Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 January 4

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Today's featured article
The loggerhead sea turtle is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. An adult weighs around 135 kilograms (300 lb), with the largest specimens weighing in at more than 454 kilograms (1,000 lb). The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish-brown. Found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea, the loggerhead sea turtle spends most of its life in saltwater and estuarine habitats, with females briefly coming ashore to lay eggs. The loggerhead sea turtle has a low reproductive rate and a lifespan of 47–67 years. Omnivorous, the species feeds mainly on bottom dwelling invertebrates. Its large and powerful jaws serve as an effective tool for dismantling its prey. Loggerheads are considered an endangered species and are protected by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Turtle excluder devices have been implemented to reduce mortality of turtles in untended fishing nets. Loss of suitable nesting beaches and the introduction of exotic predators has also taken a toll on loggerhead populations. Efforts to restore their numbers will require international cooperation since the turtles roam vast areas of ocean and critical nesting beaches are scattered among several countries. (more...) Recently featured: Battle of Bardia – 2006 Gator Bowl – "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the Gregory Rift in East Africa contains the world's only active carbonatite volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai (pictured)? ... that the chamber choir Dresdner Kammerchor celebrated its 25th anniversary with Mendelssohn's Paulus in the Kreuzkirche, conducted by founder Hans-Christoph Rademann? ... that the 1764 Russo-Prussian alliance, formed two years after the signatories clashed in the Seven Years' War, allowed them to intervene in internal matters of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth? ... that in his book Life of Lincoln, Ward Hill Lamon speculated that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln may have been the illegitimate child of Nancy Lincoln and Kentucky politician Martin D. Hardin? ... that Norwegian businessman and patron of the arts Jørgen von Cappelen Knudtzon met Napoleon and Lord Byron in his trips in Europe? ... that one of the two theories about the Christmas gamma ray burst places it just 10,000 light years from Earth, but the other theory indicates a distance of 5.5 billion light years? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Portia Simpson-Miller Christopher Loeak is elected President of the Marshall Islands. Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan, and Togo join the UN Security Council as non-permanent members. Scores of people are killed and 20,000 more displaced by inter-tribal fighting in Pibor, South Sudan, despite the presence of UN peacekeepers. The People's National Party, led by Portia Simpson-Miller (pictured), wins a majority in the Jamaican general election. Samoa and Tokelau switch to the western side of the International Date Line, skipping 30 December entirely. Kim Jong-un is declared the new supreme leader of North Korea. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
January 4: Independence Day in Burma (1948) 1698 – Most of London's Palace of Whitehall, the main residence of the English monarchs dating from 1530, was destroyed by fire. 1847 – American gun inventor Samuel Colt made his first large sale of his revolvers to the Texas Rangers. 1884 – The Fabian Society, an intellectual movement whose purpose is to advance the socialist cause by gradualist and reformist methods rather than revolutionary means, was founded in London. 1951 – Korean War: Chinese and North Korean troops captured Seoul. 2007 – Nancy Pelosi (pictured) became Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, becoming the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. Government. 2010 – The Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the world's tallest structure, officially opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. More anniversaries: January 3 – January 4 – January 5 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now January 4, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Extermination of Evil is a set of five paintings believed to have been created in the 12th century, depicting traditional Asian deities banishing evil. The paintings are collectively listed as a National Treasure of Japan and held at the Nara National Museum. Clockwise, from top left: Sendan Kendatsuba, Shinchū, Bishamonten, Tenkeisei, and Shōki (click on thumbnail to see entire image).

Artist: Unknown

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