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Today's featured article Princess Beatrice (1857–1944) was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. As Beatrice's elder sisters married and left their royal mother, Victoria came to rely on the company of her youngest daughter. Beatrice, who was brought up to stay with her mother always, soon resigned herself to her fate. Victoria was set against her youngest daughter marrying and refused to discuss the possibility. Nevertheless, many suitors were put forward, including Napoleon Eugene, Prince Imperial, the son of the exiled Emperor Napoleon III of France, and Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse, the widower of Beatrice's older sister Alice. Although she was attracted to the Prince Imperial, and there was talk of a possible marriage, he was killed in the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. Beatrice fell in love with Prince Henry of Battenberg. After a year of persuasion, Victoria agreed to the marriage, which took place at Whippingham on the Isle of Wight, on 23 July 1885. Victoria consented on condition that Beatrice and Henry make their home with her and that Beatrice continue her duties as the Queen's unofficial secretary. Ten years into their marriage, on 20 January 1896, Prince Henry died of malaria while fighting in the Anglo-Asante War. Beatrice remained at her mother's side until Victoria died. Beatrice devoted the next thirty years to editing Queen Victoria's journals as her designated literary executor. She continued to make public appearances after her mother's death and died at the age of eighty-seven. (more...) Recently featured: New York State Route 174 – Race Against Time: Searching for Hope in AIDS-Ravaged Africa – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Archive – By email – More featured articles... Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest articles: ... that black witches' butter (pictured) is a wood-decay fungus that loosens the bark of its host by disintegrating the vascular cambium? ... that Jhalkaribai fought with the East India Company army in disguise as Queen Laxmibai of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 to let the queen escape easily out of the fort? ... that more than 98% of the human genome is noncoding DNA, sometimes referred to as "junk" DNA? ... that in her novel Devil's Brood, author Sharon Kay Penman writes about Eleanor of Aquitaine who is imprisoned by her husband King Henry II of England? ... that the original recording of The Byrds' song "Eight Miles High" was not released until its appearance on the Never Before compilation album in 1987, some 22 years after it had been committed to tape? ... that Javier Arias Stella, Peruvian foreign minister during the Paquisha War, is also a notable pathologist? ... that the Dome F105 Formula One car completed more than 900 kilometres (560 mi) of private testing, yet was never entered in a Grand Prix? ... that bikini baristas can be found mixing up coffee drinks all over the Seattle area? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news The estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music Entertainment sign the largest recording deal in history, which includes the distribution rights to unreleased material. The first Millennium Prize is awarded to Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman for his proof of the Poincaré conjecture. A fire destroys the Kasubi Tombs (main building pictured), a World Heritage Site in Uganda where the Bugandan kings are buried. As much as ninety percent of Chile's population loses power in a massive blackout. A series of bomb attacks kills at least 72 people in Lahore, Pakistan. The Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Paralympics is held in Vancouver, Canada. In Kazakhstan, at least 40 people are killed and more than 1,000 evacuated after the Kyzyl-Agash dam bursts. Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events... On this day... March 21: Independence Day in Namibia (1990); Naw-Rúz in the Bahá'í calendar; Benito Juárez Day in Mexico; World Poetry Day 1556 – Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer (pictured), one of the founders of Anglicanism, was burnt at the stake in Oxford, England for heresy. 1800 – After being elected as a compromise candidate after several months of stalemate, Pius VII was crowned Pope in Venice with a temporary papal tiara made of papier-mâché. 1804 – The Napoleonic code, the French civil code established under Napoleon, entered into force, eventually strongly influencing the law of many other countries. 1937 – A police squad, acting under orders from Governor of Puerto Rico Blanton Winship, opened fire on demonstrators protesting the arrest of Puerto Rican Nationalist leader Pedro Albizu Campos, killing 17 and injuring over 200 others. 1980 – The United States announced the boycott of the Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. More anniversaries: March 20 – March 21 – March 22 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now March 21, 2010 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture The Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus) is a widespread species of nymphalid butterfly found throughout the world. It is well known for polymorphism and its mimicry of the African Monarch, a milkweed butterfly that is distasteful to predators, while not being poisonous itself. Photo credit: Muhammad Mahdi Karim Recently featured: Scene from The Water-Babies – Tuskegee Airmen – Dune stinkhorn Archive – More featured pictures...

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