Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 May 3

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Mother India is a 1957 Hindi epic melodrama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's 1940 film Aurat, it is the story of a poverty-stricken village woman named Radha (Nargis) who struggles to raise her sons amidst many troubles. Despite her hardship, she sets a goddess-like moral example of an ideal Hindu Indian woman. In the end, she kills her criminal son for the greater good. Mother India metaphorically represents India as a nation in the aftermath of independence, and alludes to a strong sense of nationalism and nation-building. While some authors treat Radha as the symbol of women empowerment, others see her cast in female stereotypes. The film was the most expensive Hindi cinema production and earned the highest revenue for any Hindi film at that time. Mother India became a definitive cultural classic and is regarded one of the best Indian films. It was India's first submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1958, where it made the shortlist. The film won the Filmfare Best Film Award for 1957, and Nargis and Khan won the Best Actress and Best Director awards respectively. (Full article...)

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  • Today's articles for improvement

    In the news

    Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands
  • Indian national Sarabjit Singh, imprisoned in Pakistan on charges of espionage, dies after being attacked by fellow inmates on death row.
  • Following the planned abdication of his mother Beatrix, Willem-Alexander (pictured) becomes King of the Netherlands.
  • The European Union passes a two-year ban on neonicotinoid insecticides, which are suspected to be the primary cause of colony collapse disorder.
  • The Herschel Space Observatory, a far-infrared space telescope, ends its mission after running out of liquid helium coolant.
  • NBA player Jason Collins becomes the first active player of the four major men's professional sports leagues in North America to publicly come out as gay.
  • The Independence Party and the Progressive Party win the most seats in the Icelandic parliamentary election.
  • On this day...

    May 3: Good Friday (Eastern Christianity, 2013); World Press Freedom Day; Constitution Day in Poland (1791) and Japan (1947)

    Raja Harishchandra screenshot

  • 1491 – Nkuwu Nzinga of the Kingdom of Kongo was baptised as João I by Portuguese missionaries.
  • 1791 – The Polish Constitution of May 3, the oldest codified national constitution in Europe, was adopted by the Sejm.
  • 1913Raja Harishchandra (scene pictured), the first full-length Indian feature film, was released.
  • 1915 – Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields", later considered one of the most notable poems written during the First World War.
  • 1951 – The Royal Festival Hall, the first post-war building to become listed Grade I, opened as the venue for the Festival of Britain.
  • 1963 – Police in Birmingham, Alabama, used high-pressure water hoses and dogs on civil rights protesters, bringing intense scrutiny on racial segregation in the Southern US.

    More anniversaries: May 2 May 3 May 4

    It is now May 3, 2013 (UTC) – Reload this page
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    Asian Openbill

    The Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans) is a large stork found mostly in South and South-East Asia. They hunt in wetlands and prey on snails, water snakes, frogs, and insects.

    Photo: JJ Harrison

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