Wikipedia:Main Page history/2018 January 11

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Rochdale Cenotaph is a First World War memorial on the Esplanade in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in the north west of England. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it is one of seven memorials in England based on his Cenotaph on Whitehall in London, and one of his more ambitious designs. The memorial was unveiled in 1922 and consists of a 10-metre (33 ft) pylon, topped by an effigy of a recumbent soldier, and Lutyens' characteristic Stone of Remembrance. A public meeting in February 1919 established a consensus to create a monument and a fund for the families of wounded servicemen. The meeting agreed to commission Lutyens to design the monument. His design for a bridge over the River Roch was abandoned after a local dignitary purchased a plot of land adjacent to Rochdale Town Hall and donated it for the site of the memorial. Lutyens revised his design, and Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, unveiled the memorial on 26 November 1922. It was upgraded to a Grade I listed structure in 2015, when Lutyens' war memorials were declared a national collection by Historic England. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

He Siyuan

... that Professor He Siyuan (pictured) became an anti-Japanese guerrilla leader during World War II and later survived two assassination attempts, one of which killed his young daughter?
... that the mushrooms of the Asian fungus Macrocybe crassa can weigh up to 1.25 kilograms (3 lb)?
... that Ramona Go was the first female military pilot, line officer, battalion commander, adjutant general, and regular service general in the Philippine Armed Forces?
... that "Diddle Diddle Dumpling", an episode of Inside No. 9, was inspired by a chance encounter with a single shoe?
... that Ghanaian keyboardist Alfred P. Addaquay composed and performed his first oratorio when he was 20 years old?
... that all five of the surviving members of the original cast of the Power Rangers series attended the film adaptation's Los Angeles premiere in March 2017?
... that Janai Haupapa joined the Canadian national rugby league team while still playing for a rugby union club?
... that a "Japanese cruiser" was built in Southern California in 1943?

In the news

Steve Smith

In cricket, the Ashes series concludes with Australia (captain and man of the series Steve Smith pictured) beating England.
The National Unity Party wins the most seats in the parliamentary election in Northern Cyprus.
A passenger train collides with a truck on a level crossing near Kroonstad, South Africa, killing 19 people and injuring more than 250 others.
In darts, Rob Cross wins the PDC World Championship on his debut.
George Weah is elected President of Liberia.

On this day...

January 11

Enver Hoxha

1693 – An intensity XI earthquake, the most powerful in Italian history, struck the island of Sicily.
1787 – German-born British astronomer William Herschel discovered two Uranian moons, later named, by his son, Oberon and Titania.
1927 – Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer invited 36 people involved in the film industry to a banquet, where he announced the creation of what would become the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
1946 – Albania was proclaimed the People's Republic of Albania, with Enver Hoxha (pictured) as the de facto head of state.
1986 – The Gateway Bridge was opened in Brisbane, Australia, the largest prestressed concrete, single box bridge in the world.

Min Bin (d. 1554) · Alice Paul (b. 1885) · Emile Heskey (b. 1978)

More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

An Emirates-owned Airbus A380 taking off at Munich Airport. The Dubai-based airline owns and operates 244 aircraft, including 101 Airbus A380-800s and 130 Boeing 777-300ERs, making it the largest operator of these models. It has 202 aircraft on order, including more than a hundred Boeing 777-9s.

Photograph: Julian Herzog

Recently featured:

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.