Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 August 9

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The Western Ganga Dynasty was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as Western Gangas to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over modern Orissa. Though territorially a small kingdom, the Western Ganga contribution to polity, culture and literature of the modern south Karnataka region is considered important. The Western Ganga kings showed benevolent tolerance to all faiths but are most famous for their patronage towards Jainism resulting in the construction of monuments in places such as Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli. The kings of this dynasty encouraged the fine arts due to which literature in Kannada and Sanskrit flourished. Chavundaraya's writing, Chavundaraya Purana of 978 CE, is an important work in Kannada prose. Many classics were written on various subjects ranging from religion to elephant management. (more...) Recently featured: CenturyLink Field – Peveril Castle – Halo 2 Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the eggs of the Little Black Cormorant (pictured) are covered in a layer of lime? ... that sprinter Emily Diamond was selected for Great Britain's 4 × 400 metres relay squad at the 2012 Olympics despite having run the distance outdoors competitively only six times? ... that the Bengali film Mushrooms, shown in the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes, caused controversy in India when its sexually explicit scene was leaked on the internet? ... that Rhonda Coullet composed and sang a tribute to her close friend John Belushi after his death, for a Saturday Night Live segment produced by his widow? ... that from 1968 to 1971, the role of No. 1 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF was to provide trained aircrew for No. 2 Squadron in Vietnam? ... that 2012 Olympian Kelsey Titmarsh is a member of the first Canadian women's rhythmic gymnastics all-around group to qualify for the Olympics? ... that while the mineral magnesiopascoite was discovered in Utah, the two cotype specimens are in a museum in California? ... that Käthe Krauß won bronze in the 100 metres in the 1936 Summer Olympics and was on the German women's sprint relay team that set a world record in the heats, but dropped the baton in the final race? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Three gunmen kill nineteen people in a church near Okene, Nigeria. Flooding from Typhoon Haikui forces the evacuation of at least 250,000 people in Manila. NASA's Curiosity rover (pictured) lands on the surface of Mars. Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Farid Hijab defects to the opposition. A gunman kills six people at a Sikh temple in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Unidentified gunmen kill sixteen Egyptian soldiers on the Egyptian–Israeli border in Sinai. Olympics summary – Wikinews – Recent deaths More current events...
On this day...
August 9: International Day of the World's Indigenous People 1173 – The construction of a campanile, which would eventually become the Leaning Tower of Pisa, began. 1862 – American Civil War: After nearly being driven from the field in the early part of the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Confederate troops counterattacked and achieved a victory. 1945 – World War II: USAAF bomber Bockscar dropped an atomic bomb named "Fat Man", devastating Nagasaki, Japan (mushroom cloud pictured). 1965 – Malaysia expelled the state of Singapore from its federation due to heated ideological conflict between their respective ruling parties. 1988 – Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings in one of the most controversial player transactions in ice hockey history. 2006 – British police arrested 24 people for conspiring to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada. More anniversaries: August 8 – August 9 – August 10 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now August 9, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The larva of a scaldfish (Arnoglossus laterna), one of the many species that are considered to be ichthyoplankton, a blanket term for fish eggs and larvae that cannot swim effectively under their own power, but must drift with the ocean currents. Fish larvae are part of the zooplankton that eat smaller plankton, while fish eggs carry their own food supply. Both eggs and larvae are themselves eaten by larger animals.

Photo: Hans Hillewaert

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