 in a "Stimulus Special"?
30.5 cm SK L/50 gun		6,900	... that the German 30.5 cm SK L/50 gun was featured in the main batteries of 16 of the 26 capital ships built by the Kaiserliche Marine before the First World War?
Florida class battleship		6,800	... that the American Florida-class battleships were the first U.S. battleships equipped with a steam turbine propulsion system?
Denys Dobson		6,700	... that after English rugby international forward Denys Dobson was killed by a charging rhinoceros, he was reportedly said to always have had "a weak hand off"?
Richard Leroy Walters		6,400	... that Richard Leroy Walters, a homeless man who managed his money from the billiards room of a senior center in Phoenix, Arizona, converted to Catholicism on his deathbed and left $4 million to charity?
SMS Bayern (1915)		6,400	... that the battleship Bayern was the first German warship to mount 15 inch guns?
The Cartoons that Shook the World		6,300
History of the Burgess Shale		6,000	... that this month celebrates the centenary of the [[ discovery of the most important Burgess Shale site?
Oliver Fish		5,900	... that a plot on the American soap opera One Life to Live featuring sexually confused police officer Oliver Fish invited controversy when an actress objecting to the storyline was replaced?
Mummy Cave		5,800	... that a mummy was found in a cave in Wyoming?
Scharnhorst class armored cruiser		5,800	... that the two German Scharnhorst-class armored cruisers were both sunk at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in 1914?
Visayan Spotted Deer		5,700	... that in April 2009, a team of scientists uncovered evidence suggesting that the endangered Visayan Spotted Deer (pictured) survived in a tiny forest in Negros?
Tokugawa coinage		5,700	... that Tokugawa coinage (pictured) in Medieval Japan used a triple monetary standard, with gold, silver and bronze coins, each with their own denominations?
Stanisław Jasiński and Emilia Słodkowska		5,600	... that during the Holocaust, of the four Jews rescued by Stanisław Jasiński and his daughter from Kostopol in Eastern Poland, only Szmuel Liderman survived the massacres?
Griqualand East		5,600	... that the government of Griqualand East destroyed £10,000 in currency shortly after printing it?
White Cyclone		5,500	... that the White Cyclone is the longest wooden roller coaster outside of the United States?
Disk loading		5,500	... that a key differentiator between rotors and propellers is disk loading?
Dănuţ Borbil		5,400	... that Dănuţ Borbil's left arm is more successful than his right?
Münchausen by Internet		5,400	... that Münchausen by Internet is a pattern of behavior where people feign illnesses in online forums to gain attention and sympathy?
Giraffe Manor		5,300	... that Giraffe Manor, in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as being host to a tower of endangered Rothschild giraffe (pictured), was also home to a warthog named in honour of Walter Cronkite?
Puño Airlines		5,200	...that 14 American fugitives showed up at the phony Puño Airlines counter to claim their prize, after authorities sent phony congratulations on winning a free trip to the Bahamas?
Qayqayt First Nation		5,200	...that the Qayqayt First Nation, of New Westminster, British Columbia, was thought to be extinct until 1994 when Rhonda Larrabee became the only member?
Fay Ripley		5,200	... that while working as a children's entertainer in the 1980s, actress Fay Ripley was set up as a jewellery thief in an insurance fraud attempt?
HMRG Deep		5,200	...that the second deepest spot in the world, the HMRG Deep, was discovered by a team of scientists from Hawaii even though it is located by Guam?
Can opener		5,100	...that the first can opener (original drawing and a modern version pictured) was patented in 1855, more than 80 years after the introduction of canned food?
Radium Hill		5,000	... that Australia's first uranium mine (pictured) opened in 1906 and initially produced radium for Marie Curie and Ernest Rutherford?
Die Konsequenz		5,000	... that the theme of pederasty in the 1977 German film Die Konsequenz was so controversial that one regional broadcaster refused to relay the transmission signal?

