Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 December 27

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Today's featured article
Knowle West is a neighbourhood situated on a low plateau in the south of Bristol, England, about 2 miles (3 km) from the centre of the city. Most of the area is coterminous with the Filwood ward of Bristol City Council, although a small part of the estate lies within Knowle ward to the east. The population as of 2008 was estimated as 11,787. There is evidence of late Iron Age and Roman settlements in the area. At the time of the Domesday Book, Knowle was a rural area assessed at a taxable value of two geld units. Knowle West remained rural in character until the 1930s when a council housing estate was developed to provide homes for Bristolians displaced by slum clearance in the centre of the city. Famous former residents include the musician Tricky, the boxer Dixie Brown and late 1950s rock and roll band The Eagles. Community activities include the Knowle West Media Centre, the Residents' Planning Group and the Knowle West Health Association. There are no major employers in Knowle West but there are many small local enterprises and larger businesses on nearby trading estates. Just under a third of the residents are classed as economically inactive and the area is one of the most economically deprived in Bristol. Knowle West has relatively high indices of crime and drug use, but community efforts to combat this have had some success. (more...) Recently featured: 1689 Boston revolt – Red-capped Robin – Harold Pinter Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the Martin-Baker Mk.1 (pictured), used by a test pilot to escape a crashing Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52, was the first ejection seat to save the life of a British pilot? ... that although it ended peacefully, the Rotem Crisis of 1960 was later seen as a "trial run" for events leading to the 1967 Six-Day War? ... that Swampy, the lead character in the game Where's My Water?, is the first original character created by Disney for a mobile video game? ... that the Church of St Thomas the Martyr, and the adjoining Monnow Bridge, were both damaged by fire in the Battle of Monmouth in 1233? ... that American painter and lithographer Bolton Brown was the first person to climb Mount Clarence King? ... that the European windstorm Friedhelm was colloquially called Hurricane Bawbag, from a Scots word for a scrotum? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Multiple bombings occur in Nigeria, killing at least 39 people. Two coordinated bombings kill at least 44 people in Damascus, Syria. A series of coordinated bombings in Baghdad kills at least 65 people. Soyuz TMA-03M, launched from Baikonur, carries a crew of three men (pictured) to the International Space Station. Russia's largest stock exchanges, MICEX and RTS, merge to form MICEX-RTS. North Korea announces the death of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
December 27: St. Stephen's Day in Eastern Christianity 1831 – Aboard HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin left Plymouth, England, on what became a historic expedition to South America that made his name as a naturalist. 1911 – "Jana Gana Mana", the national anthem of India, was first sung in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. 1927 – Show Boat, considered to be the first truly American musical, opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway. 1997 – Loyalist Volunteer Force leader Billy Wright was assassinated in the Maze prison by members of the Irish National Liberation Army. 2004 – Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reached Earth, the most magnetic object ever perceived by mankind, with a magnetic field of over 10¹⁵ gauss in intensity. 2007 – Riots erupted in Mombasa, Kenya, after Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of the presidential election—the first event in a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis (pictured). More anniversaries: December 26 – December 27 – December 28 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now December 27, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A drawing of travelers on the California Trail, one of the major emigrant trails across the Western United States used by over 250,000 people heading west during the California Gold Rush. This, combined with those coming from the east across the Isthmus of Panama or around Cape Horn, greatly increased the population of California, and spurred the movement to make it the 31st U.S. state.

Artist: Daniel A. Jenks; Restoration: Papa Lima Whiskey

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