Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 June 7

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
Providence is the capital of, and the most populous city in, Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the estimated third largest city in the New England region. Despite the city proper only having an estimated population of 178,042 as of 2010, it anchors the 37th largest metropolitan population in the country. With an estimated MSA population of 1,600,856, it exceeds that of Rhode Island itself by about 60% due to its reaching into southern Massachusetts. Situated at the mouth of the Providence River, at the head of Narragansett Bay, the city's small footprint is crisscrossed by seemingly erratic streets and contains a rapidly changing demographic. Providence was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence", which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers to settle. One of the first American cities to industrialize, Providence became noted for its jewelry and silverware industry. Today, the city's economy has shifted into the service industries, though it still retains significant manufacturing activity. (more...) Recently featured: Arular – Logarithm – California's 12th congressional district election, 1946 Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Tanzania hosts more than 1100 bird species including the Grey Crowned Crane (pictured)? ... that Forrest McClendon earned a 2011 Tony Award nomination for his début performance on Broadway? ... that the powerful teeth and jaws of Heliopithecus may have played a key role in the spread of Hominoids from Africa into Eurasia, 17 million years ago? ... that the 2011 book Among the Truthers argues there is growing popularity in the US for far-fetched, paranoid conspiracy theories? ... that Vivienne Osborne was offered a role in Douglas Fairbanks's last silent film, the Musketeer film sequel The Iron Mask, following her earlier role in the Flo Ziegfeld musical The Three Musketeers? ... that the libretto for Phyllis Tate's opera The Lodger was written by singer and broadcaster David Franklin? ... that award-winning journalist Paul Kamara has also been a priest, a cabinet minister, and the manager of Sierra Leone's national football team? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Nikola Gruevski Nikola Gruevski (pictured), Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia, is re-elected for a third consecutive term in office. Israeli forces shoot at demonstrators along the Syrian–Golan Heights border, producing the deadliest clash in the Golan since 1973. NATO begins employing attack helicopters for the first time in air operations over Libya. In tennis, Li Na wins the women's singles and Rafael Nadal wins the men's singles at the French Open. Chile's Puyehue volcano erupts, forcing 3,500 people to evacuate. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is injured in an attack on the presidential palace and transported to a Saudi Arabia hospital for treatment. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
June 7: Shavuot begins at sunset (Judaism, 2011); Sette Giugno in Malta; Journalist Day in Argentina 1628 – The Petition of Right, a major English constitutional document that set out specific liberties of the subject, was granted the Royal Assent by Charles I (pictured). 1892 – Homer Plessy, an "octoroon" from New Orleans, Louisiana, was arrested for refusing to leave the "whites-only" car on a train. 1917 – World War I: The British Army detonated 19 ammonal mines under the German lines, killing 10,000 in the deadliest non-nuclear man-made explosion in history. 1981 – The Israeli Air Force attacked and disabled the Osirak nuclear reactor, assuming it was producing plutonium to further an Iraqi nuclear weapons program. 2006 – Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, was killed when the United States Air Force bombed his safehouse near Baqubah. More anniversaries: June 6 – June 7 – June 8 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now June 7, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The Meadow Argus (Junonia villida) is a species of butterfly native to Australasia. Its brown wings are each covered with two distinctive black and blue eyespots as well as white and orange marks that appear on the edge of the wings. Males and females are similar in appearance and size, with females being slightly larger.

Photo: JJ Harrison

Recently featured: A synagogue on D-Day – Dymaxion map animation – Portable folding reflector

Archive – More featured pictures...

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.