Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 June 6

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Today's featured article
Peter Heywood (1772–1831) was a British naval officer who was aboard HMS Bounty during the mutiny of 28 April 1789. Bounty had left England in 1787 on a mission to collect breadfruit from the Pacific. Shortly after the ship began its homeward voyage, discontented crew members led by Fletcher Christian seized its captain, William Bligh, and took control of the vessel. Bligh and 19 loyalists were set adrift in an open boat; Heywood remained aboard Bounty. He and 15 others settled in Tahiti, while Bounty sailed on to Pitcairn Island. Bligh eventually reached England, where he implicated Heywood in the mutiny. In 1791 Heywood and his companions were captured and brought back to England. Heywood was court-martialed and sentenced to hang, but was subsequently pardoned by King George III. During his trial powerful family connections worked on his behalf, and the extent of his guilt was clouded by contradictory statements and possible false testimony. Heywood's career subsequently prospered; he was given his first command at the age of 27, and made a post-captain at 31. After leaving the navy in 1816 he enjoyed a long and peaceful retirement. (more...) Recently featured: Transit of Venus – Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga – Sweet Track Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that one of the world's great philatelic rarities, the 1 peso "In Ps" tête-bêche pair (pictured), is the only known copy of the State of Buenos Aires 1859 Barquitos postage stamp error? ... that Wedlock, a 2009 book by Wendy Moore, details the abusive second marriage of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore, the great-great-great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II? ... that the career of Canadian professional wrestler Quinson Valentino, one of Ontario's top heel performers during the 2000s, ended after losing a retirement match in 2008? ... that Hamka's debut novel Under the Protection of Ka'bah promoted orthodox Islam as a path to true development? ... that the Illinois Manufacturers' Association has its origins in a group formed to oppose laws against sweatshops? ... that Pakistani cricketers hold the record for the highest number of wins in Twenty20 Internationals? ... that in his tell-all memoir The Bronx Zoo, Sparky Lyle talked about how he enjoyed sitting on birthday cakes naked? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Hosni Mubarak A thousand vessels parade down the River Thames in London as part of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. A passenger plane crashes into a building in Lagos, Nigeria, killing all 153 people on board. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (pictured) is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry approves the names flerovium and livermorium for two recently discovered synthetic elements. Viswanathan Anand defeats Boris Gelfand to win a fourth consecutive World Chess Championship. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
June 6 1674 – Shivaji (pictured), who led a resistance to free the Maratha from the Sultanate of Bijapur and the Mughal Empire, was crowned the first Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire. 1813 – War of 1812: The British ambushed an American encampment near present-day Stoney Creek, Ontario, capturing two senior officers. 1844 – The YMCA, today a worldwide movement of more than 45 million members from 124 national federations, was founded in London. 1859 – Queen Victoria signed letters patent separating the colony of Queensland from New South Wales. 1944 – Second World War: The Invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious military operation in history, began with Allied troops landing on the beaches of Normandy in France. 1971 – Vietnam War: The Australian Army attacked a heavily fortified Vietnamese communist forces base camp in the Battle of Long Khanh. More anniversaries: June 5 – June 6 – June 7 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now June 6, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A view down the tracks of the Chicago 'L' rapid transit system at the Adams/Wabash station. The 'L', which began operations on June 6, 1892, is the third busiest rail mass transit system in the United States. Although nicknamed 'L' for the large parts of the system that are elevated, portions of the network are in a subway or at street level.

Photo: Daniel Schwen

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