Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 July 5

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Today's featured article
The Battle of Osan was the first engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, on July 5, 1950. A U.S. task force of 400 infantry supported by an artillery battery was moved to Osan, south of the South Korean capital Seoul, and ordered to fight as a rearguard to delay advancing North Korean forces while additional U.S. forces arrived in-country to form a defensive line. The task force lacked both anti-tank guns and effective infantry anti-tank weapons. Aside from a limited number of HEAT shells for the unit's 105-mm howitzers, crew-served weapons capable of defeating the T-34 had not been distributed to U.S. Army forces in Korea at the time. In the first encounter, a North Korean tank column overran the task force and continued its advance south. After the column had successfully breached American lines, the task force opened fire on a force of some 5,000 North Korean infantry approaching its position, temporarily holding up the North Korean advance. Eventually, North Korean troops overwhelmed American positions, and the remnants of the task force retreated in disorder. (more...) Recently featured: U.S. Route 491 – Transformers – The Sun Also Rises Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that scholars debate whether the Torrs Pony-cap and Horns (pictured) of c. 200 BC in the Museum of Scotland were intended to be worn by a horse, a human or a statue? ... that Vinita Gupta is credited as being the first woman of Indian origin to take her company public in the United States? ... that the freighter *Noemijulia* was bombed twice during the Spanish Civil War but went on to survive World War II? ... that the fan campaign to release specific Wii video games by the game developer Nintendo received an official response from the company? ... that the rose garden at Lymm Hall in Cheshire, England, was Edward Kemp's first recorded commission? ... that unlike the 1990 film version starring Johnny Depp, the 2005 theatrical adaptation of Edward Scissorhands was set in the 1950s and performed to musical accompaniment? ... that young mushrooms of Pholiota communis are sticky? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Otto von Habsburg (pictured), former Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, dies at the age of 98. In the Thai general election, the Pheu Thai Party, led by Yingluck Shinawatra, wins a landslide majority against the Democrat Party, led by Abhisit Vejjajiva. In tennis, Petra Kvitova wins the women's singles and Novak Djokovic wins the men's singles at the Wimbledon Championships. Former President of Brazil Itamar Franco dies at the age of 81. Treasure worth at least 25 billion rupees (€385 million) is found at Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, India. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
July 5: Independence Day in Venezuela (1811), Algeria (1962) and Cape Verde (1975); Saints Cyril and Methodius Day in the Czech Republic and Slovakia Spam canned meat 1687 – The Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton was first published, describing his laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation. 1937 – The Hormel Foods Corporation introduced Spam (pictured), the canned precooked meat product that would eventually enter into pop culture, folklore, and urban legend. 1946 – Named after Bikini Atoll, the site of the nuclear weapons test Operation Crossroads in the Marshall Islands, the modern bikini was introduced at a fashion show in Paris. 1962 – The Late Late Show, the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster, aired on Irish television for the first time. 2009 – A series of violent riots broke out in Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. More anniversaries: July 4 – July 5 – July 6 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now July 5, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

Macleay's Swallowtail (Graphium macleayanus) is a swallowtail butterfly native to Australia, named after Scottish entomologist Alexander Macleay. It is found in coastal areas of Eastern Australia and on Tasmania. It has a wingspan of about 55 mm (2.2 in), with females being larger than males.

Photo: JJ Harrison

Recently featured: "Join, or Die" – Giovanna degli Albizzi – Painted turtle distribution map

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.