Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 May 22

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Today's featured article
Ahalya is the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi in Hindu mythology. Many Hindu scriptures say that she was seduced by Indra, cursed by her husband for infidelity, and liberated from the curse by Rama (an avatar of the god Vishnu). Created by the god Brahma as the most beautiful woman, Ahalya was married to the much older Gautama. In the earliest full narrative, when Indra comes disguised as her husband, Ahalya sees through his disguise but nevertheless accepts his advances. Ahalya and her lover (or rapist) Indra are cursed by Gautama. Although early texts describe how Ahalya must atone by undergoing severe penance while remaining invisible to the world and how she is purified by offering Rama hospitality, in the popular retelling developed over time, Ahalya is cursed to become a stone and regains her human form after she is brushed by Rama's foot. Medieval story-tellers often focus on Ahalya's deliverance by Rama, which is seen as proof of the saving grace of God. Her story has been retold numerous times in the scriptures and lives on in modern-age poetry and short stories, as well as in dance and drama. Ahalya is extolled as the first of the panchakanya ("five virgins"), archetypes of female chastity whose names are believed to dispel sin when recited. While some praise her loyalty to her husband and her undaunted acceptance of the curse and gender norms, others condemn her adultery. (more...) Recently featured: Mary Anning – C. D. Howe – Indigenous people of the Everglades region Archive – By email – More featured articles...
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In the news
A suicide bombing kills more than 120 people in Sana'a, Yemen. Tomislav Nikolić (pictured) is elected President of Serbia. British singer-songwriter Robin Gibb, a member of the Bee Gees, dies at the age of 62. In ice hockey, the IIHF World Championship concludes with Russia defeating Slovakia in the final. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, convicted in 2001 in connection with the Lockerbie bombing, dies in Libya. The 38th G8 summit takes place at Camp David, the U.S. presidential retreat. In association football, the UEFA Champions League concludes with Chelsea defeating Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout in the final. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
May 22: Unity Day in Yemen (1990) 853 – Byzantine–Arab Wars: The Byzantine navy sacked and plundered the port city of Damietta on the Nile Delta, whose garrison was absent at the time. 1629 – Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Danish King Christian IV signed the Treaty of Lübeck to end the Danish intervention in the Thirty Years' War. 1816 – A riot broke out in Littleport, Cambridgeshire, England, over high unemployment and rising grain costs, spreading to Ely the next day. 1863 – American Civil War: Union forces began to lay siege to the Confederate-controlled town of Port Hudson, Louisiana. 1960 – A magnitude 9.5 earthquake devastated Valdivia, Chile, and generated destructive tsunamis that reached Hawaii the following day. 1972 – Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka (emblem pictured), adopted a new constitution, and officially became a republic. 1980 – Pac-Man, an arcade game that became an icon of 1980s popular culture, made its debut in Japan. 2002 – Washington, D.C., police announced that the skeletal remains of missing Federal Bureau of Prisons intern Chandra Levy were found in Rock Creek Park. More anniversaries: May 21 – May 22 – May 23 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now May 22, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The blue wildebeest (or gnu, Connochaetes taurinus) is one of two species of wildebeest. It is native to the open plains, bushveld, and dry woodlands of Southern and East Africa. The largest population is in the Serengeti, numbering over one million animals. They are a major prey item for lions, hyenas, and crocodiles.

Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

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