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Welcome to Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.2,395,123 articles in EnglishArtsBiographyGeographyHistoryMathematicsScienceSocietyTechnologyAll portalsOverview · Editing · Questions · HelpContents · Categories · Featured content · A–Z indexToday’s featured articleBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of 426,000, is the country’s largest city. Bratislava is in the south-west of Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two other countries. Bratislava is the political, cultural, and economic centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak presidency, the parliament, and the government. It is also home to several universities, museums, theatres, galleries and other important economic, cultural, and educational institutions. The headquarters of many of Slovakia’s large businesses and financial institutions are in Bratislava as well. The history of the city, long known by the German name Pressburg, has been strongly influenced by various peoples, including Austrians, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Jews and Slovaks. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary under the Habsburg monarchy from 1536 to 1783. Bratislava was home to the Slovak national movement of the 19th century and to many Slovak, Hungarian and German historical figures. The first written reference comes from the Salzburg Annals, in relation to the battles between the Bavarians and the Hungarians, fought outside the walls of Bratislava Castle in 907. (more…)Recently featured: D. B. Cooper – Oil shale – Troy McClureArchive – By email – More featured articles…Did you know…From Wikipedia’s newest articles:… that Marilyn Monroe posed naked in 1948 to raise US$50 to pay the rent for her room at the Hollywood Studio Club (pictured)?… that at least 37 people have died in the ongoing caste violence in Rajasthan, India?… that French writer Honoré de Balzac’s 1831 novel La Peau de chagrin was the last book read by Sigmund Freud before he committed suicide?… that the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement would allow security officials at some international borders to randomly search travelers’ MP3 players, laptops, and cell phones for copyright-infringing music files?… that Vinh Trang Temple in southern Vietnam has been severely damaged by both French military action and extreme weather?… that Bill Flemming called over 600 events as a broadcaster for the ABC Sports’ Wide World of Sports during his career?… that the 1994 French–Romanian film An Unforgettable Summer depicts the persecution of Bulgarians by Romanian Army personnel, in a metaphor of the Yugoslav wars?… that the state of Indiana in 1972 set aside 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of Hoosier National Forest just for the purpose of reintroducing wild turkey to the Hoosier state?Archive – Start a new article…In the newsIn Dublin, over 100 countries adopt the Convention on Cluster Munitions banning cluster bombs (example pictured).Paleontologists discover Materpiscis, a 380-million-year-old placoderm fish which is the earliest known animal to bear live young.Nepal is declared a republic by its newly elected government, and King Gyanendra ends his reign as the last of a 240-year-old monarchy.In the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake, the People’s Republic of China evacuates 100,000 people from Mianyang as engineers prepare to drain the landslide dam-created Tangjiashan Lake.The State Peace and Development Council of Burma extends opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s house arrest by one year.An earthquake in Colombia kills 11 and seriously injures 54.Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events…On this day…May 31: World No Tobacco Day; Feast of the Visitation in Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism1223 – Mongol invasions: Mongol forces defeated a combined army of Kiev, Galich, and the Cumans on the banks of the Kalchik River in present-day Ukraine.1669 – Citing poor eyesight, English naval administrator and Member of Parliament Samuel Pepys (pictured) recorded his last entry in his diary, one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period.1889 – The South Fork Dam near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA failed, unleashing a torrent of 18.1 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water that killed over 2,200 people.1910 – The previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State united to form the Union of South Africa, exactly 51 years before it would become the Republic of South Africa.1974 – Syria and Israel signed a disengagement agreement to resolve the 20-day Yom Kippur War.More events: May 30 – May 31 – June 1Archive – By email – More anniversaries…Today’s featured pictureA panorama of Cusco, Peru, as viewed from south of the city near Cristo Blanco. Part of Sacsayhuamán is seen at far right and Plaza de Armas is toward the center of the image. Cusco was the capital city of the ancient Inca empire.Photo credit: CacophonyRecently featured: Greater Crested Tern – Human respiratory system – Theodore Roosevelt and John MuirArchive – More featured pictures…