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Today's featured article Kevin O'Halloran (1937–1976) was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s, who won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. The first Western Australian to win Olympic gold, O'Halloran learnt to swim in his home town of Katanning. He moved to Perth to attend secondary schooling at Guildford Grammar School, where he became more committed to swimming. Competitive swimming was not well developed in Western Australia; races were held in muddy river pools, so in late 1955, O'Halloran moved to the east coast to support his attempt to qualify for the Olympics. His new coach, Frank Guthrie, overhauled his training regimen, and within a year, O'Halloran had reduced his times by approximately 10%. He gained Olympic selection in the relay and the 400 m freestyle. O'Halloran led off the Australian quartet on the way to a new world record, before placing sixth in the 400 m. Thereafter, O'Halloran's career was beset by ear problems, and he retired in 1958 after failing to qualify for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. In 1976, O'Halloran died after tripping and accidentally shooting himself. (more...) Recently featured: Murder of Julia Martha Thomas – Warren County, Indiana – Psilocybin Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Gustave Courbet's 1866 painting Le Sommeil (pictured), depicting a lesbian relationship, was inspired by Charles Baudelaire's poem "Delphine et Hippolyte"? ... that the 'R' in the World War II British deception unit R Force was meant to make the Germans believe it was a reconnaissance unit? ... that Australian national team water polo player Hannah Buckling made the Australian junior team after 20 months of serious training with a new coach? ... that through his extensive building works, Sanjar al-Jawli transformed Karak and Gaza into major cities? ... that in August 2000, 37 people were banned from attending matches at Arsenal F.C.'s stadium because of their involvement in the Battle of Copenhagen? ... that the first Cray-1 was delivered to the customer without a supercomputer operating system?

In the news English musician Davy Jones (pictured), a member of The Monkees, dies at the age of 66. North Korea agrees to suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for humanitarian aid. Construction of the Tokyo Sky Tree, the world's second-tallest freestanding structure, is completed. Chinese architect Wang Shu wins the Pritzker Architecture Prize. The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius, wins five Oscars, including Best Picture, at the 84th Academy Awards. At least 23 people are killed during protests after copies of the Quran are burned at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. On this day... March 3: Liberation Day in Bulgaria (1878); Hinamatsuri in Japan 1284 – The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England. 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Samuel Nicholas (pictured) and the Continental Marines successfully landed on New Providence and captured Nassau in the Bahamas. 1945 – A former Armia Krajowa unit massacred at least 150 Ukrainian civilians in Pawłokoma, Poland. 1991 – Motorist Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles policemen, causing public outrage that increased tensions between the African American community and the police department over the issues of police brutality and social inequalities in the area. 1997 – The Sky Tower in Auckland, the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere at 328 metres (1,076 ft), opened. More anniversaries: March 2 – March 3 – March 4 It is now March 3, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, United States. Sculpted by Danish-American Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln Borglum, it features 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents (in order from left to right) George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Photo: Dean Franklin Recently featured: Diatomaceous earth – Eastern Barred Bandicoot – Mantoux tuberculosis test

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