Wikipedia:Main Page history/2017 March 14

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Hugh de Neville (died 1234) was the Chief Forester under the kings Richard I, John, and Henry III of England, and a sheriff of several counties over his lifetime. Neville was related to royal officials and a bishop, and was a member of Prince Richard's household. After Richard became king in 1189, Neville continued in his service, accompanying him on the Third Crusade. Neville remained in the royal service following Richard's death in 1199 and the accession of King John to the throne, becoming one of the new king's favourites and often gambling with him. He was named in Magna Carta as one of John's principal advisors, considered by a medieval chronicler to be one of King John's "evil councillors". He deserted John after the French invasion of England in 1216, but returned to pledge his loyalty to John's son Henry III after the latter's accession to the throne that year. Neville's royal service continued until his death in 1234, though by then he was a less significant figure than he had been at the height of his powers. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

Golda Meir portrait

... that when the stalls of a Jerusalem shuk close, Solomon Souza's spray-painted portraits (example pictured) become visible?
... that in Operation Hurricane, an atomic bomb was exploded in the hull of HMS Plym?
... that although Parmenian is considered by some historians to be the most important Donatist writer of his day, none of his works survive?
... that Petra Hřebíčková was named Best Actress in a Play at the 2008 Thalia Awards?
... that the original Nakatsu Castle was destroyed in a fire in 1877, and the current structure was built in 1964?
... that Canadian football player Jeff Almon was drafted by the Calgary Stampeders after leaving a favorable impression on coach Mike Benevides, whom he happened to be seated near on a flight?
... that TLC rapper Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes wrote two verses for the song "Kick Your Game", recapping a dialogue between herself and someone who was trying to flirt but did not "pass the cleverness test"?

In the news

Park Geun-hye

South Korea's Constitutional Court removes President Park Geun-hye (pictured) from office.
Donald Tusk is re-elected as President of the European Council despite opposition from his home country, Poland.
Physicists announce the first synthesis of time crystals.
An attack on a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, kills 49 people and injures more than 60 others.
The Azure Window, a limestone natural arch on the Maltese island of Gozo, collapses during a storm.

On this day...

March 14: New Year's Day (Sikhism); White Day in East Asia; Pi Day

The Lakeview Gusher

1757 – British Royal Navy Admiral John Byng was executed by firing squad for failing to "do his utmost" during the Battle of Minorca at the start of the Seven Years' War.
1910 – Oil prospectors in Kern County, California, drilled into a pressurized oil deposit, resulting in the largest accidental oil spill (pictured) in history.
1972 – Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, known for his translation of Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago after it had been smuggled out of the Soviet Union, was killed in a mysterious explosion.
1984 – Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Féin, was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt by Ulster Freedom Fighters in central Belfast, Northern Ireland.

John Sigismund Zápolya (d. 1571) · Fannie Lou Hamer (d. 1977) · Tony Benn (d. 2014)

More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics). Although relativity is his most widely remembered achievement, he published more than 300 scientific papers (along with over 150 non-scientific works), and the Nobel Prize in Physics he received in 1921 was "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect"—a pivotal step in the evolution of quantum theory.

Photograph: Ferdinand Schmutzer; restoration: Adam Cuerden

Recently featured:

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.