Museum specimen

The hoopoe starling (Fregilupus varius) is a bird species that lived on the Mascarene island of Réunion and became extinct in the 1850s. Its closest relatives were the also-extinct Rodrigues starling and Mauritius starling from nearby islands. It was first mentioned during the 17th century and long thought to be related to the hoopoe, but it was confirmed as a starling in a DNA study. It was 30 cm (12 in) long with primarily white and grey plumage, with darker brown and grey on its back, wings and tail and a light crest that curled forwards. Males are thought to have been larger and had more curved beaks, and juveniles were more brown than the adults. The starling was omnivorous and foraged near the ground, as indicated by its robust feet, claws and jaws. The flocks inhabited humid areas and marshes. The birds may have gone extinct due to disease, deforestation, and competition with introduced species, as well as being hunted by humans. Nineteen specimens exist in museums. (Full article...)

Africae Tabula Nova

• ... that Africae Tabula Nova (pictured) depicts the Niger River passing underground for about 60 miles (97 km), in accordance with a Latin legend?
• ... that David Bowie wrote his 1971 track "Life on Mars?" as a parody of Frank Sinatra's "My Way"?
• ... that the platform shelters in the redevelopment concept design for Bayswater railway station, Perth, were criticised for looking like a trestle table?
• ... that when the Rhodesian Guard Force was disbanded in 1980, Brigadier Bill Godwin advised his men to fade away?
• ... that inside a building, the desert subterranean termite can form free-standing tubes descending from the ceiling?
• ... that cosmetologist Pauline Brown Humphrey opened a beauty shop for African-American women in the Women's Army Corps in Fort Des Moines?
• ... that the Cathedral of Nocera Umbra probably rests on the foundations of a temple dedicated to the goddess Favonia?
• ... that watching Tacoma, Washington's KTVW "used to be worse than no TV at all"?

Sandra Mason

• In Sudan, a military coup deposes the government under Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
• Ahead of Barbados becoming a republic, Sandra Mason (pictured) is elected as the country's first president.
• Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny is awarded the Sakharov Prize.
• PAICV candidate José Maria Neves is elected President of Cape Verde.

October 26

Chicago Theatre

• 1341 – The Byzantine army proclaimed chief minister John VI Kantakouzenos emperor, triggering a civil war between his supporters and those of John V Palaiologos, the heir to the throne.
• 1902 – A group of Russian explorers led by Baron von Toll left their camp on Bennett Island and disappeared without a trace.
• 1921 – The Chicago Theatre (pictured), the oldest surviving grand movie palace, opened.
• 1940 – The North American P-51 Mustang, one of the most effective fighter aircraft for the Allies during World War II, made its first flight.
• 2001 – President George W. Bush signed the Patriot Act into law, significantly expanding the authority of law enforcement agencies in fighting terrorism in the United States and elsewhere.