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Lucien Fugère in the title role, 1894

Falstaff is an opera in three acts by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV, parts 1 and 2. The work premiered on 9 February 1893 at La Scala, Milan. Falstaff was the last of Verdi's 28 operas, his second comedy, and his third work based on a Shakespeare play, following Macbeth and Otello. The plot revolves around the thwarted, sometimes farcical, efforts of the fat knight, Sir John Falstaff, to seduce two married women to gain access to their husbands' wealth. The premiere was greeted with enormous enthusiasm, but after the initial performances the work fell into neglect: many operagoers felt that it lacked the full-blooded melodies of the best of Verdi's previous operas. The conductor Arturo Toscanini strongly disagreed, and insisted on its revival at La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera in New York from the late 1890s into the next century. The work is now part of the regular operatic repertory. Singers closely associated with the title role have included Victor Maurel (the first Falstaff), Mariano Stabile, Giuseppe Valdengo, Tito Gobbi, Geraint Evans and Bryn Terfel. (Full article...)

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Bara Gumbad

... that Bara Gumbad (pictured), built during the Lodi dynasty in 1490 CE, is believed to have the earliest constructed full dome of any building in Delhi?
... that after almost drowning during his foray into water polo, Ka'imi Fairbairn returned to American football and was named the top college kicker in the nation?
... that perennial ryegrass staggers is a disease of livestock caused by an endophytic fungus sometimes present in perennial ryegrass?
... that 138 years after establishment of the Anglican Diocese of Nassau, Angela Palacious became its first woman deacon in 1999?
... that by 1566, Fukuda was home to more than 1,000 Catholic Kirishitans?
... that Ardina Moore, a fluent speaker of Quapaw, created her own workbook, tapes, and classes to help preserve and teach the language to younger members of her tribe?
... that Jean Sibelius conducted his Andante Festivo in a live broadcast on New Year's Day 1939, the only sound document of his interpretation of his works?
... that the abolitionist Eliza Ann Gardner made her living as a dressmaker?

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Falcon 9 launch vehicle's first stage, following its successful landing

Falcon 9 rocket's first stage on the landing pad

The governments of Japan and South Korea announce their "final and irreversible" agreement regarding comfort women.
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After launching a Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX successfully lands the vehicle's first stage (pictured) in Cape Canaveral.
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January 1: New Year's Day (Gregorian calendar); Independence Day in Brunei (1984) and Samoa (1962)

Lachlan Macquarie

1068 – Having been pardoned by the regent Eudokia Makrembolitissa for attempting to usurp the throne, Romanos IV Diogenes married her to become Byzantine emperor.
1785 – The Times, the first newspaper of that name, began publication in London as The Daily Universal Register.
1810 – Lachlan Macquarie (pictured) became Governor of New South Wales, eventually playing a major role in the shaping of the social, economic and architectural development of the colony in Australia.
1945 – Second World War: The German Luftwaffe launched Operation Bodenplatte in an attempt to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries.
2009 – A nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand, killed 66 patrons celebrating the new year.

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Vidya Balan

Actress Vidya Balan has received numerous awards for her work in Indian films. Vidya is the recipient of a National Film Award, four International Indian Film Academy Awards, and five awards each from the Filmfare, Screen, Star Guild, and Zee Cine award ceremonies. Her honours include a National Film Award and Filmfare Award for Best Actress for The Dirty Picture (2011), Best Female Debut for Parineeta (2005), Best Actress for Paa (2009) and Kahaani (2012), and Critics Award for Best Actress for Ishqiya (2010). In addition to acting awards, Vidya has received the Prabha Khaitan Puraskar in 2012 for her work towards the empowerment of women. In 2014, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, for her contribution to the arts. (Full list...)

Part of the Vidya Balan series, one of Wikipedia's featured topics.

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The Church of St. John at Kaneo is a Macedonian Orthodox church situated on the cliff overlooking Kaneo Beach, on Lake Ohrid in the city of Ohrid, Macedonia. It is unknown when the church was constructed, but documents detailing the church property suggest that it was built before 1447. The church is dedicated to John of Patmos, the writer of the Book of Revelation.

Photograph: Diego Delso

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