Welcome to Wikipedia

Metrosideros bartlettii, commonly known as Bartlett's rātā, is a rare species of tree in the family Myrtaceae. It is only found in three patches of dense forest remnants near Piwhane / Spirits Bay in New Zealand's North Island. It reaches a height of up to 30 metres (100 feet) with a trunk diameter of 1 to 1.5 metres (3.3 to 4.9 feet). The species is known for its distinct whitish, paper-like bark and small white flowers. Bartlett's rātā was accidentally discovered in 1975 by John Bartlett near Cape Reinga and first described by John Dawson in 1985. Bartlett's rātā typically begins life growing on another plant, inhabits lowland forests, and grows near wet areas. A 2018 article documented 13 adult trees in the wild, down from 31 in 2000. Its decline has been attributed to land use changes and the introduction of common brushtail possums. In 2013, it was listed as a critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population trend. (Full article...)

Desert columbine flowers

• ... that mining engineer William H. Shockley found specimens that were used to describe Aquilegia shockleyi (pictured) and Lupinus shockleyi?
• ... that the only surviving autograph pages of one of Bach's chorale cantatas ended up in three libraries on two continents?
• ... that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March 2025 due to an "administrative error" by the U.S. government?
• ... that the Oregon Garden obtained the Gordon House because of a misunderstanding?
• ... that a statue of German-born missionary Johann Gottlieb Schwarz was commissioned by Prabowo Subianto, later president of Indonesia?
• ... that the murder of Patricia Jeschke resulted in the longest prison tenure for a wrongfully convicted American woman?
• ... that Belize's Toledo Progressive Party was accused of being funded by the government of Guatemala?
• ... that swimmer Yuri Hosei was studying at a restaurant when she learned that she had qualified to represent Palau at the 2024 Summer Olympics?
• ... that instead of drinking liquor with prospective clients, Arthur Harrison Motley sent them notes written in red pencil crayon, 10,000 times a year?

Pope Leo XIV

• Robert Francis Prevost is elected as Pope Leo XIV (pictured), becoming the first Catholic pope born in the United States.
• Friedrich Merz is elected Chancellor of Germany and sworn in alongside his coalition government.
• Zhao Xintong defeats Mark Williams to win the World Snooker Championship.
• In the Singaporean general election, the People's Action Party retains a supermajority of seats.

May 9: Europe Day in the European Union; Liberation Day in the Channel Islands (1945)

Hotel Polen fire

• 1877 – An earthquake struck northern Chile, leading to the deaths of 2,385 people, mostly victims of the ensuing tsunami, as far away as Hawaii and Fiji.
• 1944 – World War II: The Japanese Take Ichi convoy arrived at Halmahera in the Dutch East Indies after losing many ships and thousands of troops to Allied attacks while attempting to carry two divisions of troops from China to New Guinea.
• 1977 – The Hotel Polen in Amsterdam was destroyed by fire (pictured), leaving 33 people dead.
• 1980 – Part of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida collapsed after a pier was struck by MV Summit Venture, killing 35 people.
• 2001 – Police at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra, Ghana, fired tear gas to quell unrest at a football match, leading to a stampede that killed 126 people.