Main Page

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
Alexandre Banza (1932–1969) was a Central African military officer and politician. As commander of the Camp Kassaï military base in 1965, Banza helped Jean-Bédel Bokassa overthrow the government of President David Dacko. Bokassa rewarded Banza by appointing him as minister of state and minister of finance in the new government. In 1967, Bokassa and his protégé had a major argument over the president's excessive extravagances. In April 1968, Bokassa removed Banza as minister of finance. Recognizing Bokassa's attempts to undermine him, Banza made a number of remarks highly critical of the president's handling of the government. Bokassa responded by abolishing the minister of state position. Banza soon decided to stage a coup d'état. One of his confidants, Jean-Claude Mandaba, contacted the president and informed him of the date of the coup, 9 April 1969. Hours before he was going to execute his bid for power, Banza was ambushed by Mandaba and taken directly to Bokassa. Bokassa nearly beat Banza to death before Mandaba suggested that Banza be put on trial for appearance's sake. On 12 April, Banza presented his case to a military tribunal, which quickly sentenced him to death by firing squad. He was reportedly taken to an open field, where he was executed and buried in an unmarked grave. (more...) Recently featured: Crown Fountain – Hermann Detzner – 1964 Brinks Hotel bombing Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the most recently described member of the fungal genus Spongiforma (pictured) is named after the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants? ... that Heamasi Sekona of Tonga won a bronze medal in the light heavyweight class of boxing in the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games without winning a single bout? ... that Ahmad Dhani once found Once to be the lead singer of Dewa 19? ... that the geosocial networking app Blendr expands on its gay-oriented predecessor Grindr to allow all people to connect with others nearby with common interests? ... that baseball pitcher George Hodson had six 20-win seasons in the minor leagues? ... that Lord Carnarvon named the 1993 European filly champion after one of his wife's favourite recipes? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon (pictured) dies after a crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The United States sends 100 military advisers to help defeat the Lord's Resistance Army in central Africa. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema, a commoner, marry in Bhutan. American hedge trader Raj Rajaratnam receives an eleven-year prison sentence, among the longest ever imposed for insider trading. Dennis Ritchie, co-creator of Unix and designer of the C programming language, dies at the age of 70. The U.S. reports that it has foiled an allegedly Iran-backed plot to assassinate Saudi ambassador Adel al-Jubeir and bomb two embassies in Washington, D.C. Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radičová's government falls after failing a vote of no confidence over the European Financial Stability Facility. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
October 18: Feast day of Saint Luke 1386 – A special Pontifical High Mass in the Church of the Holy Spirit commemorated the opening of the doors of Heidelberg University. 1775 – American Civil War: In an act of retaliation against ports that supported Patriot activities in the early stages of the war, the Royal Navy destroyed what is now Portland, Maine. 1967 – The Soviet space probe Venera 4 (pictured) performed in-place analysis of the environment of Venus and became the first spacecraft to land on another planet, although it stopped working before that. 1968 – At the Summer Olympics in Mexico City, American Bob Beamon set a world record of 8.90 m in the long jump, a mark that stood for 23 years. 1991 – The Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. More anniversaries: October 17 – October 18 – October 19 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now October 18, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

One Plectroctena sp. ant attacks another of its kind to protect its territory. Plectroctena ants belong to the Apocrita suborder, which also includes wasps and bees. Members of Apocrita are characterized by the narrow "waist" (petiole, seen here directly behind the rear leg on the right ant) formed between the first two segments of the actual abdomen; the first abdominal segment is fused to the thorax, and is called the propodeum.

Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

Recently featured: Naajaat, Greenland – Dwarf yellow-headed gecko – Pied Heron

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.