Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 August 23

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
The Olmec colossal heads consist of at least seventeen monumental stone representations of human male heads sculpted from large basalt boulders. The heads date from at least before 900 BC and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica. All portray mature men with fleshy cheeks, flat noses and slightly crossed eyes; their physical characteristics correspond to a type that is still common among the inhabitants of Tabasco and Veracruz. The boulders were brought from the Sierra de los Tuxtlas mountains of Veracruz; given that the extremely large slabs of stone used in their production were transported over large distances, presumably involving a great deal of people and resources, it is thought that finished monuments represent portraits of powerful individual Olmec rulers; each is given a distinctive headdress. The heads were variously arranged in lines or groups at major Olmec centres, but the method and logistics used to transport the stone to these sites remain unclear. The discovery of a colossal head at Tres Zapotes in the 19th century spurred the first archaeological investigations of Olmec culture by Matthew Stirling in 1938. Dating the monuments remains difficult due to the movement of many from their original context prior to archaeological investigation. Most have been dated to the Early Preclassic period (1500–1000 BC) with some to the Middle Preclassic (1000–400 BC) period. (more...) Recently featured: Battle of Bosworth Field – USS New Ironsides – Smith Act trials of Communist Party leaders Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the mare Apology's (pictured) win in the St. Leger Stakes led to a scandal in the Church of England? ... that George Kontos was named Illinois' high school baseball player of the year in 2003? ... that, although street food did not become popular in Thailand until the early 1960s when the urban population began to grow rapidly, by the 1970s it had "displaced home-cooking"? ... that Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is named for J. P. Shelton, who lobbied for the building of trade schools in the area? ... that 2012 Australian Paralympic goalball player Michelle Rzepecki introduced children with visual impairments in Bolivia to goalball? ... that the land now comprising the Knox Street Historic District in Albany, New York, was originally a nursery for the first successful American strawberry cultivar? ... that the number of murders in Jamaica dropped 20% during Mark Shields' first year as Deputy Police Commissioner of the Jamaica Constabulary Force? ... that the 2011 Micronesian parliamentary elections were the first to feature female candidates? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Ethnic clashes over grazing rights for cattle in Kenya's Tana River District result in more than 50 deaths. Russia, the world's largest non-WTO economy, joins the World Trade Organization after 19 years of negotiations. The Constitutional Court of Romania invalidates a referendum to impeach President Traian Băsescu, reinstating him. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (pictured) dies at the age of 57. A prison riot in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas results in 25 deaths. Following a military coup, Mali forms a national unity government in an effort to solve a political crisis. Burma announces an end to pre-publication censorship of print media. Syrian civil war – Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
August 23 1305 – After a show trial, William Wallace (pictured), leader of the Scottish resistance against England during the Wars of Scottish Independence, was executed in London's Smithfield Market. 1572 – The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, a wave of Catholic mob violence against the Huguenots, began, lasting for several months and resulting in an estimated tens of thousands deaths across France. 1896 – Andrés Bonifacio and his Katipunan comrades in Quezon City rose up in revolt against Spanish rule, marking the beginning of the Philippine Revolution. 1943 – World War II: The decisive Soviet victory in the Battle of Kursk gave the Red Army the strategic initiative for the rest of the war. 2006 – Natascha Kampusch, who had been abducted at the age of 10 in Vienna, escaped from her captor Wolfgang Priklopil after eight years in captivity. 2007 – The skeletal remains of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia, and his sister Anastasia were found near Yekaterinburg, Russia. More anniversaries: August 22 – August 23 – August 24 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now August 23, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

An 1893 print showing various examples of sea anemones, a group of water-dwelling, predatory animals named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower. As cnidarians, sea anemones are closely related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and Hydra. Its body is a polyp attached at the bottom to the surface beneath it by an adhesive foot, although a few species are free-floating.

Artist: Giacomo Merculiano; Restoration: Citron

Recently featured: Lady Margaret Beaufort – Khoikhoi people – Eilean Donan Castle

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.