Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 April 20

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Today's featured article
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of 164,000. Situated 75 miles (121 km) north of London, the city stands on the River Nene. The local topography is flat and low-lying, and in some places lies below sea level. The area known as the Fens falls to the east of Peterborough. Human settlement in the area dates back to before the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre. This site also shows evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the establishment of a monastery, then known as Medeshamstede, which later became Peterborough Cathedral (pictured). The population grew rapidly following the arrival of the railways in the nineteenth century (the city is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line railway) and Peterborough became an industrial centre, particularly noted for its brick manufacture. Following the Second World War, growth was limited until designation as a New Town in the 1960s. In common with much of the United Kingdom, industrial employment has fallen, with new jobs tending to be in financial services and distribution. (more...) Recently featured: Design 1047 battlecruiser – Doolittle – Thomcord Archive – By email – More featured articles...
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From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that the Ethiopian eunuch (pictured) has been described as the "first baptized gay Christian"? ... that in the U.S. Supreme Court case Stoner v. California, Potter Stewart wrote that the police could not depend on their bud, a hotel clerk, to help smoke out a suspected robber? ... that Landysh, a Russian vessel built with funding from Japan to decommission nuclear submarines, was requested by Japan to assist in the aftermath of the Fukushima I nuclear accidents? ... that American ceramics sculptor Richard Deutsch had a piece exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution in 1981, just three years after his first solo show? ... that "G.I.R.L.F.R.E.N (You Know I've Got A)" by Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now! is a reply to Avril Lavigne's song, "Girlfriend"? ... that Combretum glutinosum, found in The Gambia and the Sahel belt, is used to make yellow dye? ... that, after chopping off her husband's penis, Lorena Bobbitt won her trial by employing the abuse defense? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Goodluck Jonathan (pictured) is re-elected President of Nigeria. Fidel Castro resigns from the Communist Party of Cuba's central committee. The National Coalition Party, led by Jyrki Katainen, win a plurality in the Finnish parliamentary election. An Egyptian court orders the dissolution of the former ruling National Democratic Party of Hosni Mubarak as part of overall political reform. States of emergency are declared in several areas across the southern United States after at least 45 people are killed in a large tornado outbreak. Former Croatian general Ante Gotovina is sentenced to 24 years in prison after being found guilty of war crimes during Operation Storm. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
April 20: Ridván begins at sunset (Bahá'í Faith); 4/20 (cannabis culture) 1535 – The appearance of sun dogs over Stockholm, Sweden, inspired the painting Vädersolstavlan (pictured), the oldest colour depiction of the city. 1818 – Four days after the Court of King's Bench in England upheld a murder suspect's right to trial by battle in Ashford v Thornton, the plaintiff declined to fight, allowing the defendant to go free. 1968 – British Member of Parliament Enoch Powell made his controversial "Rivers of Blood" speech in opposition to immigration and anti-discrimination legislation, resulting in his removal from the Shadow Cabinet. 1978 – Soviet fighters shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 902 after it violated Soviet airspace. 2010 – An explosion on Deepwater Horizon, an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, caused the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. More anniversaries: April 19 – April 20 – April 21 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now April 20, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A depiction of entertainment in Vauxhall Gardens, a pleasure garden that had existed in Kennington, London, England, likely since around the time of the Restoration. The Gardens consisted of several acres of trees and shrubs with attractive footpaths. It was popular with all classes of society and supported enormous crowds. Over the years, the gardens passed through the hands of several owners before finally closing in 1859.

Artist: Thomas Rowlandson; Restoration: Adam Cuerden

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