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From today's featured article Christopher Wallace (1972–1997), best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper/hip hop artist. Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and began rapping when he was a teenager. The release of Wallace's debut album Ready to Die in 1994 made him a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene and increased New York's visibility in the genre at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip hop feud dominating the scene at the time. On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 16 days later, hit No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification). Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Two more albums have been released since his death. In 2012, The Source ranked him No. 3 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States. (Full article...) Recently featured: Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō – Psilocybe aztecorum – William the Conqueror Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that according to WAD Magazine, identical twin brothers Larry and Laurent Bourgeois of the French dance duo Les Twins (pictured) started walking at five months old? ... that the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act instituted an "up or out" promotion system across the United States Armed Forces? ... that María Isabella Cordero, a former Mexican anchorwoman on Televisa, was killed in Mexico's most violent state in 2010? ... that McNeese State defeated Tulsa in the inaugural 1976 Independence Bowl despite the suspension of sixteen McNeese players? ... that the BBC comedy-drama Lapland was set in Finland but filmed in Norway, where the cast stayed in army barracks? ... that renowned antebellum potter Christopher Haun was executed for his participation in the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy? ... that the Gibraltar Heritage Trust is a non-profit charity responsible for preserving and promoting Gibraltar's manmade and natural heritage? ... that the trout population in Mann Lake was once threatened by goldfish, prompting the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to intervene?

In the news China officially opens the world's longest high-speed rail route, linking Beijing and Guangzhou. Egyptian voters approve a new constitution. A military aircraft (pictured) crashes while descending toward Shymkent, Kazakhstan, killing all 27 people on board. A gang rape in Delhi sparks widespread demonstrations across India. Park Geun-hye is elected President of South Korea, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Swiss bank UBS is fined US$1.5 billion for its role in the Libor scandal. Former Congolese militia leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui is acquitted by the International Criminal Court of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Recent deaths: Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. – Gerry Anderson – Charles Durning On this day... December 28: Day of the Holy Innocents (Western Christianity) 484 – Alaric II succeeded his father Euric as king of the Visigoths. 1612 – Galileo became the first person to observe the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly catalogued it as a fixed star. 1879 – The Tay Rail Bridge, spanning the Firth of Tay in Scotland between Dundee and the Wormit, collapsed during a violent storm while a train was passing over it, killing all on board. 1912 – The San Francisco Municipal Railway, operator of the city's famed cable car system (cable car pictured), opened its first line. 1935 – Politician Pavel Postyshev revived the New Year tree tradition in the Soviet Union when Pravda published his letter asking for them to be installed in schools, children's homes, Young Pioneer Palaces, children's clubs, children's theaters, and cinema theaters. More anniversaries: December 27 – December 28 – December 29 It is now December 28, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture The Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) is a small plover native to Australia. Adult males have a rufous crown and hindneck. Adult females (shown here in breeding plumage) have a paler rufous and grey brown crown and hindneck, with pale loreal stripe. Non-breeding plumage is duller in both sexes. Photo: JJ Harrison Recently featured: ORP Grom – Confederate States of America currency – Cab Calloway

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