Welcome to Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
6,879,258 articles in English
Overview · Editing · Questions · Help

Contents · Categories · Featured content · A–Z index

Today's featured article

Firefighting team near the Frye Fire
Firefighting team near the Frye Fire

The Frye Fire was a wildfire that burned 48,443 acres (19,604 ha) in Graham County, Arizona, United States, from June 7 to September 1, 2017. The fire was ignited by a lightning strike on Mount Graham, within the Coronado National Forest, and spread rapidly until it was mostly contained on July 12. The fire destroyed three buildings and briefly threatened the Mount Graham International Observatory. It cost $26 million (equivalent to $32 million in 2023) to contain and suppress, and involved more than 800 firefighters. There were no fatalities, but 63 firefighters were quarantined with strep throat. During seasonal rains beginning in July, ash and debris from the Frye Fire's burn scar washed off the mountain slopes, then clogged creeks and damaged infrastructure within Graham County. The fire particularly impacted the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel, whose remaining habitat on Mount Graham was devastated. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

Nikolay Cherkasov as Ivan the Terrible
Nikolay Cherkasov as Ivan the Terrible
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd

The Leader of the Opposition in Australian Federal Politics is a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives. The position is usually held by the leader of the party which has the most seats but is not part of the Government. The leader is elected by the Opposition Caucus. A new Opposition Leader may be elected when the incumbent dies, resigns or is challenged for the leadership. The Current Leader of the Opposition is Kevin Rudd of the Australian Labor Party. Previously Kim Beazley was Opposition Leader until he was defeated in a leadership ballot on 4 December 2006. To date there have been 29 Opposition Leaders, 15 of which have served terms as Prime Minister. (more...)

Recently featured: ISS spacewalks - Counties in Rhode Island - Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States - Featured Lists

In the news

Paralympics opening ceremony
Paralympics opening ceremony

On this day...

September 6: Defence Day in Pakistan (1965)

Hurricane Irma
Hurricane Irma
More anniversaries:
Spinifex pigeon

The spinifex pigeon (Geophaps plumifera) is a bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. It is endemic to Australia, occurring throughout much of the arid and semi-arid northern and central parts of the continent. It lives in stony habitats on rocky hills and mountainous terrain, gorges, dry rocky creek beds and nearby gibber plains. The spinifex pigeon weighs 80 to 110 grams (2.8 to 3.9 ounces), with a mean body length of 200 to 235 millimetres (7.9 to 9.3 inches) and a wingspan of 300 to 350 millimetres (12 to 14 inches). Its plumage is distinctively rufous-brown with thin black bars on the wings and back. The forehead, the sides of the crown and the ear coverts are grey, while the bill is black, and it has distinctive facial markings including a bright red facial mask and a white band extending from the chin to behind the eye. This spinifex pigeon was photographed in Watarrka National Park in Australia's Northern Territory.

Photograph credit: John Harrison

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:

Wikipedia languages