Wikipedia:Main Page history/2020 January 3

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Map of storm's track and intensity

Cyclone Ada was a small but intense tropical cyclone that severely impacted the Whitsunday Region of Queensland, Australia, in January 1970. It formed over the far eastern Coral Sea early in the month, remaining weak and disorganised for nearly two weeks before being named. The extremely compact cyclone, with a reported gale radius of 55 km (35 mi), intensified into a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone just before striking the Whitsunday Islands on 17 January. Resorts on Daydream, South Molle, Hayman and Long islands were obliterated. Based on the severity of the damage, wind gusts were later estimated at 220 km/h (140 mph). Near the point of Ada's landfall, almost all the homes in Cannonvale, Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour were destroyed. Rainfall totals as high as 1.25 m (49 in) caused massive river flooding in coastal waterways between Bowen and Mackay. Ada killed 14 people, including 11 at sea, and caused A$12 million in damage. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know ...

Baralt Theatre

... that the Baralt Theatre (pictured) in Maracaibo, the location of Venezuela's first film screenings, now hosts the country's short-film festival?
... that the 2020 MLS All-Star Game will be the first to be played against an all-star team from another soccer league?
... that space entrepreneur Susmita Mohanty has started companies on three continents?
... that the card game of Kaschlan, named after its top trump, became so popular that it was used in the Prussian idiom "my stomach's playing Kaschlan with my bowels"?
... that the recreational reading collection at Imperial College London's Central Library was started from books accumulated in student halls?
... that Bambang Soegeng initiated a service number system in the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and received a service number of 10001?
... that a bowling green and a monument now occupy the site of Helston Castle in Cornwall?
... that although judge R. W. Buzzard has been criticized for drinking and carrying a loaded gun on the job, he has also personally intervened in fistfights and pursued fleeing suspects?

In the news

Qasem Soleimani in 2019

Qasem Soleimani

In Baghdad, Iraq, an American airstrike kills General Qasem Soleimani (pictured), commander of the Iranian Quds Force.
In darts, Peter Wright defeats Michael van Gerwen to win the PDC World Darts Championship.
More than 85 people are killed in a suicide truck bombing at a police checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Bek Air Flight 2100 crashes near Almaty, Kazakhstan, killing at least 12 people and injuring 54 others.

On this day

January 3

Bust of Decius

250 – Emperor Decius (bust pictured) ordered everyone in the Roman Empire (except Jews) to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods, resulting in widespread persecution of Christians.
1833 – With the arrival of two British naval ships at the Falkland Islands, the United Kingdom re-asserted sovereignty there.
1911 – A 7.7 M_w earthquake destroyed the city of Almaty in Russian Turkestan.
1976 – The multilateral International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, part of the International Bill of Human Rights, came into effect.
1990 – United States invasion of Panama: General Manuel Noriega, the deposed strongman of Panama, surrendered to American forces.

Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie (b. 1810) · J. R. R. Tolkien (b. 1892) · Joy Adamson (d. 1980)

More anniversaries:

From today's featured list

Hansa of the Victoria Louise-class

The Imperial German Navy built a series of protected cruisers in the 1880s and 1890s, starting with the two ships of the Irene class. The Navy only completed two additional classes of protected cruisers, comprising six more ships: the unique Kaiserin Augusta, and the five Victoria Louise-class ships. Because of limited budgets in the pre-Tirpitz era, the German Navy attempted to build vessels that could serve as overseas cruisers and scouts for the fleet, though the ships were not satisfactory. Most of the German protected cruisers served on overseas stations throughout their careers, primarily in the East Asia Squadron in the 1890s and 1900s. Prinzess Wilhelm participated in the seizure of the Kiautschou Bay concession in November 1897, which was used as the primary base for the East Asia Squadron. Kaiserin Augusta, Hertha, and Hansa (pictured) assisted in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900, and Vineta saw action during the Venezuelan crisis of 1902–1903. (Full list...)

Recently featured:

Today's featured picture

The climate of Alaska is influenced by its maritime position and its location partly within the Arctic Circle. In the southeast, Alaska has an oceanic climate, in the central region, a subarctic climate and, in the north, a polar climate.

Seen here in winter from NASA's Aqua satellite, some 700 km (430 mi) up, the Alaskan ground is blanketed by snow, and ice is creeping out over the sea, with some of the coastline being indistinct. The tundra appears white, while the evergreen trees of the boreal forest make the forested areas appear darker, and the sinuous courses of rivers can be seen. The greenish color of the Bering Sea may indicate a phytoplankton bloom or may be the result of turbulence caused by winter storms.

Photograph credit: NASA / MODIS / Jeff Schmaltz

Recently featured:

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.