Wikipedia:Main Page history/2022 July 27
From today's featured article
The human history of Chincoteague, an island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, begins with Native Americans gathering shellfish there. "Chincoteague" is said to have meant "Beautiful land across the water" in their language. The local feral population of Chincoteague ponies likely originated from European settlers using the island in the 17th century to graze livestock. Seafood resources were systematically exploited in the early 19th century, and oysters became a major industry after the Civil War. Chincoteague's relative isolation ended in 1876 when the railroad arrived at Franklin City, across Chincoteague Bay, and a steamboat service was introduced; a road causeway was completed in 1922. The Chincoteague Fire Department was established in 1925 and took over the traditional pony penning to raise funds. The 1947 book Misty of Chincoteague and its 1961 film helped publicize the island. The annual carnival, pony swim (pictured) and subsequent auction now attract tens of thousands of visitors. (Full article...)
Did you know ...
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- ... that Brooklyn's West Street Foundry, owned by Wilson Small, built the engine for Daniel Webster (pictured), which on debut in 1853 was the largest and fastest steamboat in Maine coastal service?
- ... that after a successful siege of Mogaung, Commander Thiri Zeya Thura rushed back to Ava, arriving there in time for the coronation of Narapati I to present the captured sawbwa?
- ... that the flag of Montserrat depicts Erin embracing a cross, signifying the Montserratians' love of Christ?
- ... that years after he played a recurring character on Glee during its first season, Dijon Talton reprised his role as Matt Rutherford in the final two episodes?
- ... that "Ich lobe meinen Gott von ganzem Herzen" is a cheerful hymn based on the beginning of Psalm 9?
- ... that the veto of an Indiana law that bans transgender girls from participating in school sports was overridden by the state legislature?
- ... that the son of Reverend Canon W. W. Covey-Crump, Commander A. T. L. Covey-Crump, compiled a list of Jack-speak that is still consulted by historians of the Royal Navy?
- ... that no wave band Pulsallama was described as "13 girls fighting over a cowbell"?
In the news
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- In cycling, Jonas Vingegaard (pictured) wins the Tour de France.
- The World Health Organization declares the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
- The Chinese paddlefish, one of the world's largest freshwater fish species, is declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
- Amid protests over the economic crisis, Ranil Wickremesinghe is elected President of Sri Lanka by the parliament.
On this day
- 1054 – During his invasion of Scotland, Siward, Earl of Northumbria, defeated Macbeth, King of Scotland, in an engagement north of the Firth of Forth.
- 1214 – Philip II of France decisively won the Battle of Bouvines (pictured), the conclusive battle of the 1213–1214 Anglo-French War.
- 1942 – Second World War: Allied forces halted the Axis invasion of Egypt at the First Battle of El Alamein.
- 1949 – The de Havilland Comet, the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production, made its maiden flight.
- 1983 – American musician Madonna released her self-titled debut album, which set the standard for the genre of dance-pop for decades.
- Conrad II of Italy (d. 1101)
- Elizabeth Rona (d. 1981)
- A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (d. 2015)
Today's featured picture
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Ice speedway is a form of motorcycle-speedway racing on frozen surfaces. The sport uses specialised bikes that race anticlockwise around oval tracks between 260 and 425 metres (853 and 1,394 ft) in length, with a race structure and scoring similar to that of speedway racing. This photograph depicts the German speedway racer Max Niedermaier practising in Inzell, Germany, for the finals of the 2018 Individual Ice Racing World Championship, organised by the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. Photograph credit: Walter Isack
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