Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 February 13

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Today's featured article
The Whitechapel murders are eleven unsolved brutal murders of women, committed in or near the impoverished Whitechapel District in the East End of London between 3 April 1888 and 13 February 1891. At various points some or all of the killings have been ascribed to the notorious, but elusive, individual known as Jack the Ripper. Most, if not all, of the victims were prostitutes. The Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police, and private organisations such as the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee were involved in the search for the killer or killers. Despite extensive inquiries and several arrests, the culprit or culprits evaded identification and capture. The murders drew attention to the poor living conditions in the East End slums, which were subsequently improved. The enduring mystery of who committed the crimes has captured the imagination of writers to the present day. (more...) Recently featured: Symphony of Sorrowful Songs – Albertosaurus – Herbert Greenfield Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that the economy and art of Urartu (example pictured) flourished in the 8th century BC only to decline a century later? ... that the St Albans by-election in 1904 was triggered by the sale to the Admiralty of two battleships which had been built for the Chilean Navy? ... that the Museo Regional de Arqueología in La Democracia, Guatemala, was founded to house artefacts collected from the local cotton plantations? ... that it has been estimated that 8.5 million Japanese civilians were displaced from their homes as a result of the air raids on Japan during World War II? ... that Alpha Road in Dallas is named for the former freedmen's town of Alpha, Texas? ... that in the tower of St Nicholas' Church, Buckenham, Norfolk, is a dovecote lined with brick nesting boxes? ... that MacHomer, a one-person play blending William Shakespeare's Macbeth with The Simpsons, was conceived by Rick Miller in 1994 while he was playing the minor role of Murderer No. 2 in a production of MacBeth? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Anti-government protests (pictured) are held across Algeria. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigns and transfers authority to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, following eighteen days of protests. A new round of clashes erupts between Cambodian and Thai soldiers over the area surrounding Preah Vihear Temple. NASA's STEREO satellites obtain the first simultaneous images of the entire surface of the Sun. In American football, the Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers to win Super Bowl XLV. The Japan Sumo Association cancels a Grand Tournament for the first time in 65 years after a match-fixing controversy. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
February 13 1689 – Glorious Revolution: Mary Stuart and her husband William III of Orange were proclaimed co-rulers of England and Ireland. 1931 – New Delhi became the new capital of British India. 1934 – The Soviet steamship SS Chelyuskin, while attempting to travel through the Northern Sea Route from Murmansk to Vladivostok, became trapped in drift ice and sank (pictured). The members of the subsequent search and rescue team were the first recipients of the Hero of the Soviet Union award. 1991 – Gulf War: The United States Air Force dropped two laser-guided "smart bombs" on an air raid shelter in Baghdad, Iraq, that was believed to be a military command site, killing at least 408 civilians. 2008 – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to Indigenous Australians and the Stolen Generations. More anniversaries: February 12 – February 13 – February 14 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now February 13 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A camouflaged female wolf spider, from the Lycosoidea superfamily, carrying her young on her back. Wolf spiders are robust and agile hunters with good eyesight. They are unique in the way that they carry their eggs. The egg sac, a round silken globe, is attached to the spinnerets at the end of the abdomen, allowing the spider to carry her unborn young with her.

Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

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