From today's featured article

Cover of the 1896 Summer Olympics official report

The 1896 Summer Olympics were the first international Olympic Games held in modern history. The International Olympic Committee was established in 1894 by a congress organized by Pierre de Coubertin in Paris. The committee appointed the Greek capital Athens as the host city, and the games took place from 6 to 15 April 1896. According to the committee, 14 nations took part, and 241 male athletes competed. The participants were all European, or living in Europe, with the exception of the United States team. More than 65 per cent of the competing athletes were Greek, and Greece won the most medals overall, 47. The athletic highlight for the Greeks was the marathon victory by their compatriot Spyridon Louis. The most successful competitor was the German wrestler and gymnast Carl Schuhmann, with four victories. The 1896 Olympics were regarded as a great success, with the largest international participation of any sporting event to that date. ( Full article...)

From today's featured list

Map of Connecticut's five congressional districts since 2022

Connecticut has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives since it became a U.S. state in 1788, beginning with the 1st United States Congress in 1789. Each state elects two senators to serve for six years in general elections, with their re-election staggered. Each state elects varying numbers of members of the House, depending on population, to two-year terms. Connecticut has sent five members to the House in each congressional delegation since the 2000 United States census (map of districts pictured). As of 2024, 292 individuals have represented Connecticut in Congress: 57 senators and 259 representatives, including 24 who have served in both the House and the Senate. Nine women have represented Connecticut in the House, the first being Clare Boothe Luce, while none have served in the Senate. Two African Americans from Connecticut, Gary Franks and Jahana Hayes, have served in the House. ( Full list...)

Today's featured picture

Apollo 15 (July 26 – August 7, 1971) was the fourth crewed mission to land on the Moon. It was the first of three J missions, with a longer stay on the Moon, a greater focus on science, and the use of the first Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). David Scott and James Irwin landed near Hadley Rille and spent 18 and a half hours on extravehicular activity (EVA), collecting 170 pounds (77 kg) of surface material. During the return trip, Alfred Worden performed the first spacewalk in deep space. The mission included the collection of the Genesis Rock, thought to be part of the Moon's early crust, and Scott used a hammer and a feather to demonstrate Galileo's theory that, absent air resistance, objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass. The mission was later marred when it was found that the crew had carried unauthorized postal covers to the lunar surface, some of which were sold by a West German stamp dealer. The crew was reprimanded for poor judgment, and none flew in space again. This photograph, taken by Scott during an EVA on August 2, shows Irwin giving a military salute beside the U.S. flag. The Lunar Module Falcon is in the center, with the LRV on the right. Photograph credit: David Scott; restored by Bammesk and Basile Morin Recently featured: Pisaura mirabilis French battleship Justice Censorship under the military dictatorship in Brazil Archive More featured pictures