Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 April 15

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
The sinking of the RMS Titanic on 15 April 1912, with the loss of over 1,500 lives, was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, Titanic – at the time the world's largest ship – struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland. Five of her watertight compartments were holed, causing the ship to flood deck by deck. She carried too few lifeboats for her 2,223 passengers and crew, and many seats were left empty due to a poorly managed evacuation. Titanic's officers loaded the lifeboats "women and children first", leaving most of the men aboard the ship. Two hours and forty minutes after the collision, Titanic sank with over a thousand people still aboard. Almost all those who jumped or fell into the freezing water soon died of hypothermia or drowned. The RMS Carpathia rescued the survivors from the lifeboats a few hours later. Public outrage at the loss of life led to tougher maritime safety regulations. Titanic's wreck was not found until 1985. The disaster has inspired a wealth of popular culture including many films, most notably James Cameron's Titanic in 1997. (more...) Recently featured: Galápagos tortoise – Turok: Dinosaur Hunter – Everglades National Park Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the Titanic Memorial in Belfast (pictured) depicts a personification of Death holding a wreath above the head of a drowned sailor who is borne above the waves by mermaids? ... that writers exiled from Indonesia after the 30 September Movement continued to write and publish overseas? ... that 100 English foxhounds narrowly avoided being among the animals aboard the RMS Titanic during her disastrous maiden voyage? ... that Abasse Ndione's first novel, La Vie en spirale, discusses the use and trafficking of "yamba" (marijuana) as a social metaphor? ... that the extinct species Cornus piggae has fruits smaller than any other species in the dogwood subgenus of Cornus? ... that despite signing it in 1986, President Ronald Reagan objected to parts of the *RMS Titanic* Maritime Memorial Act? ... that commemorations of the RMS Titanic in popular culture have included songs, poems, plays, musicals, films, books and even black teddy bears? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article**

In the news
The rocket carrying Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3, a North Korean Earth observation satellite, explodes shortly after launch. Amid an early presidential election, mutinous soldiers take control of Bissau, Guinea-Bissau's capital. The ruling Saenuri Party, led by Park Geun-hye (pictured), retains its majority in the National Assembly of South Korea. An 8.6-magnitude earthquake strikes 430 km (270 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, initially prompting tsunami warnings across the Indian Ocean. American golfer Bubba Watson wins the Masters Tournament. Joyce Banda is sworn in as the President of Malawi, following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
April 15: Pascha (Eastern Christianity, 2012); Father Damien Day in Hawaii 1638 – A rebellion by Catholic Japanese peasants in Shimabara over increased taxes was put down by the Tokugawa shogunate, resulting in greater enforcement of the policy of national seclusion. 1802 – English poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy came upon a "long belt" of daffodils, inspiring him to pen his most famous work, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud". 1927 – Torrential rains caused the Mississippi River to break out of its levee system in 145 places, causing the worst flooding in the history of the United States. 1952 – The B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered, strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force for most of the aircraft's history, made its first flight. 1989 – The death of former Chinese General Secretary Hu Yaobang (pictured) triggered a series of events that led to the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing. More anniversaries: April 14 – April 15 – April 16 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now April 15, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A level junction interlaced turnout at Chicago Transit Authority control tower 18 on the elevated Chicago 'L'. Known as a "flat crossing" in the United Kingdom, this type of railway junction allows trains to cross over in front of opposing traffic at grade (i.e., on the level). The opposite of a level junction is a flying junction, where individual tracks rise or fall to pass over or under other tracks.

Photo: Daniel Schwen

Recently featured: Metallic Ringtail – Vertical replenishment – Scandium

Archive – More featured pictures...

Other areas of Wikipedia

Community portal – Bulletin board, projects, resources and activities covering a wide range of Wikipedia areas.
Help desk – Ask questions about using Wikipedia.
Local embassy – For Wikipedia-related communication in languages other than English.
Reference desk – Serving as virtual librarians, Wikipedia volunteers tackle your questions on a wide range of subjects.
Site news – Announcements, updates, articles and press releases on Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.
Village pump – For discussions about Wikipedia itself, including areas for technical issues and policies.