Wikipedia:Main Page history/2018 May 13

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Banksia aculeata, the prickly banksia, is a plant of the family Proteaceae native to the Stirling Range in the southwest of Western Australia. A bushy shrub up to 2 m (7 ft) tall, it has fissured grey bark on its trunk and branches, and dense foliage and leaves with very prickly serrated margins. Its unusual pinkish, pendent (hanging) flower spikes, known as inflorescences, are generally hidden in the foliage and appear during the early summer. Unlike many other banksia species, it does not have a woody base, or lignotuber. Although it was collected in the 1840s by the naturalist James Drummond, it was not formally described until 1981, in Alex George's monograph of the genus. A rare plant, B. aculeata is found in gravelly soils in elevated areas. Native to a habitat burnt by periodic bushfires, it is killed by fire and regenerates from seed afterwards. In contrast to other Western Australian banksias, it appears to have some resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi, a soil-borne water mould. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

Splash tetra

... that the splash tetra (pictured) lays its eggs on a leaf above the surface of the water?
... that Lin Haiyun was attacked by Red Guards who called his ministry the "black headquarters" of revisionism?
... that users of Mary-Kate and Ashley: Pocket Planner can send "G-mail" through the Game Boy Color's infrared port?
... that Donald Seldin transformed the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center from a dilapidated barracks into a world-class medical center with five Nobel laureates?
... that the 60th Ariel Awards includes three female filmmakers nominated for the Best Director award?
... that the footballer Ken Hodgkisson was the first player ever to be used as a substitute by Walsall?
... that a pumping station on the River Jordan used a section of the damaged funnel from the SS Great Eastern as a water filter?

In the news

Mark Williams

The Supreme Court of the Philippines removes Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno from office.
A dam failure in Kenya kills at least 47 people and leaves more than 2,000 others homeless.
American retailer Walmart announces a deal to acquire the Indian e-commerce company Flipkart for about US$16 billion.
Mark Williams (pictured) defeats John Higgins to win the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, England.
After five years of postponement, a general election concludes in Lebanon, with Hezbollah and its allies increasing their share of seats in the Parliament.

On this day...

May 13

Ben Carlin

1862 – Robert Smalls escaped from slavery in Charleston, South Carolina, by commandeering the CSS Planter and sailing it from Confederate-controlled waters to the U.S. blockade.
1888 – Princess Isabel of the Empire of Brazil signed the Lei Áurea into law, formally abolishing slavery in Brazil.
1913 – Russian-American Igor Sikorsky flew the world's first four-engine fixed-wing aircraft, the Russky Vityaz, which he designed himself.
1958 – Australian Ben Carlin (pictured) became the only person to circumnavigate the world in an amphibious vehicle, having travelled over 80,000 km (50,000 mi) by land and sea.
2008 – Nine bombs placed by the previously unknown terrorist group Indian Mujahideen exploded in 15 minutes in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, killing 80 and injuring more than 200 people.

Cornelis Schut (b. 1597) · Antonia Ferrín Moreiras (b. 1914) · H. Trendley Dean (d. 1962)

More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

Taraxacum officinale is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae (Compositae). Commonly known as the dandelion, it can be found growing in temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of waterways, and other areas with moist soils. Although widely considered a weed, especially in lawns and along roadsides, it is sometimes used as a medical herb and in food preparation. The species is well known for its yellow flower heads that turn into round balls of silver tufted fruits that disperse in the wind.

Photograph: Petar Milošević

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.