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Today's featured article Richard Barre (c. 1130 – c. 1202) was a medieval English justice, clergyman, and scholar. He was educated at the law school of Bologna, and entered royal service under King Henry II of England, later working for Henry's son and successor Richard I. He was also briefly in the household of Henry's son Henry the Young King. Barre served the elder Henry as a diplomat, and was involved in a minor way with the king's quarrel with Thomas Becket, which earned Barre a condemnation from Becket. After King Henry's death, Barre became a royal justice during Richard's reign, and was one of the main judges in the period from 1194 to 1199. During the reign of King John, Barre was no longer employed as a judge owing to earlier disagreements with John. Barre was the author of a work of biblical extracts dedicated to one of his patrons, William Longchamp, the Bishop of Ely and Chancellor of England. (more...) Recently featured: Pathways into Darkness – Chew Stoke – Germany women's national football team Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that in some areas of northern Alaska, the willow species Salix alaxensis (twig pictured) constitutes over 95% of winter food for moose? ... that South West Queensland had Australia's first opal discovery, Australia's first natural gas strike and Australia's largest cotton farm? ... that the ending to Miami Vice's "Out Where the Buses Don't Run" "set a new standard for TV direction"? ... that one of the essays in William Gibson's new non-fiction collection Distrust That Particular Flavor caused Wired magazine to be banned in Singapore? ... that Suburgatory star Jane Levy was named on Forbes 2011 list of 30 under 30 who are "reinventing the world"? ... that during colonial times, the French used Muang Sing as a weigh station and market for their opium monopoly? ... that Major League Baseball's Detroit Wolverines used a Lady as their Opening Day starting pitcher in 1887, the year they won the World Series?

In the news Polish poet Wisława Szymborska (pictured), recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature, dies at the age of 88. More than 70 people are killed in crowd violence following a football match in Port Said, Egypt. Queen Elizabeth II annuls Fred Goodwin's knighthood due to his role in The Royal Bank of Scotland's near-collapse. In tennis, Victoria Azarenka and Novak Djokovic win the women's and men's singles titles, respectively, at the Australian Open. The European Men's Handball Championship concludes with Denmark defeating Serbia in the final. Intense Tropical Cyclone Funso stalls off the coast of Mozambique, killing 15 people at sea and at least 14 others through inland flooding. On this day... February 4: Day of the Armed Struggle in Angola (1961); Independence Day in Sri Lanka (1948) 211 – Roman emperor Septimius Severus died of illness while on a military campaign in Eboracum (modern York, England). 960 – Emperor Taizu began his reign in China, initiating the Song Dynasty period that would eventually last for more than three centuries. 1899 – The Philippine–American War opened when an American soldier, under orders to keep insurgents away from his unit's encampment, fired upon a Filipino soldier in Manila. 1969 – Yasser Arafat was elected chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization. 2008 – The London low emission zone (sign pictured), governing what types of vehicles may enter Greater London, came into being. More anniversaries: February 3 – February 4 – February 5 It is now February 4, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture The violet coral (Clavaria zollingeri) is a widely distributed species of fungus with tubular, purple basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that grow in clusters up to 10 cm (3.9 in) tall and 7 cm (2.8 in) wide. It is a saprobic species, growing on the ground in woodland litter. Photo: Dan Molter Recently featured: Pink Lady's Slipper orchid – Black Kite – Niobium crystals and cube

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