Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 March 21

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Today's featured article
John Michael Wright (1617–1694) was a portrait painter in the Baroque style who described himself variously as English and Scottish. Wright trained in Edinburgh under the Scots painter George Jamesone, and acquired a considerable reputation as an artist and scholar during a long sojourn in Rome. There he was admitted to the Accademia di San Luca, and was associated with some of the leading artists of his generation. He was engaged by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, the governor of the Spanish Netherlands, to acquire artworks in Oliver Cromwell's England in 1655. He took up permanent residence in England from 1656, and served as court painter before and after the English Restoration. A convert to Roman Catholicism, he was a favourite of the restored Stuart court, a client of both Charles II and James II, and was a witness to many of the political manoeuvrings of the era. In the final years of the Stuart monarchy he returned to Rome as part of an embassy to Pope Innocent XI. Wright is currently rated as one of the leading indigenous British painters of his generation and largely for the distinctive realism in his portraiture. Perhaps due to the unusually cosmopolitan nature of his experience, he was favoured by patrons at the highest level of society in an age in which foreign artists were usually preferred. Wright's paintings of royalty and aristocracy are included amongst the collections of many leading galleries today. (more...) Recently featured: William of Tyre – Seattle Sounders FC – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that the British destroyer HMS Hasty (pictured) captured the German blockade runner SS Morea in the North Atlantic on 12 February 1940 en-route from the South Atlantic to the UK to refit? ... that George Durkin Corneal became the first coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team in 1909? ... that flooding associated with the Sanriku earthquake and tsunami in 869 extended for at least four kilometres inland on the Sendai plain? ... that John McLaughlin's Grammy nominated album To the One was inspired by John Coltrane's album A Love Supreme? ... that after defeating the Ottomans in the Battle of Ohrid, Skanderbeg distributed a large amount of ransom money to his men and dined off letnica with them? ... that there is evidence that humans have been processing fish since the early Holocene? ... that "Huda the executioner" was recently deposed as mayor of Benghazi, Libya? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
The American destroyer USS Barry launches one of around 110 Tomahawk missiles fired initially in support of the no-fly zone. The Alpine Skiing World Cup concludes with Ivica Kostelić of Croatia and Maria Riesch of Germany winning the overall titles. French, British and American forces launch attacks (USS Barry pictured) on pro-Gaddafi troops in Libya in support of the UN-mandated no-fly zone. Thousands of people protest across Syria in the country's largest demonstrations in decades. In rugby union, England win the Six Nations Championship. Knut, a polar bear raised by zookeepers at the Berlin Zoo, dies at the age of four. The Moon reaches its most extreme perigee-syzygy (a "supermoon") since 1993. Earthquake and tsunami in Japan Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
March 21: Independence Day in Namibia (1990); Naw-Rúz in the Bahá'í calendar; World Down Syndrome Day; Mother's Day in the Arab world 1909 – The remains of the Báb, one of three central figures of the Bahá'í Faith, were interred by `Abdu'l-Bahá in Haifa, present-day Israel. 1943 – World War II: Wehrmacht officer Rudolf Christoph von Gersdorff (pictured) attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler by suicide bombing, but had to abort the plan at the last minute. 1946 – The Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League signed Kenny Washington, making him the first African American player in the league since 1933. 2002 – British schoolgirl Amanda Dowler was abducted on her way home from Heathside School in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. 2006 – A man using a hammer smashed the statue of Phra Phrom in the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, and was subsequently beaten to death by bystanders. More anniversaries: March 20 – March 21 – March 22 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now March 21 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Kostas Martakis is a Greek singer most known for his participation in a talent show called Dream Show aired by Alpha TV in 2006, and his participation in the Greek national final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. He released his debut album Anatropi and numerous singles through Sony BMG Greece, with whom he was originally signed. In 2009, he signed with Universal Music Greece and then released his second album Pio Konta in November 2009.

Photo: Universal Music Greece

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