Wikipedia:Main Page history/2021 April 7

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

French battleship Patrie

The République class consisted of a pair of pre-dreadnought battleships—République and Patrie (pictured)—built for the French Navy in the early 1900s. They were a significant improvement over previous French battleships, with the same four 305 mm (12 in) guns and eighteen 164 mm (6.5 in) guns, but with most of the 164 mm guns mounted in gun turrets rather than in casemates. They also had more effective armored protection. Both ships entered service in January 1907, shortly after the British HMS Dreadnought made all existing battleships obsolescent. During World War I, both ships operated in the Mediterranean. Patrie supported the Gallipoli campaign from May 1915 and République joined her in January 1916. Both ships then became involved in Greece, where they assisted a coup against the neutral but pro-German government that ultimately led to Greece's entry into the war on the side of the Allies. Neither ship saw any further action. République was decommissioned in 1921, and Patrie not until 1937. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know ...

Japan National Route 101 along the Sea of Japan coastline

... that most of the coastal highway Japan National Route 101 (pictured) follows the path of a road originally established by the Tokugawa shogunate?
... that Grote Stadskerk, a church located in the historical centre of Paramaribo, is the first and the largest church of the Moravian congregation in Suriname?
... that after making videos on TikTok where she lip-synced Donald Trump, Sarah Cooper got a comedy special on Netflix and a TV show on CBS?
... that the greeneye spurdog, Sydney skate, grey skate and whitefin swellshark are at risk of extinction by trawling, according to a 2021 report?
... that the Nazis at Ravensbrück killed French Resistance fighter Émilie Tillion by gas chamber for having white hair?
... that the most senior of the African-American scientists and technicians on the Manhattan Project, William Knox, supervised the otherwise-white staff of the Corrosion Section at Columbia University?
... that José de la Cruz Mena, who contracted leprosy at the age of 21 and was blind at 26, was described as "the pre-eminent Nicaraguan composer of his time"?
... that in State v. Linkhaw, the North Carolina Supreme Court reversed the conviction of a man who sang so badly in church that a jury had found him guilty of "disturbing a religious congregation"?

In the news

Jared Butler

In basketball, the Baylor Bears defeat the Gonzaga Bulldogs to win the NCAA Division I Men's Championship (MOP Jared Butler pictured).
Cyclone Seroja makes landfall in Indonesia and East Timor, killing at least 160 people and displacing thousands of others.
In rowing, both Cambridge men's and women's crews win The Boat Race.
An express train derails in Hualien County, Taiwan, killing at least 50 people.
Alfred Aho and Jeffrey Ullman receive the Turing Award for their work on programming language compilers.

On this day

April 7: National Beer Day in the United States

Empress Matilda

1141 – The Anarchy: Empress Matilda (pictured) became the first female claimant to the throne of England, adopting the title "Lady of the English" after failing to be crowned in place of her cousin Stephen.
1862 – American Civil War: Union forces defeated Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh, the bloodiest battle in U.S. history at the time, in Hardin County, Tennessee.
1896 – An Arctic expedition led by Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen reached 86°13.6′N, almost three degrees beyond the previous Farthest North latitude.
1994 – Rwandan Civil War: The Rwandan genocide began a few hours after the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana, with hundreds of thousands killed in the following 100 days.
2017 – A hijacked truck was deliberately driven into crowds along Drottninggatan in Stockholm, Sweden, killing five people.

George the Standard-Bearer (d. 821)
Bert Ironmonger (b. 1882)
Santa Barraza (b. 1951)

More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

Danaus genutia, the common tiger or striped tiger, is a species of brush-footed butterfly found in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, south-eastern Asia and Australia. It prefers areas of moderate to heavy rainfall, and typical habitats include scrubby jungle, deciduous forests and fallow land near habitations. The insect sequesters toxins from plants, and advertises its unpalatability by having prominent markings and striking colour patterns. This adult male common tiger, of the subspecies D. g. genutia, was photographed in Kerala, India.

Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp

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.