Wikipedia:Main Page history/2018 June 18

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

A Waterloo Medal was designed by sculptor Benedetto Pistrucci. Commemorating the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the medal was commissioned by the British Government in 1819 on the instructions of George IV while Prince Regent; copies were to be presented to the victorious generals and to leaders of Britain's allies. The Prince Regent and William Wellesley-Pole, Master of the Mint, had been impressed by Pistrucci's models, and gave him the commission. Pistrucci fell from grace at the Royal Mint in 1823 by insisting on his own designs and refusing to copy another designer's work, and he likely concluded he would be sacked when the medal was finished. He delayed completion until 1849, when he submitted the matrices to the Mint. As most of the intended recipients had died by then, and relations with France had improved, the medals were never struck, though modern-day editions have been made for sale to collectors. Pistrucci's designs have been greatly praised by numismatic writers. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

Bar-bellied cuckooshrike

... that the bar-bellied cuckooshrike (pictured) was initially thought to be a crow?
... that the Washington State Convention Center, which opened 30 years ago today, was built over a section of Interstate 5 in Seattle?
... that junior Turkish aerobic gymnast Ayşe Begüm Onbaşı is nicknamed "Medal Monster" due to the many medals she has won?
... that after Cuba seized the freighter Johnny Express, Manuel Noriega helped negotiate the release of the captain?
... that Gujarati folk singer Diwaliben Bhil was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India?
... that actress Jan Pearson's favourite storyline as Holby City character Kath Fox was a love affair with a priest?
... that Tony Christie asked whether this was the way to The World Cup and then declared it "crap"?
... that 9:05 takes only five minutes to finish?

In the news

Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump

A stampede following a tear-gas-canister detonation in a nightclub in Caracas, Venezuela, kills 17 people.
Saudi-backed troops begin an attack on Houthi forces in the port of Al Hudaydah, Yemen.
In association football, FIFA awards hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup to a joint bid from Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump meet (pictured) in Singapore.

On this day

June 18

Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty

618 – Li Yuan (pictured) declared himself to be emperor of a new Chinese dynasty known as Tang, which lasted for three centuries.
1178 – Five Canterbury monks observed what was possibly the formation of the Giordano Bruno crater, a small lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon.
1812 – The United States declared war against the United Kingdom, officially beginning the War of 1812.
1954 – Carlos Castillo Armas led a Central Intelligence Agency-sponsored invasion force across the Guatemalan border, setting in motion the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état.
1994 – The Troubles: Ulster Volunteer Force members attacked a crowded bar in Loughinisland, Northern Ireland, with assault rifles, killing six.

Rogier van der Weyden (d. 1464) · Max Immelmann (d. 1916) · Michael Hastings (d. 2013)

More anniversaries:

From today's featured list

1921 laureate Albert Einstein

Nobel laureates in Physics are determined annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to scientists in the various fields of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the 1895 will of Alfred Nobel (who died in 1896), awarded for outstanding contributions in physics. As dictated by Nobel's will, the award is administered by the Nobel Foundation and awarded by a committee that consists of five members elected by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The award is presented in Stockholm at an annual ceremony on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death. Each recipient receives a medal, a diploma and a monetary award prize that has varied throughout the years. (Full list...)

Recently featured:

Today's featured picture

A 15-cent banknote depicting Union Army generals William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant, dated 1866 and intended as part of the fractional currency introduced to the United States following the American Civil War. As the portraits of Sherman and Grant for this note were being finalized, Representative Martin Russell Thayer pushed forward legislation specifically stating "that no portrait or likeness of any living person hereafter engraved, shall be placed upon any of the bonds, securities, notes, fractional or postal currency of the United States". As such, the Sherman-Grant note was never issued; examples of this note exist only as specimens.

Banknote: Bureau of Engraving and Printing (courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History)

Recently featured:

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.