Wikipedia:Main Page history/2014 May 23

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Coonskin is a 1975 American film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi (pictured in 2009), about an African American rabbit, fox, and bear who rise to the top of the organized crime racket in Harlem, encountering corrupt law enforcement, con artists, and the Mafia. The film, which combines live action and animation, stars Philip Thomas, Charles Gordone, Barry White, and Scat Man Crothers, all of whom appear in both live-action and animated sequences. Coonskin makes reference to various elements from African-American culture, ranging from African folk tales to the work of cartoonist George Herriman, and satirizes racist and other stereotypes, as well as the blaxploitation genre, Song of the South, and The Godfather. Coonskin encountered controversy before its original theatrical release when the Congress of Racial Equality criticized the content as being racist. When the film was released, it had limited distribution and initially received negative reviews. Coonskin has since been reappraised. A New York Times review said that it could be Bakshi's "masterpiece" and Bakshi considers it his best film. (Full article...)

Recently featured: Hurricane Ginger – Kenneth R. Shadrick – Thomas Ellison

Archive – By email – More featured articles...

Did you know...

From Wikipedia's new and recently improved content:

... that Sanur (pictured), the fortified throne village of the Jarrar clan, withstood two sieges by Jezzar Pasha, the Ottoman governor of Acre?
... that after Tamil regions of Travancore merged with Tamil Nadu, the leaders of Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress joined with Congress?
... that during the 2013–14 Ivy League men's basketball season five of the eight teams earned postseason invitations?
... that the Hammersley Fork watershed was heavily logged in the early 1900s, but has been home to almost no industrial activity since?
... that 14-year-old Australian snowboarder Ben Tudhope was the youngest competitor at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi?
... that most non-Peronist political parties in Argentina have united in the political coalition Broad Front UNEN?
... that not only does Paratarsotomus macropalpis run at a speed equivalent to a human running at 1,300 mph (2,100 km/h), it also does so at temperatures lethal to most animals?

Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news

The commander of the Royal Thai Army, General Prayuth Chan-ocha (pictured), announces a coup d'état following months of political crisis.
Russia and China announce a US$400 billion agreement regarding natural gas distribution.
More than 118 people are killed in two bombings in Jos, Nigeria.
Credit Suisse pleads guilty to helping American citizens evade taxes and agrees to a US$2.6 billion fine.
In a New York court, Abu Hamza is convicted of conspiracy to aid terrorist organizations.
In basketball, the Euroleague concludes with Maccabi Tel Aviv defeating Real Madrid in the final.

Ongoing: Ukrainian unrest – Balkan flooding – Soma mine disaster
Recent deaths: Jack Brabham – Gordon Willis

On this day...

May 23

1555 – Giovanni Pietro Carafa became Pope Paul IV and had a short, but tumultuous papacy, during which the Papal States suffered a serious military defeat.
1618 – In the Second Defenestration of Prague, Protestant members of the Bohemian aristocracy threw Catholic regents of Emperor Ferdinand II out the third-storey window of Prague Castle, precipitating the Thirty Years' War.
1844 – Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad Shírází proclaimed that he was "the Báb", after a Shi`a religious concept, marking the beginning of the Bábí movement, the forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith.
1934 – American criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow (pictured) were ambushed and killed by police on a desolate road near their hideout in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
2010 – Jamaica's military and police force began a manhunt for drug lord Christopher Coke, beginning three days of armed conflict with the Shower Posse cartel.

More anniversaries: May 22 – May 23 – May 24

Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries

It is now May 23, 2014 (UTC) – Reload this page

From today's featured list

The Annie Award for Best Animated Video Game is awarded annually by ASIFA-Hollywood, a non-profit organization that honors contributions to animation, to one animated video game each year. The award was created in 2005, and has been awarded yearly since. To be eligible for the award, the game must have been released in the year before the next Annie Awards ceremony, and the developers of the game must send a five-minute DVD that shows the gameplay and graphics of the game to a committee appointed by the Board of Directors of ASIFA-Hollywood. The now-defunct video game development company THQ had six of its games nominated for the Annie Award for Best Animated Video Game, and one of them, Ratatouille, won the award. Among the nominees, three video games are adaptations of animated television series. Seven nominees are adaptations of a feature film. The cast and crew of the film Monster House appeared at the 34th Annie Awards both for the film's Best Animated Feature nomination as well as for the video game adaptation's award nomination, the voice actors (pictured) having reprised their roles in the game. (Full list...)

Recently featured: Parasites of the marsh rice rat – High Courts of India – The Twelve Imams

Archive – More featured lists...

Today's featured picture

The short-tailed shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris) is a shearwater which breeds in Australia and migrates northwards during the austral winter. The chicks of this species, one of the most common seabirds in Australian waters, are commercially harvested.

Photograph: JJ Harrison

Recently featured: The Pirate Publisher – Narbonne Cathedral – Barrow Offshore Wind Farm

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.