Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 April 7

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Today's featured article
Phan Dinh Phung (1847–1896) was a Vietnamese revolutionary who led rebel armies against French colonial forces in Vietnam. He was the most prominent of the Confucian court scholars involved in anti-French military campaigns in the 19th century and was cited after his death by 20th-century nationalists as a national hero. Born into a family of mandarins, Phan quickly rose through the ranks under Emperor Tu Duc, gaining a reputation for his integrity and uncompromising stance against corruption. Upon Tu Duc's death, the regent Ton That Thuyet disregarded Tu Duc's will of succession, and three emperors were deposed and killed in just over a year. Along with Thuyet, Phan organised rebel armies as part of the Can Vuong movement, which sought to expel the French. This campaign continued for three years until 1888, when the French captured Ham Nghi and exiled him to Algeria. Phan and his military assistant Cao Thang continued their guerrilla campaign, building a network of spies, bases and small weapons factories. However, Cao Thang was killed in a campaign in late 1893. The decade-long campaign eventually wore Phan down, and he died from dysentery as the French surrounded his forces. (more...) Recently featured: Philitas of Cos – Polyozellus – William Henry Harrison Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych (pictured), known for the "Carol of the Bells", was nicknamed "Ukrainian Bach" in France? ... that George, a Jack Russell Terrier, died from injuries sustained while protecting several children from an attack by two Pit Bulls? ... that Austrian American biochemist Oskar Baudisch, whose study of trace elements in aqueous solutions led to his discovery of the Baudisch reaction, died by drowning? ... that the mass of the extrasolar planet Kepler-11g could not be determined because its orbit is too far from those of its sister planets? ... that former Washington Times editor James R. Whelan claims he was dismissed from the paper after control of it was "seized" by leaders of the Unification Church? ... that Kenny Meadows has been described as one of the best illustrators to work for Punch in the magazine's early years? ... that in response to Jalen Rose's comments in The Fab Five, which has become the highest-rated ESPN documentary, Grant Hill's response was shared by nearly 100,000 people on Facebook in the next few days? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
A shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, leaves at least 20 people dead and more than 100 missing. Scientists observe the highest level of Arctic ozone layer depletion on record, attributed to colder temperatures in the stratosphere. The Democrats for Andorra, led by Antoni Martí, win an absolute majority in a parliamentary election. In United States college basketball, the Connecticut Huskies defeat the Butler Bulldogs to win the men's NCAA Championship. A United Nations aircraft crashes in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 32 of the 33 people on board. Paleontologists announce the discovery of Zhuchengtyrannus magnus, a carnivorous dinosaur almost as large as Tyrannosaurus rex, in eastern China. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
April 7: World Health Day 1348 – King Charles of Bohemia issued a Golden Bull to establish Charles University in Prague, the first university in Central Europe. 1805 – German composer Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Third Symphony, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. 1862 – American Civil War: Union forces defeated Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh in Hardin County, Tennessee. 1896 – An Arctic expedition led by Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen reached 86°13.6'N, almost three degrees beyond the previous Farthest North mark. 1940 – Educator Booker T. Washington became the first African American to be featured on a U.S. postage stamp (pictured). 1995 – First Chechen War: Russian paramilitary troops began a massacre of at least 250 civilians in Samashki, Chechnya. More anniversaries: April 6 – April 7 – April 8 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now April 7, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A lithograph of a watercolour painting depicting soldiers transporting winter clothing, lumber for huts, and other supplies through a snow-covered landscape, with partially buried dead horses along the roadside, to the British camps, during the Siege of Sevastopol of the Crimean War. In the winter, a storm ruined the camps and supply lines of the Allied forces (France, Britain and the Ottoman Empire). Men and horses became sick and starved in the poor conditions.

Artist: William Simpson; Restoration: Lise Broer

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