Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 March 10

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Today's featured article
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Considered a "hot-blooded" horse, and known for its agility, speed and spirit, the Thoroughbred as it is known today was first developed in 17th and 18th century England, when native mares were crossbred with imported Arabian stallions. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the breed spread throughout the world; they were imported into North America starting in 1730 and into Australia, Europe, Japan and South America during the 19th century. Millions of Thoroughbreds exist worldwide today, with over 118,000 foals registered each year worldwide. Thoroughbreds are used mainly for racing, but are also bred for other riding disciplines, such as show jumping, combined training, dressage, polo, and fox hunting. They are also commonly cross-bred with other breeds to create new breeds or to improve existing ones, and have been influential in the creation of many important breeds, such as the Quarter Horse, the Standardbred, the Anglo-Arabian, and various warmblood breeds. Thoroughbred racehorses perform with maximum exertion, which has resulted in high rates of accidents and other health problems. (more...) Recently featured: 2006 Pacific hurricane season – Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman – World Science Festival, 2008 Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that the 1859 symphonic work Hiawatha composed by Robert Stoepel (pictured) is based on Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha? ... that Papyrus Rylands 458 is the oldest known manuscript of the Septuagint? ... that several buildings of Cass Gilbert's Waterbury Municipal Center Complex use quotations from Abraham Lincoln as decorative motifs, despite Lincoln's lack of connection to that Connecticut city? ... that William Isarn, a Spanish count, was assassinated while trying to regain what he claimed was his family's land? ... that, according to critic Jennifer Kay, Mat Johnson's 2011 novel Pym "skewers Edgar Allan Poe, race in America, the snack food industry, academia, landscape painting and abominable snowmen"? ... that the Rose Historic Chapel was the first church designed by the Luttrell brothers, who subsequently became the unofficial architects of the Diocese of Christchurch? ... that the Cork Examiner described the killing of Peter Cleary, the first person to be killed by the Special Air Service in Northern Ireland, as "an act of utter folly"? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
At least 25 people are killed and 127 others are wounded in a car bomb attack in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The Supreme Court of India lays out guidelines for passive euthanasia. Seiji Maehara (pictured) resigns as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan after a scandal over political donations. Protesters storm several State Security Intelligence buildings across Egypt, including the headquarters in Cairo. The Samoan general election results in a majority for the Human Rights Protection Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi. NASA's Glory climate research satellite is lost in the second consecutive failure of a Taurus-XL rocket. Preliminary construction of the controversial Belo Monte Dam in Brazil is allowed after the previous ruling is overturned by a higher court. Middle East and North Africa protests Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
March 10 1607 – Susenyos defeated the combined armies of Yaqob and Abuna Petros II at the Battle of Gol in Gojjam, making him Emperor of Ethiopia. 1830 – The Royal Dutch East Indies Army, the military force maintained by the Netherlands in its colony of the Netherlands East Indies, was established by royal decree. 1952 – Forbidden by law to seek re-election, former President Fulgencio Batista (pictured) staged a coup d'état to resume control in Cuba. 1965 – Thomas Playford, Premier of South Australia, left office after 27 years, the longest term of any democratically elected leader in the history of Australia. 2006 – NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter attained orbit around Mars. More anniversaries: March 9 – March 10 – March 11 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now March 10 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The Princess of Wales conservatory at the Royal Botanic Gardens located in the borough of Richmond upon Thames in South London. The building was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales, in commemoration of Princess Augusta's efforts to expand the garden in the 18th century. Of the buildings constructed during this time, only a few remain, including a ten-storey pagoda.

Photo: David Iliff

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