Wikipedia:Main Page history/2015 October 30

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

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...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

Female Figure by Giambologna

... that 17th-century reformist defenders of Giambologna's 1571–73 sculpture of a woman bathing (pictured) justified her nudity by identifying her as either Bathsheba or Venus?
... that Maikel Kieftenbeld captained FC Groningen to victory in the 2014–15 KNVB Cup Final to win the first major trophy in the club's history?
... that the Llanos long-nosed armadillo typically has quadruplets, all developed from a single zygote?
... that the supplication of Abu Hamza al-Thumali was recited by Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, the fourth Shia Imam, on every night or dawn of Ramadan?
... that Ni no Kuni was conceived as a project for Level-5's tenth anniversary?
... that actress Maria Möller is a classically trained mezzo-soprano and soloist?
... that the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, was instituted in 1954, and the "father of the Indian bomb" was one of its first recipients?
... that during his 2000 campaign for U.S. president, Donald Trump named Oprah Winfrey as his ideal running mate?

In the news

Bidhya Devi Bhandari

Bidhya Devi Bhandari (pictured) is elected Nepal's first female President.
The People's Republic of China abolishes its one-child policy and imposes a two-child policy.
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes Afghanistan and Pakistan, killing at least 380 people and injuring more than 2,400 others.
The Law and Justice party wins a majority in the Polish Sejm.
In motorsport, Lewis Hamilton wins the Formula One World Drivers' Championship after his team, Mercedes, secured the Constructors' Championship.

Ongoing events:
- European migrant crisis
Recent deaths:
- Maureen O'Hara

On this day...

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

Jean Shrimpton

1806 – War of the Fourth Coalition: Believing they were massively outnumbered, the 5,300-man German garrison at Stettin, Prussia (now Szczecin, Poland), surrendered to a much smaller French force without a fight.
1888 – King Lobengula of Matabeleland granted the Rudd Concession to agents of Cecil Rhodes, setting in motion the creation of the British South Africa Company.
1938 – The radio drama The War of the Worlds, based on the science fiction novella by English writer H. G. Wells, frightened many listeners in the United States into believing that an actual Martian invasion was in progress.
1965 – English model Jean Shrimpton (pictured) wore a controversially short minidress to Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia – a pivotal moment of the introduction of the miniskirt to women's fashion.
1995 – In a referendum, 50.58 percent of voters supported the province of Quebec remaining a part of Canada, narrowly averting sovereignty.

More anniversaries:

From today's featured list

The Boston Americans and Pittsburg Pirates competed in the first World Series.

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.

Recently featured:

Today's featured picture

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

Recently featured:

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.