Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 July 30

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Today's featured article
The use of horses in World War I reflected a transitional period in the evolution of armed conflict. Cavalry units were initially considered essential, but the vulnerability of the horse to modern machine gun and artillery fire eventually fostered interest in mechanized forces. All of the major combatants in World War I began the conflict with cavalry forces. Germany and Austria-Hungary stopped using them on the Western Front soon after the war began, but they continued to be deployed in a limited fashion on the Eastern Front well into the war. On the Allied side, the United Kingdom used mounted infantry and cavalry charges throughout the war, but the United States used cavalry for only a short time. Horses were mainly used for reconnaissance and for carrying messengers, as well as to pull artillery, ambulances, and supply wagons. The presence of horses often increased morale among the soldiers at the front, but contributed to disease and poor sanitation in camps. The value of horses was such that by 1917 it was made known to some troops that the loss of a horse was of greater tactical concern than the loss of a human soldier. Ultimately, the Allied blockade prevented the Central Powers from importing horses to replace those lost, which contributed to Germany's defeat. (more...) Recently featured: Christopher Smart's asylum confinement – Jack L. Warner – Point Park Civic Center Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Benjamin West's painting of General Johnson Saving a Wounded French Officer from the Tomahawk of a North American Indian (pictured) contrasts against Sir William Johnson's "White Savage" reputation? ... that following an electoral victory, Ollanta Humala visited Bolivia and called for the resurrection of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation? ... that pornographic actress Saori Hara was cast in the Japanese parody film Horny House of Horror? ... that Lille Graah was in charge of the most popular radio program in Norway in the 1950s? ... that the 7 CSSB of the Australian Army supports the 7th Brigade and participated in Operation Slipper? ... that quasi-opportunistic supercomputing aims for better performance than volunteer resource sharing? ... that the worldview of Conan the Barbarian has been described as existentialist? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Ollanta Humala (pictured) is inaugurated as President of Peru. Asteroid 2010 TK₇ is confirmed as the first Earth Trojan asteroid discovered. Truong Tan Sang becomes the new President of Vietnam and nominates Nguyen Tan Dung to another term as Prime Minister. In cycling, Cadel Evans wins the 98th edition of the Tour de France, becoming the first Australian to do so. Protests against rising house prices in Israel continue, with tens of thousands gathering in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Thousands of protesters encounter violence while marching toward the Egyptian Ministry of Defense in Cairo. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
July 30: Independence Day in Vanuatu (1980) 762 – Al-Mansur, the Caliph of Islam, founded the city of Baghdad to be the capital of the Islamic empire under the Abbasids. 1811 – Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (pictured), an early leader of the Mexican War of Independence, was executed by Spanish authorities. 1865 – Off the coast of Crescent City, California, the steamship Brother Jonathan, carrying a large shipment of gold coins that would not be retrieved until 1996, struck an uncharted rock and sank, killing 225 people. 1916 – German agents caused a major explosion when they sabotaged American ammunition supplies to prevent the materiel from being used by the Allies of World War I. 1930 – Uruguay defeated Argentina, 4–2, in front of their home crowd at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo to win the first Football World Cup. 2006 – Lebanon War: The Israeli Air Force attacked a three-story building near the South Lebanese village of Qana, killing at least 28 civilians, including 16 children. More anniversaries: July 29 – July 30 – July 31 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now July 30, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A sand storm sweeps across the Red Sea in this 2005 satellite image. Also called "dust storms", they commonly occur in arid or semi-arid climates when strong wind blows loose sand and dust from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil erosion from one place and deposition in another.

Photo: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center

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