Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 April 18

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Today's featured article
Doolittle is the second studio album from the American alternative rock band Pixies, released on 18 April 1989 on 4AD. The album's offbeat and dark subject material, featuring references to surrealism, biblical violence, torture and death, contrasts with the clean production sound achieved by the then-newly-hired producer Gil Norton. Doolittle was the Pixies' first international release, with Elektra Records acting as the album's distributor in the United States and PolyGram in Canada. Two tracks were released as singles: "Here Comes Your Man" and "Monkey Gone to Heaven". Doolittle has continued to sell consistently well in the years since its release, and in 1995 was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album has been cited as inspirational by many alternative artists, while numerous music publications have ranked it as one of the most influential albums ever. (more...) Recently featured: Thomcord – Me and Juliet – Hurricane Isabel Archive – By email – More featured articles...
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From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that the 7th-century Law of Æthelberht (first folio pictured), a Kentish legal text, is the earliest extant document in the English language? ... that during the 11½ day rescue of Bat 21 Bravo, the Americans flew an average of 90 sorties a day to protect their airman, hitting the NVA with over 800 air strikes in direct support of his rescue? ... that until 1959, the Finnhorse was the only horse breed allowed to be raced in Finland? ... that Christoph Schlingensief died before the Berlin premiere of the opera which he had staged, Metanoia. Über das Denken hinaus by Jens Joneleit, conducted by Daniel Barenboim? ... that the redundant churches of St John and St Mary both stand near The Ridgeway long-distance path in Oxfordshire? ... that 140-pound quarterback Ferris Jennings ran 66 yards for the first of only two touchdowns scored all year by the 1934 Michigan football team that also featured future US President Gerald Ford? ... that, despite speculation that the Panama Creature was an alien life form, it was later shown to be a decomposing Brown-throated Sloth? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Hosni Mubarak An Egyptian court orders the dissolution of the former ruling National Democratic Party of Hosni Mubarak (pictured) as part of overall political reform. States of emergency are declared in several areas across the southern United States after at least 45 people are killed in a large tornado outbreak. Former Croatian general Ante Gotovina is sentenced to 24 years in prison after being found guilty of war crimes during Operation Storm. BRICS states meet in Sanya, China, for an annual summit that features South Africa for the first time. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency raises the severity of the Fukushima I nuclear accidents to level 7, the highest on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
April 18: Independence Day in Zimbabwe (1980); Fast of the Firstborn begins at dawn and Passover begins at sunset (Judaism, 2011); Patriots' Day (Massachusetts and Maine, 2011) 1506 – Construction of the current St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, to replace the old basilica built in the 4th century, began. 1775 – American Revolutionary War: Colonists Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott began a "midnight ride" to warn of the residents of Boston and Lexington about the impending arrival of British troops. 1906 – A major earthquake and resulting fires devastated San Francisco (damage pictured), killing at least 3,000 people and leaving more than half of the city's population homeless. 1947 – In one of the largest non-nuclear single explosive detonations in history, the Royal Navy set off 6,800 tonnes of surplus ammunition in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the island of Heligoland, Germany. More anniversaries: April 17 – April 18 – April 19 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now April 18, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The Admiralty Extension, built in the late 19th century, is the largest of the Admiralty buildings built to house the authority responsible for the command of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Redesigned while under construction to accommodate the extra offices needed due to the naval arms race with the German Empire, it served as the headquarters of the Admiralty until 1964 when it was subsumed into the Ministry of Defence in nearby Whitehall.

Photo: David Iliff

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