July 2009

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Pyrrhotite		17,300	... that troilite, a form of pyrrhotite, is extremely rare on Earth but is abundant on Mars (pictured)?
HAWAII Overprint Note		16,300	... that more than $200 million in US currency was burned at both a crematorium and the Aiea Sugar Mill in Hawaii, due to being redeemed for HAWAII Overprint Notes ( $20 Note pictured)?
Stellaland		13,000	... that a comet over Africa saw the birth of a small country (map pictured) on July 26, 1882?
Lazarus sign		12,900	... that nurses have been alarmed by brain-dead patients moving their arms in front of their faces, a phenomenon named the Lazarus sign after the biblical character resurrected by Jesus?
Grunting (tennis)		12,700	... that grunting in tennis has been labelled as cheating by former player Martina Navratilova?
Julia Tuttle Causeway sex offender colony		12,600	... that a colony of sex offenders forced to live under a highway bridge in Miami, Florida, numbered approximately 140 members as of July 2009?
Artillery of France in the Middle Ages		11,700	... that the artillery of France in the Middle Ages (pictured) had a key role in the French victory in the Hundred Years War?
Campo del Cielo		11,700	... that with a total weight of over 100 tonnes (example of fragment pictured), Campo del Cielo is the heaviest meteorite ever found on Earth?
Bomber Mafia		11,700	... that USAAF Lieutenant General Harold L. George (pictured), the unofficial leader of the " Bomber Mafia", became mayor of Beverly Hills, California, after World War II?
Town of Mt. Pleasant v. Chimento		10,800	... that a recent court case in South Carolina dealt with an 1802 law that makes Sorry! and Monopoly illegal?
Evony		10,400	... that an ad campaign for the MMORPG Evony featured depictions of scantily clad women and the tagline "Save the Queen!", despite the fact that there is no queen to save in the game?
Colorado-class battleship		10,300	... that the Colorado-class battleships ( USS Maryland pictured) did not undergo a significant modernization prior to the Second World War despite various proposals that had been circulating since 1933?
Sing girls		10,300	... that so many Chinese actresses have gained recognition from starring with Stephen "Sing Yeh" Chow (pictured), they are collectively known as Sing girls?
Kick the bucket		10,100	... that the idiom kick the bucket probably comes from a method of suicide in the Middle Ages?
Computer Bismarck		10,000	... that before Strategic Simulations, Inc.'s first game, Computer Bismarck (screenshot pictured), most computer games were packaged in zipper storage bags?
Józef and Wiktoria Ulma		9,800	... that the family of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma (pictured), Polish Righteous among the Nations from Markowa, was summarily executed for rescuing their Jewish countrymen during the Holocaust?
Erotes (mythology)		9,700	... that in non-sexual images of two women, the presence of the Erotes ( Anteros statue pictured), a group of winged gods and demi-gods associated with love and sex, has been interpreted to indicate a homoerotic subtext?
Plug and feather		9,700	... that plug and feather, still used today, was the method used by the ancient Egyptians to cut stone?
Headroom (photographic framing)		9,500	... that the concept of headroom (pictured) in still and motion picture photography originates in the rule of thirds from classic portrait painting?
Gay Bowel Syndrome		9,400	... that Gay Bowel Syndrome, currently considered obsolete, is neither gay-specific, confined to the bowel, nor a syndrome?
Separate Vocations		9,400	... that Nancy Cartwright (pictured) received a Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Voice-Over Performance category for her performance as Bart Simpson in the Simpsons episode " Separate Vocations"?
Trojan wave packet	File:Trojan wavepacket.gif	9,300	... that in physics, a Trojan wave packet (animation pictured) is a type of wave packet that is nonstationary and nonspreading?
Applegate River		8,300	... that when the Applegate River was dammed in 1980, the resulting lake (pictured) completely submerged the town of Copper?
List of domesticated Scottish breeds		8,200	... that the domesticated animal breeds originating from Scotland include the Scottish Fold cat (pictured), the Rough Collie of " Lassie" fame, and the Grice, a somewhat aggressive pig?
Red palm mite		8,100	... that the spread of red palm mite (pictured) is the biggest mite explosion ever observed in the Americas?
Craigie Castle, Ayrshire		7,700	... that the ruined Craigie Castle ( keep pictured) contained one of Scotland's best vaulted halls?
Shi Pei Pu		7,700	... that genderbending Chinese spy Shi Pei Pu, inspiration for M. Butterfly, had a sexual relationship with a French diplomatic worker who believed that he was a she and had given birth to their "son"?
Chester Rows		7,600	... that one theory suggests that the unique Chester Rows (pictured) were constructed in the medieval era on top of debris from the ruins of Roman buildings?
Interbreeding of dingoes with other domestic dogs		7,600	... that interbreeding with dingoes (pictured) can even occur with dogs that were acquired by their owners to specifically kill dingoes?
William Henry Sheppard		7,600	... that King Kot aMweeky of the Kuba Kingdom told his people that William Henry Sheppard (pictured) was his deceased son, in order to spare Sheppard's life?
Jynx (Pokémon)		7,600	... that the skin colour of the Pokémon Jynx was modified because of complaints that the original design was racist?
Headlight flashing		7,400	... that in 2008 one of Jamaica's most wanted fugitives evaded police capture when a motorist flashed his headlights to warn of police activity ahead?
Jared C. Monti		7,400	... that Jared C. Monti is only the second person to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the War in Afghanistan?}}
Richard Quirin		7,300	... that German-American saboteur Richard Quirin was described as a "cool, cruel man who would not hesitate to kill anyone to accomplish the mission's objectives?
Undercut (manufacturing)		7,200	... that molded parts with an undercut can still be molded with the use of a side action (animated)?
St. George's church, Trotton		7,200	... that in 1904 the whitewash was removed from the west wall of St. George's church, Trotton leading to the discovery of an unprecedented 600-year-old wall painting?
The Boy with the Leaking Boot		7,100	... that statues of The Boy with the Leaking Boot are found in Cleethorpes (England), Winnipeg and Toronto (Canada) and several cities in the United States, but his origins are obscure?
Jamie M. Morin		7,000	... that Jamie M. Morin (pictured) was 34 years old when President Barack Obama appointed him to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, responsible for managing the $160 billion U.S. Air Force annual budget?
Logan Campbell		7,000	... that taekwondo practitioner Logan Campbell has opened a brothel to fund his bid to compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics?
Sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo		7,000	... that the intensity of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been described as the worst in the world?
Flash-lamp		6,900	... that the electric flash-lamp (pictured), a photographer's light source, was used as an underwater mine detonator fuse?
Low frequency radio range		6,800	... that airline pilots in the 1930s and 1940s flew with their ears when visibility was poor?
Loyalist Teaching		6,800	... that a papyrus containing the Loyalist Teaching scripture (pictured), dated to the second half of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt, survives to this day?
Craig Campbell (politician)		6,600	... that when Alaska Governor Sarah Palin resigns on July 26, 2009, Craig Campbell (pictured) will become the new Lieutenant Governor of Alaska?
K-Bob's Steakhouse		6,600	... that after overcoming Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1989, K-Bob's Steakhouse (sign pictured) still operates in mostly smaller cities in the cattle country of New Mexico and Texas?
Southern District of New York Action Against Online Poker Players		6,400	... that federal authorities in New York may have gambled that there would be no legal challenges to their unexpected seizure of $34 million from 27,000 bank accounts in the United States?
Interrogation of Saddam Hussein		6,200	... that the interrogation of Saddam Hussein revealed that as a fugitive, he took refuge in the same place in 1959 and 2003?
Kwakwaka'wakw art		6,200	... that Kwakwaka'wakw art includes a wide variety of wooden masks (example pictured), some of which can transform into different figures?
Butt (Asian surname)		6,100	... that today, most Butts are Muslims, although some practice Hinduism or Christianity?
Name of Georgia (country)		6,000	... that Georgian ambassador to Israel Lasha Zhvania asked Hebrew speakers to stop calling his country Gruziya?
Invariant set postulate		6,000	... that the invariant set postulate may help to resolve some of paradoxes of quantum mechanics aired in the Bohr–Einstein debates, using fractal geometry such as the Mandelbrot set (pictured)?
The Falcon, Chester		6,000	... that when the public house The Falcon (pictured) was a town house owned by Sir Richard Grosvenor in 1643, it was the first building to enclose its portion of the Chester Rows?
Annie M. G. Schmidt		5,800	... that Annie M. G. Schmidt, the "queen of Dutch children's literature," euthanized herself a day after her 84th birthday?
Battle of Aidabasalala		5,800	... that in 1999 at the Battle of Aidabasalala an Australian SAS team was surrounded but were able to shoot their way out, killing five of their attackers before being successfully extracted?
Phoemela Baranda		5,600	... that Phoemela Baranda placed 23rd in the FHM Philippines 100 Sexiest Women of the World in 2006?
William Abner Eddy		5,500	... that in 1908, accountant William Abner Eddy took a kite aerial photograph of two men who had stolen his ice cream?
SMS Blücher		5,400	... that SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser built by the German Imperial Navy?
Nursehound		5,400	... that the rough skin of the nursehound (pictured) was once used as an abrasive called "rubskin", which cost a hundred times more than sandpaper?
Amakusa Airfield		5,100	... that only one aircraft, a Bombardier Dash 8 of Amakusa Airlines, uses Amakusa Airfield?
Zhang Yuqi		5,000	... that Chinese actress Zhang Yuqi was first discovered because of a role she played in a 30-second Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial?
The Awful German Language		5,000	... that Mark Twain wrote the essay " The Awful German Language" to express his frustrations when learning German?

