Welcome to Wikipedia

,

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

Sir Charles William Fremantle (1834–1914) was a British official who served for 26 years as deputy master of the Royal Mint, and for most of that time as its executive head. Educated at Eton College, he served as private secretary to several officials, latterly Benjamin Disraeli, including while Disraeli was prime minister in 1868. Disraeli appointed him as deputy to Thomas Graham, the master of the Mint. Graham died in September 1869, and the Treasury decided the mastership should go to the chancellor of the exchequer of the day, with the deputy master the head of the Royal Mint. Fremantle began work to modernise the antiquated Royal Mint. Fremantle sought to beautify the coinage and, believing the Mint's engraver, Leonard Charles Wyon, not up to the task, sought to do so by resurrecting classic coin designs, like Benedetto Pistrucci's depiction of Saint George and the Dragon for the sovereign. In 1894, at the age of sixty, Fremantle retired from the Royal Mint. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

Did you know ...

Razor clam dress from Voss

... that the runway show for the Alexander McQueen collection Voss included dresses made from razor clams (pictured), microscope slides, and an antique Japanese folding screen?
... that Zhong Jingwen was known as the "father of Chinese folklore studies"?
... that Galena Schoolhouse in South Dakota was once leased to a historical society for $1 annually?
... that the British Army's Submarine Mining Service defended ports and harbours with naval mines and torpedoes?
... that the inaugural Canadian Premier League match led to the suspension of both team captains?
... that Tilman Michael, who is set to be the Metropolitan Opera's chorus master from the 2024/25 season, helped the Oper Frankfurt win multiple awards for operatic choir of the year?
... that "50 YouTubers Fight for $1,000,000" gained more than 70 million views in 24 hours?
... that Thomas Broun has been blamed for inflating the number of beetle species in New Zealand?
... that a school was once evacuated after the water gun of a student playing senior assassin was mistaken for a firearm?

In the news

Alberto Fujimori

Former dictator and President of Peru Alberto Fujimori (pictured) dies at the age of 86.
Typhoon Yagi leaves more than 790 people dead across seven Asian countries.
Michel Barnier is appointed prime minister of France by President Emmanuel Macron, leading to nationwide anti-government protests.
An attempted jailbreak at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, leaves 129 people dead.

On this day

September 14

HMAS AE1

AD 81 – Domitian, the last Flavian emperor of Rome, was confirmed by the Senate to succeed his brother Titus.
919 – Viking activity in the British Isles: A coalition of native Irish, led by Niall Glúndub, failed in their attempt to drive the Vikings of the Uí Ímair from Ireland.
1863 – American Civil War: The Little Rock campaign ended with the Union Army capturing Little Rock, Arkansas.
1914 – HMAS AE1 (pictured), the Royal Australian Navy's first submarine, was lost at sea; its wreck was not found until 2017.
1989 – Typhoon Sarah dissipated after causing extensive damage along an erratic path across the Western Pacific, killing 71 in Taiwan, the Philippines, and the Gotō Islands.

Drusus Julius Caesar (d. AD 23)
Luke P. Blackburn (d. 1887)
Romola Costantino (b. 1930)
Mamadou N'Diaye (b. 1993)

More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the Spanish play El trovador (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Set in the 15th century in Biscay and Aragon, Spain, it tells the story of a nobleman named Count di Luna, who falls in love with Leonora, a lady-in-waiting. However, Leonora in turn falls in love with Manrico, the titular troubadour of the opera. The premiere of Il trovatore took place at the Teatro Apollo in Rome in January 1853. This undated poster by Luigi Morgari depicts a scene from act 4 of the opera, in which Leonora encounters Manrico, who is imprisoned in di Luna's dungeon.

Poster credit: Luigi Morgari; restored by Adam Cuerden

Recently featured:

Other areas of Wikipedia

Community portal – The central hub for editors, with resources, links, tasks, and announcements.
Village pump – Forum for discussions about Wikipedia itself, including policies and technical issues.
Site news – Sources of news about Wikipedia and the broader Wikimedia movement.
Teahouse – Ask basic questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
Help desk – Ask questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
Reference desk – Ask research questions about encyclopedic topics.
Content portals – A unique way to navigate the encyclopedia.

Wikipedia's sister projects

Wikipedia is written by volunteer editors and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other volunteer projects: