Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 June 23

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Today's featured article
*Nansen's Fram* expedition** was an 1893–1896 attempt by the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen to reach the geographical North Pole by harnessing the natural east–west current of the Arctic Ocean. In the face of much discouragement from other polar explorers Nansen took his ship Fram to the New Siberian Islands in the eastern Arctic Ocean, froze her into the pack ice, and waited for the drift to carry her towards the pole. Impatient with the slow speed and erratic character of the drift, after 18 months Nansen and a chosen companion, Hjalmar Johansen, left the ship with a team of dogs and sledges and made for the pole. They did not reach it, but they achieved a record Farthest North latitude before a long retreat to Franz Josef Land. Meanwhile Fram continued to drift westward, finally emerging in the North Atlantic Ocean. The ship was rarely threatened during her long imprisonment, and emerged unscathed after three years. The scientific observations carried out during this period contributed significantly to the new discipline of oceanography, which subsequently became the main focus of Nansen's scientific work. Fram's drift and Nansen's sledge journey proved conclusively that there were no significant land masses between the Eurasian continents and the North Pole, and confirmed the general character of the north polar region as a deep, ice-covered sea. (more...) Recently featured: Petrified Forest National Park – Dan Leno – Javan rhinoceros Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that R. L. Holdsworth (pictured) reached the summit of Kamet, the highest mountain climbed at the time? ... that the death of racer Pete Orr was a driving force for insurance reform in Florida? ... that in the music video for her single "Me Haces Falta" (2007), Jennifer Lopez portrays an undercover FBI agent who surrenders her lover to the police and has regrets afterwards? ... that 1972's Sette scialli di seta gialla was one of several "imitative whodunits" released after the success of Dario Argento's L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo? ... that Book of Spells, an upcoming Wonderbook for PlayStation 3, is a companion to Harry Potter? ... that composer Włodzimierz Korcz received most recognition for the music to a protest song, which was adopted as an informal anthem of the Solidarity trade union in Communist Poland? ... that the 2012 election for mayor of Gaborone, Botswana, was contested when a councillor on the Gaborone City Council cut his ballot in half to vote twice? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo (pictured) is removed from office by impeachment and succeeded by Federico Franco. In basketball, the Miami Heat defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA championship. About 90 people are missing after a boat carrying more than 200 people capsizes in the Indian Ocean between Java and Christmas Island. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf is appointed Prime Minister of Pakistan following the disqualification of Yousaf Raza Gillani. The 7th G-20 summit is held in Los Cabos, Mexico. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
June 23: Duanwu/Dragon Boat Festival in East Asian countries (2012); Victory Day in Estonia; Jāņi in Latvia; Grand Duke's Official Birthday in Luxembourg; 100th anniversary of the birth of Alan Turing 1858 – Edgardo Mortara, a six-year-old Jewish boy, was seized by papal authorities and taken to be raised as a Roman Catholic, sparking an international controversy. 1894 – Led by French historian Pierre de Coubertin, an international congress at the Sorbonne in Paris founded the International Olympic Committee to reinstate the ancient Olympic Games. 1946 – Canada's largest onshore earthquake, measuring 7.3 M_w, struck Vancouver Island, but only caused two casualties since there were no heavily populated areas near its epicenter. 1972 – Title IX of the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964 was amended (primary author Patsy Mink pictured) to prohibit sexual discrimination in any educational program receiving federal funds, which allowed for huge growth in women's sports for student athletes. 1985 – A bomb attributed to the Sikh separatist group Babbar Khalsa destroyed Air India Flight 182 above the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 329 on board. More anniversaries: June 22 – June 23 – June 24 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now June 23, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Helsinki Cathedral is an Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki, located in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. The church was originally built as a tribute to Nicholas I, the Grand Duke of Finland and Tsar of Russia, and until the independence of Finland in 1917, it was called St. Nicholas' Church. Designed by Carl Ludvig Engel to form the climax of the whole Senate Square, it was built in 1830–52 in neoclassical style. Today the cathedral is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki, with more than 350,000 visitors per year, a minority of which are there to attend religious events.

Photo: Hans Hillewaert

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