Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 April 4

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
Tryon Creek is a 4.85-mile (7.81 km) tributary of the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the drainage basin of the Columbia River, its watershed covers about 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) in Multnomah and Clackamas counties. The stream flows southeast from the Tualatin Mountains (West Hills) through the Multnomah Village neighborhood of Portland and the Tryon Creek State Natural Area to the Willamette in the city of Lake Oswego. Parks and open spaces cover about 21 percent of the watershed, while single-family homes dominate most of the remainder. The largest of the parks is the state natural area, which straddles the border between the two cities and counties. The bedrock under the watershed includes part of the last exotic terrane, a chain of seamounts, acquired by the North American Plate as it moved west during the Eocene. Named for mid-19th century settler, Socrates Hotchkiss Tryon, Sr., the creek ran through forests of cedar and fir. Efforts to establish a large park in the watershed began in the 1950s and succeeded in 1975 when the state park was formally established. As of 2005, about 37 percent of the watershed was wooded and supported more than 60 species of birds as well as small mammals, amphibians, and fish. (more...) Recently featured: Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident - Talbot Baines Reed – Pigeon photography Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that according to art-historical analysis the 9th-century illuminated manuscript Codex Vaticanus Latinus 3868 (pictured) was copied from a 3rd-century model? ... that during the Popish Plot, on Sunday 17 November 1678, John Arnold of Monmouthshire captured Father David Lewis at St Michael's Church, Llantarnam, and he was later executed? ... that in the spring of 1941 the Swiss Socialist Federation was banned and its four national deputies (including Le Travail editor Léon Nicole and Jacques Dicker) were expelled from parliament? ... that film editing innovations by Lou Lombardo and Sam Peckinpah in 1969 still influence filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, John Woo, Kathryn Bigelow, and the Wachowskis? ... that Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was the soloist in a recording of Max Reger's Requiem with the Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg in 1990? ... that the ruins of the Maya city of Mixco Viejo in Guatemala received their name because they were believed to be the remains of another city entirely? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Following an allegation of academic misconduct, Pál Schmitt (pictured) resigns as President of Hungary. UTair Flight 120 crashes shortly after take-off from Roschino International Airport, Tyumen, Russia, killing 32 people. The National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, wins a majority of contested seats in the Burmese by-elections. The Malian towns of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu fall to rebel control. In the Gambian parliamentary election, the incumbent APRC party wins an absolute majority of seats in the National Assembly. Tribal clashes kill at least 147 people in Sabha, Libya. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
April 4: Independence Day in Senegal (1960); Children's Day in Taiwan and Hong Kong 1660 – Charles II of England issued the Declaration of Breda, describing his conditions for the Restoration of the crown of England. 1841 – William Henry Harrison became the first U.S. President to die in office, 32 days into his term, sparking a brief constitutional crisis regarding questions of presidential succession that were left unanswered by the U.S. Constitution. 1969 – Surgeons Denton Cooley and Domingo Liotta implanted the first total artificial heart. 1975 – Bill Gates (pictured) and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. 1979 – Deposed Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was executed. 2002 – The Angolan government and UNITA rebels signed a peace treaty, agreeing to follow the 1994 Lusaka Protocol and ending the decades-long Angolan Civil War. More anniversaries: April 3 – April 4 – April 5 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now April 4, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Two olive baboons (Papio anubis) engaged in social grooming, an activity that social animals (including humans) engage in to clean or maintain one another's body or appearance. Grooming also reinforces social structures, family links, and builds relationships. It has been best studied among primates, but insects, birds, fish, and other mammals are known to engage in it as well.

Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

Recently featured: Tasmanian Darner – Poli's stellate barnacle – Vegetable Lamb of Tartary

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.