Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 September 9

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From today's featured article

Natasha "Tasha" Yar is a fictional character who mainly appeared in the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Portrayed by Denise Crosby (pictured), she is chief of security aboard the Starfleet starship USS Enterprise-D. The character's concept was originally based upon the character of Vasquez from the 1986 film Aliens. Yar first appeared in the series' pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint". After Crosby decided to leave the show, Yar was killed by the creature Armus in "Skin of Evil", the 23rd episode of the season – a death that received mainly negative reviews. She was written back into the show for a guest appearance in the third season episode "Yesterday's Enterprise", in which the timeline was altered so that she did not die, and again in the final episode of the series "All Good Things...", in events set prior to the pilot. She has been described as a forerunner to other strong women in science fiction, such as Kara Thrace from the 2004 version of Battlestar Galactica, and a step between the female characters in The Original Series and the command positions they have in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Voyager. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

From Wikipedia's newest content:

... that Margaret of Burgundy (pictured), a princess as "plain as an owl", was twice envisaged to become Queen of France, but ended up married to a man she considered too beneath her in rank?
... that the Bururi long-fingered frog, believed to be extinct, was rediscovered in 2011 amidst the wildlife of Burundi?
... that De Friese Meren will be created as a Dutch municipality on 1 January 2014, the same day that four other municipalities are being dissolved?
... that the winner of the 2013 Kentucky Oaks, Princess of Sylmar, was a 39/1 outsider?
... that when the 1971 Bollywood song "Chadti Jawani Meri Chaal Mastani" was remixed in 2003, Mumbai Police received complaints from citizens for its obscene video?
... that Albert Einstein lived for several years after surgeon Rudolph Nissen wrapped the scientist's abdominal aortic aneurysm with cellophane?

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In the news

The Liberal–National Coalition, led by Tony Abbott (pictured), wins the Australian federal election.
The International Olympic Committee selects Tokyo to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.
NASA launches the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer on the first Minotaur V rocket.
The G-20 summit concludes in Saint Petersburg.
Leaked information reveals the existence of Bullrun, a clandestine decryption program run by the U.S. National Security Agency.
Tamu Massif, on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is reported to be a single volcano, which would make it the largest on Earth.
The Library of Birmingham, the largest municipal public library in the United Kingdom, opens.

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On this day...

September 9: Republic Day in North Korea (1948)

1141 – Yelü Dashi, the Liao Dynasty general who founded the Qara-Khitai, defeated the Seljuq and Kara-Khanid forces at the Battle of Qatwan near Samarkand, present-day Uzbekistan.
1513 – War of the League of Cambrai: James IV of Scotland (pictured) was killed at the Battle of Flodden in Northumberland while leading an invasion of England.
1739 – The Stono Rebellion, at the time the largest slave rebellion in the Thirteen Colonies of British America, erupted near Charleston, South Carolina.
1969 – The Official Languages Act of Canada came into force, giving both French and English equal status throughout the Canadian national government.
2010 – A natural gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno, California, US, creating a "wall of fire more than 1,000 feet (300 m) high".

More anniversaries: September 8 – September 9 – September 10

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From today's featured list

There have been 11 Presidents of Pakistan since the introduction of the post in 1956. The President of Pakistan is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Since the 18th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 2010, Pakistan has been shifted back from semi-presidential to a parliamentary democratic republic. Under that system, the president has limited ruling powers, and performs ceremonial duties while the Prime Minister enjoys more powers to execute decisions. The president is chosen by the Electoral College composed of the Senate, the National Assembly and the Provincial Assemblies. The president may remain in office for a tenure of five years. Iskander Mirza was the first president of the country. Six presidents have been members of a political party and four of them were active party members of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Four presidents were military officers and three of them gained power through successful military coups. Apart from these eleven, two acting presidents have also been in office for short periods of time. Asif Ali Zardari (pictured) of the PPP is the current president of Pakistan. (Full list...)

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The Grey-headed Robin (Heteromyias cinereifrons) is a species of bird endemic to Queensland, Australia. It is in the family Petroicidae.

Photo: JJ Harrison

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