Wikipedia:Main Page history/2017 September 16

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From today's featured article

Gumbo is a stew or soup associated with southern Louisiana since the 18th century. It consists primarily of meat or shellfish, a strongly flavored stock, a thickener, celery, bell peppers, and onions. The dish likely derived its name from either the Bantu word for okra (ki ngombo) or the Choctaw word for filé (kombo). Several varieties exist; Creole gumbo generally contains shellfish and tomatoes, while Cajun gumbo is generally based on a dark roux and is spicier, with either shellfish or fowl. Sausage or ham are often added to gumbos. After the base is prepared, the vegetables are cooked down, and meat is added. The dish simmers for a minimum of three hours, with shellfish and some spices added near the end. It is traditionally served over rice. The dish combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including French, Spanish, German, West African, and Choctaw. It was first described in 1802, and was listed in various cookbooks in the latter half of the 19th century. Chef Paul Prudhomme's popularity in the 1980s spurred further interest in gumbo. The dish is the official cuisine of Louisiana. (Full article...)

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PGM-17 Thor IRBM

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... that the Labor Congress of Liberia was closely tied to the Liberian government and membership fees were paid directly to the governing True Whig Party?
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In the news

Cassini-Huygens probe

The Cassini–Huygens mission (probe rendering shown) to the Saturn system ends with a controlled fall into the atmosphere of the planet.
Halimah Yacob wins the Singaporean presidential election by default after being declared the only eligible candidate.
The IOC awards the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics to Paris and Los Angeles, respectively.
Hurricane Irma kills more than 80 people across the Caribbean islands and the United States.
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake strikes Guatemala and Mexico, killing more than 90 people.

On this day...

September 16: Eid al-Mubahalah (Islam, 2017)

Italian tanks during Italy's invasion of Egypt

1776 – American Revolutionary War: American colonists defeated British troops at the Battle of Harlem Heights in present-day New York City.
1940 – Second World War: Italy captured the town of Sidi Barrani, but its invasion of Egypt (Italian tanks pictured) progressed no further.
1963 – Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo (present-day Sabah), and Sarawak merged to form Malaysia.
1990 – Construction of the Northern Xinjiang Railway was completed between Ürümqi and Alashankou, linking the railway lines of China and Kazakhstan, and adding a sizable portion to the Eurasian Land Bridge.
2007 – Seventeen Iraqi civilians were shot and killed by Blackwater Worldwide guards.

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (d. 1736) · Madge Syers (b. 1881) · Lauren Bacall (b. 1924)

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The Shard is a 95-storey skyscraper in Southwark, London, that forms part of the London Bridge Quarter development. Standing 309.7 m (1,016 ft) high, the Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom. Designed by Renzo Piano and constructed between 2009 and 2012, it has 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor.

Photograph: Colin

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