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From today's featured article The State of Vietnam referendum held on 23 October 1955 determined the future form of government of the State of Vietnam, the nation that was to become South Vietnam. It was contested by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm (pictured), who proposed a republic, and former emperor Bảo Đại, the head of state. Diệm won the election, which was widely marred by electoral fraud, with 98.2% of the vote. In the capital Saigon, Diệm was credited with more than 600,000 votes, although only 450,000 people were on the electoral roll. He accumulated tallies in excess of 90% of the registered voters, even in rural regions where opposition groups prevented voting. The referendum was the last phase in the power struggle between Bảo Đại and his prime minister. In the period leading up to the vote, campaigning for Bảo Đại was banned, while Diệm's election campaign used personal attacks against him, including pornographic cartoons and rumours that he was illegitimate. Bảo Đại was attacked by the government-controlled media, and police went door-to-door, warning people of the consequences of failing to vote. After his brother Ngô Đình Nhu successfully rigged the poll, Diệm proclaimed himself president. (Full article...) Recently featured: Mauritius Blue Pigeon – Action of 1 January 1800 – Terang Boelan Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that had The Keep (pictured) not been built, 900 years worth of East Sussex's historical records could have been moved from the existing unsuitable building to another part of England? ... that the Piping Plover, which numbers 12–13 thousand, has its very own census? ... that in 2011, Victoire Pisa became the first Japanese-trained Thoroughbred racehorse to win "the world's richest race", the Dubai World Cup? ... that 13th Avenue, a commercially successful Orthodox Jewish shopping district in Brooklyn, New York, has 18 banks in the space of 10 blocks? ... that Mount Sage National Park, the British Virgin Islands's first national reserve, was acquired in 1964 following a grant provided by Laurance Rockefeller? ... that Cheyenne artist Bently Spang satirized anthropologists' depictions of Native Americans as a "lost culture" with a museum exhibit showcasing ordinary objects? ... that the fourth-century Byzantine mosaic discovered in Maryamin, in central Syria, is one of the few artifacts that give an indication on how the organ instrument was used in antiquity? ... that Palestinian Christian Vera Baboun, Bethlehem's first female mayor, holds a master's degree in African-American literature?

In the news In chess, Magnus Carlsen (pictured) achieves the highest FIDE rating of all time. At least 60 people are killed and 200 injured in a stampede after celebrations at Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Rwanda, and South Korea join the United Nations Security Council. China officially opens the world's longest high-speed rail route, linking Beijing and Guangzhou. Egyptian voters approve a new constitution. A military aircraft crashes while descending toward Shymkent, Kazakhstan, killing all 27 people on board. The victim of a gang-rape in Delhi, which sparked widespread demonstrations across India, dies in Singapore. Recent deaths: Rita Levi-Montalcini – Tony Greig – William Rees-Mogg On this day... January 3: Arba'een (Shi'a Islam, 2013) 1833 – With the arrival of two British naval ships at the Falkland Islands, the United Kingdom re-asserted sovereignty there. 1848 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts began his term as the first President of Liberia. 1946 – Canadian-American jockey George Woolf (pictured), who rode Seabiscuit to a famous victory over War Admiral in 1938, was fatally injured when he fell from his horse during a race. 1961 – Twenty-five people died in Finland's worst civilian air accident when Aero Flight 311 crashed near Kvevlax. 1973 – American businessman George Steinbrenner and a group of investors bought the New York Yankees professional baseball team for US$8.7 million. 1996 – The Motorola StarTAC, the first clamshell mobile phone, was released and went on to become one of the first mobile phones to gain widespread consumer adoption. More anniversaries: January 2 – January 3 – January 4 It is now January 3, 2013 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture The Ivan Vazov National Theatre, located in the centre of Sofia, is the national theatre of Bulgaria. It is named after the "patriarch of Bulgarian literature", Ivan Vazov. The neoclassical structure was designed by Viennese architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner. Since its opening on 3 January 1907, it has undergone reconstruction several times, the latest in 2006. Photo: Plamen Agov Recently featured: Shasta Dam under construction – Dilma Rousseff – Smooth oxeye

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