Wikipedia:Main Page history/2012 June 8

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Today's featured article
Resident Evil 2 is a survival horror video game originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. Developed by Capcom as the second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game, Resident Evil. It is set in Raccoon City, a Midwestern American mountain community whose residents have been transformed into zombies by the T-virus, a biological weapon developed by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella. In their escape from the city, the two protagonists, Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, encounter other survivors, and are confronted by William Birkin, the mutated creator of the G-virus, a more powerful variation of the T-virus. The gameplay of Resident Evil 2 focuses on exploration, puzzle solving and combat, and features typical survival horror elements such as limited saves and ammunition. The game's main difference from its predecessor is the "Zapping System", which provides each playable character with unique storylines and obstacles. Resident Evil 2 was well received by critics, who praised its atmosphere, setting, graphics and audio. Its controls, voice acting and inventory system were criticized, however, and certain reviewers disliked its puzzles. The game has become a million-seller, and is the franchise's most successful title on a single platform. Years after its first release, Resident Evil 2 was included in several lists of the 100 best games. (more...) Recently featured: Red-billed Chough – Peter Heywood – Transit of Venus Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that the racehorse Parisot, winner of the 1796 Epsom Oaks, was named after French ballet dancer Mademoiselle Parisot (pictured), whose performance created a stir in London that year? ... that satirist Abdul Samay Hamed was attacked by a knife-wielding man, but succeeded in disarming his attacker? ... that since the Israel national association football team played its first official game in 1934, more than 450 players have represented Israel in international matches? ... that the Spotted Sandgrouse may travel many kilometres from its feeding ground in order to drink? ... that bad weather was a constant hindrance to operations at No. 6 Service Flying Training School RAAF in Mallala, South Australia, during World War II? ... that according to critics, the Sugababes' song "It Ain't Easy" contains compositional elements from "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode? ... that Sydney Cumbers was nicknamed "Long John Silver" because he wore an eyepatch to conceal his missing eye that he lost when he was a child? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
American science fiction writer Ray Bradbury (pictured in 1975), author of Fahrenheit 451, dies at the age of 91. At least 78 people are killed in a massacre in a village near Hama, Syria. Astronomers around the world observe the last transit of Venus to occur this century. A thousand vessels parade down the River Thames in London as part of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. A passenger plane crashes into a building in Lagos, Nigeria, killing all 153 people on board. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
June 8: World Oceans Day 1783 – Iceland's Laki craters (pictured) began an eight-month eruption, triggering major famine and massive fluorine poisoning. 1887 – German-American statistician Herman Hollerith received a patent for his punch card calculator. 1950 – Thomas Blamey became the first Australian to attain the rank of Field Marshal. 1995 – Danish-Greenlandic programmer Rasmus Lerdorf released the first version of the scripting language PHP, which is now used as the server-side language on 75% of all Web servers. 2007 – A major storm in New South Wales, Australia, beached the bulk carrier ship MV Pasha Bulker. 2008 – A Japanese man drove a truck into a crowd of pedestrians in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, then proceeded to stab at least 12 people before being apprehended. More anniversaries: June 7 – June 8 – June 9 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now June 8, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

The Reichstag building is a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany, constructed to house the Reichstag, parliament of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Reichstag until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire. After German reunification, it underwent a reconstruction and was completed in 1999 and now houses the modern Bundestag.

Photo: Matthew Field

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