Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2020-06-28/Featured content
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Sports are returning, with a rainbow
This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted approximately from May 26 through June 20. For nominations and nominators, see the featured contents' talk pages.
Featured articles
Twenty-nine featured articles were promoted this month.
- The 1916 Texas hurricane (nominated by TheAustinMan) was an intense and quick-moving tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in Jamaica and South Texas in August 1916. A Category 4 hurricane upon landfall in Texas, it was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the United States in three decades. Throughout its eight-day trek across the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane caused 37 fatalities and inflicted $11.8 million in damage.
- The 2001 UEFA Cup Final (nominated by NapHit) was a football match between Liverpool of England and Alavés of Spain on 16 May 2001 at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, Germany. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2000–01 edition of Europe's secondary cup competition, the UEFA Cup. Watched by a crowd of 48,050, Liverpool won on the golden goal rule, defeating Alavés 5–4. The victory meant Liverpool completed a treble consisting of the Football League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup.
- The 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup Final (nominated by Harrias) was a Women's One Day International cricket match between the England women's cricket team and the New Zealand women's national cricket team, played on 22 March 2009 at the North Sydney Oval in Australia. It was the culmination of the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup, the ninth edition of the tournament. England won the final by four wickets, clinching their third World Cup title and their first outside England. It was the second time that the two teams had met at this stage of a World Cup – England won their previous final contest in 1993.
- The 2017 World Snooker Championship (nominated by Lee Vilenski) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 15 April to 1 May 2017 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 19th and final ranking event of the 2016–17 season, following the China Open. It was the 41st consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible. The winner of the title was defending champion and world number one Mark Selby, who defeated John Higgins 18–15 in the final despite having fallen 4–10 behind in the second session of the match
- The alpine newt (nominated by Tylototriton) (Ichthyosaura alpestris) is a species of newt native to continental Europe and introduced to Great Britain and New Zealand. Adults measure 7–12 cm (2.8–4.7 in) and are usually dark grey to blue on the back and sides, with an orange belly and throat. Males are more conspicuously coloured than the drab females, especially during breeding season.
- The Battle of the Bagradas River (nominated by Gog the Mild) (the ancient name of the Medjerda), also known as the Battle of Tunis, was a victory by a Carthaginian army led by Xanthippus over a Roman army led by Marcus Atilius Regulus in the spring of 255 BC, nine years into the First Punic War.
- Lionel Matthews (nominated by Peacemaker67) was an Australian Army officer in World War II. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross, the highest award for heroism or courage not in the face of the enemy, that could be awarded to a member of the Australian armed forces at the time.
- Stucky (nominated by Morgan695) (also Steve/Bucky or Bucky/Steve) is a term used to denote the pairing of Steve Rogers (Captain America) and James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes (the Winter Soldier), fictional characters appearing in comic books and related media produced by Marvel Comics.
- The 1981 UEFA Cup Final (nominated by The Rambling Man) was an association football match played over two legs between AZ '67 of the Netherlands and Ipswich Town of England. The first leg was played at Portman Road, Ipswich, on 6 May 1981 and the second leg was played on 20 May 1981 at the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. It was the final of the 1980–81 season of European cup competition, the UEFA Cup. Both Ipswich and AZ '67 were appearing in their first European cup final. Watched by a crowd of 27,532 at Portman Road, Ipswich defeated AZ '67 5–4 on aggregate, winning their first and, as of 2020, only European trophy.
- Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) (nominated by SandyGeorgia and Colin) is a type of dementia accompanied by changes in sleep, behavior, cognition, movement, and automatic bodily functions. Memory loss is not always an early symptom. The disease worsens over time and is usually diagnosed when cognitive decline interferes with normal daily functioning. Together with Parkinson's disease dementia, DLB is one of the two Lewy body dementias. It is a common form of dementia, but the number of people affected is not known accurately and many diagnoses are missed. The disease was first described by Kenji Kosaka in 1976. Most people with DLB do not have affected family members, although occasionally DLB runs in a family. The exact cause is unknown, and it typically begins after the age of fifty and people with the disease live about eight years after diagnosis. There is no cure or medication to stop the disease from progressing, and people in the latter stages of DLB may be unable to care for themselves.
