Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 October 28

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Today's featured article
The porbeagle is a species of mackerel shark in the family Lamnidae, distributed widely in the cold and temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere. The porbeagle typically reaches 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in length and a weight of 135 kg (300 lb). Gray above and white below, the porbeagle has a very stout midsection that tapers towards the long, pointed snout and the narrow base of the tail. It has large pectoral and first dorsal fins, tiny pelvic, second dorsal, and anal fins, and a crescent-shaped caudal fin. The most distinctive features of this species are its three-cusped teeth, the white blotch on the back of its first dorsal fin, and the two pairs of lateral keels on its tail. Preying mainly on bony fishes and cephalopods, the porbeagle is an opportunistic hunter that regularly moves up and down in the water column, catching prey in midwater as well as off the bottom. It is well regarded as a game fish by recreational anglers. The porbeagle's meat and fins are highly valued, which has led to a long history of intense human exploitation. However, this species cannot sustain heavy fishing pressure because of its low reproductive capacity. (more...) Recently featured: Louis Riel – Charles Carroll the Settler – George II of Great Britain Archive – By email – More featured articles...
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From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that St Eata's Church, Atcham (pictured), in Shropshire, is uniquely dedicated to Eata of Hexham? ... that the Lanczos tensor of general relativity exists only in four dimensions, suggesting our universe of four spacetime dimensions is special? ... that Vladimir Nabokov's play The Tragedy of Mister Morn, written in 1923–24, was not published during his lifetime? ... that in October 2012 a movie channel dedicated to the James Bond film franchise was launched to celebrate its 50th anniversary? ... that the fleshy disk coral is small but aggressive and attacks neighbouring corals? ... that after being coined by the British political satire The Thick of It, the word "omnishambles" was used in Parliament by real politicians? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
At least sixty people are killed in fighting between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine State, Burma. At least 41 people are killed as Hurricane Sandy passes through the Caribbean. Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (pictured) is convicted of tax fraud. Iranian dissidents Nasrin Sotoudeh and Jafar Panahi are awarded the Sakharov Prize. Six scientists and a former government official, accused of "falsely reassuring" the public of the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake's unlikelihood, are convicted of manslaughter. Recent deaths: Jacques Barzun – Russell Means – Yash Chopra Syrian civil war – Wikinews – More current events...
On this day...
October 28: Feast day of Simon the Zealot (Western Christianity) 1707 – The Hōei earthquake ruptured all of the segments of the Nankai megathrust simultaneously—the only earthquake known to have done this—with an estimated magnitude of 8.6 M_L. 1835 – Māori chiefs signed the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand and established the United Tribes of New Zealand. 1918 – Czechoslovakia proclaimed its independence from Austria-Hungary. 1965 – In St. Louis, Missouri, US, the 630-foot (190 m) tall parabolic steel Gateway Arch (pictured) was completed. 1971 – Prospero, the only British satellite to date launched on a British rocket, lifted off from Launch Area 5B at Woomera, South Australia. More anniversaries: October 27 – October 28 – October 29 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now October 28, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. Males have vibrant red heads and chests while the females are duller. Often seen in small flocks on dry savannas, it is a ground feeder which feeds companionably with other species and often visits waterholes.

Photo: Hans Hillewaert/PLW

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