Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 May 4

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Today's featured article
The Flowing Hair dollar was the first dollar coin issued by the United States federal government. Minted in 1794 and 1795, the size and weight of the coin were based on the Spanish dollar, which was popular in trade throughout the Americas. In 1791, following a study by Alexander Hamilton, Congress passed a joint resolution calling for the establishment of a national mint. Later that year, in his third State of the Union address, President George Washington urged Congress to provide for a mint, which was officially authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. Despite the authorization, silver and gold coins were not struck until 1794. The Flowing Hair dollar, designed by Robert Scot, was initially produced in 1794, and again in 1795. In October 1795 the design was replaced by the Draped Bust dollar. In May 2010, a specimen striking from the 1794 production was sold in a private sale for $7.85 million, the highest selling price of any coin in history. (more...) Recently featured: Shadow the Hedgehog – Brabham – Millennium Park Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that despite his racing career cut short by two wars, Finnhorse trotter Eri-Aaroni (pictured) sold in 1946 for the equivalent of 680,000 euros, the all-time highest price for a horse in Finland? ... that Nathan "Ned" Miller had two hit songs in the 1920s at the age of 22? ... that there is a tri-state water dispute between Georgia, Alabama, and Florida over the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin? ... that when Nikita Khrushchev gave the go-ahead to build the Berlin Wall, Mikhail Pervukhin was the first to know? ... that TV quiz show Don't Scare the Hare has been described as "fantasy based toddler telly with an adult twist"? ... that Burmese democracy activist Aye Aung is serving a 59-year prison sentence for distributing leaflets and organizing protests in Yangon? ... that the characters of "The Sliced-Crosswise Only-On-Tuesday World" are only allowed to experience one day a week? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
The Conservative Party, led by Stephen Harper (pictured), wins a majority in the Canadian federal election. John Higgins defeats Judd Trump to win the World Snooker Championship. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. forces at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from Air France Flight 447, which crashed into the Atlantic in 2009, are recovered from the ocean floor. Pope John Paul II is beatified at a ceremony in Vatican City. Libyan officials report that Saif al-Arab al-Gaddafi, son of Muammar Gaddafi, was killed in a NATO airstrike in Tripoli. Syrian unrest – Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
May 4: Declaration of Independence Day in Latvia (1990); Star Wars Day Margaret Thatcher 1471 – Wars of the Roses: Yorkist Edward IV defeated a Lancastrian army in the Battle of Tewkesbury. 1814 – Ferdinand VII abolished the Spanish Constitution of 1812, returning Spain to absolutism. 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy engaged Allied naval forces at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other. 1970 – The Ohio National Guard opened fire at Kent State University students protesting the United States invasion of Cambodia, killing four and injuring nine. 1979 – Margaret Thatcher (pictured) became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, following the defeat of James Callaghan's incumbent Labour government in the previous day's general election. More anniversaries: May 3 – May 4 – May 5 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now May 4, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A 1942 photo of a tour guide at Little Norway, a tourist attraction and living museum of a Norwegian village located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, US. Little Norway consists of a fully restored farm dating to the mid-19th century. It was originally built by Norwegian immigrant Osten Olson Haugen. In the 1930s, Isak Dahle purchased the farm as a gift to his family. Little Norway is home to one of the few examples of original Norse stave church architecture outside of Norway.

Photo: Arthur Rothstein; Restoration: Lise Broer

Recently featured: Fly portrait – U.S. Whig Party candidate, 1848 – Lucy Merriam, child model

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