Welcome to Wikipedia,
3,959,416 articles in English

Today's featured article

A photograph of Teresa Cristina, circa 1876

Teresa Cristina (1822–1889) was the Empress consort of Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil, who reigned from 1831 to 1889. Born a Princess of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, she was the daughter of King Don Francesco I of the Italian branch of the House of Bourbon and his wife Maria Isabel. The Princess was married by proxy to Pedro II in 1843. Despite a cold beginning, the couple's relationship improved as time passed, due primarily to Teresa Cristina's patience, kindness, generosity and simplicity. These traits also helped her win the hearts of the Brazilian people, and her distance from political controversies shielded her from criticism. Of her four children, two boys died in infancy and a daughter of typhoid fever at the early age of 24. She, along with the remaining members of the Imperial Family, was sent into exile after a coup d'état staged by a clique of army officers in 1889. Being cast from her beloved adopted land had a devastating effect on Teresa Cristina's spirit and health. Grieving and ill, she died of respiratory failure little more than a month after the monarchy's collapse. She was greatly loved by her subjects, both during her lifetime and afterwards. Teresa Cristina is well regarded by historians not only for her character and irreproachable behavior, but also for her sponsorship of Brazilian culture. (more...)

Recently featured: AhalyaMary AnningC. D. Howe

Did you know...

From Wikipedia's newest content:

Poster for the second exhibition at the Salon des Cent in April 1894 featuring Eugène Grasset's work

  • ... that the April 1894 Salon des Cent exhibition (poster shown) was devoted to the work of Eugène Grasset?
  • ... that Napoleon Bonaparte had great interest in geometry, but probably did not discover Napoleon points?
  • ... that dramatist Kevin Laffan could not find a publisher for his first novel, Pendle's Disposal, but had two offers within a week of changing the title to Virgins are in Short Supply?
  • ... that students of the Jack Welch Management Institute participate in video conferences with the founder, whom Fortune magazine named Manager of the Century?
  • ... that the large prehistoric amphibian Cyclotosaurus had a skull up to 70 cm (28 in) long?
  • ... that Eagle's Store, structurally similar to the Old Faithful Inn, has been operated by the same family since its founding in 1908?
  • ... that Nino Fernandez, who had his breakthrough role as a gay character, dated Miss Indonesia 2009?
  • In the news

  • SpaceX launches (pictured) a Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket, the first commercial flight to the International Space Station.
  • A suicide bombing kills more than 120 people in Sana'a, Yemen.
  • Tomislav Nikolić is elected President of Serbia.
  • British singer-songwriter Robin Gibb, a member of the Bee Gees, dies at the age of 62.
  • In ice hockey, the IIHF World Championship concludes with Russia defeating Slovakia in the final.
  • Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, convicted in 2001 in connection with the Lockerbie bombing, dies in Libya.
  • The 38th G8 summit takes place at Camp David, the U.S. presidential retreat.
  • On this day...

    May 23

    New York Public Library in 1908

  • 1430Hundred Years' War: Joan of Arc was captured at the Siege of Compiègne.
  • 1706War of the Spanish Succession: Led by the Duke of Marlborough, the allied forces of England, the Dutch Republic, and Denmark defeated the Franco-Bavarian army in Ramillies, present-day Belgium.
  • 1873 – The North West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was established to bring law and order to and assert Canadian sovereignty over the Northwest Territories.
  • 1895 – Representatives of the Astor Library and Lenox Library agreed to merge and form the New York Public Library (pictured under construction in 1908), now the second-largest public library in the United States.
  • 1951 – Delegates of the 14th Dalai Lama and the government of the newly established People's Republic of China signed the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, affirming Chinese sovereignty over Tibet.
  • More anniversaries: May 22 May 23 May 24

    It is now May 23, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

    Today's featured picture

    Occupation of Blagoveshchensk by the Japanese Army

    A Japanese lithograph depicting the capture of Blagoveshchensk, Siberia, by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Siberian Intervention, part of a larger effort by the western powers and Japan to support White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War. The Allied invasion took place in August 1918, and Japanese troops remained in Russia until October 1922.

    Image: Shobido & Co.; Restoration: Adam Cuerden

    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.

    Wikipedia's sister projects

    Wikipedia is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other projects:

    Wikipedia languages

    pFad - Phonifier reborn

    Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

    Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


    Alternative Proxies:

    Alternative Proxy

    pFad Proxy

    pFad v3 Proxy

    pFad v4 Proxy