Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 April 2

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Talbot Baines Reed (1852–1893) was an English writer of boys' fiction who established a genre of school stories that endured into the second half of the 20th century and was widely imitated. Among his best-known work is The Fifth Form at St. Dominic's. He was a regular and prolific contributor to The Boy's Own Paper, in which most of his fiction first appeared. Through his family's business, Reed became a prominent typefounder, and wrote a classic History of the Old English Letter Foundries which, published in 1887, was hailed as the standard work on the subject. Reed's affinity with boys, his instinctive understanding of their standpoint in life and his gift for creating believable characters, ensured that his popularity survived through several generations. He also wrote regular articles and book reviews for his cousin Edward Baines's newspaper, the Leeds Mercury. After struggling with illness for most of 1893, Reed died in November that year, at the age of 41. Tributes honoured him both for his contribution to children's fiction and for his work as the definitive historian of English typefounding. (more...) Recently featured: Pigeon photography - Body Count – Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Archive – By email – More featured articles...
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From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Queensland teacher Jodie Bowering (pictured) is also an Australian Olympic bronze medalist in softball? ... that the racehorse Colombo won £17,130 in 1933, a year after he was purchased for only 510 guineas? ... that threats to the Blue Gum Forest in the Blue Mountains included logging, coal mining, a dam and growing walnuts? ... that World War I British flying aces Ralph Curtis and Desmond Uniacke battled Hermann Göring, future head of the Luftwaffe? ... that Indonesian band Efek Rumah Kaca donated the royalties from ringback tone sales for one of the tracks on their self-titled debut album to the family of a human rights activist? ... that Ratirahasya, a medieval Indian sex manual, classifies sexual intercourse into nine different types on the basis of the size of genitals? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Kidal The Malian towns of Gao, Kidal (entry pictured) and Timbuktu fall to rebel control. In the Gambian parliamentary election, the incumbent APRC party wins an absolute majority of seats in the National Assembly. Tribal clashes kill at least 147 people in Sabha, Libya. The fourth BRICS summit is held in New Delhi. The Deepsea Challenger completes the first solo voyage to reach the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth. Macky Sall is elected President of Senegal. The Mahon Tribunal into political corruption in Ireland concludes with findings against high-profile politicians, including two former Taoisigh. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
April 2: World Autism Awareness Day 1513 – Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León (pictured) reached Florida, becoming the first European known to do so, purportedly while searching for the Fountain of Youth in the New World. 1755 – A naval fleet led by Commodore William James of the East India Company captured the fortress Suvarnadurg from the Marathas. 1911 – The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted the country's first national census. 1982 – Argentine special forces invaded the Falkland Islands, sparking the Falklands War. 2006 – Over 60 tornadoes touched down in the central United States, killing 27 people and causing about US$1.1 billion in damages. More anniversaries: April 1 – April 2 – April 3 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now April 2, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

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A brown building stretching from the extreme left to the extreme right and displaying many large windows reflecting daylight. The sky above the building is white and the ground in the foreground is grey concrete.

Microsoft's portfolio of mergers and acquisitions includes the acquisition of 146 companies, the purchase of stakes in 61 companies, and a history of 25 divestments. Microsoft is an American public multinational corporation headquartered (headquarters pictured) in Redmond, Washington, US, that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions. Of the companies that Microsoft has acquired, 107 were based in the United States. Since Microsoft's first acquisition in 1987, it has purchased an average of six companies a year. The company has purchased more than ten companies a year since 2005, and it acquired 18 firms in 2006, the most in a single year, including Onfolio, Lionhead Studios, Massive Incorporated, ProClarity, Winternals Software, and Colloquis. Microsoft has made five acquisitions worth over one billion dollars: Skype, aQuantive, Fast Search & Transfer, Navision, and Visio Corporation. Microsoft has also obtained an 11.5% stake in Comcast for $1 billion, a 22.98% stake in Telewest Communications for $2.263 billion, and a 3% stake in AT&T for $5 billion. (more...)

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Poli's stellate barnacle (Chthamalus stellatus) is a species of acorn barnacle common on rocky shores in South West England, Ireland, and Southern Europe. It is named after Italian scientist Giuseppe Saverio Poli. Depending upon environmental conditions and the amount of food available, it can reach up to 14 mm (0.55 in) in diameter.

Photo: Michael Maggs

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