Wikipedia:Main Page history/2014 May 18

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From today's featured article

Interstate 805 (I-805) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California, USA. It is a bypass of I-5, running along the eastern areas of the Greater San Diego region from San Ysidro to near Del Mar. From I-5 in San Ysidro (less than a mile north of the Mexico–U.S. border), I-805 then traverses through the cities of Chula Vista and National City before reentering San Diego. The freeway passes though the San Diego neighborhoods of North Park, Mission Valley, Clairemont, and University City before terminating at I-5 in the Sorrento Valley neighborhood near the Del Mar city limit. Planning for I-805 began in 1956, and the route was officially designated in 1959 before it was renumbered in the 1964 state highway renumbering. Construction started in 1967 and it was opened in 1975. Named the Jacob Dekema Freeway after the longtime head of the regional division of the California Department of Transportation, I-805 has been frequently cited for its complex engineering and architecture, including near I-8 on the Mission Valley Viaduct. High-occupancy toll lanes are under construction on both the northern and southern portions of the route. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

From Wikipedia's new and recently improved content:

... that a special effects expert faked a moon landing (pictured) using black velvet, a rolling chair, and a heavily made-up actor?
... that rapper Rich Homie Quan is featured on Mariah Carey's song "Thirsty"?
... that Theodora Cowan is regarded as the first Australian-born woman sculptor?
... that 65% of male and female prisoners in New South Wales were sexually abused as children?
... that despite being a Nevada resident at the time, Octavius D. Gass served as President of the Council (upper house) during the 4th Arizona Territorial Legislature?
... that Relicanthus daphneae, originally thought to be one of the sea anemones, is so distinct from them that it belongs in a new order of its own?
... that Ann Hunt and Elizabeth Hamel hold the Guinness World Record as the longest separated twins to be reunited?

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In the news

Narendra Damodardas Modi

Major floods in Southeast Europe kill at least 20 people.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Narendra Modi (pictured), wins a majority in the Indian general election.
An explosion at an underground coal mine in Turkey kills 301 miners.
In association football, Manchester City win the Premier League.
The ruling African National Congress wins a majority in the South African general election.
"Rise Like a Phoenix" by Austrian singer Conchita Wurst wins the Eurovision Song Contest.

Ongoing: Ukrainian unrest – Chibok kidnapping
Recent deaths: Jean-Luc Dehaene – Stephen Sutton – Jacinto Convit

On this day...

May 18: Lag BaOmer (Judaism, 2014); Flag and Universities Day in Haiti; Day of Revival, Unity, and the Poetry of Magtymguly in Turkmenistan

1388 – During the Battle of Buyur Lake, General Lan Yu led a Chinese army forward to crush the Mongol hordes of Toghus Temur, the Khan of Northern Yuan.
1912 – The first Indian film, Shree Pundalik by Dadasaheb Torne, was released.
1944 – The Soviet Union forcibly deported the entire population of Crimean Tatars as special settlers to Uzbek SSR and elsewhere in the country.
1953 – At Rogers Dry Lake, California, in her Canadair Sabre, American Jackie Cochran (pictured) became the first female pilot to break the sound barrier.
1974 – India conducted its first nuclear test explosion at Pokhran, the first confirmed nuclear test by a nation outside the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

More anniversaries: May 17 – May 18 – May 19

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It is now May 18, 2014 (UTC) – Reload this page

Today's featured picture

A neutral density filter is a filter that reduces or modifies the intensity of all wavelengths or colors of light equally, giving no changes in hue of color rendition. The filter reduces the amount of light entering the lens, allowing the photographer to select combinations of aperture, exposure time and sensor sensitivity to avoid overexposed pictures. It would normally be attached to the lens, but is hand-held here to illustrate the effect.

Photograph: Robert Emperley

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