Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 June 30

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Today's featured article
Yogo sapphires are a variety of corundum found only in Yogo Gulch, Montana, part of the Little Belt Mountains in Judith Basin County, on land once inhabited by the Piegan Blackfeet people. Yogos are typically cornflower blue in color, a result of their containing trace amounts of iron and titanium. Many gemologists consider them among the finest sapphires in the world. They have high uniform clarity and maintain their brilliance under artificial light. Because Yogo sapphires occur within a vertically dipping resistive igneous dike, mining efforts have been sporadic and rarely profitable. It is estimated that at least 28 million carats (5.6 t) of Yogos are still in the ground. The Smithsonian Institution first reported on Yogos in the museum's annual report on June 30, 1899. Jewelry containing Yogos was given to First Ladies Florence Harding and Bess Truman; in addition, many gems were sold in Europe. Today, several Yogo sapphires are part of the Smithsonian Institution's gem collection. In 1969, the sapphire was co-designated along with the agate as Montana's state gemstones. (more...) Recently featured: Olivia Shakespear – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and the Belyayev circle – Rochester Castle Archive – By email – More featured articles...
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From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that St Lawrence's Church, Appleby (pictured), in Cumbria, contains the monuments of Lady Anne Clifford and her mother Margaret, Countess of Cumberland? ... that the Gay Women's Alternative in D.C. began as a home gathering called the Gay Women's Open House at Lilli Vencez's home in 1971? ... that baseball pitcher Tyler Thornburg has drawn comparisons to Cy Young Award-winner Tim Lincecum? ... that a "powerful chorus" on a quotation from the Sermon on the Mount forms the core of Bach's third cantata for Leipzig, Ein ungefärbt Gemüte, BWV 24? ... that while the Oman women's national football team has yet to play a game, a club from Oman played matches against national teams from Jordan and Syria? ... that Atlanta Falcons coach Jerry Glanville described Casey Elliott as "a super, super kid"? ... that in 2001, BBC One devoted an entire night of its programming exclusively to text messaging? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
UNESCO lists the Church of the Nativity (pictured) in Bethlehem as the first World Heritage Site in the State of Palestine. The U.S. Supreme Court upholds a majority of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a statute reforming health insurance in the country. Barclays is fined a total of £290 million for attempting to manipulate the Libor and the Euribor. The European Court of Justice rejects an appeal by Microsoft, confirming a fine of €860 million for the abuse of its dominant position in the market. American director, playwright and screenwriter Nora Ephron dies at the age of 71. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
June 30: Armed Forces Day in the United Kingdom (2012) 1859 – French acrobat Charles Blondin crossed Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, turning him into one of the world's most famous tightrope walkers. 1908 – A massive explosion occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, knocking over 80 million trees (sample pictured) over 2,150 square kilometres (830 sq mi). 1922 – The United States and the Dominican Republic signed an agreement that ended the former's occupation of the latter two years later. 1972 – The International Time Bureau added the first leap second to the Coordinated Universal Time time scale. 2009 – Schoolgirl Bahia Bakari was the sole survivor when Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean killing 152 people. More anniversaries: June 29 – June 30 – July 1 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now June 30, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Grandidier's baobab (Adansonia grandidieri) is the biggest and most famous of Madagascar's six baobab species. It has a massive cylindrical trunk, up to 3 m (10 ft) across, and can reach up to 25 m (82 ft) in height. The large, dry fruits of the baobab contain kidney-shaped seeds within an edible pulp. It is named after the French botanist and explorer Alfred Grandidier, who documented many of the animals and plants of Madagascar.

Photo: Bernard Gagnon

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