Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 December 2

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From today's featured article

William Burges (1827–81) was an English architect and designer, and one of the greatest of the Victorian art-architects. He sought in his work to escape from 19th-century industrialisation and the Neoclassical architectural style and to re-establish the architectural and social values of a utopian medieval England. He stands within the Gothic Revival tradition, his works echoing the Pre-Raphaelites and heralding the Arts and Crafts movement. His first major commission was Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork, in 1863. Burges's most notable works are Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch, both for John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute. Other buildings include Gayhurst House, Knightshayes Court, and St Mary's, Studley Royal. Many of his designs were never executed or were subsequently demolished, and his plans for the redecoration of the interior of St Paul's Cathedral were abandoned. He also designed metalwork, sculpture, jewellery, furniture and stained glass. Art Applied to Industry, a series of lectures he gave to the Society of Arts in 1864, illustrates the breadth of his interests. The revival of interest in Victorian art has led to a renewed appreciation of Burges and his work. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

From Wikipedia's new and recently improved content:

... that Samuel Minturn Peck (pictured) was the first Poet Laureate of Alabama, a title created for him, from 1930 until his death in 1938?
... that in 1982, Jerusalem city officials revitalized the Downtown Triangle by paving it over?
... that Thado Dhamma Yaza II, Viceroy of Prome in the 1500s, fought in nearly every military campaign of his brother King Bayinnaung, and helped to expand and defend the Toungoo Empire?
... that the red nose-like structure of the cherrynose cicada contains muscles that help it suck xylem out of trees?
... that Alec Lazenby has been the Vice-Chancellor of both the University of New England and the University of Tasmania?
... that Nicholas More was the first judge in colonial America to be impeached?

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In the news

Clashes between anti-government protesters and government supporters leave four dead and fifty-seven injured in Bangkok.
Following the suspension of a tentative European Union Association Agreement by Ukraine, anti-riot police forcefully break up pro-European Union protests in Kiev.
The Rugby League World Cup concludes with Australia defeating New Zealand in the final.
LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 crashes in Namibia, killing all 33 on board.
Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (pictured) resigns following the Riga supermarket roof collapse.

Recent deaths: Paul Walker – Tabu Ley Rochereau – Arik Einstein

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On this day...

December 2: National Day in Laos (1975)

1823 – U.S. President James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine, a proclamation of opposition to European colonialism in the New World.
1852 – On the one-year anniversary of his dissolution of the Second French Republic, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (pictured) declared himself Emperor of the French and took the name Napoleon III.
1943 – World War II: The Luftwaffe conducted a surprise air raid on Allied ships in Bari, Italy, sinking 18 ships and releasing one ship's secret cargo of mustard gas.
1975 – The Pathet Lao overthrew the royalist government in Vientiane, forcing King Savang Vatthana to abdicate, and established the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
1988 – Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister of Pakistan, the first woman to head the government of a Muslim-majority state.

More anniversaries: December 1 – December 2 – December 3

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It is now December 2, 2013 (UTC) – Reload this page

From today's featured list

A silver motorcycle with black tires sits on a podium. A TV screen with a green preview displayed sits behind the motorcycle with a large X above it and a picture of Wolverine below.

Beginning in 1989, X-Men video games have appeared for home consoles, handheld game consoles, arcades, and personal computers. The first video games were released on 8-bit home platforms. Most X-Men video games, especially those released in the 2000s, were released on several platforms. Several companies have developed entries in the franchise, including Paragon Software, Software Creations, Konami, and Capcom. The titles are action games that pit the X-Men against Marvel supervillains, typically taking the form of beat 'em up and fighting games. X-Men characters also frequently appear in Marvel games that focus on several of its comic book franchises, including Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The franchise holds several Guinness World Records, including most games based on a superhero group, first tag-team fighting game, first superhero first-person shooter, and most number of simultaneous players on an arcade game. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a subspecies of wildcat that inhabits the forests and grasslands of Europe, as well as Turkey and the Caucasus Mountains; it can be distinguished from the domestic cat by its bulkier body, thick fur, and non-tapered tail. This cat was photographed in Wisentgehege Springe game park, near Springe, Hanover, Germany.

Photo: Michael Gäbler

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