Wikipedia:Main Page history/2017 April 19

Welcome to Wikipedia,
5,387,486 articles in English

From today's featured article

A 19th century reproduction of an impression of Donnchadh's seal
Donnchadh's seal

Donnchadh (Duncan), Earl of Carrick (died 1250), was a Gall-Gaidhil prince and one of the longest serving magnates in medieval Scotland. His father, Gille-Brighde of Galloway, and his uncle, Uhtred of Galloway, were the two rival sons of Fergus, Lord of Galloway. As a result of Gille-Brighde's conflict with Uhtred and the Scottish monarch William the Lion, Donnchadh became a hostage of King Henry II of England. He probably remained in England for almost a decade before returning north on the death of his father. Although denied succession over all the lands of Galloway, he was granted lordship over Carrick in the north. Allied to John de Courcy, Donnchadh fought battles in Ireland, acquiring and losing land there. A patron of religious houses, particularly Melrose Abbey and North Berwick priory nunnery, he attempted to establish a monastery in his own territory, at Crossraguel. He married the daughter of Alan fitz Walter, a leading member of the family later known as the House of Stewart—future monarchs of Scotland and England. His descendants include the Bruce, the Stewart Kings of Scotland, and probably the Campbell Dukes of Argyll. (Full article...)

Did you know...

Harry Lewis with his senior thesis project
Harry Lewis with his senior thesis project

In the news

Sergio García in 2008
Sergio García

On this day...

April 19: Feast of Saint Alphege (Western Christianity)

Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI

Sarah Bagley (b. 1806) · Benjamin Disraeli (d. 1881) · Jiroemon Kimura (b. 1897)

More anniversaries:
Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the vain queen Cassiopeia in Greek mythology. One of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, it remains one of the 88 constellations recognized today. It is easily identified by its distinctive 'W' shape, formed by five bright stars. This illustration was included in Urania's Mirror, a set of celestial cards illustrated by Sidney Hall.

Illustration: Sidney Hall; restoration: Adam Cuerden

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.

Wikipedia's sister projects

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