Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 November 26

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From today's featured article
Betelgeuse photographed with the Hubble space telescope Betelgeuse is the eighth brightest star in the night sky and second brightest in the constellation of Orion, only rarely outshining Rigel. It is a distinctly reddish, semiregular variable star whose apparent magnitude varies between 0.2 and 1.2, the widest range of any first-magnitude star. Betelgeuse's name is thought to be derived from the Arabic يد الجوزاء Yad al-Jauzā' meaning "the Hand of al-Jauzā'", i.e., Orion. It is classified as a red supergiant of spectral type M2Iab and is one of the largest and most luminous known stars. If positioned at the center of the Solar System, its surface would extend past the asteroid belt, possibly beyond the orbit of Jupiter, at least wholly engulfing Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Less than 10 million years old, Betelgeuse has evolved rapidly due to its high mass. Ejected from its birthplace in the Orion OB1 Association, this crimson runaway has been observed moving through the interstellar medium supersonically at a speed of 30 km/sec, creating a bow shock over 4 light-years wide. Now in a late stage of stellar evolution, the supergiant is expected to proceed through its life cycle before exploding as a type II supernova within the next million years. (Full article...) Recently featured: Grey Cup – RAF Northolt – Microsoft Security Essentials Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the immediate inspiration for the founding of Society of Polish Artists "Sztuka" (logo pictured) came from the ground-breaking fin-de-siècle art exhibit at Sukiennice? ... that the 9.2 inch naval gun at O'Hara's Battery, Gibraltar, was capable of firing shells from Europe to Africa? ... that a publicity campaign for The Boogie Man Will Get You had to be abandoned because film critics preferred the antagonists in Disney films? ... that W. G. Grace captained Gloucestershire County Cricket Club for 29 years? ... that with the appointment of Muhammad ibn Ra'iq in 936, the holder of the office of amir al-umara became the virtual regent of the Abbasid Caliphate? ... that double leg amputee Marty Mayberry worked with a prosthetist to develop new legs that help improve his skiing following the 2006 Winter Paralympics? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
In Formula One, Sebastian Vettel wins the Drivers' Championship for the third consecutive year. In Canadian football, the Toronto Argonauts defeat the Calgary Stampeders to win the 100th Grey Cup (trophy pictured). A fire at a clothing factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, kills at least 112 people. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi outlaws challenges to presidential authority. Recent deaths: Héctor "Macho" Camacho – Larry Hagman Syrian civil war – Wikinews – More current events...
On this day...
November 26: Constitution Day in India (1949) 1805 – The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the longest and highest aqueduct in Great Britain, opened. 1917 – Unable to resolve disputes with Eddie Livingstone, owner of the Toronto Blueshirts, the other ice hockey clubs of Canada's National Hockey Association officially agreed to leave that sports league and to form a new one: the National Hockey League. 1922 – Howard Carter (pictured) and Lord Carnarvon became the first people to enter the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in over 3,000 years. 1983 – Six robbers broke into the Brink's-MAT warehouse at London Heathrow Airport and stole three tonnes of gold bullion, much of which has never been recovered. 2011 – U.S.-led NATO forces engaged Pakistani security forces at two Pakistani military checkposts along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border in a friendly fire incident. More anniversaries: November 25 – November 26 – November 27 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now November 26, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

From today's featured list

Prehistory in Scotland ends with the arrival of the Romans in southern Scotland in the 1st century AD and the beginning of written records. The first indications of humans in prehistoric Scotland occur only after the ice retreated in the 11th millennium BC and the current Flandrian interglacial began. Initially, sea levels were lower than at present due to the large volume of ice that remained; the Orkney archipelago and many of the Inner Hebridean islands were attached to the mainland, as was the present-day island of Great Britain to Continental Europe. Many of the archaeological sites (example pictured) are in the Highlands and Islands, possibly because of the relatively sparse modern populations and consequent lack of disturbance. Differentiating the various periods of human history involved is a complex task. The Paleolithic lasted until the retreat of the ice, the Mesolithic until the adoption of farming, and the Neolithic until metalworking commenced. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

Samuel Reshevsky (1911–1992) was a famous chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster. He learned to play chess at age four, and at age eight he was beating accomplished players with ease, such as in this photo from 1920, and giving simultaneous exhibitions. Although he never became a truly professional chess player, he competed for the World Chess Championship and maintained a rivalry with Bobby Fischer.

Photo: Kadel & Herbert

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