Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 February 18

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Today's featured article
Baldwin of Forde (c. 1125 – 1190) was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1185 and 1190. The son of a clergyman, he studied canon law and theology at Bologna and was tutor to Pope Eugene III's nephew before returning to England to serve successive bishops of Exeter. After becoming a Cistercian monk he was named abbot of his monastery, and subsequently elected to the episcopate at Worcester. Before becoming a bishop, he wrote theological works and sermons, some of which have survived. As a bishop Baldwin came to the attention of King Henry II of England, who was so impressed he insisted that Baldwin become archbishop. In that office, Baldwin quarrelled with his cathedral clergy over the founding of a church, which led to the imprisonment of the clergy in their cloister for more than a year. Baldwin spent some time in Wales with Gerald of Wales, preaching and raising money for the Third Crusade. After the coronation of King Richard I of England, the new king sent Baldwin ahead to the Holy Land, where he became embroiled in the politics of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Baldwin died in the Holy Land while participating in the crusade; his long-running dispute with his clergy led one chronicler to characterise Baldwin as more damaging to Christianity than Saladin. (more...) Recently featured: Abbas Kiarostami – Leopard 2E – Tom Driberg Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Russian Antarctic research stations Vostok and Mirny are named after the sloops-of-war Vostok and Mirny (pictured) sailed by Bellingshausen and Lazarev, the discoverers of Antarctica? ... that the legal case pursued by Adolf Grimme, Greta Kuckhoff and Günther Weisenborn against the Nazi judge who sentenced them dragged on for more than a decade, only to be dropped by the public prosecutor? ... that the writer of the Glee episode "On My Way" wrote "The First Time" first? ... that despite entering York City's team after the start of the 1983–84 season, Alan Pearce played 18 times that season for the side that won the Fourth Division? ... that although the Peshtigo Reef Light incorporates a keeper's dwelling, it has never been permanently manned? ... that botanist Reidar Jørgensen was a national champion in middle distance running? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Christian Wulff President of Germany Christian Wulff (pictured) resigns following allegations of corruption during his tenure as Prime Minister of Lower Saxony. A fire at a prison in Comayagua, Honduras, kills more than 350 inmates. Indonesian airline Lion Air orders 230 aircraft from Boeing in a US$22.4 billion deal, a commercial aviation record. In its maiden flight, ESA's Vega rocket successfully launches LARES and eight other satellites. Amid protests, the Greek Parliament passes austerity measures by the country's interim coalition government, led by Lucas Papademos. Adele wins six awards, including Record of the Year and Album of the Year, at the 54th Grammy Awards. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
February 18 1766 – A mutiny by captive Madagascans began at sea on the slave ship *Meermin, leading to the ship's destruction, and subsequent rulings in the Dutch East India Company's Council of Justice were a "huge step in the recognition of oppressed people as free-thinking individuals." 1878 – Competition between two merchants in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, US, turned into* a range war when a member of one faction was murdered by the other. 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army began the systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among Chinese Singaporeans. 1943 – Joseph Goebbels (pictured), Hitler's propaganda minister, delivered the Sportpalast speech to motivate the German people when the tide of World War II was turning against Germany. 2010 – Rebels attacked the presidential palace in Niamey, Niger, and replaced President Mamadou Tandja with a ruling junta, the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy. More anniversaries: February 17 – February 18 – February 19 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now February 18, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A 1 cm³ cube, crystalline fragments, and a single crystal of tantalum, created by the floating zone process. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly resistant to corrosion. Its main use today is in tantalum capacitors in electronic equipment.

Photo: Alchemist-hp

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