Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 June 9

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From today's featured article

The Norman Cob is a breed of light draft horse that originated in Normandy in northern France. It has a range of heights and weights due to selective breeding for a wide range of uses and is known for its lively, long-striding trot. Colors accepted by the breed registry include chestnut, bay and seal brown. Norman Cobs are popular for recreational and competitive driving, and are also used for several riding disciplines. In its homeland, the Norman Cob was originally used widely for agriculture, but the advent of mechanization threatened all French draft breeds, and many breeders turned their production towards the meat market. Norman Cob breeders instead crossed their horses with Thoroughbreds to contribute to the Selle Français breed, now France's national saddle horse. This allowed the Norman Cob to remain a light draft horse through the decades, while other draft breeds were growing heavier and slower due to selection for meat. Genetic studies in the 1980s showed the breed suffered from inbreeding and genetic drift. Breed enthusiasts worked to develop new selection criteria for breeding stock, and population numbers are now relatively stable. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

From Wikipedia's newest content:

... that only two small fragments remain from 1,333 square feet (123.8 m²) of Giotto's Navicella mosaic (copy illustrated) in Old St. Peter's Basilica?

... that British poet Tony Harrison created the film-poem The Blasphemers' Banquet partially in response to the Salman Rushdie controversy surrounding his publication of The Satanic Verses?

... that Nick Ciuffo received a scholarship to play college baseball before appearing in a single high school baseball game?

... that critics claimed Tarmina only won its Citra Awards because of influence from Djamaluddin Malik?

... that Tommy Kendall suffered critical injuries at Watkins Glen in 1991 when the left rear wheel of his Intrepid RM-1 flew off, pitching him into the guardrail at 140 mph (230 km/h)?

... that Jeffrey Dampier won US$20 million in the Illinois Lottery and was subsequently murdered by his sister-in-law and her boyfriend?

... that bullets are found in central and northern Australia after monsoonal rains?

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In the news

The US National Security Agency's PRISM program is revealed as using surveillance of user data from major technology companies.

Following a conviction on charges of corruption, former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša (pictured) is sentenced to two years in prison.

The oldest known primate species, Archicebus achilles, 55 million years old, is described from a fossil discovered in China.

In the Syrian civil war, government forces retake the strategic town of al-Qusayr.

Heavy flooding causes widespread damage across Central Europe.

After Jairo Mora Sandoval is murdered protecting leatherback sea turtle nests, the Costa Rican government opens talks with environmental groups on reforming the nation's environmental policy.

Recent deaths: Esther Williams

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On this day...

June 9: St. Colmcille's Day in Ireland

1732 – James Oglethorpe was granted a royal charter for the Province of Georgia between the Savannah and Altamaha rivers.

1815 – The Congress of Vienna ended, redrawing the political map of Europe after the defeat of Napoleon.

1863 – American Civil War: In the largest cavalry engagement in U.S. history, Union and Confederate forces fought to a draw in the Battle of Brandy Station.

1928 – Australian aviator Charles Kingsford Smith (pictured) and his crew landed their Southern Cross aircraft in Brisbane, completing the first ever trans-Pacific flight from the United States mainland to Australia.

1973 – Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, achieving the first American Triple Crown victory in a quarter-century, and lowering the track and world record times for 1½ mile distance races to 2:24.

More anniversaries: June 8 – June 9 – June 10

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Today's featured picture

An 1899 photochrom showing Temple Square, a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, US. The location is owned by and serves as headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was selected by Church president Brigham Young in 1846. Temple Square is home to several buildings; depicted here are the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle and Salt Lake Assembly Hall.

Photo: William Henry Jackson; restoration: Tom dl and Mmxx

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