Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 September 28

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Today's featured article
Rhyolite is a ghost town in Nye County, in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is in the Bullfrog Hills, about 120 miles (190 km) northwest of Las Vegas, near the eastern edge of Death Valley. The town began in early 1905 as one of several mining camps that sprang up after a prospecting discovery in the surrounding hills. During an ensuing gold rush, thousands of gold-seekers, developers, miners, and service providers flocked to the Bullfrog Mining District. Many settled in Rhyolite, which lay in a sheltered desert basin near the region's biggest producer, the Montgomery Shoshone Mine. Rhyolite declined almost as rapidly as it rose. After the richest ore was exhausted, production fell. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the financial Panic of 1907 made raising development capital more difficult. By the end of 1910, the mine was operating at a loss, and it closed in 1911. By this time, many out-of-work miners had moved elsewhere, and Rhyolite's population was close to zero by 1920. After 1920, Rhyolite and its ruins became a tourist attraction and a setting for motion pictures. (more...) Recently featured: Toothcomb – Lettuce – Lynching of Jesse Washington Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that St Laurence's Church, Morland (pictured), has the only Anglo-Saxon tower in Cumbria? ... that the 360 kilometres (220 mi) North-South Carrier is the largest engineering project ever undertaken in Botswana? ... that the Polish-Latin dictionary written by the Polish Arian Jan Mączyński in 1564 included translations of jargon, and was a subject of a satirical poem by Jan Kochanowski? ... that in 2013, the Czech Republic plans to directly elect its president for the first time in its history? ... that the inaugural King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1951, with the then-largest prize ever in British horse racing, was won by Supreme Court? ... that Ibn Ra'iq ordered the destruction of the Nahrawan Canal to stop a mutinous army from advancing on Baghdad, even though it was the main irrigation network for the fields that fed the city? ... that U.S. President Harry Truman won an upset victory in 1948 after trailing in the polls by a significant margin throughout nearly all of 1948? ... that although he appeared in eight films with his wife, Kartolo was never cast as her lover? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
David O Russell in 2011 In sumo, Mongolian wrestler Harumafuji Kōhei (pictured) is formally promoted to become the 70th yokozuna. At the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, Homeland and Modern Family win the awards for Outstanding Drama and Comedy Series, respectively. In Gaelic football, Donegal defeat Mayo in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. After 40 suicides of victims trigger a parliamentary inquiry, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne confirms the sexual abuse of 618 children over 80 years. The extent of Arctic sea ice falls to a record minimum. Anticipating violent reactions to a series of cartoons depicting Muhammad in the magazine Charlie Hebdo, France announces plans to temporarily close its embassies in 20 Muslim countries. Syrian civil war – Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
September 28: Meskel in Ethiopia and Eritrea (2012); Statehood Day in the Czech Republic; Teachers' Day in Taiwan 1066 – William the Conqueror and his fleet of around 600 ships landed at Pevensey, Sussex, beginning the Norman conquest of England. 1901 – Philippine–American War: Filipino guerrillas killed more than forty American soldiers in a surprise attack in the town of Balangiga on Samar Island. 1972 – Paul Henderson scored the game-winning goal against Vladislav Tretiak, securing a Canadian victory in the Summit Series over the Soviet ice hockey team. 1978 – Pope John Paul I died only 33 days after his papal election due to an apparent myocardial infarction, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes. 1994 – The ferry MS Estonia (pictured) sank while commuting between Tallinn, Estonia, and Stockholm, Sweden, claiming 852 lives in one of the worst maritime accidents in the Baltic Sea. More anniversaries: September 27 – September 28 – September 29 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now September 28, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Geleucht, a memorial in the shape of a mining lamp on the Halde Rheinpreußen, a spoil tip in Moers, Germany. Designed by Otto Piene, the 28 m (92 ft) tall monument was constructed in 2007 and contains an observation deck at the top. The Halde Rheinpreußen is part of the Industrial Heritage Trail in the Ruhr area.

Photo: Carschten

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