Wikipedia:Main Page history/2018 July 25

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

The Shorwell helmet (replica pictured) is a sixth-century Anglo-Saxon helmet found near Shorwell on the Isle of Wight in southern England. It was one of the grave goods of a high-status Anglo-Saxon warrior, and was found with other objects such as a pattern-welded sword and hanging bowl. One of only six known Anglo-Saxon helmets, alongside those from Benty Grange, Sutton Hoo, Coppergate, Wollaston, and Staffordshire, it is the sole example to derive from the continental Frankish style rather than the contemporaneous Northern crested style used in England and Scandinavia. Exhibiting hardly any decoration other than a speculative exterior leather covering, this was a utilitarian fighting helmet. It was simply and sturdily designed out of eight pieces of riveted iron, and its only decorative elements were paired with functional uses. The helmet's plainness belies its significance; helmets were rare in Anglo-Saxon England, and appear to have been limited to the higher classes. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

Dawson at Oriole Park in 2015

... that 8-year-old Hailey Dawson (pictured) wants to throw out the first pitch in all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums using her 3D-printed robotic hand?
... that Biggs jasper is one of the most sought-after extremely siliceous gemstones?
... that when Minna Lammert, Lilli Lehmann and her sister Marie rehearsed as the Rhinemaidens for the first performance of Das Rheingold in Bayreuth, Wagner thanked them "with tears of joy"?
... that the reticulated pufferfish can produce and build up toxins in its skin, gonads, and liver, including tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin?
... that Wang Jian co-founded Hainan Airlines and transformed it into the world's 170th largest company with US$53 billion in revenue?
... that Technological University Dublin, or TU Dublin, is the first university of its type in Ireland?
... that footballer Colin Hudson scored in a 6–1 victory for Cardiff City on the same day he was married?
... that the witch of Agnesi comes from a circle and kisses it?

In the news

Francesco Molinari

At least 76 people are killed and more than 100 others injured in wildfires in the Greek tourist resort of Mati.
A hydroelectric dam under construction in south-eastern Laos collapses, resulting in extensive damage and leaving more than 6,000 people displaced.
In golf, Francesco Molinari (pictured) wins the Open Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland.
Flooding and mudslides caused by Tropical Storm Son-Tinh leave 32 people dead and 17 others missing in Vietnam.
An amphibious "duck boat" sinks in Table Rock Lake, United States, killing 17 people.

On this day

July 25

Corinth Canal

306 – Constantine the Great was proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops after the death of Constantius Chlorus.
1861 – American Civil War: The United States Congress passed the Crittenden–Johnson Resolution, asserting that the war was solely to prevent the dissolution of the nation, although this was repealed five months later.
1893 – The Corinth Canal (pictured), which bisects the narrow Isthmus of Corinth, was formally opened, connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Aegean Sea's Saronic Gulf.
1978 – Two Puerto Rican pro-independence activists were killed in a police ambush at Cerro Maravilla in Ponce.
2000 – Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde en route from Paris to New York City, crashed in Gonesse, France, killing all one hundred passengers and nine crew members, as well as four people on the ground.

Maxfield Parrish (b. 1870) · Erika Steinbach (b. 1943) · Louise Brown (b. 1978)

More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

Eruptions at Mount Etna, a volcano in Sicily, on the night of 16–17 November 2013. This active stratovolcano is the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy, covering an area of 1,190 km² (459 sq mi) and reaching a height of 3,329 m (10,922 ft). One of the world's most active volcanoes, its fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture. Due to its recent activity and nearby population, Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations.

Video: Boris Behncke

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.