Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 October 15

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
SMS Friedrich der Grosse was the second vessel of the Kaiser class of battleships of the German Imperial Navy. She was commissioned into the fleet on 15 October 1912. Assigned to the III Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of World War I, she served as fleet flagship from her commissioning until 1917. The ship participated in all the major fleet operations of World War I, including the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, from which she emerged unscathed. After Germany's defeat and the signing of the armistice in November 1918, Friedrich der Grosse and most of the capital ships of the High Seas Fleet were interned by the British Royal Navy in Scapa Flow. On 21 June 1919, days before the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the fleet to be scuttled to ensure that the British could not seize the ships. Friedrich der Grosse was raised in 1936 and broken up for scrap metal. (more...) Recently featured: Southern Cross Expedition – Bernard Bosanquet – Ruth Norman Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Lister's tree oyster and the flat tree oyster sometimes grow on the shell of the Atlantic thorny oyster (pictured)? ... that Natasha Baker rode her horse Cabral to two gold medals in the 2012 Paralympics even though she has no feeling in her legs? ... that the 1996 video game Soviet Strike featured a fictional mission to rescue then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin? ... that the HMS Victory, containing the remains of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, was towed into Rosia Bay, Gibraltar, after the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar? ... that successive Bishops of Râmnic played an important role in adopting Romanian as the liturgical language of the Romanian Orthodox Church, in place of Greek and Old Church Slavonic? ... that 1932 French Tennis Championships runner-up Giorgio de Stefani was ambidextrous but was banned from using two rackets, one in each hand? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner sets records for the highest manned balloon flight, highest skydive and fastest freefall speed. The High Court of Botswana rules that women have the constitutional right to inherit property. The European Union (flag pictured) is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe". Chinese author Mo Yan, famous for working in the style of writing known as hallucinatory realism, wins the Nobel Prize in Literature. Syrian civil war – Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
October 15: Teachers' Day in Brazil; Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in Canada and the United States; National Tree Planting Day in Sri Lanka 1582 – Spain, Portugal, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and most of the Italian states became the first countries to replace the Julian calendar with the Gregorian calendar. 1764 – English historian Edward Gibbon (pictured) observed friars singing Vespers at Capitoline Hill in Rome, inspiring him to write The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 1932 – Air India, the flag carrier airline of India, began operations as Tata Airlines. 1945 – Pierre Laval, twice head of government of Vichy France, was executed for high treason. 1965 – Vietnam War protests: The Catholic Worker Movement staged an anti-war rally in Manhattan, including the burning of draft cards, the first such act to result in arrest under a new amendment to the Selective Service Act. More anniversaries: October 14 – October 15 – October 16 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now October 15, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured list

A black-and-white picture of a man with a beard looking upwards, wearing baggy clothing, resting his elbows on a desk, and holding a long vial of liquid

Many events considered central to our modern understanding of chemistry are also considered key discoveries in other scientific and technological fields. Chemistry is therefore often referred to as "the central science", and its history can be traced back to the earliest recorded history. Early ideas that later became incorporated into the modern science of chemistry come from two main sources. Natural philosophers, such as Aristotle and Democritus, used deductive reasoning in an attempt to explain the behavior of the world around them. Alchemists, such as Geber (pictured) and Rhazes, used experimental techniques in an attempt to extend the life or perform material conversions, such as turning base metals into gold. In the 17th century, the synthesis of the ideas of these two disciplines led to the development of a process of thinking known as the scientific method, whereby the modern science of chemistry was born. (more...)

Recently featured: Order of battle at the Battle of Camperdown – The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates – Parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

Archive – More featured lists...

Today's featured picture

An aerial view of Laguna Beach, a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, US. The region was originally known to the Spanish as "La Cañada de Las Lagunas" which means "The Canyon of the Small Lakes", in reference to two lakes found near the head of Laguna Canyon.

Photo: D Ramey Logan

Recently featured: Tabby cat – Whirlpool Galaxy – Giant Caribbean sea anemone

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.