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From today's featured article Juwan Howard (born 1973) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He signed for the Heat (his eighth NBA team) in 2010, reaching the playoffs for the sixth time and making his first career NBA Finals appearance. Howard won his first NBA championship with Miami the following year. A one-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA power forward, he began his NBA career as the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets. Before he was drafted, he starred as an All-American on the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team. At Michigan he was part of the Fab Five recruiting class of 1991 that twice reached the finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Division I Basketball Championship. During his rookie year with the Bullets, he became the first player to graduate on time with his class after leaving college early to play in the NBA. After one season as an All-Rookie player and a second as an All-Star and an All-NBA performer, he became the first NBA player to sign a $100 million contract. He has developed a reputation as a humanitarian for his civic commitment. (Full article...) Recently featured: Flame Robin – Final Fantasy XI – Banksia aquilonia Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the first report on finding the Coţofeni culture at Râpa Roșie (pictured) in Alba County, Romania was made in 1865? ... that riddim composer Di Genius had his first hits in Jamaica in 2004, while still in high school? ... that the World War II-era diary of British Empire Games gold medalist Doreen Cooper, who wrote daily messages to her missing husband, was published in 2012? ... that the spring-fed pool at Glen Springs in Gainesville, Florida, was once used by Gators, but is now home to catfish that are owned by Elks? ... that King's Mead Priory was the only Benedictine Nunnery in Derbyshire? ... that Squirrel was the damsire of seven British Classic-winning Thoroughbred racehorses? ... that although it is the capital city of Wallis and Futuna, Mata-Utu doesn't have any street names? Today's articles for improvement Construction worker – Ruler – Double standard More selections...

In the news A series of bombings in Iraq leave at least 76 people dead. Cyclone Mahasen (storm track pictured) causes significant damage in Southern and Southeastern Asia, resulting in more than 90 deaths. The Maya site Nohmul in Belize is largely destroyed by contractors seeking road construction materials. The Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, led by Boyko Borisov, wins a plurality in the Bulgarian parliamentary election. Genetic sequencing of the floating bladderwort reveals that its genome contains just 3% noncoding DNA. Recent deaths: Jorge Rafael Videla On this day... May 18: Flag and Universities Day in Haiti; Day of Revival, Unity, and the Poetry of Magtymguly in Turkmenistan; Sanja Matsuri begins in Tokyo (2013) 1863 – American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant led his Army of the Tennessee across the Big Black River in preparation for the Siege of Vicksburg. 1869 – One day after surrendering at the Battle of Hakodate, Enomoto Takeaki turned over Goryōkaku to Japanese forces, signaling the collapse of the Republic of Ezo. 1944 – World War II: Polish forces under Lieutenant General Władysław Anders captured Monte Cassino, Italy, after a four-month battle. 1955 – Operation Passage to Freedom, the evacuation of 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the French Army from communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam following the end of the First Indochina War, ended. 1980 – The stratovolcano Mount St. Helens erupted (pictured), killing 57 people in southern Washington State, reducing hundreds of square miles to wasteland, and causing over US$1 billion in damage. More anniversaries: May 17 – May 18 – May 19 It is now May 18, 2013 (UTC) – Reload this page

Today's featured picture The Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a rail native to Eurasia and Africa. The species, thought to consist of numerous subspecies, prefers wet climates. They generally nest on a mass of floating debris or amongst matted reeds slightly above water level in swamps. Photo: JJ Harrison Recently featured: Lansing Car Assembly – Treskilling Yellow – The Starry Night

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