Wikipedia:Main Page history/2020 August 24

From today's featured article

The California Pacific International Exposition half dollar is a fifty-cent piece that was struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1935 and 1936 as a commemorative coin. Its obverse depicts Minerva and other elements of the Seal of California; the reverse shows buildings from the California Pacific International Exposition (held 1935–1936), which the coin was issued to honor. Legislation for the half dollar moved through Congress without opposition in early 1935, and Robert I. Aitken was hired to design it. The San Francisco Mint produced 250,000 coins, but expected sales did not materialize. The Exposition Commission, left with over 180,000 pieces they could not sell, sought and obtained legislation authorizing new coins. Although there was a spike in prices for many commemorative coins in 1936, the Exposition Commission's new coins also sold poorly, and 150,000 pieces were returned to the Mint. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Kreuzkapelle

... that the Kreuzkapelle (pictured) above Bad Camberg, a pilgrimage chapel dedicated to the Holy Cross, has a floor plan of a Greek cross?
... that American abolitionist Margaret Mercer freed the slaves whom she inherited from her father, Maryland governor John Francis Mercer, and sent six of them to Liberia?
... that while in many countries the government cannot finance its deficit by creating new money, it may still borrow from the central bank, which can?
... that Belva Cottier proposed and took part in the first occupation of Alcatraz in 1964 to claim the island for the Sioux?
... that the Żegota Monument in Warsaw was unveiled by Władysław Bartoszewski, the last surviving member of Żegota, an organization dedicated to rescuing Jews during the Holocaust?
... that Julián Podoba's research on iodine deficiency led to the introduction of iodised salt and the disappearance of cretinism in Slovakia?
... that the fossil sumac Rhus boothillensis is named for a public fossil digging site in Republic, Washington?
... that Mandeep Dhillon was offered a role by Ricky Gervais after telling him that she was scared by his character?

Alexei Navalny

In association football, Bayern Munich win the UEFA Champions League, defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (pictured) is airlifted from Omsk to Germany for treatment after falling into a coma.
Keith Rowley is sworn in for a second term as prime minister after the People's National Movement wins the Trinidad and Tobago general election.

August 24: Feast day of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle (Western Christianity); Independence Day in Ukraine (1991)

The White House after having been burned

1643 – A Dutch expedition arrived at the mouth of the Valdivia River in what is now Chile, with the aim of establishing a new colony in the ruins of the abandoned Spanish settlement of Valdivia.
1814 – War of 1812: British forces invaded Washington, D.C., setting fire to various U.S. government buildings, including the White House (damage depicted).
1889 – The predominantly Māori New Zealand Native football team played the last match of their 107-game tour, the longest in rugby union history.
2004 – Eighty-nine people died after suicide bombers attacked two airliners flying out of Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport.

More anniversaries:

R. Madhavan

The 2017 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir action thriller film Vikram Vedha won 19 awards from 46 nominations; its direction, screenplay, music, and the performances of R. Madhavan (pictured), Vijay Sethupathi and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar have received the most attention from award groups. The film received seven nominations at the 65th Filmfare Awards South, including those for Best Film (S. Sashikanth), Best Actor (Madhavan and Sethupathi) and Best Supporting Actress (Varalaxmi). It won in four categories – Best Director (Pushkar–Gayathri), Best Actor (Sethupathi), Best Male Playback Singer (Anirudh Ravichander for "Yaanji") and Critics Award for Best Actor – South (Madhavan). At the 10th Vijay Awards, it received fifteen nominations and won four, Best Director, Best Screenplay Writer, Best Actor and Best Background Score. (Full list...)

Recently featured:

Charles Follen McKim (August 24, 1847 – September 4, 1909) was an American Beaux-Arts architect of the late 19th century. Along with William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White, he was a member of the partnership McKim, Mead & White. The firm's New York City buildings include Manhattan's former Pennsylvania Station, the Brooklyn Museum, and the main campus of Columbia University. Elsewhere in New York state and New England, the firm designed colleges, libraries, schools, and other buildings, such as the Boston Public Library and the Rhode Island State House. In Washington, D.C., the firm renovated the West and East Wings of the White House, and designed Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, and the National Museum of American History.

Recently featured:

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.