Welcome to Wikipedia

,

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Ruins at Byblos

The royal necropolis of Byblos is a group of nine Bronze Age underground shaft and chamber tombs housing the sarcophagi of several kings of the city. The site of Byblos (ruins pictured) was rediscovered in the late 19th century by French scholar Ernest Renan near modern Jbeil, Lebanon. Byblos traded with Egypt during the Bronze Age; this influence was shown in excavated reliefs bearing Egyptian hieroglyphs. In 1922, heavy rains triggered a landslide exposing an underground tomb containing a massive stone sarcophagus. The grave was explored by archaeologist Charles Virolleaud and Egyptologist Pierre Montet, who unearthed eight more tombs. The earliest tombs dated back to the 19th century BC; some were unspoiled, and contained royal gifts from pharaohs Amenemhat III and Amenemhat IV. The more recent graves, some from the Late Bronze Age, were robbed in antiquity. Seven stone sarcophagi were discovered, all undecorated except the Ahiram sarcophagus, famed for its Phoenician inscription. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know ...

Akron Baptist Temple's 1949 sanctuary building

... that Akron Baptist Temple (pictured) once featured 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) red lettering that flashed?
... that although some casting directors found Jack Ferver difficult to believe as an 18-year-old, Ferver would later portray Little Lad in a Starburst advertisement?
... that the idea for the Fuente de la República arose after Manuel Felguérez suggested a fountain to accompany his newly inaugurated Puerta 1808 to the mayor of Mexico City?
... that in his early career, Daniel Camargo was cast to dance a lead role at the opening night of Don Quixote at Stuttgart Ballet, over the principal dancers?
... that The Scent of Joseph's Shirt was said by Iranian director and screenwriter Ebrahim Hatamikia to reflect his perception of waiting for Imam Mahdi?
... that Ruslana Pysanka, who hosted a Ukrainian television program with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, died as a refugee in Germany?
... that "Highway 51", the closing track on Bob Dylan's debut album, incorporated elements from earlier songs by Curtis Jones, Tommy McClennan, and the Everly Brothers?
... that Kenyan theologian Mary Getui was named a Moran of the Burning Spear?

In the news

Mariya Muzychuk

The Chess Olympiad concludes with Uzbekistan winning the open event and Ukraine winning the women's event (player Mariya Muzychuk pictured).
Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda, is killed by a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan.
In association football, UEFA Women's Euro 2022 concludes with England defeating Germany in the final.
In cycling, Annemiek van Vleuten wins the Tour de France Femmes.

On this day

August 10

Sirius A (centre) and Sirius B (bottom left)

1628 – The Swedish warship Vasa sank shortly after departing Stockholm on her maiden voyage to take part in the Thirty Years' War.
1844 – From measurements of its motion, German astronomer Friedrich Bessel deduced that Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, had an unseen companion (both pictured).
1864 – José Antônio Saraiva announced that the Brazilian military would exact reprisals after Uruguay's governing Blanco Party refused Brazil's demands, beginning the Uruguayan War.
1897 – German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovered an improved method of synthesizing aspirin.
2007 – Amid large protests against the impending demolition of the Queen's Pier, in Hong Kong, the High Court dismissed legal attempts to preserve the landmark.

Al-Wathiq (d. 847)
William Lowndes Yancey (b. 1814)
Angus Lewis Macdonald (b. 1890)

More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, Quito, is a large Catholic basilica that stands in the middle of the historic center of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, in front of the square of the same name. The church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that covers the city center. This photograph is an elevated view of the richly decorated main nave of the basilica, looking towards the apse and the altar in the background.

Photograph credit: Diego Delso

Recently featured:

Other areas of Wikipedia

Community portal – The central hub for editors, with resources, links, tasks, and announcements.
Village pump – Forum for discussions about Wikipedia itself, including policies and technical issues.
Site news – Sources of news about Wikipedia and the broader Wikimedia movement.
Teahouse – Ask basic questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
Help desk – Ask questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
Reference desk – Ask research questions about encyclopedic topics.
Content portals – A unique way to navigate the encyclopedia.

Wikipedia's sister projects

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