Wikipedia:Main Page history/2018 November 30

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From today's featured article

Carleton H. Wright

The Battle of Tassafaronga was fought on the night of November 30, 1942, between US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy warships near Tassafaronga Point on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal. Five cruisers and four destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Carleton H. Wright (pictured) stalked eight Japanese destroyers under Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka that were en route to deliver food to their forces on the island. Using radar, the US warships gained surprise, opened fire, and sank one of the destroyers. Tanaka's ships reacted quickly, launching Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes that sank one US cruiser and heavily damaged three others. The rest of Tanaka's force escaped without significant additional damage, abandoning the intended supply mission. The battle had little strategic impact, and the Japanese were unable to recapture Guadalcanal from Allied forces. (Full article...)

Part of the Guadalcanal Campaign series, one of Wikipedia's featured topics.

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Did you know...

University of Reading War Memorial

... that the University of Reading War Memorial (pictured), designed by Herbert Maryon in memory of fatalities from World War I, now also serves as a memorial to servicemen who died in World War II and Afghanistan?
... that Japanese singer Eir Aoi initially did not show her mouth in physical release images as she wanted to have a "mysterious aura" and emphasize her "powerful" eyes?
... that during the 2018 cryptocurrency crash, pink Wojaks were used by traders to express their distress over losses?
... that chiropractor Tim Robards appeared in the first season of Australia's version of The Bachelor?
... that volunteer firemen from the fire station in Schäflohe claim to be the only people in the German district of Upper Palatinate to play the traditional Bavarian card game of Lampeln?
... that Ankita Bhakat's archery team, who entered the 2017 World Archery Youth Championships seeded ninth, won India's fourth overall world youth championships title?
... that The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are an English parody band whose "mission is to keep their spiritual father Val Doonican's legacy alive"?
... that whistles were attached to pigeons to deter birds of prey?

In the news

Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen (pictured) defeats Fabiano Caruana to retain the World Chess Championship.
NASA's InSight successfully lands on Mars.
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko declares martial law after Russian forces seize three ships in the disputed Kerch Strait near Crimea.
In Canadian football, the Calgary Stampeders defeat the Ottawa Redblacks to win the Grey Cup.
In motorsport, the Formula One season concludes with Lewis Hamilton winning the Drivers' Championship and Mercedes the Constructors' title.

On this day

November 30: Saint Andrew's Day

John Sentamu

1700 – Great Northern War: Swedish forces led by King Charles XII defeated the Russian army of Tsar Peter the Great at the Battle of Narva.
1872 – The first international football match took place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, between Scotland and England.
1982 – Michael Jackson's Thriller, the best-selling album of all time, was released.
1993 – U.S. President Bill Clinton signed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act into law, requiring purchasers of handguns to pass a background check.
2005 – John Sentamu (pictured) was enthroned as Archbishop of York, becoming the first black person to serve as an archbishop in the Church of England.

Richard Farrant (d. 1580) · Jagadish Chandra Bose (b. 1858) · Joan Ganz Cooney (b. 1929)

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From today's featured list

Davis Cup trophy

Davis Cup champions have been named since 1900, when the annual international team event in men's tennis was established as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge. The Davis Cup is run by the International Tennis Federation, who describe it as the "World Cup of tennis." The first event in 1900 was a match between Great Britain and the United States. The tournament sees players competing for their country in four singles and one doubles matches, known as rubbers, over the course of three days, with the team that wins three rubbers progressing. The United States are the most successful nation in the history of the competition, with 32 victories. Australia are second with 28 (individually or in a combined Australasia team) and Great Britain and France are tied for third with 10. Teams from Europe have won the competition the most with 42 victories, followed by North America with 32 and Oceania with 28. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

Shirley Chisholm (November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician, educator, and author. In 1968 she became the first black woman elected to the United States Congress, and she represented New York's 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1972 she became the first black candidate for a major party's nomination for President of the United States, and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. In 2015 Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Photograph: Thomas J. O'Halloran. Restoration: Adam Cuerden

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