Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 May 20

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
The 1906 French Grand Prix was a motor race held on 26 and 27 June 1906, on closed public roads outside the city of Le Mans. The Grand Prix was organised by the Automobile Club de France (ACF) at the prompting of the French automobile industry as an alternative to the Gordon Bennett races, which limited each competing country's number of entries regardless of the size of its industry. The ACF chose a 103.18-kilometre (64.11 mi) circuit, composed primarily of dust roads sealed with tar, which would be lapped six times on both days by each competitor, a combined race distance of 1,238.16 kilometres (769.36 mi). Lasting for more than 12 hours overall, the race was won by Ferenc Szisz driving for the Renault team. Renault's victory contributed to an increase in sales for the French manufacturer in the years following the race. Despite being the second to carry the title, the race has become known as the first Grand Prix. The success of the 1906 French Grand Prix prompted the ACF to run the Grand Prix again the following year, and the German automobile industry to organise the Kaiserpreis, the forerunner to the German Grand Prix, in 1907. (more...) Recently featured: Netley Abbey – Taare Zameen Par – CSI effect Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that the first all-female crew to open up Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station was a Lockheed LC-130 crew of VXE-6 squadron (insignia pictured) in 1991? ... that the Irish bishop and saint, Dagan, may have attempted to excommunicate the Roman missionaries sent by Pope Gregory the Great to convert the Anglo-Saxons by refusing to eat with them? ... that 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America, a 2011 dystopian novel by Albert Brooks, was originally written as a movie script? ... that Roger Sutton might be the most important appointment of the year for the Government of New Zealand? ... that Warblington Castle near Langstone in Hampshire was granted to two different 1st Earls of Southampton? ... that during World War II, a Luftwaffe pilot, observing that there were several wounded crewmen on a United States Army Air Corps's plane, declined to fire and safely escorted it to the North Sea? ... that the Kingdom of the Little People theme park in Kunming, China, requires its performers to be less than 51 inches (130 cm) tall? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Dominique Strauss-Kahn (pictured) resigns his position as head of the International Monetary Fund in the wake of sexual assault charges. The Eurozone financial leaders approve a €78-billion bailout package for Portugal, making it the third country, after Ireland and Greece, to receive a bailout in the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis. Queen Elizabeth II makes the first state visit by a British monarch to the Republic of Ireland. Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on its final mission, delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for installation on the International Space Station. At least 12 Arab protesters are killed during Nakba Day protests and marches on Israel's borders. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
May 20: National Day in Cameroon (1972); Independence Day in East Timor (2002); National Day of Hatred in Cambodia 325 – The First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church, was formally opened in present-day Iznik, Turkey. 685 – The Picts defeated the Northumbrians near Dunnichen, severely weakening the latter's power in northern Great Britain. 1293 – Sancho IV, King of Castile and León, established what is now the Complutense University of Madrid, today one of Spain's top public universities. 1570 – The first modern atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (world map pictured) by cartographer Abraham Ortelius, was issued. 1927 – By the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud over Hejaz and Nejd, which later merged to become Saudi Arabia. 2002 – East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, becoming the first new sovereign state of the 21st century. More anniversaries: May 19 – May 20 – May 21 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now May 20, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Chien-Ming Wang is a Taiwanese baseball pitcher, currently playing for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He began his professional career with the New York Yankees in 2000, playing with their minor league affiliate, the Staten Island Yankees. He made his MLB debut in 2005 and quickly became the Yankees' ace. After major shoulder surgery in 2009, he became a free agent, sat out the 2010 season to recover, and joined the Nationals for 2011.

Photo: Keith Allison

Recently featured: Antigenic shift – "Salvage Scrap to Blast the Jap" – John Shea

Archive – More featured pictures...

Other areas of Wikipedia

Help desk – Ask questions about using Wikipedia.
Reference desk – Serving as virtual librarians, Wikipedia volunteers tackle your questions on a wide range of subjects.
Village pump – For discussions about Wikipedia itself, including areas for technical issues and policies.
Community portal – Bulletin board, projects, resources and activities covering a wide range of Wikipedia areas.
Site news – Announcements, updates, articles and press releases on Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.
Local embassy – For Wikipedia-related communication in languages other than English.