June 2009

(Full-checking on articles complete from June __-__)

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Stannard Rock Light		31,000	... that the Stannard Rock Light (pictured), known as the "Loneliest Place in the World", is the furthest lighthouse from land and described as one of the top ten engineering feats in the United States?
Peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich		17,000	... that the peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich (pictured) would be New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's choice for his last meal and is sometimes referred to as an " Elvis sandwich"?
Sword of Stalingrad	The Sword of Stalingrad	16,400	... that after Winston Churchill handed Joseph Stalin the Sword of Stalingrad (pictured) at the Tehran Conference, a clumsy Soviet general let it slip out of its scabbard?
Boise homosexuality scandal		15,700	... that a sex scandal in Boise, Idaho, in 1955 resulted in almost 1,500 people being interviewed and a list of 500 suspected homosexuals?
How Am I Supposed to Kill You If You Have All the Guns?	—	15,400	... that How Am I Supposed to Kill You If You Have All the Guns? was described as "disgusting" by the parents of one of its creators?
Egg and chips		15,300	... that egg and chips (pictured) was John Lennon's favourite food?
Fossil Cabin	—	15,000	... that the Fossil Cabin in Wyoming was built of dinosaur bones and was billed by its builder as "the building that used to walk"?
Marshall Newell		14,200	...that "Ma" Newell (pictured), one of the few four-year All-Americans in college football history, was run over by a railroad engine on Christmas Eve 1897?
Laura M. Cobb		14,000	...that Laura M. Cobb (pictured) of the US Navy Nurse Corps was a Japanese POW in World War II for 37 months, during which time she continued to serve as Chief Nurse for ten other imprisoned Navy nurses?
Car cooler		13,300	... that a car cooler (pictured) is an early type of automobile " air conditioner" that has been around since 1930?
Charlene McKenna	—	12,600	... that actress Charlene McKenna was pleased that her full-frontal nude scene in the television series Raw attracted few complaints?
Albert Bridge, London		12,300	... that Albert Bridge (pictured) in London is seriously structurally unsound in part because of rotting caused by dog's urine?
Pink Panthers	—	11,300	... that members of a thief network, named " Pink Panthers" by Interpol, have stolen millions of dollars worth of jewels by driving limousines through a window, escaping on a speedboat and cross-dressing?
Mitch Morgan		11,100	... that a Mitch Morgan (pictured), bourbon with a slice of bacon as a garnish, served as the inspiration for Bacon Salt?
Edward Riou		10,900	... that Edward Riou (pictured) sailed with Cook, survived his ship hitting an iceberg, but died by being nearly cut in two aboard HMS Amazon at Copenhagen?
Nicolas Jacques Pelletier		10,800	... that Nicolas Jacques Pelletier was the first person to be executed by guillotine (pictured)?
Final Fantasy XIV		10,600	... that upcoming MMORPG video game Final Fantasy XIV has been in development by Square Enix under the codename Rapture?
Homelessness in Japan		9,800	... that because of the specific social structure of Japanese society there are many more homeless men (pictured) than homeless women in Japan?
Laurens Shull		9,500	... that University of Chicago football star Laurens "Spike" Shull died of wounds suffered rushing a machine gun nest at the Battle of Château-Thierry (pictured)?
Hurricane Irene–Olivia		9,500	... that Hurricane Irene–Olivia (track pictured) was the first actively tracked tropical cyclone that moved into the eastern Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic basin?
Deborah Voigt		9,200	.. that soprano Deborah Voigt lost over 100 pounds (45 kg) by means of gastric bypass surgery after she was fired in the " Covent Garden incident"?
Beatriz Enriquez de Arana		9,000	... that Beatriz Enriquez de Arana was the mistress of Christopher Columbus (pictured)?
Maple bacon donut		9,200	... that a version of the maple bacon donut (pictured) served up in an Omaha, Nebraska, bakery is based on a simple concept: breakfast combined into one item that you put in your mouth?
House of Lorraine		9,100	... that the current head of the House of Lorraine (pictured) has been for the last 87 years heir to one imperial and six royal titles?
Jayco, Inc		8,900	... that Jayco, the largest privately held manufacturer of recreational vehicles (collapsible model pictured) in North America, has mostly Amish and Mennonite employees?
German aircraft carrier I (1942)		8,700	... that had she been completed, the German aircraft carrier I would have been the largest German carrier of World War II, longer even than the Graf Zeppelin-class aircraft carriers?
Video games with isometric graphics		8,500	... that video games with isometric graphics were regarded as the second-most cloned piece of software after WordStar?
Thrill the World		8,400	... that Thrill the World is an international event in which participants (example pictured) simultaneously emulate the zombie dance from the music video of Michael Jackson's " Thriller"?
Melhus church		8,400	... that Medieval runic inscriptions were discovered on the old portal of Melhus church (pictured)?
Gazelle class light cruiser		8,300	... that all Imperial German Navy light cruisers of the First World War were patterned after the German Gazelle-class light cruiser (pictured), designed in 1895–96?
Bavarian Pigeon Corps		8,200	... that carrier pigeons, known as the Bavarian Pigeon Corps, were fitted with chest-mounted cameras and sent behind enemy lines for aerial reconnaissance by the Bavarian Army in the early 1900s?
Geastrum pectinatum		8,100	... that the whitish powder found on the spore sac of the beaked earthstar (pictured) is made of crystalline calcium oxalate?
