Wikipedia:Main Page history/2023 June 30b
From today's featured article
Benjamin Morrell (1795 – c. 1839) was an American sealing captain and explorer who made a series of voyages, mainly to the Atlantic, the Southern Ocean and the Pacific Islands, between 1823 and 1831. Many of the claims in his ghost-written memoir, A Narrative of Four Voyages, especially those relating to his Antarctic experiences, have been disputed by geographers and historians. In 1823 he took the sealer Wasp for an extended voyage into subantarctic waters, and it was from this time that much of the controversy surrounding his reputation developed. Many of his claims—the first landing on Bouvet Island, a Weddell Sea penetration to 70° S, an extremely rapid passage of 3,500 miles (5,600 km) at improbably high latitudes and the discovery of a coastline he named New South Greenland—have been doubted or proved false. He ended his career as a fugitive, having wrecked his ship and misappropriated parts of the salvaged cargo. (Full article...)
Did you know ...
- ... that Merit's wig (pictured), discovered in the tomb TT8, still shone with perfumed oils at the time of its discovery?
- ... that at the age of 82, Kuwaiti crown prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the oldest heir apparent in the world?
- ... that Jordan Stephens has released solo music under his own name and the pseudonyms "J Steezy", "Rizzle", "Wildhood", "Gnarly Ventura", and "Al, the Native"?
- ... that parts of the Marsala Punic shipwreck were marked with alphabetical signs intended to facilitate and speed up assembly?
- ... that prior to attorney Stanley Woodward representing Donald Trump aide Walt Nauta and Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs, he represented tenants in D.C. who were facing eviction?
- ... that staff of a California public TV station were unaware it was broadcasting in color until a viewer called to compliment their color signal?
- ... that the flightless suliforme Klallamornis likely went extinct when the volcanic islands it used for shelter along the coast of the Pacific Northwest eroded away into the Pacific Ocean?
- ... that Kevin A. Gilroy served as the mayor of Gilroy?
In the news
- In Russia, the Wagner mercenary group (leader Yevgeny Prigozhin pictured) stands down after rebelling against the government.
- In China, an explosion at a restaurant in Yinchuan kills 31 people.
- A women's prison riot near Tegucigalpa, Honduras, leaves at least 46 inmates dead.
- Five people die in a submersible implosion in the North Atlantic near the wreck of the Titanic.
- In golf, Wyndham Clark wins the U.S. Open.
On this day
- 1559 – During a jousting match, King Henry II of France was mortally wounded when fragments of Gabriel Montgomery's lance pierced his eye.
- 1598 – Anglo-Spanish War: After a 15-day siege Spanish troops in San Juan, modern-day Puerto-Rico, surrendered to an English force under Sir George Clifford.
- 1859 – French acrobat Charles Blondin crossed Niagara Gorge, making him one of the world's most famous tightrope walkers.
- 1963 – The coronation of Pope Paul VI (pictured) took place, the last such ceremony before its abandonment by later popes.
- 2009 – Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean near the Comoros, killing 152 people, with French schoolgirl Bahia Bakari the sole survivor.
- Erentrude (d. 718)
- Toyohara Kunichika (b. 1835)
- Assia Djebar (b. 1936)
- Nancy Mitford (d. 1973)
From today's featured list
The Torrens Trophy is awarded to an individual or organisation for demonstrating "Outstanding Contribution to the Cause or Technical Excellence of Safe and Skilful Motorcycling in the UK". It is named in honour of The Motor Cycle editor and Royal Automobile Club vice-president Arthur Bourne, who wrote a column under the pen name Torrens. The trophy, an eight-pint silver tankard, has been awarded infrequently since 1979 by the Torrens Trophy Nominations Committee. The inaugural recipient was Frederick Lovegrove in 1979. As of 2022, the accolade has been won sixteen times: Superbike riders have won it four times, with road motorbike racers recognised twice, and Grand Prix motorcycle riders and motorcycle speedway competitors each honoured once. The 2022 winner was Mike Trimby, who was honoured for his work in representing teams and riders in MotoGP for four decades. (Full list...)
Today's featured picture
La bohème is a four-act opera composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème (1851) by Henri Murger. The story is set in Paris around 1830 and shows the Bohemian lifestyle of a poor seamstress and her artist friends, with romantic entanglements conflicting with the ever-present need of money to survive. In Act II, set in the Quartier Latin, Musetta, a singer, pushes the bill for the group of friends' extravagant meal onto her elderly patron (who tries and fails to have a romantic date with her), after resparking her tulmultuous relationship with Marcello. This set design for Act II of La bohème was created by the German artist Adolfo Hohenstein for the world premiere in Turin on 1 February 1896. Produced with India ink and tempera on paper, the illustration is in the archives of the Italian music publishing house Casa Ricordi. Set design credit: Adolfo Hohenstein; restored by Adam Cuerden
Recently featured:
|
Other areas of Wikipedia
- Community portal – The central hub for editors, with resources, links, tasks, and announcements.
- Village pump – Forum for discussions about Wikipedia itself, including policies and technical issues.
- Site news – Sources of news about Wikipedia and the broader Wikimedia movement.
- Teahouse – Ask basic questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
- Help desk – Ask questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
- Reference desk – Ask research questions about encyclopedic topics.
- Content portals – A unique way to navigate the encyclopedia.
Wikipedia's sister projects
Wikipedia is written by volunteer editors and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other volunteer projects:
-
Commons
Free media repository -
MediaWiki
Wiki software development -
Meta-Wiki
Wikimedia project coordination -
Wikibooks
Free textbooks and manuals -
Wikidata
Free knowledge base -
Wikinews
Free-content news -
Wikiquote
Collection of quotations -
Wikisource
Free-content library -
Wikispecies
Directory of species -
Wikiversity
Free learning tools -
Wikivoyage
Free travel guide -
Wiktionary
Dictionary and thesaurus
Wikipedia languages
This Wikipedia is written in English. Many other Wikipedias are available; some of the largest are listed below.
-
1,000,000+ articles
-
250,000+ articles
-
50,000+ articles