Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 March 11

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Today's featured article
Joseph Szigeti (1892–1973) was a Hungarian virtuoso violinist. Born into a musical family, he spent his early childhood in a small town in Transylvania. He quickly proved himself to be a child prodigy on the violin, and moved to Budapest with his father to study with the renowned pedagogue Jenő Hubay. After completing his studies with Hubay in his early teens, Szigeti began his international concert career. His performances at that time were primarily limited to salon-style recitals and the more overtly virtuosic repertoire; however, after making the acquaintance of pianist Ferruccio Busoni, he began to develop a much more thoughtful and intellectual approach to music that eventually earned him the nickname "The Scholarly Virtuoso". From the 1920s until 1960, Szigeti performed regularly around the world and recorded extensively. He also distinguished himself as a strong advocate of new music, and was the dedicatee of many new works by contemporary composers. Among the more notable pieces written for him are Ernest Bloch's Violin Concerto, Bartók's Rhapsody No. 1, and Eugène Ysaÿe's Solo Sonata No. 1. After retiring from the concert stage in 1960, he worked at teaching and writing until his death in 1973, at the age of 80. (more...) Recently featured: Thoroughbred – 2006 Pacific hurricane season – Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that, in a British propaganda exercise during World War II, a Wellington bomber (pictured) was built in under 24 hours, setting a new world record? ... that Harry Whitney was at the center of the Peary–Cook controversy over who had reached the North Pole first? ... that, in 1869, Johannes Brahms conducted the chamber opera Le dernier sorcier (The Last Sorcerer), composed by Pauline Viardot to a French libretto by Ivan Turgenev? ... that movement on the newly discovered Mount Lebanon thrust is the most likely cause of the 551 Beirut earthquake and resulting tsunami, which left all the coastal cities of Lebanon in ruins? ... that authorization to use a company computer is not automatically conditional on the motives or loyalty of the employee, according to LVRC Holdings v. Brekka? ... that the interior of the Stone Chamber in the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings was regarded as New Zealand architect Benjamin Mountfort's most impressive achievement? ... that the iLoo was a cancelled Microsoft project by British subsidiary MSN UK to develop a Wi-Fi-enabled Internet portable toilet for summer festivals? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
An 8.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan kills hundreds of people and triggers a 10-metre (33 ft) tsunami. A 5.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Yunnan, China, severely damaging more than 18,000 houses and apartment buildings. Amid a continued uprising in Libya, France becomes the first nation to recognize the National Transitional Council (flag pictured) as Libya's legitimate government. Belimumab becomes the first drug in over 50 years to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of lupus. 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 resigns as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan after a scandal over political donations. Middle East and North Africa protests Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
March 11: Independence Day in Lithuania (1990) 222 – Disgusted with Roman emperor Elagabalus's disregard for Roman religious traditions and sexual taboos, the Praetorian Guard assassinated him and his mother Julia Soaemias, mutilated their bodies, and threw them in the Tiber River. 1879 – Shō Tai (pictured), the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, abdicated when the kingdom was annexed by Japan and converted to Okinawa Prefecture. 1978 – After hijacking a bus north of Tel Aviv, members of Palestine Liberation Organization faction Fatah engaged in a shootout with the Israel Police, resulting in the deaths of 38 civilians and most of the perpetrators. 1983 – Pakistan successfully conducted a cold test of a nuclear weapon. 2006 – Michelle Bachelet was inaugurated as the first female President of Chile. More anniversaries: March 10 – March 11 – March 12 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now March 11 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The 85 m (279 ft) tall Westertoren is the tallest church tower in Amsterdam. Part of the Westerkerk ("western church"), it was designed in the Renaissance style by Hendrick de Keyser and is topped by a replica of the Imperial Crown of Austria of Maximilian I. The Westerkerk is located close to the Anne Frank House where diarist Anne Frank and others hid for two years during World War II, and is mentioned frequently in her diary.

Photo: Massimo Catarinella

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