Wikipedia:Main Page history/2016 February 9

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Youth on the Prow, and Pleasure at the Helm is an 1832 painting by English artist William Etty. It was inspired by a metaphor in Thomas Gray's poem The Bard in which the apparently bright start to the misrule of Richard II of England was compared to a gilded ship whose occupants are unaware of an approaching storm. Etty chose to illustrate Gray's lines literally, showing a golden boat filled with and surrounded by nude and near-nude figures. The Bard was about a curse on the House of Plantagenet placed by a Welsh bard following Edward I's attempts to eradicate Welsh culture, and critics felt that Etty had misunderstood its point. Some reviewers praised the piece, and in particular Etty's technical abilities, but audiences of the time found it hard to understand, and the use of nudity led some critics to consider the painting tasteless and offensive. It was bought in 1832 by Robert Vernon. In 1847 Vernon donated his collection to the National Gallery, which in turn transferred it to the Tate Gallery in 1949. Youth and Pleasure remains one of Etty's best-known works, and formed part of major exhibitions in 2001–02 and 2011–12. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

Ranikot Fort

... that the Ranikot Fort (pictured), also known as the Great Wall of Sindh, is believed to be one of the world's largest forts, and has been compared to the Great Wall of China?
... that Ilse Gramatzki appeared as a Rhinemaiden in the Jahrhundertring at the Bayreuth Festival, and in Zimmermann's Die Soldaten in Frankfurt and Brussels?
... that mobile game Strikefleet Omega is a hybrid of the tower defense and real-time strategy genres?
... that Chinese economist Ji Chaoding, while in the United States in 1926, secretly joined the Communist Party of China?
... that the Yogashikha Upanishad states there is no one greater in the universe than one's guru?
... that Matt Hobden scored 65 not out in a Sussex County Cricket Club record tenth-wicket partnership of 164 with Ollie Robinson?
... that a new Marvel Comics character, with the power to predict future events, will be introduced in Civil War II, the sequel to Civil War?
... that Kandia Crazy Horse taught the course "Roll Over Beethoven: Black Rock and Cultural Revolt" at Princeton University?

In the news

Von Miller

In American football, the Denver Broncos defeat the Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl 50 (MVP Von Miller pictured).
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Taiwan, killing at least thirty-eight people.
Daallo Airlines Flight 159 makes a successful emergency landing after an explosion on board kills one person and injures two.
The rapid spread of Zika fever in Latin America leads to the World Health Organization issuing a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
In tennis, the Australian Open concludes with Novak Djokovic winning the men's singles and Angelique Kerber winning the women's singles.

Ongoing events:
- European migrant crisis
Recent deaths:
- Amelia Bence
- Dave Mirra

On this day...

February 9: Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday (Western Christianity, 2016)

John Quincy Adams

1825 – After no presidential candidate received a majority of electoral votes, the U.S. House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams (pictured) president.
1920 – The Svalbard Treaty was signed, recognizing Norwegian sovereignty over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, but all signatories were also given equal rights to engage in commercial activities on the islands.
1969 – The Boeing 747 made its first flight, with test pilots Jack Waddell and Brien Wygle at the controls and Jess Wallick at the flight engineer's station.
1976 – The Australian Defence Force was formed by the unification of the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force.
2001 – The American submarine USS Greeneville accidentally collided with the Ehime Maru, a Japanese training vessel operated by the Uwajima Fishery High School, killing nine Ehime Maru crewmembers.

More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

The black-naped monarch (Hypothymis azurea) is a slim and agile passerine bird belonging to the family of monarch flycatchers. They are sexually dimorphic: males have a distinctive black patch on the back of the head and a narrow black half collar ("necklace") while females are duller and lack the black markings. Their call is similar to that of the Asian paradise flycatcher. In tropical forest habitats, pairs may join mixed-species foraging flocks. Populations differ slightly in size and plumage colour.

Photograph: JJ Harrison

Recently featured:

Archive
More featured pictures...

Other areas of Wikipedia

Community portal – Bulletin board, projects, resources and activities covering a wide range of Wikipedia areas.
Help desk – Ask questions about using Wikipedia.
Local embassy – For Wikipedia-related communication in languages other than English.
Reference desk – Serving as virtual librarians, Wikipedia volunteers tackle your questions on a wide range of subjects.
Site news – Announcements, updates, articles and press releases on Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.
Village pump – For discussions about Wikipedia itself, including areas for technical issues and policies.