Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 January 20

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From today's featured article

Barack Obama taking the oath of office

The first inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2009. The inauguration marked the commencement of the first four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe Biden as Vice President. "A New Birth of Freedom", a phrase from the Gettysburg Address, served as the inaugural theme to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth year of Abraham Lincoln. In his speeches to the crowds, Obama referred to ideals expressed by Lincoln about renewal, continuity and national unity. The presidential oath as administered to Obama during the ceremony strayed slightly from the form prescribed in the constitution, which led to its re‑administration the next evening. In addition to a larger than usual celebrity attendance at the inauguration, the Presidential Inaugural Committee increased its outreach to ordinary citizens to encourage greater participation in inaugural events compared with participation in recent past inaugurations. Events included a first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball with free or affordable tickets for ordinary citizens. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

From Wikipedia's newest content:

... that IIAB meteorites (example pictured) have the lowest concentration of nickel of all iron meteorite groups?

... that 3 Gourmohan Mukherjee Street, Kolkata, is the birthplace of Indian monk Swami Vivekananda?

... that Lord William Hamilton, Vice-Chamberlain to Caroline of Ansbach, was so poor that the Queen described him and his wife as "handsome beggars"?

... that Shane Warne's last competitive game at the Lord's Cricket Ground was the British Asian Cup?

... that the Upper Twin Falls Bridge was built to replace a previous span that would have been flooded upon completion of a dam downstream?

... that Alessandro Cagno, the winner of the inaugural Targa Florio in 1906, was the third employee recruited by Fiat?

... that during the eighteenth century, guards posted at Middle Hill Battery on Middle Hill, Gibraltar, to prevent desertion sometimes deserted themselves?

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In the news

An estimated 41 international workers are taken hostage in an attack at a gas facility near In Aménas, Algeria, with a subsequent raid by Algerian forces resulting in multiple fatalities.

Boeing 787 aircraft (pictured) are grounded worldwide over concerns about the safety of their lithium-ion batteries.

Sri Lankan Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake is dismissed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa following her contested impeachment.

In the Central African Republic, the government signs a ceasefire agreement with rebels, ending a month of conflict and establishing a new coalition government.

Recent deaths: Stan Musial – Pauline Phillips

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On this day...

January 20: Martyrs' Day in Azerbaijan (1990); Army Day in Mali

1156 – According to legend, freeholder Lalli slew Bishop Henry of Finland with an axe on the ice of the lake Köyliönjärvi in Köyliö, Finland.

1785 – Tây Sơn forces of Vietnam annihilated an invading Siamese army who were attempting to restore Nguyễn Ánh to the throne.

1843 – Honório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Marquis of Paraná (pictured), became the de facto first prime minister of the Empire of Brazil.

1945 – World War II: Germany began the evacuation of 1.8 million people from East Prussia, an operation which took nearly two months to complete.

1968 – The Houston Cougars upset the UCLA Bruins in what became known as the "Game of the Century", ending the Bruins' 47-game winning streak, and establishing college basketball as a sports commodity on American television.

More anniversaries: January 19 – January 20 – January 21

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It is now January 20, 2013 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A diagram of the federal government of the United States and its relationship to the 34 states and nine territories in 1862. At the top is the Constitution, the "supreme law of the land". The blue line originating from it represents allegiance and the red line shows the separation of Constitutional powers.

Art: N. Mendal Shafer; Restoration: Fallschirmjäger

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