Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 May 18

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Today's featured article
Blakeney Chapel is a ruined building on the Norfolk coast of England. Despite its name, it is in the parish of Cley next the Sea, not the adjoining village of Blakeney, and was probably not a chapel. The building stood on a raised mound or "eye" on the seaward end of the coastal marshes, less than 200 m (220 yd) from the sea and just to the north of the current channel of the River Glaven where it turns to run parallel to the shoreline. It consisted of two rectangular rooms of unequal size, and appears to be intact in a 1586 map, but is shown as ruins in later charts. Only the foundations and part of a wall still remain. A small hearth, probably used for smelting iron, is the only evidence of a specific activity on the site. Much of the structural material was long ago carried off for reuse in buildings in Cley and Blakeney. The surviving ruins are protected as a scheduled monument and Grade II listed building because of their historical importance, but there is no active management. The ever-present threat from the encroaching sea will accelerate following a realignment of the Glaven's course through the marshes and lead inevitably to the loss of the ruins. (more...) Recently featured: The Well of Loneliness – Cockatoo – Sky Blue Sky Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Gregory's tree (pictured), near Timber Creek in Australia's Northern Territory, bears inscriptions by 19th-century explorers and is registered as both a heritage place and an Aboriginal sacred site? ... that although an actor, as a filmmaker better known for his fan films about Batman, Aaron Schoenke was described by filmschoolrejects.com as being "in another league altogether"? ... that the Qianlong Emperor's elegant retirement retreat, the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, is currently undergoing an $18 million international restoration project? ... that Australia had never lost a game on instances when Brett Lee had claimed five wickets in an innings? ... that the Dutch film The Shadow Walkers is based on stories written by Dylan Thomas and Gianni Celati? ... that the Government Gazette (1802) and Sunday Observer (1834) are the oldest newspapers in Sri Lanka? ... that former Indonesia national football team player Herry Kiswanto only received one yellow card during his 17-year career? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
By using terahertz radiation, researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Suzukakedai campus pictured) set a new record for wireless data transmission speed. A new legislative election is scheduled in Greece, after the party leaders failed to form a coalition government following the May election. Eighteen hundred Palestinian prisoners end their hunger strike after Israel agrees to limit their detentions without trial. At least 49 people are decapitated—allegedly by the Zetas drug cartel—and found on Mexican Federal Highway 40. The ArcelorMittal Orbit observation tower is unveiled in preparation for the Summer Olympics in London. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
May 18: Flag and Universities Day in Haiti; Day of Revival, Unity, and the Poetry of Magtymguly in Turkmenistan 1863 – American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant (pictured) led his Army of the Tennessee across the Big Black River in preparation for the Siege of Vicksburg. 1912 – The first Indian film, Shree Pundalik by Dadasaheb Torne, was released. 1936 – In a crime that shocked Japan, Sada Abe strangled her lover Kichizo Ishida, cut off his genitals, and carried them around with her for several days until her arrest. 1965 – Eli Cohen, a spy who is credited with facilitating Israel's success in the Six-Day War against Syria, was publicly hanged after having been captured four months earlier. 2005 – A second photo by the Hubble Space Telescope confirmed the discovery of two new moons of Pluto: Nix and Hydra. 2006 – The Parliament of Nepal unanimously voted to strip King Gyanendra of many of his powers. More anniversaries: May 17 – May 18 – May 19 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now May 18, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A single crystal of rhenium made by the floating zone process (left), an ebeam remelted rhenium bar (center), as well as a 1 cm³ cube. Rhenium is a silvery-white, heavy transition metal that is one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust. It was the last stable element to be discovered and is named after the river Rhine in Europe.

Photo: Alchemist-hp

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