Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 August 13

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
The gray mouse lemur is a small lemur, a type of strepsirrhine primate, found only on the island of Madagascar. Nearly indistinguishable from each other by appearance, the gray mouse lemur and all other mouse lemurs are considered cryptic species. For this reason, the gray mouse lemur was considered the only mouse lemur species for decades until more recent studies began to distinguish between the species. Like all mouse lemurs, this species is nocturnal and arboreal. It is very active, and although it forages alone, groups of males and females will form sleeping groups and share tree holes during the day. It exhibits a form of dormancy called torpor during the cool, dry winter months, and in some cases undergoes seasonal torpor (or hibernation), which is unusual for primates. Its diet consists primarily of fruit, insects, flowers, and nectar. In the wild, its natural predators include owls, snakes, and endemic mammalian predators. Predation pressure is higher for this species than among any other primate species, with one out of four individuals taken by a predator each year. This is counterbalanced by its high reproductive rate. Although threatened by deforestation, habitat degradation, and live capture for the pet trade, it is considered one of Madagascar's most abundant small native mammals. (more...) Recently featured: Olympic Games – South Side, Chicago – Gregorian mission Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that in 2004, a group of Members of Parliament proposed melting down the statue of Oliver Cromwell (pictured) which had stood outside the Houses of Parliament for 105 years? ... that Felice Bauer and Franz Kafka first met 100 years ago today in Prague, exchanged hundreds of letters, and were engaged twice? ... that BBC One's Expedition Guyana was renamed Lost Land of the Jaguar to appeal to a wider audience, as a reference to Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World? ... that habana grass is sometimes found as a bird seed contaminant? ... that Edward Tyrer, the Commissioner of Police, Hong Kong, was mysteriously approved for early retirement on "health grounds" at the height of the leftist riots in July 1967? ... that "Episode 6188" of the Australian soap opera Neighbours was broadcast in real-time and featured the exit of Mark Brennan? ... that The Telegraph described James Cable as "one of the most influential naval strategic thinkers of the last half-century"? ... that shooting for Nuclear Strike's full motion video employed a live tiger and the Batcave? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
The closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics is held in London. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi orders Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi to resign and cancels military-declared constitutional amendments. In the Olympics, Jamaica and the United States set world records in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay (Jamaican anchor Usain Bolt pictured) and the women's 4 × 100 metres relay, respectively. At least 300 people are killed and 2,600 others injured in a pair of earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran. Researchers announce new fossils of Homo rudolfensis, helping to confirm it as a species distinct from Homo habilis. Olympics summary – Wikinews – Recent deaths More current events...
On this day...
August 13 1521 – After an extended siege, forces led by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés captured Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc and conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. 1868 – A major earthquake near Arica, Peru, caused an estimated 25,000 casualties, and the subsequent tsunami caused considerable damage as far away as Hawaii and New Zealand. 1906 – The all black infantrymen of the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Regiment were accused of killing a white bartender and wounding a white police officer in Brownsville, Texas, despite exculpatory evidence; all were later dishonorably discharged. 2004 – Hurricane Charley struck the U.S. state of Florida (damage pictured), just 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie inflicted its own damage to the state. 2010 – After having been boarded by Canadian authorities, the MV Sun Sea docked and the 492 Sri Lankan Tamil refugee claimants on board were placed into detention. More anniversaries: August 12 – August 13 – August 14 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now August 13, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured list

There were numerous deaths at the Berlin Wall, which stood as a barrier between West Berlin and East Germany from 13 August 1961 until 9 November 1989. Before erection of the Berlin Wall in 1961, 3.5 million East Germans circumvented Eastern Bloc emigration restrictions, many by crossing over the border from East Berlin into West Berlin, from where they could then travel to West Germany and other Western European countries. Between 1961 and 1989, the Wall prevented almost all such emigration. The state-funded Centre for Contemporary History in Potsdam has given the official figure of 136 deaths, including people attempting to escape, border guards, and innocent parties (memorial monument pictured). However, researchers at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and some others had estimated the death toll to be significantly higher. In numerous legal cases throughout the 1990s, several border guards, along with political officials responsible for the defence policies, were found guilty of manslaughter and served probation or were jailed for their role in the Berlin Wall deaths. (more...)

Recently featured: Olympic records in athletics – Arnold Schwarzenegger filmography – Puerto Ricans missing in action in the Korean War

Archive – More featured lists...

Today's featured picture

The Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis) is native to forested areas in the Australasia region. Like other cuckoo species, it practises brood parasitism, laying its eggs in the nests of other birds like fairywrens or thornbills. Its diet is omnivorous and includes fruits and vegetables, insects, reptiles, mammals, and birds.

Photo: JJ Harrison.

Recently featured: Christy Mathewson – Chlorine – Carambola

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.