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Today's featured article The Battle of Schellenberg was fought on 2 July 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The engagement was part of the Duke of Marlborough's campaign to save the Habsburg capital of Vienna from a threatened advance by King Louis XIV's Franco-Bavarian forces ranged in southern Germany. Marlborough had commenced his 250 mile (400 km) march from Bedburg, near Cologne, on 19 May. En route, the Allies needed to secure a fortified bridgehead and magazine on the Danube through which their supplies could cross to the south of the river into the heart of Bavaria. For this purpose, Marlborough selected the town of Donauwörth. Once the French knew of the Allies' objective, they dispatched Count d'Arco with an advance force of 12,000 men from their main camp at Dillingen to strengthen and hold the Schellenberg heights above the town. Rejecting a protracted siege Marlborough decided in favour of a quick assault before the position could be made impregnable. After two failed attempts to storm the barricades the Allied commanders, acting in unison, finally managed to overwhelm the defenders. The deliberate devastation of the Elector's lands in Bavaria failed to bring Max Emanuel. Only when Marshal Tallard arrived with reinforcements, and Prince Eugene of Savoy arrived from the Rhine to bolster the Allies, was the stage finally set for the decisive action at the Battle of Blenheim the following month. (more...) Recently featured: Rwanda – Yogo sapphire – Olivia Shakespear Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Spon Street (Spon Gate pictured) survived the air raid that obliterated much of Coventry City Centre and is now a Conservation Area? ... that the Jewish Military Museum was founded partly to counter the idea that British Jews have avoided serving in the armed forces? ... that professional baseball player Bud Morse was honored for his heroism in disarming a gunman during a hospital shooting spree? ... that Emily Smith is the youngest Hockeyroo representing Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics? ... that a number of Ohio Republicans refused to vote for Mark Hanna for senator in 1898, and he was elected by the legislature with only the minimum 73 votes? ... that the brown seaweed Stypopodium zonale contains substances that are cytotoxic to certain human carcinoma cells? ... that the Crimes Act of 1825 is the most recent general revision of U.S. federal criminal legislation?

In the news In association football, UEFA Euro 2012 concludes with Spain defeating Italy in the final to win a second consecutive European Football Championship. UNESCO lists the Church of the Nativity (pictured) in Bethlehem as the first World Heritage Site in the State of Palestine. Ansar Dine and MOJWA take over Gao and destroy World Heritage Sites in the northern Malian region of Azawad after fighting the MNLA. The U.S. Supreme Court upholds a majority of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a statute reforming health insurance in the country. Barclays is fined a total of £290 million for attempting to manipulate the Libor and Euribor rates. On this day... July 2: Canada Day (observed, 2012); Feast day of Martinian and Processus (Roman Catholic Church) 626 – During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Prince Li Shimin led his forces to assassinate his rival brothers, Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Prince Li Yuanji, in a bloody palace coup for the Tang Dynasty throne. 1644 – The combined forces of the Scottish Covenanters and the English Parliamentarians defeated the Royalists at the Battle of Marston Moor, one of the decisive encounters of the English Civil War, near York. 1937 – Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart (pictured) and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean during an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight. 1997 – The Thai baht rapidly lost half of its value, marking the beginning of the Asian financial crisis. 2002 – American aviator Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon, completing an almost 14-day trip after landing in Queensland, Australia. More anniversaries: July 1 – July 2 – July 3 It is now July 2, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured list UEFA European Football Championship finals take place every four years. The final is the last match of the European Championship, and the result determines which men's national association football team is declared European champion. The fourteen finals to date have produced five drawn matches, the eventual winners of which have been determined variously by replay, extra time, penalty shoot-out or golden goal. The winners are awarded a replica of the trophy (pictured). The winners of the first final were the Soviet Union, who defeated Yugoslavia 2–1 in Paris, after extra time. Germany and Spain are the most successful teams in the history of the tournament, winning three times each. Spain won the most recent final, for the second consecutive time, on 1 July 2012 in Kiev, defeating Italy 4–0. (more...)

Today's featured picture The F-16 Solo Display Team is one of three solo aerobatics display teams of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. It is currently based at Volkel Air Base in the Dutch province of North Brabant and consists of the pilot, two instructors and seven ground crew. Photo: Łukasz Golowanow Recently featured: Death of John F. Reynolds – Grandidier's baobab – Cobalt

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