Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 October 26

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Today's featured article
Charles Carroll (1661–1720) was a wealthy lawyer and planter in colonial Maryland. Carroll, a Catholic, is best known because his efforts to hold office in the Protestant-dominated colony resulted in the disfranchisement of Maryland Catholics. The second son of Irish Catholic parents, Carroll was educated in France as a lawyer before returning to England, where he pursued the first steps in a legal career. Before that career developed, he secured a position as Attorney General of the young colony of Maryland. Its founder George Calvert and his descendants intended it as a refuge for Catholics. Carroll supported Charles Calvert, the colony's Catholic proprietor, in an unsuccessful effort to prevent the Protestant majority from gaining political control. Following the overthrow of the Calvert proprietorship and the subsequent exclusion of Catholics from colonial government, Carroll turned his attention to planting, law, business, and various offices in the proprietor's remnant organization. He was the wealthiest man in the colony by the time of his death. (more...) Recently featured: George II of Great Britain – Hadji Ali – Ian Fleming Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Vignoles Bridge (pictured), one of the 10 Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Coventry, originally spanned the Oxford Canal before being moved to its current location over the River Sherbourne in 1969? ... that Manolis Roubakis is one of the few footballers who have played for the three big clubs of Heraklion in Greece: OFI Crete, Ergotelis and Atsalenios? ... that in the early 19th century, if you were out on the streets of Gibraltar after midnight without a permit you risked being sent to the Main Guard? ... that Lady Lindsay of Birker, the first Chinese-born peeress, smuggled supplies and taught English to communist guerrillas fighting the Japanese occupation? ... that the town of al-Dana in northern Syria is identified with "Adennu", the first Aramaean city to be captured by Assyrian emperor Shalmaneser III? ... that coral fungi can be red, yellow, beige, ashen, upright, green-staining, bitter, or blah? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Six scientists and a former government official, accused of "falsely reassuring" the public of the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake's unlikelihood, are convicted of manslaughter. The Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for cycling, strips Lance Armstrong (pictured) of his seven Tour de France wins. Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, marries Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy. Lebanese intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan is assassinated in a car bomb attack in Beirut that killed eight people and injured more than 100 others. Recent deaths: Russell Means – Yash Chopra – George McGovern Syrian civil war – Wikinews – More current events...
On this day...
October 26: First day of Eid al-Adha (Islam, 2012); National Day in Austria (1955); feast day of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki 1341 – The Byzantine army proclaimed chief minister John VI Kantakouzenos emperor, triggering a civil war between his supporters and those of John V Palaiologos, the heir to the throne. 1813 – War of 1812: A force consisting of about 1,630 French Canadian regulars and militia and Mohawk warriors under Charles de Salaberry (pictured) repulsed an American force of about 4,000 attempting to invade Canada. 1940 – The North American P-51 Mustang, one of the most effective fighter aircraft for the Allies during World War II, made its first flight. 1955 – Ngo Dinh Diem proclaimed himself president of the newly created Republic of Vietnam after defeating former Emperor Bao Dai in a fraudulent referendum supervised by his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu. 2000 – Laurent Gbagbo became the first President of Côte d'Ivoire since Robert Guéï was thrown out of power during the 1999 Ivorian coup d'état. More anniversaries: October 25 – October 26 – October 27 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now October 26, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The Chicago Theatre is located on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois, US. When it opened on October 26, 1921, the 3,880-seat theater was promoted as the "Wonder Theatre of the World". Its marquee, "an unofficial emblem of the city", appears frequently in film, television, artwork, and photography.

Photo: Daniel Schwen

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