Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 January 9

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From today's featured article
Richard Nixon (1913–1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. He graduated from Whittier College in 1934 and Duke University School of Law in 1937, returning to California to practice law. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. Nixon was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946 and to the Senate in 1950. He served for eight years as vice president, from 1953 to 1961, and waged an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1960, narrowly losing to John F. Kennedy. In 1968, Nixon ran again for president and was elected. He initially escalated the Vietnam War, but ended US involvement in 1973. Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972 opened diplomatic relations between the two nations. Though he presided over Apollo 11, he scaled back manned space exploration. He was re-elected by a landslide in 1972. A series of revelations in the Watergate scandal cost Nixon much of his political support in his second term, and on August 9, 1974, he resigned as president. In retirement, Nixon's work as an elder statesman, authoring several books and undertaking many foreign trips, helped to rehabilitate his public image. (Full article...) Recently featured: History of Mars observation – Psittacosaurus – The Covent-Garden Journal Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the grass octopus (pictured) puts on a deimatic display of brownish red with white spots to scare predators? ... that bonuses promised to girls for Sumangali work in Tamil Nadu are deducted from their stipends and held until they complete three years of work, a form of debt bondage illegal in India since 1976? ... that General Noël Garnier-Duplessis' commands during the First World War included troops from France, Russia and the US? ... that the chief of the Tehran bureau of the Iranian Cyber Police was dismissed in December 2012 after Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti died in their custody? ... that English cricketer Carol Valentine was a part of the first ever Women's Test match that was played between England and Australia? ... that the inhabitants of the Syrian village of Kafr Zita claim descent from the Mawali tribes who dominated the northern Syrian Desert until the 18th century? ... that inside All Saints Church, Claverley, Shropshire, is a carving of two dragons nibbling a human head? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
In association football, FIFA awards Lionel Messi (pictured) his fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or. In ice hockey, the National Hockey League's owners reach a tentative agreement with the National Hockey League Players' Association to end the 2012–13 NHL lockout. Wegelin & Co., Switzerland's oldest bank, announces it will close after being fined by U.S. authorities for enabling tax evasion. In chess, Magnus Carlsen achieves the highest FIDE rating of all time. At least 60 people are killed and 200 injured in a stampede after celebrations at Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Rwanda, and South Korea join the United Nations Security Council. Syrian civil war – Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
January 9 1816 – Inventor Humphry Davy first tested his Davy lamp (examples pictured), a safety lamp containing a candle for use in coal mines. 1857 – A 7.9 M_w earthquake ruptured part of the San Andreas fault in California and was felt as far east as Las Vegas. 1981 – U.S. Representative Raymond F. Lederer was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for his role in the Abscam scandal, but continued to serve his term for three more months. 1991 – Representatives from the United States and Iraq met at the Geneva Peace Conference to try to find a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. 2004 – Twenty-eight illegal Albanian emigrants died when their inflatable boat stalled near the Karaburun Peninsula while on the way to Brindisi, Italy. More anniversaries: January 8 – January 9 – January 10 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now January 9, 2013 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The Château de Maintenon is a château in the commune of Maintenon in the Eure-et-Loir département of France that served as the private residence of the second spouse of Louis XIV, Madame de Maintenon. Formerly a castle, it has been classified as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

Photo: Eric Pouhier

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