Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 March 31

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Today's featured article
Sir Richard Williams (1890–1980) is regarded as the "father" of the Royal Australian Air Force. He was the first military pilot trained in Australia, and commanded fighter units in World War I. A proponent of independent air power, Williams played a leading role in the establishment of the RAAF and became its first and longest-serving Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). Born into a working class family, he was an Army Lieutenant when he learned to fly in 1914. As a pilot with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, Williams commanded No. 1 Squadron and later 40th Wing RAF, earning the Distinguished Service Order. Afterwards he campaigned for an Australian Air Force separate from the Army and Navy, and this came into being on 31 March 1921. The fledgling RAAF faced challenges to its existence for the next decade, and Williams was credited with maintaining its independence. However an adverse report on flying safety saw him dismissed as CAS prior to World War II. Despite promotion to Air Marshal in 1940, he never again commanded the RAAF. After the war he was forcibly retired and took up the position of Director-General of Civil Aviation. He was knighted shortly before his retirement in 1955. (more...) Recently featured: Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons – Battle of Towton – Rhodocene Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that the orbits of exoplanets Kepler-11b, Kepler-11c, Kepler-11d, Kepler-11e, and Kepler-11f (artist's depiction pictured) can fit within the orbit of Mercury? ... that despite the low ratings of CBS's Three for the Road, the 1975 series propelled Leif Garrett onto TV Guide's "25 Greatest Teen Idols" list? ... that the Soviet pre-dreadnought battleship Andrei Pervozvanny bombarded Fort Krasnaya Gorka from 13 to 15 June 1919 after its garrison had mutinied against the Bolsheviks? ... that the 1953 Suva earthquake caused the collapse of an 800-metre (2,600 ft) long section of barrier reef, triggering a tsunami and damaging submarine cables? ... that although Australian soccer player Kris Trajanovski only scored in three matches for his country, he scored three hat-tricks? ... that the citizens of Verboort, Oregon, produce 15 tons of sausage and 2,000 pounds of sauerkraut for the community's annual sausage and sauerkraut festival? ... that Tim Ryan's first electronic product was supposed to compete with a US$15 synthesizer module but ended up at a price of US$30,000? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Moussa Koussa Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa (pictured) resigns amid the civil war. Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Otari and his cabinet resign amid anti-government protests. An explosion at a munitions factory in Khanfar, Yemen, kills 150 people. Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura is awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Geraldine Ferraro, the first female major party vice presidential candidate in the United States, dies at the age of 75. More than 250,000 people march through London to protest against government spending cuts. Earthquake in Japan · Middle East and North Africa protests Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
March 31: César Chávez Day in various U.S. states; King Nangklao Memorial Day in Thailand 1146 – French abbot Bernard of Clairvaux preached a sermon to a crowd at Vézelay, with King Louis VII in attendance, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade. 1822 – Greek War of Independence: Ottoman troops began the massacre of over 20,000 Greeks on the island of Chios. 1854 – U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew C. Perry (pictured) and the Tokugawa shogunate signed the Convention of Kanagawa, forcing the opening of Japanese ports to American trade. 1910 – The six English towns of Burslem, Tunstall, Stoke-upon-Trent, Hanley, Fenton and Longton, amalgamated to form a single county borough. 1995 – Mexican American singer Selena, known as "The Queen of Tejano music", was shot and killed in Corpus Christi, Texas, by the president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldívar. More anniversaries: March 30 – March 31 – April 1 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now March 31, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The Eiffel Tower as seen from the Champ de Mars. At 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, the tower, an iron lattice tower, is the tallest building in Paris, the most-visited paid monument in the world, as well as one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, it was built as an entrance arch for the 1889 Exposition Universelle and has since become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and France.

Photo: Benh Lieu Song

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