Introduction · Almanac · Categories · Glossaries · Lists · Overviews · Portals · Questions · Site news · Index

Welcome to Wikipedia

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit

	Art		Geography		History		Philosophy		Society
	Culture		Health		People		Science		Technology

Today's featured article

The Championship Course, along which the Boat Race is contested

The Boat Race 2020 was a side-by-side rowing race scheduled to take place on 29 March 2020. Held annually, the Boat Race is contested between crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames (course pictured) in south-west London. This would have been the 75th women's race and the 166th men's race. Cambridge led the longstanding rivalry 84–80 and 44–30 in the men's and women's races, respectively. The races were cancelled on 16 March 2020 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Other than as a result of war, it was the first time that the men's race had been cancelled since the first edition in 1845. It was also the first cancellation of the women's race since its 1964 revival. The 2020 event would have been the first time that both senior races would be umpired by women. The members of each crew were announced on the date that the race would have been contested. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

In the news

Azzi Fudd

A nightclub roof collapse in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, kills 226 people.
In basketball, the UConn Huskies win the NCAA Division I women's championship (Most Outstanding Player Azzi Fudd pictured) and the Florida Gators win the men's championship.
In the National Hockey League, Alexander Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky's record for most goals scored.
In horse racing, Nick Rockett, ridden by Patrick Mullins, wins the Grand National.
South Korea's Constitutional Court removes Yoon Suk Yeol as the president of South Korea, following his earlier declaration of martial law.

Today's featured picture

Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, planter, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. Following the American Revolutionary War and before becoming president in 1801, Jefferson was the first United States secretary of state under George Washington, and then the second vice president under John Adams. Jefferson was a leading proponent of democracy, republicanism, and natural rights, and he produced formative documents and decisions at the state, national, and international levels. This line-engraved portrait of Jefferson was produced by the United States Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) as part of a BEP presentation album of the first 26 presidents. The same portrait appears on the obverse of the two-dollar bill.

Engraving credit: Bureau of Engraving and Printing; restored by Andrew Shiva

Recently featured:

Did you know...

Mirella Freni

... that Mirella Freni (pictured) and Luciano Pavarotti, who co-starred as the lovers Mimì and Rodolfo in La bohème at La Scala in 1968, shared the same wet nurse?
... that Bill Chisholm's announced $6.1 billion purchase of the Boston Celtics is the largest amount ever paid for a North American sports team?
... that a former management consultant who coined the framework of "The Three Worlds of Evangelicalism" was described by The New York Times as "a kind of Malcolm Gladwell of conservative Christianity"?
... that the 2001 Zug massacre resulted in changes to security measures for public buildings, but not to Swiss gun laws?
... that Juan Soto, before his blockbuster trade, rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension, which would have been the largest deal in Major League Baseball history at the time?
... that about 25 percent of people experience heartburn at least once a month?
... that Miroslav Kvočka was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity against non-Serb detainees in the Omarska concentration camp during the Bosnian War?
... that the Edmonds' Clock Tower was split in two after the June 2011 Christchurch earthquakes?
... that the Overwatch character Juno was praised for her ability to reward players for having sound game sense?

Wikipedia community

Every page on Wikipedia is a collaborative effort. But there are some special places reserved for specific types of discussion and assistance. Find what you're looking for here:

Help (contents) — Use this if you need help editing. There is also a comprehensive range of help articles available here. You can ask a question about using Wikipedia at the Help Desk.
Community bulletin board — Requests for help within the Wikipedia community.
The Village Pump — These are main discussion forums for Wikipedia.
The Signpost — This is Wikipedia's local newspaper.
The Community Portal — This is the center of community involvement. Learn about projects and activities you can join to help improve Wikipedia.

Collaborations — Weekly, monthly, and ongoing collaborative article improvement drives within specific subject areas.
Reference Desk — Help other Wikipedians who are looking for specific information by answering their subject-related questions at the reference desk (like a library's information desk).
Local Embassy — For Wikipedia-related communication in languages other than English.
Department of Fun — Dedicated to FUN on Wikipedia.
Clinic for Wikipediholics — Sign-in to Wikipedia!
Welcoming committee — Greet newcomers.
Wikipedia Boot Camp — Take a crash course about Wikipedia!

Wikipedia 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: