Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 November 20

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Today's featured article
M-6 is a 19.7-mile (31.7 km) freeway in Michigan that serves portions of southern Kent and eastern Ottawa counties south of Grand Rapids. Initially opened to traffic on November 20, 2001, the roadway connects Interstate 196 on the west with Interstate 96 on the east while running through several townships on the south side of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. Each end is in a rural area while the central section has suburban development along the highway. The freeway was originally conceived in the 1960s, and it took 32 years to approve, plan, finance, and build M-6 from the time that the state first authorized funding in 1972 to the time the full highway opened to traffic in 2004. Initial construction started in November 1997, with the first phase opened in 2001 and the remainder in November 2004. The project was built with two firsts: the first single-point urban interchange in the state, and a new technique to apply the pavement markings, embedding them into the concrete to reduce the chance of a snowplow scraping them off. (more...) Recently featured: Achtung Baby – Battle of Vukovar – William de St-Calais Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the starvation pricklypear (pictured) is eaten by pronghorn and the black-tailed prairie dog? ... that the Fringe episode "And Those We've Left Behind" marked the first time actors and real-life husband and wife Stephen Root and Romy Rosemont had worked together on a creative project? ... that Hyde Park-Kenwood Historic District contains the Kenwood, Chicago, home of President Barack Obama? ... that in 2009, Davon House of the New Mexico State Aggies scored touchdowns on both a fumble recovery and an interception return? ... that the composition by Graham Waterhouse Der Handschuh (The Glove) for cello and speaking voice, after Schiller's ballad Der Handschuh, is designed for one performer? ... that snow is possible at any time of year on Froze-to-Death Mountain? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Aung San Suu Kyi The National League for Democracy (leader Aung San Suu Kyi pictured), banned in Burma since May 2010, announces that it will re-register as a political party. Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia sign a cooperation agreement, setting a target of establishing the Eurasian Union by 2015. The International Atomic Energy Agency releases a report accusing Iran of conducting research and experiments to develop nuclear weapons. Soyuz TMA-22, carrying a crew of two Russians and one American, docks with the International Space Station. Following the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi, Mario Monti becomes Prime Minister of Italy. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
November 20: Day of National Sovereignty in Argentina; Teachers' Day in Vietnam 284 – Diocletian (sculpture pictured) became Roman Emperor, eventually establishing reforms that brought an end to the Crisis of the Third Century. 1695 – Zumbi, the last of the leaders of Quilombo dos Palmares in early Brazil, was executed. 1902 – While discussing how to promote the newspaper L'Auto, sports journalist Géo Lefèvre came up with the idea of holding a cycling race that later became known as the Tour de France. 1917 – First World War: The Battle of Cambrai in France began with British forces having initial success over Germany's Hindenburg Line. 1952 – The Slánský trial, a show trial against Czech General Secretary Rudolf Slánský and 13 other members of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, was held. More anniversaries: November 19 – November 20 – November 21 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now November 20, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A ripe avocado fruit, with the cross-section of another. The fruit (botanically a large berry that contains a single seed) is commercially valuable, and is cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. Trees are partially self-pollinating and are often propagated through grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit.

Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

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