Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 December 10

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

The Common Raven is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids. There are at least eight subspecies with little variation in appearance, although there are significant genetic differences among populations from various regions. It is possibly the heaviest passerine; at maturity, the Common Raven averages 63 centimetres (25 inches) in length and 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds) in mass. Common Ravens can live up to 21 years in the wild, a lifespan exceeded among passerines by only a few Australasian species. Young birds may travel in flocks but later mate for life, with each pair defending a territory. The Common Raven has coexisted with humans for thousands of years and in some areas is considered a pest. Part of its success comes from its omnivorous diet; Common Ravens are extremely versatile in finding sources of nutrition. Some notable feats of problem-solving have been observed in the species, leading to the belief that it is intelligent. Over the centuries, it has been the subject of mythology, folklore, art, and literature. In many cultures, it has been revered as a spiritual figure or god. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Joseph Desha – AdS/CFT correspondence – Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi

Archive – By email – More featured articles...

Did you know...

From Wikipedia's new and recently improved content:

... that the Dobrilovina Monastery (pictured) was "the centre of the spiritual and political life and aspirations for freedom" in the Tara River region?
... that convolutional neural networks have achieved performance double that of humans on some image recognition problems?
... that in the Exhortation to the Greeks, an anonymous Christian text wrongly ascribed to Justin Martyr, it is claimed that Plato read Moses?
... that after Ice Box Chamberlain pitched with both hands during an 1888 baseball game, no major league pitcher repeated the feat until 1995?
... that against his lawyer's advice, Nelson Mandela ended his defence speech at the Rivonia Trial with the words "I Am Prepared To Die"?
... that 50,000 people attended the opening of the Grossmont Center shopping mall in La Mesa, California – 20,000 more than the city's population at the time?
... that Mathis Bolly is the fastest football player in the video game FIFA 14, but in real life is not as fast as Luton Shelton?

Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news

An exoplanet, HD 106906 b, is discovered with the most distant orbit around a single star, farther than thought possible.
The World Trade Organization unanimously adopts the Bali Package, aimed at liberalizing world trade.
Former President of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela (pictured) dies at the age of 95.
The United Nations Security Council passes resolution 2127, creating MISCA in response to civil conflict in the Central African Republic.
Recent disclosures suggest that the National Security Agency is collecting five billion records daily on the locations of mobile phones around the globe.
China's first lunar rover mission, Chang'e 3, launches successfully.

Recent deaths – More current events...

On this day...

December 10: Human Rights Day

1799 – France became the first country to adopt the metric system as its system for weights and measures.
1884 – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by American author Mark Twain was first published in the United Kingdom and Canada.
1901 – The first Nobel Prizes were awarded, on the anniversary of the 1896 death of their founder, Swedish chemist and industrialist Alfred Nobel (pictured).
1948 – The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, representing the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled.
1989 – At the first open pro-democracy demonstration in Mongolia, journalist Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announced the formation of the Mongolian Democratic Union, which would be instrumental in ending Communist rule four months later.

More anniversaries: December 9 – December 10 – December 11

Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries

It is now December 10, 2013 (UTC) – Reload this page

Today's featured picture

Windmills are machines which convert the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally used for milling grain, they have been adapted to many other uses. This windmill was photographed in Kuremaa, Estonia.

Photo: Ivar Leidus

Recently featured: Bush Stone-curlew – Papilio ulysses – USS Arizona burning after the attack on Pearl Harbor

Archive – More featured pictures...

Other areas of Wikipedia

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.