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May 4
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor, playback singer, producer and television personality. He made his acting debut in 1969 with Saat Hindustani, and narrated Mrinal Sen's Bhuvan Shome (1969). Bachchan later appeared as Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anand (1971), for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1973, Bachchan played the role of Inspector Vijay Khanna in Prakash Mehra's action film Zanjeer. He has since appeared in several films with the character name "Vijay". During the same year, he appeared in Abhimaan and Namak Haraam. For the latter, he received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. Two years later he appeared along with Shashi Kapoor, in Yash Chopra's Deewaar, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor nomination. (Full list...)
May 7
The Indian National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint services academy of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three armed forces (the Army, the Navy and the Air Force) train together before beginning pre-commission training at their respective service academies (Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy, for army, navy, and air force cadets respectively). Established in 1954 and located in the vicinity of Khadakwasla Dam, near Pune, it is the world's first tri-service academy. The alumni of National Defence Academy have led and participated in every major conflict in which the Indian Armed Forces have been called into action since the academy was founded. Alumni include three Param Vir Chakra recipients and eleven Ashoka Chakra recipients. The NDA has produced 30 service chiefs of staff, including the incumbent chiefs of staff of the Army, Navy and Air Force. (Full list...)
May 11
Former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan has the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, and the second-highest number of five-wicket hauls in One Day Internationals (ODI). A five-wicket haul—also known as a five–for or fifer—refers to a bowler taking five or more wickets in a single innings. One of the most experienced bowlers in international cricket, Muralitharan is the leading wicket taker in both Tests and ODIs. He was declared the "best bowler ever" in Test cricket by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002. Muralitharan is well ahead of other bowlers by number of five-wicket hauls in Tests with 67 to his name; Australian cricketer Shane Warne ranks in second place with 37. Making his Test debut in 1992, Muralitharan took his first five-wicket haul a year later against South Africa. He went on to take ten or more wickets in a match on 22 occasions—also a world record. In ODIs, Muralitharan is ranked second in number of five-wicket hauls to Pakistani cricketer Waqar Younis. (Full list...)
May 14
There are 57 genera of flowering plants estimated to contain at least 500 described species. The largest of these is currently the legume genus Astragalus (milk-vetches), with over 3,000 species. The sizes of plant genera vary widely from those containing a single species to genera containing thousands of species, and this disparity became clear early in the history of plant classification. The largest genus in Carl Linnaeus' seminal Species Plantarum was Euphorbia, with 56 species; Linnaeus believed that no genus should contain more than 100 species. Part of the disparity in genus sizes is attributable to historical factors. According to a hypothesis published by Max Walters in 1961, the size of plant genera is related to the age, not of the taxon itself, but of the concept of the taxon in the minds of taxonomists. The introduction of infrageneric taxa (such as the subgenus, section and series) in the 19th century by botanists including Augustin Pyrame de Candolle allowed the retention of large genera that would otherwise have become unwieldy. (Full list...)
May 18
Canada's National Parks are protected areas under the Canada National Parks Act, owned by the Government of Canada and administered for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people of Canada and its future generations. National parks are administered by Parks Canada, a Crown agency operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Canada's first national park was created in 1885 through an Order-in-Council to reserve 26 km2 (10 sq mi) over the Cave and Basin Hot Springs to prevent the land from being sold for private development despite claims being made for it. Modeled after the American experience with Yellowstone National Park, the Rocky Mountains Park Act, adopted in 1887, established the Rocky Mountains Park (now Banff National Park (pictured)). As of 2018[update] there are 39 National Parks and eight National Park Reserves, covering an area of approximately 328,198 km2 (126,718 sq mi), or about 3.3% of the total land area of Canada, and representing 30 of the country's 39 natural regions. (Full list...)
May 21
More than 80 songs have been recorded by the indie rock band Guillemots for their four studio albums and other official releases. The band was formed in November 2004, with their debut album—Through the Windowpane—being released in July 2006. The record contained twelve original songs, of which nine were written by lead singer Fyfe Dangerfield. In April 2008, the band released their second album, Red. This album's songs were more pop-orientated than their debut's, and were written by all four members of the group. The band's third album, Walk the River, was released in April 2011, and was the first Guillemots record to feature neither a strings nor brass section. Guillemots have also recorded songs that have not been included on their official releases. During a series of live shows in 2006, the group featured in their set lists songs that had not formed part of their debut. One such track, "21st May", was described by The Times as "gleefully [marrying] a hip-shaking reggae beat to jazz sax". (Full list...)
May 25
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European Cup and UEFA Champions League finals have been won by 22 clubs. The UEFA Champions League is a seasonal association football competition established in 1955. The UEFA Champions League is open to the league champions of all UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) member associations (except Liechtenstein, which has no league competition), as well as to the clubs finishing from second to fourth position in the strongest leagues. Prior to the 1992–93 season, the tournament was named the European Cup. Teams that have won the UEFA Champions League three times in a row, or five times overall, receive a multiple-winner badge. Six teams have earned this privilege: Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Milan, Liverpool and Barcelona. Real Madrid hold the record for the most victories, having won the competition 12 times, including the inaugural competition. They have also won the competition the most times in a row, winning it five times from 1956 to 1960. Juventus have been runners-up the most times, losing seven finals. (Full list...)
May 28
The city of Seattle has multiple bridges that are significant due to their function, historical status, or engineering. Bridges are needed to cross the city's waterways and hilly topography. Twelve bridges have been granted historical status by the city, federal government, or both. Seattle also has some of the only permanent floating pontoon bridges in the world. Lake Washington and Puget Sound are to the east and west of the city, respectively. They connect via a series of canals and Lake Union that are collectively known as the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The four double-leaf bascule bridges crossing the Ship Canal are the oldest in the city, having opened between 1917 and 1930. The floating bridges carry Interstate 90 and State Route 520 across Lake Washington to the Eastside suburbs. The neighborhoods that make up West Seattle are on a peninsula separated from downtown by the Duwamish River. The West Seattle Bridge is the primary roadway crossing the river. (Full list...)