Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 August 18

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From today's featured article

The social history of viruses describes the influence of viruses and viral infections on human history. Epidemics caused by viruses began during the Neolithic period. Having been hunter-gatherers, humans developed more densely populated agricultural communities, which allowed viruses to spread rapidly and subsequently to become endemic. Smallpox and measles viruses are among the oldest that infect humans. Having evolved from viruses that infected animals, they first appeared in humans in Europe and North Africa thousands of years ago. Louis Pasteur and Edward Jenner were the first to develop vaccines to protect against viral infections. The nature of viruses remained unknown until the invention of the electron microscope in the 1930s, when the science of virology gained momentum. In the 20th century many diseases both old and new were found to be caused by viruses. HIV is the most pathogenic new virus to have emerged in centuries. Although scientific interest in viruses arose because of the diseases they cause, most viruses are beneficial. They drive evolution by transferring genes across species, play important roles in ecosystems and are essential to life. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

From Wikipedia's newest content:

... that the Tower Belle (pictured), built by Armstrong Whitworth on the Tyne in 1920 as the Wincomblee, worked on the Thames in London after World War II before moving to Bristol in 1976?

... that the Federal District is the Brazilian federative unit with the highest Human Development Index?

... that the Ram Jam Inn allegedly got its name from a confidence trick pulled by Dick Turpin, that involved ramming and jamming thumbs in barrels?

... that in spite of an egg throwing incident, Richard and Adam Johnson eventually finished third in Britain's Got Talent?

... that the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel The 34th Rule was intended to be an allegory for the Japanese American internment during the Second World War?

... that, having competed at eight different Games, Deanna Coates is Britain's most experienced Paralympian?

... that the film Northville Cemetery Massacre was described as the "perfect funeral wreath to the biker movie phenomenon"?

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In the news

More than 200 people are missing or dead after a collision between the MV St. Thomas Aquinas and a cargo ship near Cebu, Philippines.

The Smithsonian announces the discovery of the olinguito (pictured), the first new carnivoran species found in the Americas in 35 years.

Petroglyphs at Winnemucca Lake in the U.S. state of Nevada are dated to at least 10,500 years ago, making them the oldest petroglyphs ever found in North America.

NASA declares the Kepler space telescope unfixable, officially ending its primary mission.

Bahraini security forces crack down on the pro-democracy Tamarod protests.

Recent deaths: Rosalía Mera

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On this day...

August 18: Long Tan Day in Australia (1966)

684 – Second Fitna: Umayyad partisans defeated the supporters of Ibn al-Zubayr and cemented Umayyad control of Syria.

1487 – Reconquista: After a four-month siege, the Catholic Monarchs conquered the city of Málaga from the Muslims.

1877 – Asaph Hall discovered Phobos (pictured), the larger of Mars' two moons, six days after discovering Deimos, the other one.

1948 – Australia completed a 4–0 Ashes series win, earning them the nickname of "The Invincibles" for being the first Test cricket match side to play an entire tour of England without losing a match.

1983 – Hurricane Alicia made landfall near Galveston, Texas, US, causing $2.6 billion in damages and 21 deaths.

More anniversaries: August 17 – August 18 – August 19

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It is now August 18, 2013 (UTC) – Reload this page

Today's featured picture

A 1917 poster by Lucian Bernhard intended to sell war bonds in Germany. The caption, roughly translated, is "This is how your money helps you fight! Turned into submarines, it keeps enemy shells away! That's why you should subscribe to war bonds!" Mostly excluded from international financial markets during World War I, Germany was largely limited to domestic borrowing. The bond drives proved extremely successful, raising approximately 100 billion marks in funds.

Poster: Lucian Bernhard; restoration: Bellhalla

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