The Virgin of the Navigators		8,000	... that The Virgin of the Navigators (pictured) is the earliest known painting about the discovery of the Americas?
Kelly Misa		7,933	... that Kelly Misa ranked 84th in the FHM Philippines' sexiest women of 2006?
Lutetium tantalate		7,900	... that lutetium tantalate ( Lu Ta O4) ( crystal structure pictured) is the densest known stable white material and is therefore an ideal material for X-ray phosphors?
Super Mario Galaxy 2		7,600	... that Super Mario Galaxy 2 will mark the first time a second Mario franchise title has been made for a single Nintendo system?
Booya		7,500	... that almost 29 years after she went missing in Darwin Harbour during Cyclone Tracy, the Booya was discovered by accident in only 20 metres (66 ft) of water?
Augusta Anne Ayscough		7,400	... that when the future 9th, 10th and 11th Baronets of Cockburn were painted with Augusta Anne, the daughter of Francis Ayscough, Dean of Bristol Cathedral, she was the only one dressed?
Ordish–Lefeuvre Principle		7,200	... that Albert Bridge in London (pictured) is the only significant surviving example of a bridge built using the 1858 Ordish–Lefeuvre Principle design?
New Super Mario Bros. Wii		7,000	... that New Super Mario Bros. Wii will have a feature that allows the game to play on its own while paused?
Neher-Elseffer House		6,800	... that the Neher-Elseffer House (pictured) is one of the few remaining pre- Revolutionary frame houses near Rhinebeck, New York?
Jolly boat		6,700	... that jolly boats were carried on practically all types of warships of the Royal Navy during the age of sail, from ships of the line down to brigs?
Metroid: Other M		6,700	... that the recently-announced video game Metroid: Other M is being co-developed by both Team Ninja and Nintendo?
Philip Cairns	—	6,600	... that a schoolbag is the only known trace of 13 year-old Irish schoolboy Philip Cairns, who disappeared in October 1986?
Frank Bossard		6,500	... that Frank Bossard was the first spy caught with the aid of an electronic transmitter?
Hugo Jaeger	—	6,500	... that Hugo Jaeger's personal collection of photographs includes colour shots of Adolf Hitler on a cruise in 1939 and of the Nazi leader attending a Christmas party in 1941?
Houses of the Mayorazgo de Guerrero		6,500	... that according to legend, the Houses of the Mayorazgo de Guerrero (pictured) were demolished by a jealous husband after they were given to his wife by the viceroy of New Spain?
AJS Model D		6,500	... that WW1 stopped production of AJS Model D motorcycles but a 1917 order to supply Russia with 1,100 military motorcycles enabled them to continue development?
Church of St. Polyeuctus		6,400	... that the 6th-century Church of St. Polyeuctus (remains pictured) in Constantinople was deliberately planned to imitate the Temple of Solomon?
Rhodotus		6,400	... that the "wrinkled peach" mushroom (pictured) requires light from the red end of the visible spectrum to induce fruiting?
Sturgeon Bay Bridge		6,400	...... that Jackson Browne and Pat MacDonald headlined a 2005 benefit concert to restore Wisconsin's historic Sturgeon Bay Bridge (pictured)?
Sopwith Bulldog		6,300	... that the Sopwith Bulldog, a prototype British World War I fighter plane, was so unreliable that one test pilot said "I never remember being able to get all cylinders to fire at the same time"?
The Woman's Bible		6,300	... that her controversial publishing of The Woman's Bible in the 1890s effectively ended Elizabeth Cady Stanton's further influence in the woman suffrage movement?
Grini concentration camp		6,100	... that the Nazi concentration camp Grini was built as a women's prison?
MissingNo.		6,100	... that the Pokémon video game glitch MissingNo. occurs as a result of buffer data containing the player's name not being cleared?
Dartmoor kistvaens		6,000	... that 94% of Dartmoor kistvaens (pictured) have the longer axis of the tomb oriented NW/SE, apparently so that the deceased face the sun?
Dominant white		6,000	... that dominant white, a collection of related genetic conditions, causes horses to be born with no skin pigmentation and completely or partly white coats (example pictured)?
Optics		5,900	... that optics began with the development of lenses by the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians?
Ritland crater		5,900	... that the Ritland crater is believed to be a meteoric impact crater?
Chitradurga Fort		5,700	... that Chitradurga Fort (pictured) in Karnataka has so many interconnecting tanks to harvest rain water, it was said it never ran out of water?
Dustbot		5,600	... that Dustbot (pictured), the cleaning robot, responds to text messages and uses GPS to find homes and collect trash?
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting		5,400	...... that the perpetrator of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting had self-published a book praising Adolf Hitler in 1999?
Zebras (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)		5,200	... that the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode " Zebras" earned higher ratings than an NBC special about Barack Obama, which aired the same night?
Richard Andvord (born 1920)		5,100	... that during World War II, Richard Andvord conducted illegal resistance work through the company Rich. Andvord, founded in 1865 by his ancestor of the same name?
Franco-Persian alliance		5,000	... that a Franco-Persian alliance (artist's impression pictured) was concluded by Napoleon in 1807 as a step to help him accomplish his objective of attacking British India?
John Lerew		5,000	... that Wing Commander John Lerew (pictured), ordered to defend Rabaul against Japanese invasion in 1942, signalled headquarters the legendary gladiatorial phrase "We who are about to die salute you"?

