Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 April 27

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Today's featured article
The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century nation that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom Pedro I and his son Dom Pedro II. On 7 September 1822, Pedro declared the independence of Brazil and, after waging a successful war against his father's kingdom, was acclaimed on 12 October as Pedro I, the first Emperor of Brazil. Despite his role in Brazilian independence, Pedro I became the king of Portugal in 1826. Unable to deal with both Brazilian and Portuguese affairs, Pedro I abdicated on 7 April 1831 and immediately departed for Europe to restore his daughter to her throne. Pedro I's successor was his five-year-old son, Pedro II. Once declared of age, Pedro II managed to bring peace and stability to the country, which eventually became an emerging international power. Pedro II personally had no desire to see the monarchy survive beyond his lifetime and made no effort to maintain support for the institution. Despite the lack of enthusiasm among most Brazilians for adopting a republican form of government, on 15 November 1889, after a 58-year reign, the Emperor was overthrown in a sudden coup d'état that had almost no support outside a clique of military leaders whose goal was the formation of a republic headed by a dictator. (more...) Recently featured: Herschel Greer Stadium – USS Siboney – Mellitus Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that former presidential son Mikey Arroyo (pictured) currently sits as a sectoral representative of tricycle drivers and security guards in the House of Representatives of the Philippines? ... that Liberty Cinema in Mumbai got its name as it was built in 1947, the year of Indian Independence? ... that Small Heath F.C. went through the 1893–94 season without drawing a League match? ... that the dense forest in the area around Csóványos in Northern Hungary has been described as "almost mystical"? ... that Kenyan Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai ran a course record to win the 2011 London Marathon and become the fourth fastest man ever in the marathon? ... that during convoy escort duty in the Battle of the North Atlantic in 1943, HMS Polyanthus was sunk by U-952 using new weapons technology? ... that Gendang beleq, a music and dance performance popular in Lombok, Indonesia, is so named because it uses two big drums? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
The Syrian government deploys tanks in Daraa, killing 25 demonstrators, as protests (pictured) continue across the country. Indian guru and spiritual figure Sathya Sai Baba dies at the age of 84. Former South Vietnamese First Lady Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu dies at the age of 87. Violence continues along the Cambodian–Thai border with shelling and gunfire outside the Ta Moan temple complex. After four months of anti-government protests, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh agrees to step down within thirty days. The Sukhoi Superjet 100, the first airliner developed in post-Soviet Russia, performs its first commercial flight. In association football, the Copa del Rey ends with Real Madrid defeating Barcelona in the final. Photographers Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros are killed in the Battle of Misrata in Libya. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
April 27: Independence Day in Sierra Leone (1961); Freedom Day in South Africa 1777 – American Revolutionary War: Although the British were able to defeat Patriot militias in the Battle of Ridgefield, their actions galvanized resistance in the Connecticut Colony. 1865 – An explosion destroyed the steamboat SS Sultana on the Mississippi River, killing an estimated 1,800 of the 2,400 passengers. 1992 – Betty Boothroyd became the first female Speaker of the House of Commons. 1993 – Members of the Zambia national football team were killed in a plane crash off Libreville, Gabon, en route to Dakar, Senegal, to play a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Senegal. 2005 – The Airbus A380 (pictured), the largest passenger airliner in the world, made its maiden flight from Toulouse, France. More anniversaries: April 26 – April 27 – April 28 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now April 27, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Grant from West Point to Appomattox, an 1885 lithograph by Thure de Thulstrup of events in the military career of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, who died that year. Clockwise from lower left: graduation from West Point (1843); in the tower at Chapultepec (1847); drilling volunteer soldiers (1861); the Battle of Fort Donelson (1862); the Battle of Shiloh (1862); the Siege of Vicksburg (1863); the Battle of Chattanooga (1863); appointment as Commander-in-Chief by Abraham Lincoln (1864); and the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House (1865).

Restoration: Adam Cuerden

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