Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 August 15

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Today's featured article
Manhunter is a 1986 film based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. Written and directed by Michael Mann (pictured), it stars William Petersen as offender profiler Will Graham, Tom Noonan as serial killer Francis Dollarhyde—"The Tooth Fairy"—and features Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor. Manhunter focuses on the forensic work carried out by the FBI to track down the killer and shows the long-term effects that cases like this have on Graham, highlighting the similarities between him and his quarry. The film features heavily stylized use of color to convey this sense of duality, and the nature of the characters' similarity has been explored in academic readings of the film. Opening to mixed reviews, Manhunter fared poorly at the box office at the time of its release, making only $8.6 million in the United States. However, it has been reappraised in more recent reviews and now enjoys a more favorable reception, as both the acting and the stylized visuals have been appreciated better in later years. Its resurgent popularity has seen it labelled as a cult film. (more...) Recently featured: DNA nanotechnology – Gray mouse lemur – Olympic Games Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that U.S. President Calvin Coolidge (pictured) received a large amount of fan mail after publishing his autobiography? ... that Mollie Phillips was the first woman to carry the flag and lead out her national team at an Olympic Games? ... that Japanese literary critic Hiroki Azuma considered the robot character Multi from To Heart the "most influential character among the male otaku" after Neon Genesis Evangelion? ... that Simon Delestre, when asked if he had any hobbies, said there was no time for them? ... that Autographa sansoni is a moth that lives in the Pacific Northwest? ... that the 1992 Birmingham Fire season included the first tie game in World League history with their 17–17 draw against the London Monarchs? ... that the history of the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe as an aid to navigation has led to it being referred to as "Gibraltar's first lighthouse"? ... that Brett Moffitt was the youngest driver ever to win in NASCAR touring series competition, but held that honor for less than a year? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
British bank Standard Chartered agrees to pay a US$340 million fine to New York State to settle money laundering charges. The closing ceremony (pictured) of the Summer Olympics is held in London. Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy wins the PGA Championship by a record eight strokes. 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 and the women's 4 × 100 metres relay, respectively. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
August 15: Victory over Japan Day; Feast of the Assumption in Christianity; Independence Day in the Congo (1960) and India (1947); Liberation Day in South Korea (1945) 718 – Forces of the Umayyad Caliphate abandoned their year-long siege of Constantinople, causing the caliphate to give up its goal of conquering the Byzantine Empire. 1511 – Afonso de Albuquerque captured the city of Malacca, giving Portugal control over the Strait of Malacca, through which all sea-going trade between China and India was concentrated. 1812 – War of 1812: Potawatomi warriors destroyed the United States Army's Fort Dearborn (pictured) in what is now Chicago, Illinois, and captured the survivors. 1907 – Jamaican American Raphael Morgan was ordained as the first Black Orthodox clergyman in America. 1942 – World War II: The tanker SS Ohio reached Malta, as part of an operation to deliver much needed supplies during the Siege of Malta. 1963 – President Fulbert Youlou was overthrown in the Republic of Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital. More anniversaries: August 14 – August 15 – August 16 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now August 15, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

At Breakfast (1898) by the Danish artist L. A. Ring. Ring was one of the foremost painters of Danish symbolism. As a painter, he made his humble origins the dominant theme of his paintings. This painting shows his wife, Sigrid Kähler, surrounded by subtle symbols indicating his love for her, such as the myrtle branches above her head, a symbol of Aphrodite according to the Ancient Greeks, and used in Denmark to adorn the bride at weddings.

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