Wikipedia:Main Page history/2019 March 29

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From today's featured article

The Referendum Party was a Eurosceptic political party, active in the United Kingdom from 1994 to 1997. The party's sole objective was a referendum on the nature of the UK's membership in the European Union. It was founded in November 1994 by the Anglo-French multi-millionaire businessman and politician James Goldsmith, an elected Member of the European Parliament for the Movement for France party. In the build-up to the 1997 general election, the Referendum Party spent more on press advertising than either the incumbent Conservatives or the Labour Party. It stood more candidates than any minor party had ever fielded in a UK election (in 547 of the 659 constituencies), and won 2.6% of the vote nationally, but failed to win any seats in the House of Commons. Support was strongest in southern and eastern England, and weakest in inner London, northern England, and Scotland. Goldsmith died in July 1997, and the party disbanded shortly after. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

Pink-necked green pigeon

... that the pink-necked green pigeon (male pictured) was one of the first species of bird recorded on Krakatoa after the main island erupted in 1883?
... that Toronto treasure and antique dealer Billy Jamieson discovered the lost mummy of pharaoh Ramesses I when he purchased the Niagara Falls Museum?
... that despite having large molecular gas reservoirs, NGC 3665 has a less than expected star formation rate?
... that when Riko Azuna auditioned to perform the opening theme to the anime series Bloom Into You, all she knew about the series was that it focuses on love between two girls?
... that in 1674, the Dutch East India ship Wapen van Rotterdam was captured in Ronas Voe, Shetland, by three English men-of-war?
... that Mark Angel produced the first African YouTube comedy channel to reach one million subscribers?
... that Malaysia was stripped of its right to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships after refusing to allow Israeli athletes to enter the country to compete?
... that Jane Somerville has "Unicorns" all around the world?

In the news

Robert Mueller

The U.S. Special Counsel investigation, headed by Robert Mueller (pictured), concludes and reports its findings to the Attorney General.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant loses its last territory in Syria following a defeat by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the U.S.-led coalition.
An explosion at a chemical plant in Xiangshui, Jiangsu, China, kills at least 78 people and injures more than 90 others.
Nursultan Nazarbayev resigns as President of Kazakhstan after a 29-year tenure, appointing Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as interim president.

On this day

March 29: Boganda Day in the Central African Republic; Martyrs' Day in Madagascar (1947)

Memorial for the Battle of Towton

1461 – During the Wars of the Roses, Yorkist troops defeated Lancastrian forces at the Battle of Towton (memorial pictured) in Yorkshire, England, the largest and bloodiest battle fought in England.
1638 – Swedish settlers founded New Sweden near Delaware Bay, the first Swedish colony in America.
1941 – The North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement to define technical standards for AM band radio stations came into effect.
1969 – The New People's Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was formed.
1999 – The strongest earthquake to hit the foothills of the Himalayas in more than 90 years killed at least 100 people.

Thomas Coram (d. 1751) · Georges Seurat (d. 1891) · Ruth A. M. Schmidt (d. 2014)

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From today's featured list

Ursula K. Le Guin

American author Ursula K. Le Guin wrote speculative fiction, realistic fiction, non-fiction, screenplays, librettos, essays, poetry, speeches, translations, literary critiques, chapbooks, and children's fiction. She was primarily known for her works of speculative fiction. These include works set in the fictional world of Earthsea, stories in the Hainish Cycle, standalone novels and short stories. Le Guin came to critical attention with the publication of A Wizard of Earthsea in 1968, and The Left Hand of Darkness in 1969. The Earthsea books, of which A Wizard of Earthsea was the first, have been described as Le Guin's best work by several commentators, while scholar Charlotte Spivack described The Left Hand of Darkness as having established Le Guin's reputation as a writer of science fiction. Le Guin's first published work was the poem "Folksong from the Montayna Province" in 1959, while her first short story was "An die Musik", in 1961; both were set in her fictional country of Orsinia. Her first professional publication was the short story "April in Paris" in 1962, while her first published novel was Rocannon's World, released by Ace Books in 1966. (Full list...)

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Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels is an oil-on-wood painting by the Dutch artist Clara Peeters, dated around 1615. Peeters specialised in still life pictures featuring beautiful objects, delicious fruits and expensive food. This type of still life is called banketje (banquet) in Dutch. In addition to the objects named in the title there are also curls of butter, figs and a bread roll. In the background is a gold-plated Venetian glass. The almonds and figs are lying in a dish of Chinese Wanli porcelain. The painting is in the permanent collection of the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague.

Painting: Clara Peeters

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