Main Page

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Welcome to Wikipedia,
2,378,548 articles in English
Overview · Editing · Questions · Help

Contents · Categories · Featured content · A–Z index

Today's featured article

The Tsar Cannon, the largest howitzer ever made
A cannon is a type of artillery, usually large and tubular, that uses gunpowder or other explosive-based propellants to launch a projectile over a distance. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on the battlefield. First used in China, cannon were among the earliest forms of gunpowder artillery, and over time replaced siege engines—among other forms of aging weaponry—on the battlefield. The first cannon in Europe were probably used in Iberia, during the Islamic wars against Spain. During the Middle Ages, cannon became standardized, and more effective in both the anti-infantry and siege roles. After the Middle Ages, most large cannon were abandoned, in favor of greater numbers of lighter, more maneuverable pieces. In addition, new technologies and tactics were developed, making most defenses obsolete; this led to the construction of star forts, specifically designed to withstand bombardment from artillery. Cannon also transformed naval warfare: the Royal Navy, in particular, took advantage of their firepower. As rifling became more commonplace, the accuracy of cannon was significantly improved, and they became deadlier than ever, especially to infantry. In World War I, a considerable majority of all deaths were caused by cannon; they were also used widely in World War II. Most modern cannon are similar to those used in the Second World War,—including autocannon—with the exception of naval guns, which are now significantly smaller in caliber. (more...)

Recently featured: Coeliac diseaseRedwood National and State ParksElagabalus

Did you know...

From Wikipedia's newest articles:

A lithophane, back lit

In the news

Leonel Fernández

On this day...

May 19: Pesach Sheni (Judaism, 2008); Victoria Day in Canada (2008); Youth and Sports Day in Turkey

Anne Boleyn

More events: May 18May 19May 20

Today's featured picture

1906 San Francisco earthquake

The Mission District of San Francisco, California, burning in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. As damaging as the earthquake and its aftershocks were, the fires that burned out of control afterward were much more destructive.

Photo credit: H. D. Chadwick

Other areas of Wikipedia

  • Help desk — Ask questions about using Wikipedia.
  • Reference desk — Serving as virtual librarians, Wikipedia volunteers tackle your questions on a wide range of subjects.
  • Village pump — For discussions about Wikipedia itself, including areas for technical issues and policies.
  • Community portal — Bulletin board, projects, resources and activities covering a wide range of Wikipedia areas.
  • Site news — Announcements, updates, articles and press releases on Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Local embassy — For Wikipedia-related communication in languages other than English.

Wikipedia's sister projects

Wikipedia is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other projects:

Commons
Free media repository
Wikinews
Free-content news
Wiktionary
Dictionary and thesaurus
Wikiquote
Collection of quotations
Wikibooks
Free textbooks and manuals
Wikisource
Free-content library
Wikispecies
Directory of species
Wikiversity
Free learning materials and activities
Meta-Wiki
Wikimedia project coordination

Wikipedia languages

This Wikipedia is written in English. Started in 2001, it currently contains 2,378,548 articles. Many other Wikipedias are available; the largest are listed below.

Complete list · Multilingual coordination

Personal tools