Wikipedia:Main Page history/2016 January 30

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The Romney Literary Society, established on January 30, 1819, as the Polemic Society of Romney, was the first literary society in what is now West Virginia, and one of the first in the United States. It was founded by nine prominent Romney men with the objectives of advancing literature and science, purchasing and maintaining a library, and improving educational opportunities. The society debated a range of scientific and social topics, and often violated its own rules banning religious and political subjects. The society's library began in 1819 and grew to contain around 3,000 volumes in 1861. The organization also sought to establish an institution for "the higher education of the youth of the community". During the Civil War the contents of the library were plundered by Union Army forces. The society was reorganized in 1869 and took a leading role in Romney's civil development. In 1870 the group built the Literary Hall (pictured) and offered its former campus to the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind. The Literary Hall housed the library and group meetings until their last recorded meeting in 1886. (Full article...)

Did you know...

Agnieszka Popielewicz
Agnieszka Popielewicz
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  • ... that schoolboy Pranav Dhanawade broke a 116-year-old cricket world record by scoring 1,009 runs not out?
  • ... that Tapastic was created as a "YouTube for comics"?
  • ... that the Indonesian composer Koesbini changed the final lines of his song "Bagimu Negeri" at the request of Sukarno?
  • ... that pre-orders of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus exceeded four million within its first 24 hours of availability?
  • ... that Typhoon Fran in 1976 produced a then record 1,140 mm (44.8 in) of rain in 24 hours, in Hiso, Japan?
  • ... that before becoming a successful pulp magazine illustrator, Modest Stein was an aspiring assassin until he dumped his dynamite in a Pittsburgh outhouse?

In the news

Satellite image of the U.S. winter storm on January 23
U.S. winter storm on January 23

On this day...

January 30: Martyrs' Day in India

Assassination attempt by Richard Lawrence against Andrew Jackson
Assassination attempt by Richard Lawrence against Andrew Jackson

Today's featured picture

The Cathedral

The Cathedral is an abstract oil painting on canvas created by Czech artist František Kupka in 1912–1913. Measuring 180 by 150 centimetres (71 in × 59 in), the painting is held by the Museum Kampa in Prague, Czech Republic. In this painting, vertical lines running the entire length of the canvas are intersected by diagonal lines to form rectilinear shapes of various sizes and colors.

Painting: František Kupka

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