Wikipedia:Main Page history/2015 October 30

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Fremantle Prison was built in Fremantle, Western Australia, between 1851 and 1859 using convict labour. Royal Commissions in 1898 and 1911 instigated some prison reforms, but after World War II, significant reforms lagged behind those occurring elsewhere in Australia and the world. Improvements in the late 1960s and early 1970s included an officer training school, social workers, welfare officers, and work release and community service programs. Punishments varied over the years, with flogging and leg irons eventually replaced by lengthening of sentences and restriction from visitors or entertainment. More than 40 hangings were carried out at Fremantle Prison, which was Western Australia's only lawful place of execution between 1888 and 1984. There were major riots in 1968 and 1988; in the second one, guards were taken hostage, and fire damage totalled $1.8 million (in 1988 Australian dollars). The prison closed in 1991, replaced by the new maximum-security Casuarina Prison. Since then, Fremantle Prison has become a tourist attraction and World Heritage Site. (Full article...)

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Female Figure by Giambologna
Female Figure by Giambologna

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Bidhya Devi Bhandari in December 2013
Bidhya Devi Bhandari

On this day...

October 30: Mischief Night in some areas of the United States

Jean Shrimpton
Jean Shrimpton

Beginning in 1903, 110 World Series champions have been determined. The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) and concludes the MLB postseason. The championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and is a contest between the champions of baseball's National League (NL) and American League (AL). The Series-winning team is awarded the Commissioner's Trophy. In the 110 World Series through 2014, the AL champion has won 63 and the NL champion has won 47. The New York Yankees of the AL have played in 40 of the 110 Series and have won 27 championships, the most Series appearances and victories of any Major League franchise. The Yankees have also lost more Series (13) than any other club. The St. Louis Cardinals, who represented the NL for a 19th time in 2013, have won 11 championships, which is the second-most among Major League teams. Only the Giants have been NL champions more times, appearing in 20 World Series with eight victories, including one in the 2014 Series. (Full list...)

Part of the Major League Baseball awards series, one of Wikipedia's featured topics.
Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance from Andhra Pradesh, India. According to legend, an orphan named Siddhendra Yogi established the Kuchipudi dance-drama tradition in the seventh century. The performance usually begins with stage rites, after which each character comes onto the stage and introduces herself with a small composition of both song and dance. The drama then begins, and the dance is typically accompanied by Carnatic music.

Photograph: Augustus Binu; edit: Chris Woodrich

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