Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 November 21

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Today's featured article
The Canoe River train crash occurred on November 21, 1950, near Valemount in eastern British Columbia, Canada, when a westbound troop train and the eastbound Canadian National Railway (CNR) Continental Limited collided head-on. Twenty-one people were killed: seventeen Canadian soldiers being deployed in the Korean War (memorial to them pictured) and the two-man locomotive crew of each train. The post-crash investigation found that the order given to the troop train differed from the intended message. Crucial words were missing, causing the troop train to proceed on its way rather than halt on a siding, which caused the collision. A telegraph operator, Alfred John "Jack" Atherton, was charged with manslaughter; the prosecution alleged he was negligent in passing an incomplete message. His family hired his Member of Parliament, John Diefenbaker, as defence counsel. Diefenbaker joined the British Columbia bar to take the case, and obtained Atherton's acquittal. (more...) Recently featured: M-6 – Achtung Baby – Battle of Vukovar Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that veteran NASCAR promoter Humpy Wheeler is an advisor to the Grand Prix of America, a Formula One race to be run in New Jersey (planned track layout pictured) starting in 2013? ... that teenage prodigy Conrad Tao starred on the TV series From the Top three times: as pianist, violinist, and composer? ... that the students of Chester College helped to build its chapel between 1844 and 1847? ... that former basketball guard Stefon Jackson, who played for the UTEP Miners, is Conference USA's all-time scoring leader with 2,456 points? ... that the plot of the Battlestar Galactica episode "Sacrifice" was influenced by Dog Day Afternoon? ... that the mistletoe species Amyema congener of eastern Australia can grow on non-native peach, plum and pear trees? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Mariano Rajoy The People's Party, led by Mariano Rajoy (pictured), wins a majority in the Spanish general election. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, banned in Burma since May 2010, announces that it will re-register as a political party. Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia sign a cooperation agreement, setting a target of establishing the Eurasian Union by 2015. The International Atomic Energy Agency releases a report accusing Iran of conducting research and experiments to develop nuclear weapons. Soyuz TMA-22, carrying a crew of two Russians and one American, docks with the International Space Station. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
November 21: Armed Forces Day in Bangladesh 1386 – Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur captured and sacked the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, forcing King Bagrat V to convert to Islam. 1894 – First Sino-Japanese War: The Japanese Second Army killed an estimated 20,000 Chinese servicemen and civilians in the city of Lüshunkou. 1910 – The crews of the Brazilian warships *Minas Geraes, São Paulo, Bahia, and Deodoro* mutinied in what became known as the Revolt of the Lash (pictured). 1977 – "God Defend New Zealand" became New Zealand's second national anthem, on equal standing with "God Save the Queen", which had been the traditional one since 1840. More anniversaries: November 20 – November 21 – November 22 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now November 21, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured list

The Grammy Award for Best New Age Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the New Age music genre at the Grammy Awards, an annual ceremony that recognizes "artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position". Originally called the Grammy Award for Best New Age Recording, the honor was first presented to Swiss musician Andreas Vollenweider at the 29th Grammy Awards in 1987. From 1988 to 1991 the category was known as Best New Age Performance; the name Best New Age Album has remained unchanged since 1992. As of 2011, Paul Winter holds the record for the most wins in this category, having won six times (four times as the leader of the group Paul Winter Consort). (more...)

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The village of Glenridding, at the southern end of Ullswater, in the Lake District of England. The village is popular with hillwalkers who can scale England's third highest mountain, Helvellyn, and many other challenging peaks from there.

Photo: David Iliff

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