May 2009

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Leonard Siffleet		49,500	... that Sergeant Len Siffleet was the subject of a famous photograph (pictured) depicting an execution by the Japanese in World War II?
Air well (condenser)		26,300	... that an air well (pictured) collects water by promoting the condensation of moisture from air?
Oliver Cromwell's head		18,900	... that for over 20 years after his posthumous execution in 1661, Oliver Cromwell's head (pictured) stood on a spike outside Westminster Hall?
Disappearing Model		18,300	... that Disappearing Model, a body painting in which a model is painted so that she is indistinguishable from her background, is Joanne Gair's most famous work and was displayed on Ripley's Believe It or Not!?
Underwire bra		18,200	... that the history of the underwire bra (patent pictured) dates back to 1893 when Marie Tucek patented a "breast supporter" that used a metal or cardboard support under the breasts?
Vanessa Rousso		15,900	... that 26-year-old Vanessa Rousso (pictured) is among the top five females in career earnings in poker history?
Apis cerana japonica		15,400	... that when a Japanese honeybee hive is invaded by a giant hornet scout, the honeybees "bake" the hornet in a ball of about 500 bees (pictured)?
The Torment of Saint Anthony (Michelangelo)		14,300	... that The Torment of Saint Anthony (pictured) has recently been identified as the earliest known painting by Michelangelo?
William H. Lewis		12,800	... that William H. Lewis (pictured) became the first African-American college football player in 1888 and the first African-American to serve as U.S. Assistant Attorney General in 1911?
William Windsor (goat)		12,400	... that Lance Corporal William Windsor (pictured, on left) of The Royal Welsh, who retired on 20 May 2009, is a Cashmere goat?
CQC-6	CQC-6 knives	12,200	... that the CQC-6 knife (pictured) by Ernest Emerson was first developed for a US Navy SEAL Team, and went on to popularize the concept of the "tactical folding knife"?
Frot-Laffly landship		12,000	... that the Frot-Laffly landship (pictured) was an early tank design based on a compactor, and built by France in early 1915?
Gorgoneion		11,700	... that at least 37 cities of the ancient world placed an image of the Gorgon's head on their coins (example pictured)?
Raymond Steed		11,100	... that 14-year-old Raymond Steed (pictured) was the youngest person in the British services to die in battle during the Second World War, when his ship SS Empire Morn was damaged by a mine?
Humbug Mountain		10,100	... that Humbug Mountain (pictured) is one of the tallest mountains in Oregon to rise directly from the ocean?
BoardEx		10,000	... that the subscription service BoardEx provides information on the world's business directors and senior managers, including their salaries, bonuses, and incentive pay?
Bacon vodka		9,800	... that bacon vodka (bottle pictured) is vodka infused with bacon flavor, created based on the concept of a "meat and potatoes" pairing?
Wilmot Pass		9,400	... that the road over the Wilmot Pass (pictured) is not connected to any other road on the New Zealand network?
epaulette shark		9,300	... that the epaulette shark (pictured) can survive for an hour without oxygen?
Nazi board games		9,300	... that the objective of the Nazi board game Juden Raus! (Jews Out) was to move figurines representing Jews across a map to "collection points" outside the city walls for deportation?
SS American (1900)		9,200	... that with a voyage of 59 days, the SS American (pictured) set a 1901 record for the fastest New York – San Francisco ocean passage?
Abraham Lincoln (1920 statue)		8,900	... that contrary to popular myth, Robert E. Lee's face is not carved on the back of the 1920 statue of Abraham Lincoln (pictured) in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.?
Spark testing		8,800	... that spark testing (pictured) is a quick and inexpensive way to determine the general classification of ferrous materials using only a grinding wheel?
The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb		8,500	... that in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel The Idiot, Hans Holbein the Younger's The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb (pictured) is said to have the power to make viewers lose their faith?
List of fireships of the Royal Navy		8,400	... that the Royal Navy has tended to name its fireships (examples pictured) after subjects related to volcanoes or fire?
Gaddi Torso		8,300	... that the heroic Greek marble Gaddi Torso (pictured) in the Uffizi, Florence, was so admired in the Italian Renaissance that it was never "restored" by completing it?
Frank Bladin		7,900	... that Air Vice Marshal Frank Bladin (pictured) was nicknamed "Dad" for the concern he showed for the welfare of his personnel?
blacktip shark		7,900	... that the blacktip shark (pictured) can reproduce asexually?
Borki train disaster		7,800	... that Tsar Alexander III is said to have held the collapsed roof of the royal car on his shoulders while his family escaped the Borki train crash site (pictured) uninjured?
history of Chianti		7,800	... that in the early history of Chianti (bottle pictured), the wine was white and not red?
Mohammed Atef		7,800	... that The Wall Street Journal purchased computers belonging to al-Qaeda leaders found in the rubble of Mohammed Atef's (pictured) house?
plane of the ecliptic		7,700	... that the plane of the ecliptic (effect pictured) is the imaginary plane of the Earth as it orbits the Sun?
Osaka Maritime Museum		7,700	... that the Osaka Maritime Museum (pictured) is a geodesic dome that sits out in Osaka Bay and is accessed by an underwater tunnel?
Siri Fort		7,600	... that according to legend, the foundation for the Siri Fort (pictured) in Delhi was laid on the severed heads ("Siri" in Urdu: "head") of about 8,000 Mongol soldiers?
Fatbeard		7,500	... that the ending of the South Park episode " Fatbeard" mirrors the resolution of the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama by Somalian pirates?
Kyshtym disaster		7,400	... that the Kyshtym disaster was a serious nuclear accident in 1957, which resulted in permanent evacuation of about 10,000 people?
Panzer Badge		7,300	... that the Panzer Battle Badge (pictured) was designed by Wilhelm Ernst Peekhaus, a designer of five other Wehrmacht badges?
The Misadventure of a French Gentleman Without Pants at the Zandvoort Beach	100x100px	7,300	... that the 1905 film The Misadventure of a French Gentleman Without Pants at the Zandvoort Beach (screenshot pictured) is one of the oldest surviving Dutch fictional films?
Finnish heritage disease		7,300	... that a population bottleneck among Finns about 4000 years ago may be the origin of the Finnish disease heritage that affects 1 in 500 children born in Finland today?
Riddle Ranch		6,900	... that the site of Riddle Ranch (pictured) in eastern Oregon was a Native American settlement for over 1,000 years?
Shoaling and schooling		6,800	... that Atlantic herrings form immense fish schools (pictured) containing up to three billion fish?
Dharma combat		6,800	... that Zen master Línjì Yìxuán (pictured) once jumped up, grabbed a monk, shouted at him, and then called him a "shit stick" in an episode of Dharma combat?
zebra shark		6,600	... that the zebra shark (pictured) is striped when young and spotted when mature?
Lytes Cary		6,500	... that in 1907, the medieval Great Hall of Lytes Cary manor house (pictured) was being used as a cider store?
Shri Hanuman Mandir, Sarangpur		6,300	... that the image of Hindu deity Hanuman (pictured) reportedly came alive and moved when installed at the Hanuman temple in Sarangpur?
USCGC Sea Cloud (WPG-284)		6,200	... that the Sea Cloud (pictured), the first fully racially integrated United States warship in World War II, later served as a private yacht to racist Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo?
Breton-Pretot machine		6,100	... that the French Breton-Pretot machine (pictured) was an armoured wire-cutting tractor developed in early 1915, and a predecessor to the tank?
Paracerceis sculpta		6,100	... that beta males of Paracerceis sculpta mimic females and gamma males mimic juveniles allowing them to mate without the alpha males realising?
Gonzaga Cameo		5,700	... that the figures on the Gonzaga Cameo (pictured) were identified as Alexander the Great and Olympias, Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder, Nero and Agrippina the Younger, and many other famous couples of antiquity?
blue runner		5,700	... that the blue runner is easily attracted to a variety of floating and underwater structures such as oil platforms (example pictured) and aquaculture structures?
Brede Waterworks		5,900	... that the Worthington–Simpson triple expansion steam engine at Brede Waterworks (pictured) can pump 3,500,000 imperial gallons (16,000,000  L) of water per day to a height of 515 feet (157 m)?
Guivre		5,500	... ... that according to medieval French legend, guivres were dragon-like creatures with venomous breath, known to prowl the French countryside?
List of lemur species		5,300	... that between 2000 and 2008, 39 new species of lemur ( Ring-tailed Lemur pictured) were described in Madagascar, bringing the total number of recognized species and subspecies to 99?
finetooth shark		5,300	... that during the summer the finetooth shark (pictured) is found exclusively in water less than 10 m (30 ft) deep?
monumental sculpture		5,200	... that the definition of monumental sculpture (example pictured) may vary depending on the period being discussed?
Zagreb synagogue		5,200	... that the site of the Zagreb synagogue (model pictured), demolished in World War II, has been used as a volleyball court and a parking lot?
Calkin–Wilf tree		5,200	... that one can list every positive rational number without repetition by breadth-first traversal of the Calkin–Wilf tree?
Sam Cohn		5,200	... that New York talent agent Sam Cohn, who Time magazine called "the first superagent of the modern age", liked to eat paper?
The Death of Procris		5,100	... that Piero di Cosimo's painting The Death of Procris (pictured) may contain allusions to the practice of alchemy?
Alibi Club		5,100	... that former United States President George H.W. Bush is a member of the invitation-only Alibi Club in Washington, D.C.?
Lizzie Lloyd King		5,100	... that Lizzie Lloyd King, the alleged murderess of Charles Goodrich, consumed flakes of the victim's desiccated blood during a police interrogation?

