Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 June 3

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Today's featured article
The Sweet Track is an ancient causeway in the Somerset Levels, England. It was built in 3807 or 3806 BC and has been claimed to be the oldest road in the world. It is now known that the Sweet Track was largely built over the course of an earlier structure, the Post Track. The track extended across the marsh between what was then an island at Westhay, although much of the marsh has now been drained, and a ridge of high ground at Shapwick, a distance close to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). The track is one of a network that once crossed the Somerset Levels. Construction was of crossed wooden poles which were driven into the waterlogged soil to support a walkway that consisted mainly of planks of oak, laid end-to-end. The track was only used for a period of around 10 years and was then abandoned, probably due to rising water levels. Following its discovery in 1970, most of the track has been left in its original location, with active conservation measures taken, including a water pumping and distribution system to maintain the wood in its damp condition. Some of the track is stored at the British Museum and a reconstruction of a section was built at the Peat Moors Centre near Glastonbury. (more...) Recently featured: Elizabeth II – Steve Dodd – Chadderton Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that St. Oswald's church, Oswaldkirk (pictured), hosted the first sermon of the future Archbishop of Canterbury and chaplain to Charles II, John Tillotson? ... that Camp Paxson Boy Scout Camp was used as a training camp for conscientious objector smokejumpers during World War II? ... that English historian Alison Weir has produced books about Eleanor of Aquitaine in both fiction and non-fiction? ... that Fain Skinner won the 1999 World Karting Association national championship? ... that certain birds are assisted by the presence of other members of their species in raising their young, a phenomenon known as the Fraser Darling effect? ... that Lesbian and Gay Youth: Care and Counseling was the first book published on health and mental health care for lesbian and gay youth? ... that the 1970 film Le foto proibite di una signora per bene features a bossa nova-influenced score that has been compared to the work of Antônio Carlos Jobim? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Hosni Mubarak Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (pictured) is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry approves the names flerovium and livermorium for two recently discovered synthetic elements. Viswanathan Anand defeats Boris Gelfand to win a fourth consecutive World Chess Championship. American author Madeline Miller wins the Orange Prize for Fiction for her novel The Song of Achilles. Former Liberian President Charles Taylor is sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in atrocities committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
June 3: Feast day of Saint Charles Lwanga and the Uganda Martyrs (Roman Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheranism) 1839 – Qing government official Lin Zexu catalysed the First Opium War after ordering the destruction of nearly 1.2 million kg (2.6 million lbs) of opium in Humen, China. 1937 – Nearly six months after Edward, Duke of Windsor, abdicated the British throne, he married American socialite Wallis Simpson in a private ceremony near Tours, France. 1943 – Off-duty US sailors fought with Mexican American youths in Los Angeles, spawning the Zoot Suit Riots. 1968 – American artist Andy Warhol (pictured) and two others were shot and wounded at his New York City studio "The Factory" by radical feminist Valerie Solanas. 1973 – At the Paris Air Show, a Tupolev Tu-144 broke up in mid-flight and disintegrated, killing the six members of the crew and eight bystanders on the ground. More anniversaries: June 2 – June 3 – June 4 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now June 3, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The springbok is a medium-sized brown and white gazelle native to southwestern Africa. It stands about 70 to 90 cm (28 to 35 in) high and is known for its jumping ability, being able to leap 4 m (13 ft) in the air and over a distance of 15 m (49 ft). It is also a fast runner, capable of reaching speeds up to 96 km/h (60 mph). The springbok is the national animal of South Africa.

Photo: Hans Hillewaert

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