Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 July 12

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Today's featured article
Andromeda is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Located north of the celestial equator, it is named for the princess in the Greek legend, who was chained to a rock to be eaten by the sea monster Cetus. Its brightest star, Alpha Andromedae, is a binary star, as is bright Gamma Andromedae, a colorful binary and a popular target for amateur astronomers. The constellation's most obvious deep-sky object is the naked-eye Andromeda Galaxy (M31, also called the Great Galaxy of Andromeda), the closest galaxy to the Milky Way and one of the brightest Messier objects. In Chinese astronomy, the stars that make up Andromeda were members of four different constellations that had astrological and mythological significance; a constellation related to Andromeda also exists in Hindu mythology. Andromeda is the location of the radiant for the Andromedids, a weak meteor shower that occurs in November. (more...) Recently featured: Mumia Abu-Jamal – Halifax Gibbet – Cross of Gold speech Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Gamos (pictured) was called "the mare of many headaches" in the years after she won the 1870 Epsom Oaks? ... that the Salah al-Din Road is the main highway of the Gaza Strip, running the territory's entire length? ... that Anders Christian Lunde painted King Frederik VII arriving by boat at the Helligdomsklipperne cliffs of Bornholm in 1851? ... that a pretender to the French throne built the De Mores Packing Plant in the Dakota Territory in 1883? ... that the stems of Jatropha dioica can be tied into knots? ... that Michael Sokolski, inventor of the Scantron multiple-choice optical answer sheet system, used to drive Polish tanks in Italy during World War II? ... that Jellyvision uses writers from Chicago improv troupes to develop new trivia questions weekly for its You Don't Know Jack Facebook game? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Astronomers announce the discovery of S/2012 P 1, the fifth moon of Pluto. In tennis, Serena Williams (pictured) and Roger Federer win the women's singles and men's singles, respectively, at the Wimbledon Championships. At least 141 people are killed in a flash flood in the Krasnodar Krai region of Russia. The Shard in London is inaugurated as the tallest building in Europe, with a height of 310 metres (1,020 ft). In association football, the Copa Libertadores concludes with Corinthians defeating Boca Juniors in the Finals. CERN announces the discovery of a new particle with properties consistent with the Higgs boson after experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
July 12: Independence Day in Kiribati (1979) and São Tomé and Príncipe (1975); The Twelfth in Northern Ireland 1561 – Saint Basil's Cathedral, located at the geographic center of Moscow, was consecrated. 1920 – The Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty was signed, with Soviet Russia agreeing to recognize an independent Lithuania. 1948 – Arab–Israeli War: Israeli Defense Force officer Yitzhak Rabin (pictured) signed the order to expel Palestinians from the towns of Lod and Ramla. 1979 – Rowdy fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago stormed the field during a promotional event in which a crate of disco records was blown up. 2005 – Prince Albert II was enthroned as ruler of Monaco. More anniversaries: July 11 – July 12 – July 13 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now July 12, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A view west along the main stem of the Chicago River, a system of rivers and canals that runs through Chicago, Illinois, US. Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley waterways. Buildings such as Trump International Hotel and Tower in the center and Aqua (gray building with turquoise "streak") are among the prominent structures depicted. On the right is the cleared land that was awaiting redevelopment as the Chicago Spire. This photo is from the Link Bridge with Streeterville region of the Near North Side community area to the north and the Lakeshore East and Illinois Center regions of the Loop to the south.

Photo: Mindfrieze

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