April 2009

(Full-checking on articles complete from April __-__)

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Fishsticks (South Park)		23,500	... that the South Park episode " Fishsticks" made fun of rapper Kanye West who said that his ego was "bruised" by the show?
Wicked Bible		21,700	... that a 1631 Bible ( frontispiece pictured) commanded readers to commit adultery?
Traumatic insemination		21,500	... that traumatic insemination (pictured) is a practice in invertebrates where the male pierces the female's abdomen with his penis and injects his sperm into the wound?
Han solo		20,800	... that a team of archaeologists discovered a fossilized Han Solo in the rocks of China?
Adam de Stratton		20,600	... that Adam de Stratton was arrested for the possession of toenail clippings (example pictured)?
Big Nose George	File:Bignosegeorgey.jpg	20,100	... that after Wild West outlaw Big Nose George (pictured) was hanged by a lynch mob, he was made into a pair of shoes?
ice block expedition of 1959		17,100	... that the Norwegian ice block expedition of 1959 (pictured) drove three tons of ice from the Polar Circle to the Equator – with no refrigeration – and lost only around 11% of the original weight?
The Story of Menstruation		17,000	... that in Disney's animated film The Story of Menstruation, the flow is snow white?
Eat, Pray, Queef		14,100	... that the South Park episode " Eat, Pray, Queef" conveys a pro-women's rights message by comparing men's contradicting opinions regarding farts and queefs?
Margaritaville (South Park)		14,000	... that the South Park episode " Margaritaville" portrays Kyle as a Jesus-like savior of the U.S. economy during the recession?
Pinewood Derby (South Park)		12,700	... that Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are among the world leaders mocked in the South Park episode " Pinewood Derby"?
Hobbit (unit)		12,200	... that in 1825, the Court of Exchequer declared all contracts by hobbits illegal and void in England?
Nine exterminations		10,900	... that the punishment for treason in Ancient China was the extermination of one's entire family?
Naming laws in the People's Republic of China		10,100	... that Chinese citizen Ma Cheng has encountered difficulties with the naming laws in China because the character for her given name, Cheng (pictured), is so rare?
Ángel arcabucero		9,000	... that angels wielding firearms (example pictured) are typical of early Latin American art?
Phumdis		8,800	... that phumdis (example pictured), exclusive to Loktak Lake, are masses of decaying vegetation forming Keibul Lamjao National Park, the world’s largest floating park that preserves endangered Eld's Deer, in Manipur, India?
New England (medieval)		8,500	... that New England used to be part of the Roman Empire ...?
Rolea B'ier District		8,600	... that a huge Khmer Rouge airfield (pictured) still lies in Rolea B'ier District, Cambodia?
The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World		7,900	... that in his book The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World, author Steven A. Grasse argues that the United Kingdom was responsible for the Vietnam War?
Oskar Gröning		7,700	... that Holocaust deniers have contacted former SS- Rottenführer Oskar Gröning to convince him that the things he witnessed at Auschwitz were hallucinations on his part?
Sparkie		6,700	... that Sparkie Williams is still singing from his grave 47 years after his death?
1943 Liberator crash at Whenuapai		5,700	... that the Liberator that crashed in 1943 in New Zealand during World War II was transferring Japanese men, women and children from the consular corps to exchange for Allied POWs?
Gotcha Day		5,500	... that most families celebrate Gotcha Day on a day other than April 1st?
Alexa Thatcher		5,400	... that Alexa Thatcher decided to become a professional wrestler after meeting her boyfriend, wrestler Corvis Fear, when she was sixteen?

