Wikipedia:Main Page history/2019 July 1

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Flag of the United Kingdom

British National (Overseas) is a class of British nationality that was granted by voluntary registration to British Dependent Territories citizens who were Hong Kong residents prior to the transfer of sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997. Individuals with this nationality are British nationals and Commonwealth citizens, but not British citizens. They are subject to immigration controls when entering the United Kingdom and do not have the automatic right of abode there or in Hong Kong, but all would have had permanent resident status in Hong Kong when they acquired this status. This nationality gives its holders favoured status when resident in the United Kingdom and confers eligibility to vote, obtain citizenship under a simplified process, and serve in public office or reserved government positions. About 169,000 individuals currently hold active British passports with this status and may request consular protection when travelling abroad, except in Hong Kong, mainland China, and Macau. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know...

A serving of poutine

... that poutine (example pictured) and back bacon on a bun were served while the Beaver was awarded to Made in Canada at the inaugural Canadian Comedy Awards?
... that the FM Non-Duplication Rule adopted by the FCC 55 years ago today led to the creation of the album-oriented and classic rock radio formats?
... that 11th-century scholar Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Naysaburi, an authority on the early history of Isma'ilism, composed the first official genealogy of the Fatimid dynasty?
... that the WWE 24/7 Championship, a professional wrestling championship, can be defended anytime, anywhere, as long as a WWE referee is present?
... that Women and Politics in Canada by Janine Brodie was the first book to study Canadian women in political campaigns between 1945 and 1975?
... that John Casken's opera Golem won the 1991 Gramophone Classical Music Award for Best Contemporary Recording?
... that before his accession to the Scottish Parliament in 2016, Bill Bowman lived and worked for more than a decade in Bucharest?
... that the 1458 Loveday, which was intended to unite Henry VI's nobility, only resulted in uniting his enemies?

In the news

Se'are Mekonnen

The Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo are chosen as the joint hosts of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics.
In the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, regional president Ambachew Mekonnen and national-military chief of staff Se'are Mekonnen (pictured) are assassinated.
At least 184 people die during a heat wave in India.
Former President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi dies during his trial, at the age of 67.

On this day

July 1: Canada Day; Republic Day in Ghana (1960); Independence Day in Rwanda (1962)

Sony Walkman model TPS-L2

1520 – Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire: Conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés were nearly annihilated in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, and barely escaped by night.
1867 – As per the British North America Act, the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia joined into confederation to create the modern nation of Canada.
1935 – The first Grant Park Music Festival, the United States' only annual free outdoor classical music concert series, was held in Chicago's Grant Park.
1979 – Sony introduced the Walkman portable audio player (pictured), changing music listening habits by allowing people to listen to their own choice of music on the move.
1999 – Legislative governance of Scotland was transferred from the Scottish Office in Westminster to the Scottish Parliament.

Alfonso VI of León and Castile (d. 1109) · George Sand (b. 1804) · Liv Tyler (b. 1977)

More anniversaries:

From today's featured list

The works of American author Edgar Allan Poe include many poems, short stories and one novel. His fiction spans multiple genres, including horror fiction, adventure fiction and science fiction, as well as detective fiction, a genre he is credited with inventing. These works are generally considered part of the dark romanticism movement, a literary reaction to transcendentalism. Poe's literary career began in 1827 with the release of 50 copies of Tamerlane and Other Poems credited only to "a Bostonian", a collection of early poems that received virtually no attention. One of his most important works, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", was published in 1841 and is considered the first modern detective story. Poe became a household name with the publication of "The Raven" in 1845, though it was not a financial success. (Full list...)

Recently featured:

Today's featured picture

The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus, native to the eastern and midwestern United States, as well as to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada. A prolific and adaptable species, it has been introduced to and thrives in several regions of the western United States; it is also an invasive species in Britain, where it has spread across the country and largely displaced the native Eurasian red squirrel. The head and body can measure from 23 to 30 cm (9.1 to 11.8 in) and the tail from 19 to 25 cm (7.5 to 9.8 in) in length; its adult weight is between 400 and 600 g (14 and 21 oz). Like many members of the family Sciuridae, the eastern gray squirrel is a scatter-hoarder; it hoards food in numerous small caches for later recovery. In the United Kingdom and Canada, the species is simply referred to as the "grey squirrel".

This picture, taken in 2010, shows an eastern gray squirrel in Florida.

Photograph credit: Tom Friedel

Recently featured:

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.