Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 June 19

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Today's featured article
Adrian Cole (1895–1966) was a founding member of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1921, and became one of its senior commanders. Having joined the army at the outbreak of World War I, Cole transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and flew with No. 1 Squadron in the Middle East and No. 2 Squadron on the Western Front. He became an "ace", credited with victories over 10 enemy aircraft, and earned the Military Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1935, "King" Cole gained promotion to group captain. The following year he was appointed as the first commanding officer of Headquarters RAAF Station Richmond. During World War II, Cole led North-Western Area Command in Australia's most northerly city, Darwin, and held a series of overseas posts in North Africa, England, Northern Ireland, and Ceylon. As Forward Air Controller during the Dieppe Raid in 1942, he was wounded in action and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Cole died in 1966 at the age of 70. (more...) Recently featured: Gamma-ray burst – Tropical Storm Alberto – Myst Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the debates to enact the Rizal Law (José Rizal pictured) in 1956 is compared to the current Reproductive Health Bill debate in the Philippines? ... that Bach's cantata for Trinity Sunday, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, a chorale cantata on five stanzas, ends like his Christmas Oratorio, "punctuated by brass and orchestral fanfares"? ... that following Galima Bukharbaeva's eyewitness account of the Andijan massacre, the Uzbek government charged her with providing "informational support to terrorism"? ... that more than ten works by Kalispell, Montana, architect Fred Brinkman have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places? ... that the market of the city of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, is dominated by women, with men subject to ridicule if they enter? ... that as the mayor of Oakdale, Louisiana, George B. Mowad in 1985 secured the establishment of the largest U.S. federal correctional institute of its time in his city? ... that the jumping spider Portia fimbriata in Queensland plays a deadly game of hide-and-seek with its favorite prey, Jacksonoides queenlandicus, another jumping spider? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
King Mohammed VI of Morocco In response to the ongoing protests in Morocco, King Mohammed VI (pictured) announces constitutional reform proposals to be voted on in a referendum. Ongoing flooding in the People's Republic of China affects more than ten million people and causes more than US$3 billion in damage. Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati forms a new government. Let the Great World Spin, by Irish writer Colum McCann, wins the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Ayman al-Zawahiri succeeds Osama bin Laden as al-Qaeda's leader. In ice hockey, the Boston Bruins defeat the Vancouver Canucks in game seven to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
June 19: Father's Day in several countries (2011); Day of the Independent Hungary; Juneteenth in some parts of the United States 1846 – The first officially recorded baseball game using modern rules developed by Alexander Cartwright (pictured) was played in Hoboken, New Jersey, US. 1961 – Kuwait declared independence from the United Kingdom. 1970 – The Patent Cooperation Treaty, an international law treaty, was signed, providing a unified procedure for filing patent applications to protect inventions. 1987 – Basque separatist group ETA detonated a car bomb at the Hipercor shopping centre in Barcelona, killing 21 and injuring 45. 2009 – Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers broke out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef. More anniversaries: June 18 – June 19 – June 20 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now June 19, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

An isothermal map of the world, based on the research of Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist whose work laid the foundation for the sciences of physical geography and meteorology, among other things. By delineating "isothermal lines", he simultaneously suggested the idea and devised the means of comparing the climatic conditions of various countries.

Map: William C. Woodbridge; Restoration: Jujutacular and Lise Broer

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