Wikipedia:Main Page history/2018 June 11

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

A Hogwarts Express train at the Universal Orlando Resort

The Hogwarts Express is an 1,800 mm (5 ft 10 ⁷⁄₈ in) broad-gauge railway, people mover, and attraction within the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, in the United States. The route runs 676 meters (2,218 ft) between Hogsmeade station in the Islands of Adventure theme park and King's Cross station in the London area of the Universal Studios Florida theme park. The railway provides a connection between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade within the resort's Wizarding World of Harry Potter section, based on the Harry Potter film series. The system, which was manufactured by the Doppelmayr Garaventa Group, is operated with two replicas of the Hogwarts Express. The two directions of travel show different videos. The railway opened to the public in July 2014, along with the rest of the Diagon Alley expansion. The service was immediately popular, providing one million rides within one month of opening. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

Mebold Organ in Idstein

... that Orgelbau Mebold built a new organ (pictured) in St. Martin, Idstein, in 2006, which has attracted organists such as Kalevi Kiviniemi and Matthias Eisenberg to perform there?
... that Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko and the Security Service of Ukraine faked Babchenko's murder in order to arrest assassins who were actually planning to kill him?
... that Bulgosuchus gargantua, a giant early temnospondyl from the Triassic, is known only from Long Reef, New South Wales?
... that Captain Hume was present at the Battle of Alma, the Battle of Inkerman, and the Siege of Sebastopol during the Crimean War, before serving during the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
... that P. K. Sen led the first human heart transplant in India?
... that despite being a Serb, Tatjana Ljujić-Mijatović stayed in Serb-besieged Sarajevo and became the only woman member of the wartime Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
... that over a million cockroaches escaped when an unregulated cockroach farm building was bulldozed while the owner was out to lunch?

In the news

Alexander Ovechkin

In thoroughbred horse racing, Justify wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the thirteenth United States Triple Crown winner.
In ice hockey, the Washington Capitals defeat the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup Finals (Conn Smythe Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin pictured).
NASA reports the discovery of complex organic molecules in samples collected by Curiosity from Gale crater on Mars.
The Slovenian Democratic Party, led by Janez Janša, wins the most seats in the parliamentary election.

On this day...

June 11: Night of Decree (Sunni Islam, 2018)

Alexander of Greece

1345 – Inspecting a new prison without being escorted by his bodyguard, Alexios Apokaukos, megas doux of the Byzantine navy, was lynched by the prisoners.
1775 – The Battle of Machias, the first naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War, commenced in and around the port of Machias in what is now eastern Maine.
1917 – Alexander (pictured) was crowned King of Greece, succeeding his father Constantine, who had abdicated.
1955 – More than 80 people were killed by debris after cars driven by Pierre Levegh and Lance Macklin collided during the 23rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race.
2008 – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologised to the First Nations for past governments' policies of forced assimilation.

James Francis Edward Keith (b. 1696) · Ernie Nevers (b. 1903) · A. Thurairajah (d. 1994)

More anniversaries:

From today's featured list

Missouri S&T logo

The alumni of Missouri University of Science and Technology, or Missouri S&T, include both graduates and non-graduates who have attended the University located in Rolla, Missouri. Missouri S&T was founded as the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (MSM) in 1870, the first technological institution west of the Mississippi River. In 1964, the school's name was changed to University of Missouri–Rolla (UMR) as part of the University of Missouri System, and the most recent name change to Missouri University of Science and Technology took effect in 2008. The university's alumni span multiple fields and careers, particularly those concentrated in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The creator of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, enrolled at Missouri S&T in 1995 majoring in computer science and mathematics, but transferred out during his junior year. Many NASA astronauts and engineers are graduates from Missouri S&T, such as Sandra Magnus, who was aboard the last American Space Shuttle, and George Mueller, who helped enable the Apollo 11 moon landing. (Full list...)

Recently featured:

Today's featured picture

A Norwegian rigsdaler banknote, dated 1807 and in the denomination of five rigsdalers. The 1807 issue, in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 100, was the first issue of rigsdaler banknotes in more than a century, following the 1695 issue. In 1816, following the establishment of a union between Sweden and Norway, the rigsdaler was renamed the speciedaler and became the standard unit of currency in Norway.

Banknote: Kingdom of Norway (courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History)

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.