Jump to content

Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 February 3

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Welcome to Wikipedia,
3,548,445 articles in English

Today's featured article

Frances Griffiths with Fairies

The Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, two young cousins who lived in Cottingley, near Bradford in England. In 1917, when the first two photographs were taken, Elsie was 16 years old and Frances was 10. The pictures came to the attention of writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who used them to illustrate an article on fairies he had been commissioned to write for the Christmas 1920 edition of The Strand Magazine. Conan Doyle, as a Spiritualist, was enthusiastic about the photographs, and interpreted them as clear and visible evidence of psychic phenomena. Public reaction was mixed; some accepted that the images were genuine, but others believed they had been faked. Interest in the Cottingley Fairies gradually declined after 1921. Both girls grew up, married and lived abroad for a time. Yet the photographs continued to hold the public imagination; in 1966 a reporter from the Daily Express newspaper traced Elsie, who had by then returned to the UK. Elsie left open the possibility that she believed she had photographed her thoughts, and the media once again became interested in the story. In the early 1980s, both admitted that the photographs were faked using cardboard cutouts of fairies copied from a popular children's book of the time. But Frances continued to claim that the fifth and final photograph was genuine. The photographs and two of the cameras used are on display in the National Media Museum in Bradford. (more...)

Recently featured: Lord of the UniverseCommon FirecrestMasako Katsura

Did you know...

From Wikipedia's newest articles:

Tazua Falls on Cuango River in Angola

  • ... that diamond prospecting permits have been awarded covering an area of 2,150 km2 (830 sq mi) between Temboc and Kasonga Lunda over the Kwango River (pictured) stretch of about 185 km (115 mi) in Angola?
  • ... that although it is thought that the Jenny Lind Tower was moved to its present location by an admirer of the late singer, the admirer was born 17 years after Lind toured the United States?
  • ... that the Polish canned fish paste paprykarz szczeciński was inspired by an African dish?
  • ... that Crestwood Court, the first mall in the St. Louis area, has countered the loss of major retailers by adding tenants such as an art gallery and dance studio?
  • ... that the Dragon Rapide aircraft that crashed into the English Channel off Folkestone in 1934 had taken part in that year's King's Cup Air Race?
  • ... that in 1909, journalist Jules Fournier was charged with contempt of court in Quebec for calling decisions made by its courts system a "prostitution of justice"?
  • ... that due to safety concerns following the Waco siege, when Joseph Borg seized the headquarters of a Christian ministry in Tampa, he used an armored vehicle to ensure that resistance would be futile?
  • In the news

    Hosni Mubarak

  • Cyclone Yasi, a Category 5 cyclone, makes landfall in northern Queensland, Australia.
  • Amid political unrest in the country, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (pictured) announces he will not seek re-election in September.
  • Marouf al-Bakhit is appointed Prime Minister of Jordan in a cabinet reshuffle by King Abdullah II, following mass protests.
  • Hashim Thaçi remains Prime Minister of Kosovo after the Democratic Party wins an election in the disputed territory.
  • Results from a recent referendum show nearly 99% of voters are in favour of Southern Sudan's secession from Sudan.
  • The 2011 World Men's Handball Championship concludes with France defeating Denmark to retain the title.
  • In tennis, Kim Clijsters and Novak Djokovic win the singles titles at the 2011 Australian Open.
  • The world's longest borehole, at 12,345 m (40,502 ft) total measured depth, is drilled off the coast of the Russian island Sakhalin.
  • On this day...

    February 3: Setsubun in Japan; Four Chaplains' Day in the United States

    A tulip from a 1637 Dutch catalog

  • 1637 – The contract prices of rare tulip bulbs (tulip pictured) in the Dutch Republic, which had been steadily climbing for three months, abruptly dropped, marking the decline of tulip mania.
  • 1852 – The Argentine Confederation were defeated in the Battle of Caseros by an alliance consisting of the Empire of Brazil, Uruguay and the Argentine provinces of Entre Ríos and Corrientes, ending the Platine War.
  • 1931New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster, the 7.9 MW Hawke's Bay earthquake, struck, killing 256.
  • 1984 – A woman under the care of Dr. John Buster of the Harbor–UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, US, gave birth to a baby that resulted from the first successful embryo transfer from one person to another.
  • 2010 – A cast of L'Homme qui marche I by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti sold for £65 million (US$103.7 million), setting the record for most expensive sculpture sold at a public auction.
  • More anniversaries: February 2February 3February 4

    Today's featured picture

    Rambutan

    An unpeeled and a peeled rambutan, the fruit of the rambutan tree. The plant is native to the Malay Archipelago and can be found through much of Southeast Asia, although its exact distribution remains unknown. The name is derived from the Malay word rambut, which literally means 'hairy'. The fruit flesh is translucent, whitish or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavour.

    Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

    Other areas of Wikipedia

    • Help desk – Ask questions about using Wikipedia.
    • Reference desk – Serving as virtual librarians, Wikipedia volunteers tackle your questions on a wide range of subjects.
    • Village pump – For discussions about Wikipedia itself, including areas for technical issues and policies.
    • Community portal – Bulletin board, projects, resources and activities covering a wide range of Wikipedia areas.
    • Site news – Announcements, updates, articles and press releases on Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.
    • Local embassy – For Wikipedia-related communication in languages other than English.

    Wikipedia's sister projects

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

    Wikipedia languages