Wikipedia:Main Page history/2014 February 2

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From today's featured article

Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977) was a British comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the silent era. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona "the Tramp" and is considered one of the most important figures of the film industry. His first screen appearance came in February 1914, after which he produced the popular features The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), and The Circus (1928). Chaplin refused to move to sound films in the 1930s, instead producing City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) without dialogue. He became increasingly political and his next film, The Great Dictator (1940), satirised Adolf Hitler. The 1940s was a decade marked with controversy for Chaplin, and his popularity declined rapidly. Accused of communist sympathies, he was forced to leave the United States. The Tramp was abandoned in his later films, which include Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight (1952), and A King in New York (1957). Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most of his films. His work is characterised by slapstick combined with pathos, and continues to be held in high regard. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

From Wikipedia's new and recently improved content:

... that Bishop Franz Kamphaus (pictured) opposed the pope, "convinced that our way of counselling women would save the lives of many more children"?
... that traditional shweshwe fabric made in South Africa was previously imported from Europe and popularised by 19th century German settlers and a Sotho king?
... that in addition to owning what would become Breakheart Reservation, Benjamin Newhall Johnson also served as President-General of the Sons of the American Revolution?
... that a directional crisis delayed completion of a Schubert symphony for 191 years?
... that after the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim executed his family, al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Maghribi fled to Palestine, where he provoked an uprising of the Bedouin under Muffarij ibn Daghfal?
... that in St Hildeburgh's Church, Hoylake, is a stained glass window depicting a Boy Scout being embraced by an angel?
... that Super Bowl XLVIII has been dubbed the Mass Transit Super Bowl?

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In the news

Amidst ongoing anti-government riots, Ukrainian prime minister Mykola Azarov (pictured) resigns.
At the 56th Grammy Awards, four awards are won by Daft Punk, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
In tennis, the Australian Open concludes with Stanislas Wawrinka winning the men's singles and Li Na winning the women's singles.
Tunisia's National Constituent Assembly approves a new constitution following the 2011 Tunisian Revolution.
SN 2014J, located in the nearby galaxy Messier 82, becomes the closest type Ia supernova discovered since 1972.

Recent deaths: Arthur Rankin, Jr. – Pete Seeger

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On this day...

February 2: Groundhog Day in Canada and the United States

1536 – An expedition to the New World led by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Mendoza founded what is now Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1922 – The novel Ulysses was first published in its entirety after this material by author James Joyce first appeared in serialized parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, becoming one of the most important works of Modernist literature.
1934 – The Export-Import Bank, the United States' official export credit agency, was established.
1971 – The international Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands was signed in Ramsar, Mazandaran, Iran.
2004 – Swiss tennis player Roger Federer (pictured) became the No. 1 ranked men's singles player, a position he held for a record 237 weeks.

More anniversaries: February 1 – February 2 – February 3

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It is now February 2, 2014 (UTC) – Reload this page

Today's featured picture

A portrait of Baldassare Castiglione (1478–1529), completed by Raphael c. 1514–15. Castiglione was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and author during the Renaissance. Among his writings is The Book of the Courtier, which is framed around a series of conversations between courtiers at the court of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro and addresses the constitution of a perfect courtier and a perfect lady.

Painting: Raphael

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