March 2009

(Full-checking on articles complete from March __-__)

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Joseph W. Revere		20,700	... that in the midst of battle, Joseph W. Revere (pictured), grandson of Paul Revere, apparently overwhelmed by news of his new command, rode to his men and yelled "Rearward!", causing him to be court-martialled?
The Ring (South Park)		19,700	... that the South Park episode " The Ring" parodies the Jonas Brothers and the marketing tactics of Walt Disney Company in using the band to pledge abstinence?
Tsutomu Yamaguchi		16,500	... that Tsutomu Yamaguchi is the only known survivor of the atomic bombings of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II?
Lawrence Bulger		13,100	... that Fat Cupid died on St. Patrick's Day?
The Coon (South Park)		13,000	... that the South Park episode " The Coon" spoofs such dark comic book movies as The Dark Knight, The Spirit and Watchmen?
Ouzo effect		12,100	... that anethole, cause of the ouzo effect (pictured) in anise-flavored alcoholic beverages, yields a derivative drug that may be used in novel self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems?
Asinara		10,338	... that the Italian island of Asinara (pictured) is inhabited by a wild population of albino donkeys?
Orion P. Howe		9,400	... that Orion P. Howe (pictured) was awarded the Medal of Honor for his childhood service as a Union Army drummer boy during the American Civil War?
Cobbe portrait		9,200	... that the recently discovered Cobbe portrait (pictured) may be one of only two portraits of William Shakespeare done from life?
Anethole		7,500	... that anethole, cause of the ouzo effect (pictured) in anise-flavored alcoholic beverages, yields a derivative drug that may be used in novel self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems?
Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao		7,300	...that the Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao boxing match was confirmed only because Manny Pacquiao's friend drank three bottles of beer?
Saturday Morning Watchmen		7,100	... that the viral video Saturday Morning Watchmen portrays Watchmen character Rorschach as a friend to the animals?
Rufus (Street Fighter)		6,800	... that Street Fighter IV character Rufus has been listed as 12th on GameDaily's "Top 25 Most Bizarre Fighting Characters" list?
Le Griffon		6,000	... that Michigan, France, and the United States have all sued for claim to the “holy grail” of Great Lakes shipwrecks, French explorer La Salle’s ship Le Griffon (pictured) that sank in 1679?
Jonathan Krohn		6,400	... that author Jonathan Krohn gave a two-minute speech at the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at age thirteen?
Mount Triumph		6,400	[1]
Phonological rule		5,200	... that in the English plural, the letter -s is pronounced differently in words like "cats", "cabs", and "buses", because of a phonological rule?
Tanna japonensis		5,000	... that Tanna japonensis, the Japanese cicada, makes a melancholy sound (example right) after sunset, when the temperature has dropped, or when it becomes cloudy?
British Rail sandwich		5,000	... that despite being an object of ridicule in popular culture, over 8 million British Rail sandwiches were sold in 1993?

February 2009

(Full-checking on articles complete from Feb. 1–28)

