Wikipedia:Main Page history/2024 February 2b

Welcome to Wikipedia

,
6,777,839 articles in English

From today's featured article

Male snowy plover in breeding plumage
Male snowy plover in breeding plumage

The snowy plover (Anarhynchus nivosus) is a small shorebird found in much of the Americas on both coasts and inland. Inland populations are migratory, whereas some coastal birds are resident. This plover is brown above and white below, with a white band on the neck, a slender black bill, and gray to black legs. Breeding males have black patches behind the eye and on the neck. The typical call is a repeated "tu-wheet". The bird inhabits open areas with sparse vegetation, like sandy beaches and shores of salt or soda lakes, where it feeds on invertebrates, such as crustaceans, worms, beetles, and flies. Males excavate multiple nest scrapes that are advertised to females, who may be polygamous. The species is listed as near threatened by the IUCN. The main threats are habitat destruction due to invasive beach grasses, urban development, and disturbance due to recreational uses of beaches. While conservation measures have been successful locally, the global population is thought to be in decline. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know ...

Hanging Stone
Hanging Stone

In the news

Imran Khan in 2023
Imran Khan in 2023

On this day

February 2: Candlemas (Western Christianity); Groundhog Day in Canada and the United States

F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
More anniversaries:
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

The Lego Movie, a 2014 animated adventure comedy film written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (both pictured), won 39 awards from 76 nominations. It received a nomination for Best Original Song ("Everything Is Awesome") at the 87th Academy Awards. The film won one of six nominations at the 42nd Annie Awards. At the 67th British Academy Film Awards, it won Best Animated Film. The film received two nominations at the 20th Critics' Choice Awards and won Best Animated Feature. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 71st Golden Globe Awards. Various critic circles also picked The Lego Movie as the best animated feature film of the year. In addition, the National Board of Review named The Lego Movie one of the top ten films of 2014. (Full list...)

Edmonia Lewis

Edmonia Lewis (1844–1907), also known as "Wildfire", was a sculptor of African-American and Native American heritage. Born free from slavery, Lewis spent her childhood in Upstate New York and New Jersey before moving to Boston in 1864 to pursue her career as a sculptor. After training with marble-bust specialist Edward Augustus Brackett, Lewis opened her own studio later in 1864. In 1866, she moved to Rome, Italy, citing "opportunities for art culture" and finding "a social atmosphere where I was not constantly reminded of my color" as reasons for the move. She went on to spend most of her adult career there. Her largest and most significant work was a marble sculpture weighing more than 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) showing the death of Cleopatra, which was created for the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. This albumen print of Lewis was produced in around 1870 by the German-American photographer Henry Rocher.

Photograph credit: Henry Rocher; restored by Adam Cuerden

Other areas of Wikipedia

  • Community portal – The central hub for editors, with resources, links, tasks, and announcements.
  • Village pump – Forum for discussions about Wikipedia itself, including policies and technical issues.
  • Site news – Sources of news about Wikipedia and the broader Wikimedia movement.
  • Teahouse – Ask basic questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
  • Help desk – Ask questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
  • Reference desk – Ask research questions about encyclopedic topics.
  • Content portals – A unique way to navigate the encyclopedia.

Wikipedia's sister projects

Wikipedia is written by volunteer editors and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other volunteer projects:

Wikipedia languages