Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 February 23

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World is an open letter written on February 24, 1836, by William B. Travis, commander of the Texian forces at the Battle of the Alamo, to settlers in Mexican Texas. On February 23, the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas, had been besieged by Mexican forces led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna. Fearing that his small group of men could not withstand an assault, Travis wrote this letter seeking reinforcements and supplies from supporters. The letter was initially entrusted to courier Albert Martin, who carried it to Gonzales and then handed the letter to Launcelot Smithers. Partially in response to the letter, men from throughout Texas and the United States began to gather in Gonzales. Between 32 and 90 of them reached the Alamo before it fell; the remainder formed the nucleus of the army which eventually defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. After the Texas Revolution, the original letter was delivered to Travis's family in Alabama, and in 1893, one of his descendants sold it to the State of Texas. For many decades it was displayed at the Texas State Library; the original letter is now protected and a copy is on display under a portrait of Travis. (more...) Recently featured: Evolutionary history of lemurs – Joseph Johnson – Is This It Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that the 3rd Earl of Egremont (bust pictured) simultaneously maintained around 15 mistresses with more than 40 children at Petworth House? ... that in 1984, while Queen's song "I Want to Break Free" charted within the Top 10 in Europe and South America, its video was banned in the US? ... that the beach at Kiryat Sanz in Netanya was the first in Israel to schedule separate swimming hours for men and women? ... that in order to save David Nowakowsky's music from destruction by the Nazis, thousands of pages of his work were buried under a dung heap at a farm in France? ... that Rosie's Diner, featured in the Bounty paper towel commercials in the US, was sawed in half and moved from Little Ferry, New Jersey to Rockford, Michigan in 1990? ... that the magnetochemistry of gadolinium compounds makes them the most suitable contrast agents for MRI scans? ... that Howard Arman conducted Handel's opera Tolomeo in 1996 for the Handel Festival in Halle, where the composer was born on 23 February 1685? ... that a dachshund named Lump once ate a work by Pablo Picasso? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Behgjet Pacolli Behgjet Pacolli (pictured) is elected President of Kosovo. A 6.3-magnitude earthquake hits Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury region in New Zealand, causing major damage and at least 75 deaths. Protests in Libya spread to Tripoli, as the government uses warplanes and mercenaries to attack the protesters. In stock car racing, Trevor Bayne becomes the youngest person to win the Daytona 500. The Iranian film Nader and Simin, A Separation, directed by Asghar Farhadi, wins the Golden Bear at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. Authorities open fire on demonstrators in Bahrain amid continuing protests across the Middle East and North Africa. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
February 23: National Day in Brunei (1984) 1739 – The identity of English highwayman Dick Turpin, who had been living under an alias in York, was uncovered by his former schoolteacher, who recognised his handwriting, leading to Turpin's arrest. 1909 – The Silver Dart was flown off the ice of Baddeck Bay, a sub-basin of Bras d'Or Lake on Cape Breton Island, making it the first controlled powered flight in Canada and the British Empire. 1941 – Plutonium (a button of the metal pictured) was first chemically identified by chemist Glenn T. Seaborg and his team at the University of California, Berkeley. 1945 – World War II: In an Allied bombing run on Pforzheim, Germany, approximately 31% of the town's population were killed and 83% of its buildings were destroyed. 2007 – A Virgin Trains Pendolino express train from London Euston to Glasgow Central derailed near Grayrigg, Cumbria, UK, killing one person and injuring 22. More anniversaries: February 22 – February 23 – February 24 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now February 23 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A 360° panorama of the view from Mount Ellinor in the Olympic Mountains of Washington, US. Landmarks from left to right include Hood Canal in Puget Sound, Lake Cushman, the lightly treed summit of Ellinor, and Mount Washington.

Photo: Gregg M. Erickson

Recently featured: Butterfly Nebula (NGC 6302) – Hakea epiglottis – Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s pit crew executing a pit stop

Archive – More featured pictures...

Other areas of Wikipedia

Help desk – Ask questions about using Wikipedia.
Reference desk – Serving as virtual librarians, Wikipedia volunteers tackle your questions on a wide range of subjects.
Village pump – For discussions about Wikipedia itself, including areas for technical issues and policies.
Community portal – Bulletin board, projects, resources and activities covering a wide range of Wikipedia areas.
Site news – Announcements, updates, articles and press releases on Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.
Local embassy – For Wikipedia-related communication in languages other than English.