Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 September 17

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Roanoke River

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a 1974 nonfiction narrative book by American author Annie Dillard. Told from a first-person point of view, the book details an unnamed narrator's explorations near her home, and contemplations on nature and life. The title refers to Tinker Creek, which is outside Roanoke in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Dillard began writing Pilgrim in the spring of 1973, using her personal journals as inspiration. Separated into four sections that signify each of the seasons, the narrative spans the period of one year in thoughts on solitude, writing, and religion, as well as scientific observations on the flora and fauna. Touching upon themes of faith, nature, and awareness, Pilgrim is also noted for its study of theodicy and the inherent cruelty of the natural world. The book is analogous in design and genre to Henry David Thoreau's Walden, the subject of Dillard's master's thesis at Hollins College. Pilgrim has been lauded by critics, won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-fiction, and in 1999 was included in Modern Library's list of 100 Best Nonfiction Books. (more...)

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  • In the news

    David Cameron
  • Attacks on diplomatic missions and widescale protests occur following the release of a short film critical of Islam.
  • British Prime Minister David Cameron (pictured) apologises after an independent panel on the 1989 Hillsborough disaster finds that negligent police and emergency services manipulated evidence to blame the victims.
  • The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy gains a plurality in the Dutch general election.
  • Hundreds of thousands of people in Barcelona take to the streets demanding independence for Catalonia.
  • More than 300 people are killed in two garment factory fires in Pakistan.
  • On this day...

    September 17: Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) (2012, 5773 AM); Constitution Day in the United States

    Harriet Tubman

  • 1716 – French soldier Jean Thurel enlisted in the Régiment de Touraine at the age of 17, beginning a career of military service that would span 90 years.
  • 1849American slave Harriet Tubman (pictured) escaped; she would become famous for orchestrating the rescues of more than 70 other slaves via the "Underground Railroad".
  • 1976Enterprise, the first Space Shuttle built for NASA, was rolled out of the manufacturing facilities in Palmdale, California.
  • 1980 – The Polish trade union Solidarity was founded as the first independent labor union in a Soviet-bloc country.
  • 2006Mass protests across Hungary erupted after Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány's private speech was leaked to the public, in which he admitted that the Hungarian Socialist Party had lied to win the 2006 election.

    More anniversaries: September 16 September 17 September 18

    It is now September 17, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page
  • Today's featured list

    A black-and-white photograph of three men and one woman on a bright day all looking at the viewer and wearing dark, collared jackets

    There are 11 seasons and 251 episodes of M*A*S*H, an American television series that covered a three-year military conflict. The series was developed by Larry Gelbart and adapted from the 1970 feature film MASH, which was itself based on the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker. The television episodes were produced by 20th Century Fox Television for the CBS network and aired from September 17, 1972, to February 28, 1983. Out of the series' 251 episodes, 245 are half an hour long, 5 are an hour long, and the finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," is 2½ hours long. 24 episodes aired on a Sunday, 23 aired on a Saturday, "Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde" aired on a Thursday, 66 aired on a Tuesday, 22 aired on a Friday, 114 aired on a Monday and "Rally Round the Flagg, Boys" aired on a Wednesday. "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" became the most-watched television show in American television history with 106 million viewers. The series continues to air in syndication, while the entire run has been released on DVD. (more...)

    Today's featured picture

    Saturn's moon Mimas

    Saturn's moon Mimas, as imaged by the Cassini spacecraft. It was discovered on 17 September 1789 by English astronomer William Herschel, and was named after Mimas, a son of Gaia in Greek mythology, by Herschel's son John. The large Herschel Crater is the dominating feature of the moon. With a diameter of 396 km (246 mi), it is the smallest astronomical body that is known to be rounded due to self-gravitation.

    Photo: NASA/JPL/SSI

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