Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 April 5

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Today's featured article
Zodiac is a 2007 American mystery-thriller film directed by David Fincher (pictured) and based on Robert Graysmith's non-fiction book of the same name. The Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. joint production stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey, Jr. Zodiac tells the story of the hunt for a notorious serial killer known as "Zodiac" who killed in and around the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s and early 1970s, leaving several victims in his wake and taunting police with letters and ciphers mailed to newspapers. The case remains one of San Francisco's most infamous unsolved crimes. Fincher, screenwriter James Vanderbilt, and producer Brad Fischer spent 18 months conducting their own investigation and research into the Zodiac murders. During filming, Fincher employed the digital Thomson Viper Filmstream camera to shoot the film. Contrary to popular belief, Zodiac was not shot entirely digitally; traditional high-speed film cameras were used for slow-motion murder sequences. Reviews for the film were highly positive; however, it did not perform strongly at the North American box office. It performed better in other parts of the world, earning $84 million, with a budget of $65 million spent on its production. (more...) Recently featured: Tryon Creek – Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident - Talbot Baines Reed Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Olympic silver and bronze medalist Stacey Porter (pictured) was the first Aboriginal member of the Australian women's national team to represent the country in softball at the Olympics? ... that the Devonian stem tetrapod Tinirau clackae, transitional between fish and land vertebrates, was named after the half-human half-fish character Tinirau in Polynesian legend? ... that the protagonist of the game Soft & Cuddly must reassemble his mother's dismembered body? ... that World Naked Gardening Day, celebrated in May to promote nude gardening, was first observed in 2005? ... that the Communist Party leader Umberto Barulli was appointed head of state in San Marino in 1988? ... that the Dynasphere monowheel was criticized for its poor braking and steering capabilities, as well as its gerbiling tendencies? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Following an allegation of academic misconduct, Pál Schmitt (pictured) resigns as President of Hungary. UTair Flight 120 crashes shortly after take-off from Roshchino International Airport, Tyumen, Russia, killing 32 people. The National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, wins a majority of contested seats in the Burmese by-elections. The Malian towns of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu fall to rebel control. In the Gambian parliamentary election, the incumbent APRC party wins an absolute majority of seats in the National Assembly. Tribal clashes kill at least 147 people in Sabha, Libya. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
April 5: Maundy Thursday (Christianity, 2012); Feast Day of Vincent Ferrer 1081 – The Komnenian dynasty came to full power when Alexios I Komnenos (pictured) was crowned Byzantine Emperor. 1566 – A covenant of nobles in the Habsburg Netherlands presented Governor Margaret of Parma a petition to suspend the Spanish Inquisition in the Netherlands. 1942 – Second World War: Carrier-based aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy conducted the Easter Sunday Raid to disrupt the war effort of Commonwealth nations and to force the British Eastern Fleet to leave Asian waters. 1992 – Bosnian War: Unidentified gunmen killed two people while firing upon a large crowd of anti-war protesters in Sarajevo, marking the start of the four-year-long Siege of Sarajevo. 2010 – An explosion at a coal mine in West Virginia killed 29 miners in the United States' worst mining disaster in 40 years. More anniversaries: April 4 – April 5 – April 6 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now April 5, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The Battenberg Mausoleum is the memorial tomb of Prince Alexander of Battenberg, the first ruler of modern Bulgaria. Located in the Sofia city centre, the structure opened in 1897, four years after Alexander's death on April 5, 1893, in Graz, Austria, where he was initially buried. However, in accordance with his wish, his remains were transferred to Sofia where he was given a state funeral.

Photo: Plamen Agov

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