Jump to content

Wikipedia:Main Page history/2023 December 22b

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Welcome to Wikipedia

,
6,760,920 articles in English

From today's featured article

Antarctica

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole, first reached in 1911 by Norwegian explorers. Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents. It is mainly a polar desert, though 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen there, which, if melted, would raise global sea levels by almost 60 m (200 ft). Native animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Where vegetation occurs, it is mostly in the form of lichen or moss. Some countries have territorial claims in Antarctica, but by treaty, the continent is set aside as a scientific preserve. During the summer months, about 5,000 people reside at research stations there, a figure that drops to around 1,000 in the winter. Despite Antarctica's remoteness, human activity significantly impacts it via pollution, ozone depletion, and climate change. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know ...

Härnösand Residence
Härnösand Residence

In the news

Grindavík eruption
Grindavík eruption

On this day

December 22: December solstice (03:28 UTC, 2023); Yule begins; Dongzhi Festival in China (2023)

Aerial view of the Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill
Aerial view of the Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill
More anniversaries:
Muchelney Abbey
Muchelney Abbey

There are 69 scheduled monuments in South Somerset, a local government district in Somerset, England. A scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or monument which is given legal protection by being placed on a list (or "schedule") by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; Historic England takes the leading role in identifying such sites. Some of the oldest in South Somerset are Neolithic, Bronze Age or Iron Age including hillforts, such as Kenwalch's Castle and Bowl barrows. The Romano-British period is represented with several sites including the Low Ham Roman Villa which included an extensive mosaic floor, now on display in the Museum of Somerset. Religious sites are represented by Muchelney Abbey (pictured), which was probably founded in the 8th century, and Montacute Priory, a Cluniac priory of the Benedictine order, from the 11th century. (Full list...)

Laughing Cavalier

The Laughing Cavalier is an oil-on-canvas portrait by the Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals, completed in 1624. The title is an invention of the Victorian public and press, dating from its exhibition in the opening display at the Bethnal Green Museum from 1872 to 1875, just after its arrival in England. The Laughing Cavalier was described by art historian Seymour Slive as "one of the most brilliant of all Baroque portraits" and has been used in several derivative works, such as the logo of McEwan's beer, which depicts a modified version of the cavalier enjoying a glass of the drink. The painting is now housed in the Wallace Collection in London.

Painting credit: Frans Hals

Other areas of Wikipedia

  • Community portal – The central hub for editors, with resources, links, tasks, and announcements.
  • Village pump – Forum for discussions about Wikipedia itself, including policies and technical issues.
  • Site news – Sources of news about Wikipedia and the broader Wikimedia movement.
  • Teahouse – Ask basic questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
  • Help desk – Ask questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
  • Reference desk – Ask research questions about encyclopedic topics.
  • Content portals – A unique way to navigate the encyclopedia.

Wikipedia's sister projects

Wikipedia is written by volunteer editors and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other volunteer projects:

Wikipedia languages