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Welcome to Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.2,471,784 articles in EnglishArtsBiographyGeographyHistoryMathematicsScienceSocietyTechnologyAll portalsOverview · Editing · Questions · HelpContents · Categories · Featured content · A–Z indexToday’s featured articleWilliam Gibson (born 1948) is an American-Canadian writer who has been called the “noir prophet” of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction. In 1982, Gibson coined the term “cyberspace” and popularized the concept in his debut novel, Neuromancer. Gibson is best known for depicting a visualised, worldwide communications network before it became ubiquitous in the 1990s, and he is credited with anticipating and establishing the conceptual foundations of the Internet and the World Wide Web in particular. Gibson’s early works are bleak, noir near-future stories about the effect of cybernetics and computer networks on humans – “lowlife meets high tech”. Gibson is one of the most highly acclaimed North American science fiction writers, feted by The Guardian in 1999 as “probably the most important novelist of the past two decades”. To date, Gibson has written more than twenty short stories, nine critically acclaimed novels (one in collaboration), a nonfiction artist’s book, and has contributed articles to several major publications and collaborated extensively with performance artists, filmmakers and musicians. His thought has been cited as an influence on science fiction authors, academia, cyberculture, and technology. (more…)Recently featured: Exmoor – SS Christopher Columbus – The Power of NightmaresArchive – By email – More featured articles…Did you know…From Wikipedia’s newest articles:… that there are approximately 2,000 species of mantis (example pictured)?… that Ukrainian Cossack Grégoire Orlyk was a spy of the French king Louis XV, fought in the Seven Years’ War, received a title of a comte and was promoted to the general’s rank of Maréchal de camp?… that monocopters can have one rotating wing or have only one fixed wing and rotate entirely?… that English headmistress Olive Willis founded Downe House School, where her chauffeur-architect-engineer slept in her bathroom?… that the Condon Committee report into the Lakenheath-Bentwaters UFO incident in 1956 concluded it was likely that at least one genuine UFO was involved?… that following Australia’s failure to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup, British pie retailer Square Pie produced a “humble pie” filled with kangaroo meat?… that the sixth emergency special session of the UN General Assembly ended with a call for the total withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan so its people could freely choose their political system?… that the Romanian poet Anatol E. Baconsky, who debuted as a socialist realist, came to depict the communist regime as an “anti-utopia” shortly before dying in the 1977 earthquake?Archive – Start a new article…In the newsThe International Olympic Committee bans Iraq’s team from competing in the 2008 Summer Olympics because of interference by the government in the national-level committee.Cape Verde joins the World Trade Organization, becoming its 153rd member.India’s United Progressive Alliance-led government (Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pictured) survives a confidence vote, held after the Left Front withdraws its support over the Indo-US nuclear deal.The first trial of a Guantanamo Bay detention camp inmate begins with Salim Hamdan, the former driver and bodyguard of Osama bin Laden, pleading not guilty to charges of conspiracy and supporting terrorism.Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić is arrested by security forces in Serbia on war crimes charges, including genocide, after a 12-year manhunt.Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events…On this day…July 25: Commonwealth Constitution Day in Puerto Rico; Galicia Day in Galicia, Spain306 – Constantine I (statue pictured) was proclaimed Roman Emperor by his troops after the death of Constantius Chlorus.1536 – Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar founded Santiago de Cali in present-day western Colombia while on his search for the mythical city of El Dorado.1792 – French Revolutionary Wars: Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick issued the Brunswick Manifesto to the population of Paris, promising vengeance if King Louis XVI and other members of the French Royal Family were harmed.1978 – Two Puerto Rican pro-independence activists were killed by police at Cerro Maravilla in Villalba, Puerto Rico, sparking a series of political controversies where the police officers were eventually convicted of murder and several high-ranking local government officials were accused of covering up the incident.2000 – Air France Concorde Flight 4590, en route from Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, crashed in Gonesse, France.More events: July 24 – July 25 – July 26Archive – By email – More anniversaries…It is now 10:22, July 25, 2008 (UTC) – Refresh this pageToday’s featured pictureTwo Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) chicks, one day after fledging. The Welcome Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family native to Australia and nearby islands, but not until recently to New Zealand. It is very similar to the Pacific Swallow.Photo credit: Benjamint444Recently featured: U.S. Navy recruitment poster for women – J’accuse – Spinning wheelArchive – More featured pictures…