Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 December 14

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Today's featured article
The first expedition to reach the geographic South Pole was led by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. His party arrived at the pole on 14 December 1911, five weeks ahead of a British team led by Robert Falcon Scott. Amundsen and his companions returned safely to their base, and later learned that Scott and his four companions had died on their return journey. Amundsen's initial plans had been to explore the Arctic, but he decided to go south on hearing that both Frederick Cook and Robert E. Peary were claiming to have reached the North Pole. However, he kept this revised objective secret until after his departure. The expedition arrived in Antarctica in January 1911 and after months of preparation the five-man polar party set out in October 1911. The route from their base at the Bay of Whales took them across the Great Ice Barrier and up the Axel Heiberg Glacier. The party's mastery of the use of skis and their expertise with sledge dogs ensured rapid and relatively trouble-free travel. Although the expedition's success was widely applauded, the story of Scott's heroic failure and tragic death overshadowed its achievements. For his decision to keep his true plans secret until the last moment, Amundsen was criticised for what some considered deception on his part. (more...) Recently featured: Cogan House Covered Bridge – Gillingham Football Club – Californication Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the rare magic mushroom Psilocybe tampanensis (pictured) was found after its discoverer skipped a "boring taxonomic conference" to go mushroom hunting? ... that Sancti Spiritu, the first European settlement in modern Argentina, was destroyed by natives two years later? ... that Yad Sarah, the largest national volunteer organization in Israel, has over 6,000 volunteers – including its founder, Uri Lupolianski, former mayor of Jerusalem? ... that the cliffs and offshore rocks from Godrevy Head to St Agnes are host to the largest colony of breeding Black-legged Kittiwakes in Cornwall, UK? ... that Jeff Wright, a county drain commissioner in Michigan, has also served as an FBI informant? ... that The Who's 1971 song "Bargain" and 1981 song "Don't Let Go the Coat" were both inspired by Indian mystic Meher Baba? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
At least five people are killed and more than one hundred are wounded in a murder–suicide attack in Liège, Belgium. The Constituent Assembly of Tunisia elects Moncef Marzouki as the President of Tunisia. The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, closes with an agreement to establish a new treaty to limit carbon emissions. Allegations of flaws in the Russian legislative elections trigger the country's largest protests (pictured) since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Iran files a formal complaint to the UN Security Council regarding a U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel aircraft seized within its territory. The National Basketball Association lockout ends with a collective bargaining agreement between players and owners. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
December 14: Day of the Children Killed During the War in Abkhazia (1992); Day of the Martyred Intellectuals in Bangladesh (1971); Monkey Day 557 – A large earthquake severely damaged the city of Constantinople. 1782 – In Avignon, France, the Montgolfier brothers conducted their first test of their hot air balloon. 1994 – Construction on the Three Gorges Dam (pictured) began on the Yangtze River in China. 1999 – Torrential rains caused flash floods in Vargas, Venezuela, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, the destruction of thousands of homes, and the complete collapse of the state's infrastructure. 2009 – The Tino Rangatiratanga flag representing the Māori people was officially recognized by the government of New Zealand. More anniversaries: December 13 – December 14 – December 15 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now December 14, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Crystals of pure chromium created by a chemical transport reaction, along with a cube of the element for comparison. Chromium is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that has high corrosion resistance and hardness. Its major industrial uses are in electroplating and making stainless steel.

Photo: Alchemist-hp

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