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Welcome to Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.2,336,173 articles in EnglishArtsBiographyGeographyHistoryMathematicsScienceSocietyTechnologyAll portalsOverview · Editing · Questions · HelpContents · Categories · Featured content · A–Z indexToday’s featured articleDawson Creek is a small city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. It covers an area of 20.66 square kilometres (8 sq mi) with a 2006 population of 11,615 people. Dubbed “The Capital of the Peace”, it is a service centre for the rural areas south of the Peace River and the seat of the Peace River Regional District. Dawson Creek turned from a small farming community to a regional centre when the western terminus of the Northern Alberta Railways was extended there in 1932, and the US Army used that terminus as a transshipment point in 1942 during the construction of the Alaska Highway. Most of the city’s development occurred between 1942 and 1966 when highways and railways were built connecting the farming area of the Peace River Country to the rest of BC through Dawson Creek. Dawson Creek derived its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the city. The creek was named after George Mercer Dawson by a member of his land survey team when they passed through the area in August 1879. The city, at the southern end of the Alaska Highway, is known as the “Mile 0 City” and is also home to a regional fall fair and heritage interpretation village. (more…)Recently featured: Virginia Tech massacre – Ailanthus altissima – 1999 Sydney hailstormArchive – By email – More featured articles…Did you know…From Wikipedia’s newest articles:…that Hawaii’s Chain of Craters Road has been blocked repeatedly by lava flows from Kīlauea volcano (pictured) since it was built in 1928?…that Hemerdon Mine in Devon, England is one of the world’s largest sources of tungsten and tin, but has not been mined since World War II?…that Camling is an ancient and endangered Kiranti language, spoken by only about 10,000 people in eastern Nepal, Bhutan and India?…that the polska—the Swedish word for Polish—is the signature music and dance form in Swedish folk music?…that Jewish screenwriter Barry Levy has taught Hebrew at Temple Israel California in between writing jobs?…that My Brother, My Executioner, a 1970s novel by F. Sionil José, is a narrative about two half-brothers with opposing Filipino ideologies?…that Frank Morse once outsourced the research for a speech on globalization to a company in India?…that the British colonials employed Indian agents called gomasthas to obtain goods from local weavers and fix their prices?…that American actor Vincent Piazza was coached for a Puerto Rican accent by a woman who usually did the opposite?…that in 1582 Ursula Kemp confessed to using familiar spirits to kill her neighbours and was later hanged for witchcraft?…that on a 1922 expedition to Everest, Howard Somervell entertained fellow climbers by reading Shakespeare in the tents?Archive – Start a new article…In the newsThe People of Freedom alliance led by Silvio Berlusconi (pictured) wins the general election in Italy.Trevor Immelman of South Africa wins the 2008 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.Jacques-Édouard Alexis is ousted as Prime Minister of Haiti following riots over the price of food.The Channel Island Sark abolishes the last remaining feudal system in Europe.The Grand National Party of President Lee Myung-bak wins a majority of seats in the National Assembly of South Korea.Soyuz TMA-12 is launched, carrying Yi So-yeon, the first Korean in space, for a mission to the International Space Station.The Olympic torch relay is disrupted in London, Paris and San Francisco by protesters objecting to China’s human rights record.Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events…On this day…April 17: Fast of the Firstborn (Judaism, 2008).1555 – After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Florence and was annexed into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: British Lieutenant General Ralph Abercromby and a force of over 6,000 men invaded Spanish-controlled Puerto Rico.1895 – The Empire of Japan and the Chinese Qing Empire signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, an unequal treaty that ended the First Sino-Japanese War.1942 – World War II: Captured French General Henri Giraud (pictured) escaped from German captivity in the Königstein Castle.1961 – Armed Cuban exiles backed by the CIA invaded Cuba, landing in the Bay of Pigs, with the aim of ousting Fidel Castro.1969 – Czechoslovak Communist Party chairman Alexander Dubček was deposed.1975 – The Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot captured Phnom Penh, ending the Cambodian Civil War, and established the Democratic Kampuchea.1982 – A new “patriated” Constitution of Canada, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, was signed into law.1986 – The Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly declared peace, ending the Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years’ War.More events: April 16 – April 17 – April 18Archive – By email – More anniversaries…Today’s featured pictureA cutaway diagram of a gun turret using the 16″/50 caliber Mark 7 gun. This gun is the main armament of the Iowa-class battleships and is often considered to be the best battleship gun ever designed, due to its power and efficiency.Image credit: Voytek S/Jeff DahlRecently featured: First aerial refueling – Gilbert and Sullivan – Red-headed WoodpeckerArchive – More featured pictures…