Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 February 27

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The Fort Dobbs site

Fort Dobbs was an 18th-century fort in the Yadkin–Pee Dee River Basin region of the Province of North Carolina, near what is now Statesville in Iredell County. Used for frontier defense during and after the French and Indian War, the fort was built to protect the British settlers of the western portion of what was then Rowan County from Cherokee, Catawba, Shawnee, Delaware and French raids into North Carolina. The fort's name honored Arthur Dobbs, the colonial Governor of North Carolina from 1754 to 1765. When in use, it was the only fort on the frontier between South Carolina and Virginia. On February 27, 1760, the fort was the site of an engagement between Cherokee warriors and provincial soldiers that ended in a victory for the provincials. Fort Dobbs was abandoned after 1766, but archaeological work in the 20th century and historical research in 2005 and 2006 led to the discovery of the fort's exact location and probable appearance. The site on which the fort sat is now operated by North Carolina's Division of State Historic Sites and Properties as Fort Dobbs State Historic Site, and supporters of the site have developed plans for the fort's reconstruction. (Full article...)

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  • In the news

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  • Following an in-flight explosion, a hot air balloon crashes near Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 people.
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  • Two bomb blasts in Hyderabad, India, kill at least 17 people and injure more than 100 others.

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  • On this day...

    February 27: Independence Day in the Dominican Republic (1844)

    Hinomaru

  • 1560 – The Treaty of Berwick was signed, which set the terms under which an English fleet and army could come to Scotland to expel the French troops who were defending the Regency of Mary of Guise.
  • 1776American Revolutionary War: A Patriot victory in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge resulted in the capture or arrest of 850 Loyalists over the next few days.
  • 1870 – The current flag of Japan (pictured) was first adopted as the national flag for Japanese merchant ships.
  • 1988 – The Armenian community of Sumgait in Azerbaijan was the target of a violent pogrom.
  • 2004 – The initial version of the John Jay Report, with details about the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in the United States, was released.

    More anniversaries: February 26 February 27 February 28

    It is now February 27, 2013 (UTC) – Reload this page
  • Matanuska Glacier

    The terminus of Matanuska Glacier, a valley glacier in the US state of Alaska. It is the largest glacier accessible by car in the country, measuring 27 miles (43 km) long by 4 miles (6.4 km) wide. It is the source of the Matanuska River, also seen here.

    Photograph: Sbork

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