Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 June 17

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Lynn Hill (born 1961) is an American rock climber. Widely regarded as one of the leading competitive sport climbers in the world during the late 1980s and early 1990s, she made the first ascent without aid of the difficult sheer rock face of The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley and the first free ascent in 24 hours. Hill shaped rock climbing for women and became a public spokesperson, helping it gain wider popularity and arguing for gender equity. She has publicized climbing by appearing on television shows and documentaries and writing an autobiography, Climbing Free: My Life in the Vertical World. She took to climbing at a young age and became a part of the climbing community in Southern California and Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley. During the early 1980s, she traveled around the United States, climbing increasingly difficult routes and setting records not only for first female ascents but also for first ascents. From 1986 to 1992 she won over thirty international titles, including five victories at the Arco Rock Master; she left competitive climbing in 1992. She has been described as both one of the best female climbers in the world and one of the best climbers of all time. (Full article...)

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In the news

Hassan Rouhani (pictured) is elected President of Iran.

The United States Supreme Court unanimously rules that naturally occurring DNA sequences cannot be patented.

Scientists discover Dua's layer, a previously unknown part of the human cornea.

Japanese supercentenarian Jiroemon Kimura, the verified oldest man in history, dies at the age of 116 years, 54 days.

Greece announces the closure of its public broadcasting corporation, ERT.

China launches Shenzhou 10, the fifth manned mission of the Chinese space program.

Recent deaths: Henry Cecil

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On this day...

June 17

1579 – Explorer Francis Drake landed in a region of present-day California, naming it New Albion and claiming it for England.

1843 – New Zealand Wars: An armed posse of Europeans set out from Nelson to arrest Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha and clashed with Māori, resulting in 26 deaths.

1900 – Boxer Rebellion: Allied naval forces captured the Taku Forts after a brief but bloody battle.

1972 – Five men were arrested for attempted burglary on the offices of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate complex (pictured) in Washington, D.C., igniting the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon more than two years later.

1982 – The body of Italian banker Roberto Calvi, known as "God's Banker" due to his close association with the Vatican, was found hanging from scaffolding beneath London's Blackfriars Bridge.

More anniversaries: June 16 – June 17 – June 18

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From today's featured list

The large number of chronometers carried by HMS Beagle, an Admiralty survey ship, were vital to her three missions, which included charting the coasts of South America and Australia. Chronometers were formerly essential to mariners for the accurate determination of longitude. Beagle's second voyage (1831–36) established a chain of linked reference points of known longitude encircling the globe for the first time. Beagle required large numbers of chronometers so that they could be compared with each other for accuracy and some would inevitably break down on such a long voyage. The expensive chronometers included some by famous makers such as John Arnold who coined this use of the term chronometer, Edward Dent who designed Big Ben, and Thomas Earnshaw who invented the spring detent escapement. Some of these chronometers were still in use on Royal Navy ships in the modern era, and at least one went down with a battleship in the First World War. However, only two have survived to the present time, including one in the British Museum (pictured). (Full list...)

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Postal Currency was introduced as an emergency measure during the American Civil War after people began hoarding gold, silver and copper coins, which disrupted everyday commerce. The United States Post Office Department was authorized to print paper money in small denominations, but the notes issued from August 21, 1862, through May 27, 1863, were officially only redeemable for postage stamps.

Notes: United States Post Office Department; scan: Michael Holley

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