Article	Image	DYK views	DYK hook
Bacon Explosion		40,500	... that the 5,000- calorie Bacon Explosion (pictured) was created in response to a Twitter challenge to develop "the ultimate bacon recipe"?
chicken fried bacon	File:Sodolak's chicken fried bacon.jpg	26,500	... that the recipe for chicken fried bacon ( pictured) was developed in the small town of Snook, Texas, at Sodolak's Original Country Inn?
Cathy Wayne		20,700	... that pop entertainer Cathy Wayne was the first Australian woman killed in the Vietnam War, when a US Marine shot her on stage while she was performing?
sprites (lightning)	File:BigRed(thumb).jpg	18,300	... that sprites ( pictured), large but very brief reddish forms of lightning that occur high over thunderstorms, were not photographed until 1989?
Folkestone White Horse		17,700	... that the European Commission declared the creation of the Folkestone White Horse ( pictured) unlawful?
Orbitron		17,600	... that the Orbitron ( pictured in restored state), an Ed Roth-built custom car, was feared lost until its 2007 rediscovery in dilapidated condition in front of a Ciudad Juárez adult bookstore?
USS Connecticut (BB-18)		17,600	... that when the pre-dreadnought battleship Connecticut (pictured) ran aground in 1907, the U.S. Navy tried to cover it up, prompting Congress to consider an official inquiry?
Ernest Allmendinger		14,200	... that American football player "Aqua" Allmendinger (pictured), once described as "a young giant in perfect physical condition," acquired his nickname after working as a waterboy for railroad building crews?
Tapsel gate		14,100	... that the Church of the Transfiguration, Pyecombe, England, has a rare Tapsel gate, which has a central pivot and was designed to keep cattle out and allow coffins through easily?
Valhalla (crater)		13,400	... that the Valhalla structure (pictured) on Jupiter's moon Callisto is the largest multi-ring basin in the Solar System?
Comet (steamboat)		11,400	... that the Comet ( pictured), which sank in 1875, was described by the Evening News in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in 1980 as the "only known treasure ship on the bottom of" Lake Superior?
Hare Indian dog		10,800	... that the Hare Indian dog, now extinct, was not known to bark, but puppies learned to imitate the barking of other dogs when the breed was introduced to Europe?
General Aircraft Hamilcar	File:Hamilcar landing.jpg	10,300	... that to open the swing door on the General Aircraft Hamilcar glider (pictured) and allow vehicles to emerge, pilots had to climb out of the glider's cockpit and slide down 15 feet (4.6 m) of fuselage?
Paul Egger		10,100	... that Battle of Britain pilot Paul Egger was later awarded the Knight's Cross as a Tiger tank commander in the Waffen-SS?
chocolate covered bacon		9,900	... that chocolate covered bacon ( pictured) is sold as "Pig Lickers" at the Minnesota State Fair, "Pig Candy" in New York City and "Mo's Bacon Bar" in Chicago?
Dartmoor crosses		9,700	... that some Dartmoor crosses (example pictured) were probably used not for religious purposes, but rather to mark the tracks between Buckfast Abbey, Tavistock Abbey and Buckland Abbey?
Tilted Kilt		9,500	... that the Tilted Kilt is a bar and restaurant chain in the United States described as " Hooters with a Scottish twist"?
Jessica Hart (model)		9,500	... that model Jessica Hart, who was selected to appear in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, is known for her gap tooth smile?
Grooves (archaeology)		9,200	... that thousands of grooves have been found carved into rock in Northern Europe, but no one knows how or why they were made?
Charlotte Turner Smith		9,100	... that novelist Charlotte Turner Smith ( pictured) condemned her father for forcing her to marry and turning her into a "legal prostitute"?
Horace Greely Prettyman		8,700	... that Horace Prettyman ( pictured) played eight years of "college" football for the University of Michigan from 1882 to 1890, some when he was in his 30s and no longer a student?
Design 1047 battlecruiser		8,700	... that the never-completed Design 1047 battlecruisers were intended to be the first line of defense for the Dutch East Indies?
Portraits of Charles Darwin		8,400	... that the numerous photographs of Charles Darwin—at least 53 ( example pictured)—may have helped secure the singular connection between Darwin and the theory of evolution in popular thought?
Experimental Military Unit		8,300	... that five UH-1 Iroquois helicopters of the Experimental Military Unit were shot down by a single Viet Cong soldier armed with an AK-47 rifle?
Welcome to Macintosh (film)		7,900	... that Welcome to Macintosh, a documentary focusing on Apple Inc. and its Macintosh line of computers, was praised by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak for being the most accurate film about the company?
Iffland-Ring		7,900	... that Albert Bassermann, bearer of the Iffland-Ring, considered the ring cursed after all three of the successors he named died shortly after he named them?
Descent from Adam and Eve		7,900	... that some living people claim to have traced their genealogy back to Adam and Eve?
Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower		7,800	... that after being completed in October 2008, Tokyo's Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (pictured) is the second-tallest educational building in the world, at 204 metres (669 ft)?
Hebron, Utah		7,700	... that Hebron, now a ghost town in Utah, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1902?
water puppetry		7,600	... that water puppetry (pictured) from North Vietnam dates back to the 11th century CE?
Vincent Black Lightning		7,500	... that in 2008 a Vincent Black Lightning sold for £221,500 becoming the most expensive motorcycle sold at auction in the UK?
Rocksavage		7,400	... that the ruined Elizabethan mansion of Rocksavage ( pictured) in Runcorn was once the second-largest house in Cheshire?
Uragan class monitor		7,400	... that in 1863, the U.S. gave Russia plans to build ten Passaic class monitors, partly because of the fear that the American Civil War would escalate into war between Britain and Russia?
Maryland Residence		7,400	... that the Maryland Residence (pictured) in Bethesda, USA, one of the few houses designed by César Pelli, consists of five pavilions linked by a central gallery?
The Great Snow of 1717		7,300	... that The Great Snow of 1717 lasted nine days and caused snowdrifts more than 20 feet (6 m) high in New England, USA?
Beverly Eckert		7,200	... that Beverly Eckert ( pictured) died in the crash of Flight 3407 while on her way to award a scholarship in honor of her husband, who was killed in the events of 9/11?
Australian Army ship Crusader (AV2767)		7,100	... that the Crusader was the largest ship commissioned into service with the Australian Army during World War II?
Wilkinson TMC		7,000	... that the Wilkinson motorcycle (pictured) failed to impress the British military – despite having a Maxim machine gun mounted on the handlebars?
Joan Bright Astley		7,000	... that Joan Bright Astley is believed to be one of the women on whom novelist Ian Fleming based the James Bond series character Miss Moneypenny?
rolling meth lab		6,800	... that rolling meth labs used for the illegal production of methamphetamine have been known to explode, endangering motorists and police officers?
xanthoma		6,800	... that the uncommon benign lesion verruciform xanthoma is usually found on the oral mucosa of middle-aged people, but has also been reported on the external genitalia in some recent cases?
Anne Jane Thornton		6,700	... that the seafaring adventures of Anne Jane Thornton ( pictured) inspired the ballad The Female Sailor Bold?
extreme points of Norway		6,600	... that the extreme points of Norway include Rossøya, at 80° North, and arguably the South Pole?
fast inverse square root		6,600	... that Quake III Arena's fast inverse square root code uses a "magic number" to generate a quick first approximation to Newton's method of computing roots?
Maratona dles Dolomites		6,400	... that according to National Geographic, La Maratona ( 2008 race pictured), an annual competition held in the Dolomites of the Italian Alps, is "one of the biggest, most passionate, and most chaotic bike races on Earth"?
Anti-Nazi Boycott of 1933	File:Nazi Boycott April 1, 1933.jpg	6,400	... that Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels warned that their boycott of Jewish businesses (pictured) "will be resumed... until German Jewry has been annihilated", if the Anti-Nazi Boycott of 1933 was not ended?
Pauline Joran		6,400	... that as a blindfolded child, opera singer Pauline Joran ( pictured) could identify absolute pitch and the notes of chords?
CHANT (ship type)		6,400	... that the tanker ship CHANT 26 ended up discharging her cargo in a French field during the Second World War?
Dark Habits		6,100	... that the film Dark Habits was rejected by the Cannes Film Festival because the organizing committee considered it sacrilegious, blasphemous and anti-Catholic?
R U Professional		6,100	... that an outburst by Christian Bale on the set of Terminator Salvation inspired the band The Mae Shi to write the song " R U Professional"?
stumpery		6,000	... that when Prince Philip first saw the stumpery at Highgrove House he asked his son, Charles, "when are you going to set fire to this lot?"?
Brazilian battleship Minas Gerais		5,900	... that with the Minas Gerais ( pictured), Brazil became the third country to have a dreadnought under construction, ahead of traditional powers like France and Russia?
Norman Biggs		5,900	... that Wales Triple Crown winner Norman Biggs was killed after being struck by a poison arrow while on military duty in Northern Nigeria?
Sōya (icebreaker)		5,700	... that the Japanese icebreaker Sōya ( pictured) survived a torpedoing by the USS Greenling in 1943 and rescued the Sakhalin Huskies Taro and Jiro from Antarctica in 1958?
Golar Spirit	File:Golar spirit.jpg	5,600	... that Golar Spirit (pictured) is the world's first floating storage and regasification vessel converted from a LNG carrier?
Lysurus periphragmoides		5,600	... that because he misidentified the stalked lattice stinkhorn fungus (pictured) as a new species, George Atkinson was ridiculed in print by fellow mycologist Curtis Gates Lloyd?
Stac an Armin		5,600	... that on Stac an Armin, the highest stack in Scotland, the last great auk ( example pictured) in the British Isles was clubbed to death in 1840 because it was thought to be a witch?
Neil Snow		5,400	... that Neil Snow (pictured), ranked by Grantland Rice as one of the three greatest all-around athletes ever turned out in college sports, died of heart failure at age 34 after a game of squash?
Red Scapular of the Passion		5,200	... that the idea for the Red Scapular of the Passion (pictured) approved by Pope Pius IX is said to have been given to a French nun by visions of Jesus and Mary in 1846?
Pheidologeton diversus		5,200	... that the heads of some East Indian harvesting ant workers are ten times larger than other worker ants of the same species?
Ryan M-1		5,100	... that before he flew the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic transatlantic flight, Charles Lindbergh's first choice of aircraft was the Ryan M-2?
Stock Exchange Luncheon Club		5,000	... that New York City's Stock Exchange Luncheon Club closed in 2006 after more than a century on Wall Street?