Wikipedia:Main Page history/2014 September 24

Transandinomys bolivaris, also known as the long-whiskered rice rat, is a rodent in the genus Transandinomys. It is found in humid forest from northeastern Honduras to western Ecuador, up to 1800 m (5900 ft) above sea level. Since it was first described in 1901 from Ecuador, six scientific names have been introduced for it, but their common identity was not documented until 1998 and the species had a number of names until it was moved to the new genus Transandinomys in 2006. It is a medium-sized rice rat and has very long vibrissae (whiskers)—those above the eyes are up to 50 mm (2.0 in) long, making it distinguishable from other similarly sized rice rats. The fur, which is soft and dense, is usually dark brown above and light gray below; it is darker in juveniles. The feet are long and the tail is about as long as the head and body. The skull (pictured from above) is narrow and relatively long, and has a broad interorbital region (between the eyes). The species generally lives on the ground, but some young animals have been taken in vegetation, up to 1.5 m (5 ft) above the ground. Although it is rare, its conservation status is thought to be secure. (Full article...)

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• NASA's probe MAVEN enters orbit around Mars to study the planet's atmosphere.
• The National Party, led by John Key (pictured), wins a majority in the New Zealand general election.
• Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group raises US$25 billion on the New York Stock Exchange, in the largest ever initial public offering.
• Scotland votes against independence from the United Kingdom.
• In cycling, Jens Voigt sets a new hour record, riding more than 51 kilometres (31.7 mi) in an hour.
• The FijiFirst Party, led by Frank Bainimarama, wins a majority in the Fijian general election.

Ongoing: Ebola outbreak – Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

September 24: Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) begins at sunset (2014, 5775 AM); Independence Day in Guinea-Bissau (1973); Heritage Day in South Africa; Republic Day in Trinidad and Tobago (1976)

• 1789 – The First United States Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789, establishing the U.S. federal judiciary and setting the number of Supreme Court Justices.
• 1877 – The Imperial Japanese Army defeated Saigō Takamori and the Satsuma clan samurai at the Battle of Shiroyama in Kagoshima, the decisive engagement of the Satsuma Rebellion.
• 1911 – His Majesty's Airship No. 1, Britain's first rigid airship, was wrecked by strong winds before her maiden flight at Barrow-in-Furness.
• 1946 – Cathay Pacific (aircraft pictured), the de facto international flag carrier airline of Hong Kong, was founded by Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow.
• 1964 – The Warren Commission released its report, concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

More anniversaries: September 23 – September 24 – September 25