Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 June 12

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Welcome to Wikipedia,
3,970,250 articles in English

Today's featured article

The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from 5,235 to 9,380 nautical miles (9,695 to 17,370 km), depending on model. Its distinguishing features include the largest-diameter turbofan engines of any aircraft, six wheels on each main landing gear, a circular fuselage cross-section, and blade-shaped tail cone. Developed in consultation with eight major airlines, the 777 was designed to replace older wide-body airliners and bridge the capacity difference between the 767 and 747. As Boeing's first fly-by-wire airliner, it has computer mediated controls; it is also the first entirely computer-designed commercial aircraft. (more...)

Recently featured: Yorkshire captaincy affair of 1927Joey SantiagoCyclone Waka

Did you know...

From Wikipedia's newest content:

Cypresses in Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh (1889)

  • ... that the disputed Baldin Collection, including Cypresses in Starry Night by van Gogh (pictured), was looted from Germany during World War II and is today held by Russia?
  • ... that Wes Ferrell leads all Major League Baseball pitchers in home runs hit in a season (9), and in a career (37)?
  • ... that the name for the new bridge being built alongside the Forth Road Bridge and the Forth Bridge is to be chosen in a public vote in 2013?
  • ... that Bach was "fired up as never before" when he began his second cycle of chorale cantatas with O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 20, for the first Sunday after Trinity in 1724?
  • ... that Clarence 13X taught that the letters of the word "Allah" stood for "arm, leg, leg, arm, head", indicating the divine status of humans?
  • ... that the most viewed Indonesian film of 2011 was based on a story posted in a blog?
  • ... that British archer Amy Oliver, who is due to compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics, didn't like the sport when she first tried it?
  • In the news

    Jonathan Quick

  • In ice hockey, the Los Angeles Kings defeat the New Jersey Devils to win the Stanley Cup (Conn Smythe Trophy awardee Jonathan Quick pictured).
  • The United Nations evacuates non-essential staff from Burma's Rakhine State after riots kill at least seven people.
  • In tennis, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal win the women's and men's singles titles, respectively, at the French Open.
  • Timothy Bradley defeats Manny Pacquiao to win the World Boxing Organization welterweight championship.
  • At least 55 people are killed in a massacre in a village near Hama, Syria.
  • On this day...

    June 12: Independence Day in the Philippines; Russia Day in the Russian Federation; Dia dos Namorados in Brazil

    Statue of Anne Frank

  • 1864Union General Ulysses S. Grant pulled his troops out of the Battle of Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Virginia, ending one of the bloodiest, most lopsided battles in the American Civil War.
  • 1889 – Runaway passenger carriages collided with a following train near Armagh, present-day Northern Ireland, killing 88 people.
  • 1942 – On her thirteenth birthday, Anne Frank (statue pictured) began keeping her diary during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
  • 1987Cold War: During a speech at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate by the Berlin Wall, U.S. President Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!"
  • 2001 – Robert Edward Dyer was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment for conducting a six-month long letter bomb campaign against the British supermarket chain Tesco.
  • More anniversaries: June 11 June 12 June 13

    It is now June 12, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

    Today's featured picture

    Arizona theatrical poster

    A 1907 advertising poster for the play Arizona by American playwright Augustus Thomas. The play tells the story of the affection between a young cavalry man and a rancher's daughter. The young cavalryman is accused of theft, forced to resign, and then accused of murder. It opened in Chicago on June 12, 1899, with a cast led by Theodore Roberts and sets and costumes designed by Frederic Remington.

    Poster: U.S. Lithograph Co.; Restoration: Jujutacular

    Other areas of Wikipedia

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

    Wikipedia's sister projects

    Wikipedia is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other projects:

    Wikipedia languages