Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 March 18

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"Abyssinia, Henry" is the 72nd episode of the MASH* television series, and the final episode of the series' third season. First aired on March 18, 1975, and written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, the highly rated episode was most notable for its shocking and unexpected ending. The plot of the episode centers on the honorable discharge and subsequent departure of the 4077th MASH's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake (played by McLean Stevenson). The highly controversial ending to the episode, which has since been referenced and parodied many times, prompted an estimated 1,000-plus letters to series producers Gene Reynolds and Larry Gelbart, and drew fire from both CBS and 20th Century Fox. After the production of this episode, both Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, who played the character of Trapper John McIntyre, left the series to pursue other interests. These combined departures and their subsequent replacements signaled the beginning of a major shift in focus of the MASH* series as a whole. (more...) Recently featured: Ernest Shackleton – Conan the Barbarian – Liverpool F.C. Archive – By email – More featured articles...
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From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that places of worship in the district of Chichester, West Sussex, include a Buddhist monastery and a tin tabernacle (pictured)? ... that in 1968 the rector of Wrocław University, Alfred Jahn, supported students who were striking against communist censorship and lost his position as a result? ... that after winning the 1926 Belmont Stakes, Crusader set a course record at the Dwyer Stakes that year, and later became the first horse to win the Suburban Handicap two years in a row? ... that the life cycle of the parasitic marine fluke Homalometron pallidum involves three different hosts, one of which is the mummichog? ... that, in exchange for securing Welsh interests within the See of St David's, Bishop David fitzGerald renounced efforts for its elevation into an archbishopric? ... that the 1885 Michigan Wolverines football team played a game on roller skates against the Princess football team? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria Pope Shenouda III (pictured), the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, dies at the age of 88. Sachin Tendulkar of India becomes the first cricketer to score 100 international cricket centuries. Nicolae Timofti is elected President of Moldova. Bo Xilai, Chongqing Committee Secretary of the Communist Party of China, is dismissed from office following the Wang Lijun incident. Conflict in Syria – Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
March 18: Laetare Sunday (Western Christianity, 2012); Flag Day in Aruba (1976); Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom (2012) 1229 – Sixth Crusade: Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II crowned himself King of Jerusalem, despite the fact that his infant son Conrad was the rightful heir. 1314 – King Philip IV of France had Jacques de Molay (pictured), the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, burned at the stake. 1892 – Lord Stanley of Preston pledged to donate an award for Canada's top-ranked amateur ice hockey club, now known as the Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. 1906 – Romanian inventor Traian Vuia became the first person to fly a heavier-than-air craft with an unassisted takeoff. 2005 – As per a court order, the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo, an American woman who suffered brain damage, was removed at the request of her husband, fueling a worldwide debate on euthanasia. More anniversaries: March 17 – March 18 – March 19 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now March 18, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A 360° panoramic view of Freiburg im Breisgau, a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain. One of the famous old German university towns, and archiepiscopal seat, Freiburg was incorporated in the early 12th century and developed into a major commercial, intellectual, and ecclesiastical centre of the upper Rhine region.

Photo: Armin Hornung

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