Welcome to Wikipedia

,

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Title page of first edition

A History of British Fishes is a natural history book by William Yarrell, serialised in 19 parts from 1835, and then published bound in two volumes in 1836. It is a handbook describing every type of fish then known to occur in the British Isles. Yarrell was a London bookseller and newsagent with the time and income to indulge his interest in natural history. He was a prominent member of several natural history societies, had an extensive library and collection of specimens, and a wide network of naturalist friends who helped him garner material for his writings, notably his book on fishes and the 1843 A History of British Birds. He followed Thomas Bewick's example with up-to-date data, accurate illustrations, and detailed descriptions. The woodcut illustrations were drawn by Alexander Fussell, engraved by John Thompson, and published by John Van Voorst. Yarrell died in 1856; the third edition was produced posthumously. The book was a commercial success and became a standard reference work. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know ...

French soldier wearing the pantalon rouge

... that French Army infantrymen wore red trousers (example pictured) from 1829 until 1914?
... that Zayn al-Din Qaraja was imprisoned and executed by the Mamluk Sultanate after he declared the independence of the Beylik of Dulkadir?
... that "London shrunk" garments can go for several weeks without needing ironing?
... that Katharina von Schnurbein is the European Commission's first coordinator on combatting antisemitism, having served in the role since 2015?
... that the show Protection Court continued to air episodes during an investigation launched by the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission alleging that litigants were filmed without their consent?
... that a giant sculpture of melting whipped cream with a cherry on top transmitted a live feed of passers-by in Trafalgar Square, London?
... that Jordan St. Cyr, a Christian songwriter from a small town in Manitoba, won the first Juno Award for which he was nominated?
... that the late-Victorian Pagan Review lasted for a single issue and all of its content was written by one person?

In the news

Tina Turner

Rock singer and actress Tina Turner (pictured) dies at the age of 83.
In golf, Brooks Koepka wins the PGA Championship.
American football Hall of Fame fullback Jim Brown dies at the age of 87.
Amid a political crisis in Ecuador, President Guillermo Lasso dissolves the National Assembly and triggers an early general election.
Flooding in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy causes 16 deaths and widespread disruption, including the cancellation of its Formula One Grand Prix.

On this day

May 26: National Sorry Day in Australia; First day of Shavuot (Judaism, 2023); Independence Day in Georgia (1918)

Jimmie Rodgers

946 – King Edmund I of England was murdered at Pucklechurch on the feast day of St Augustine.
1933 – American singer Jimmie Rodgers (pictured) died at the Taft Hotel in New York City.
1967 – The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of the first progressive rock albums, was released.
1989 – Tropical Storm Cecil dissipated over Laos after devastating Quảng Nam province, Vietnam, and causing the deaths of 751 people.

Edmond de Goncourt (b. 1822)
Jyoti Gogte (b. 1956)
Mufti Abdul Razzaq (d. 2021)

More anniversaries:

From today's featured list

Angkor

Cambodia has three sites on the list of World Heritage Sites, as designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites have been nominated by signatories to the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Cambodia ratified the convention on 28 November 1991. Angkor (pictured) was listed in 1992 when the country was briefly governed by the United Nations mission after the Cambodian–Vietnamese War, in line with the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements. The site was immediately placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in order to quickly and efficiently deal with urgent problems of conservation. In 2004, Angkor was removed from the endangered list. The Temple of Preah Vihear was listed in 2008 and the Sambor Prei Kuk temple complex in 2018. (Full list...)

Recently featured:

Today's featured picture

Thyroid hormones are hormones produced and released by the thyroid gland, namely triiodothyronine (T₃) and thyroxine (T₄). They are tyrosine-based hormones that are primarily responsible for regulation of metabolism. T₃ and T₄ are partially composed of iodine, derived from food. A deficiency of iodine leads to decreased production of T₃ and T₄, enlarges the thyroid tissue and will cause the disease known as simple goitre. This illustration shows the synthesis of thyroid hormones, as seen on an individual thyroid follicular cell.

Illustration credit: Mikael Häggström

Recently featured:

Other areas of Wikipedia

Community portal – The central hub for editors, with resources, links, tasks, and announcements.
Village pump – Forum for discussions about Wikipedia itself, including policies and technical issues.
Site news – Sources of news about Wikipedia and the broader Wikimedia movement.
Teahouse – Ask basic questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
Help desk – Ask questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
Reference desk – Ask research questions about encyclopedic topics.
Content portals – A unique way to navigate the encyclopedia.

Wikipedia's sister projects

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