- Sir William de Cantilupe was murdered (nominated by Serial Number 54129) by members of his household in Scotton, Lincolnshire, in March 1375. The de Cantilupe family was a long-established and influential one in the county, traditionally providing royal officials to the crown both in the central government and at the local level. Among William de Cantilupe's ancestors were royal councillors, bodyguards and, distantly, Saint Thomas de Cantilupe.
- The Silesian Wars (nominated by Bryanrutherford0) were three wars fought in the mid-18th century between Prussia (under King Frederick the Great) and Austria (under Archduchess Maria Theresa) for control of the Central European region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland). The First (1740–1742) and Second (1744–1745) Silesian Wars formed parts of the wider War of the Austrian Succession, in which Prussia acted as one member of a coalition seeking territorial gain at Austria's expense. The Third Silesian War (1756–1763) was one theatre of the global Seven Years' War, in which Austria in turn led a coalition of powers aiming to seize Prussian territory. All three wars are generally considered to have ended in Prussian victories, and Prussia emerged from the Silesian Wars as a new European great power and the leading state of Protestant Germany, while Catholic Austria's defeat by a lesser German power significantly damaged the House of Habsburg's prestige.
- Mount Takahe (nominated by Jo-Jo Eumerus) is a 3,460-metre-high (11,350 ft) snow-covered shield volcano in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica, 200 kilometres (120 mi) from the Amundsen Sea. It is a c. 30-kilometre-wide (19 mi) mountain with parasitic vents and a caldera up to 8 kilometres (5 mi) wide. Mount Takahe's last eruption occurred about 7,600 years ago; there is no present-day activity.
- The Tweed Courthouse (nominated by Epicgenius) officially known as the Old New York County Courthouse, is a historic courthouse building at 52 Chambers Street in the Civic Center neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was built in the Italianate style, with Romanesque Revival interiors, under the leadership of the corrupt William M. "Boss" Tweed, whose Tammany Hall political machine controlled the city and state governments when the courthouse was built. The Tweed Courthouse served as a judicial building for New York County, a county of New York State that is coextensive with the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is the second-oldest city government building in Manhattan, after City Hall.
- The Battle of Panormus (nominated by Gog the Mild) was fought in Sicily in 250 BC during the First Punic War between a Roman army led by Lucius Caecilius Metellus and a Carthaginian force led by Hasdrubal. The Roman force of two legions defending the city of Panormus defeated the much larger Carthaginian army of 30,000 men and between 60 and 142 war elephants.
- Henry IV (nominated by Borsoka) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054.
- The Los Angeles Illustrated Daily News (nominated by Wehwalt) was a newspaper published from 1923 to 1954. It was operated through most of its existence by Manchester Boddy.
- Colonel James P. Hagerstrom (nominated by HueSatLum) was a fighter ace of both the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in World War II and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) in the Korean War. With a career total of 14.5 victories, he is one of seven American pilots to have achieved ace status in two different wars.
- James Thompson (nominated by John M Wolfson) was an American surveyor who created the first plat of Chicago. His plat (completed in 1830) fixed the location associated with the word "Chicago", which had previously been used for various places around the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, and allowed the residents of the area to obtain legal title to their property. Chicago incorporated as a town in 1833 and as a city in 1837 as growth continued, and by 1890 had more than a million inhabitants and was the second-most-populous city in the United States. Thompson has been commemorated several times in Chicago's history; his grave, which was originally unmarked, was given a monument by the city in 1917.
- The MAUD Committee (nominated by Jmcc150 and Hawkeye7) was a British scientific working group formed during the Second World War. It was established to perform the research required to determine if an atomic bomb was feasible. The chairman of the MAUD Committee was George Thomson. Research was split among four different universities. Various aspects of nuclear warfare were considered. After fifteen months of work, the research culminated in two reports, "Use of Uranium for a Bomb" and "Use of Uranium as a Source of Power", known collectively as the MAUD Report. In response, the British created a nuclear weapons project officially named Tube Alloys. The MAUD Report was made available to the United States, where it energised the American effort, which eventually became the Manhattan Project. The report was handed over to the Soviet Union by its atomic spies, and helped start the Soviet atomic bomb project.
- The MAX Yellow Line (nominated by Truflip99) s a light rail service in Portland, Oregon, United States, operated by TriMet as part of the MAX Light Rail system. It connects North Portland to Portland City Center and Portland State University (PSU). The line originates at Portland Expo Center in the north and runs south to the Rose Quarter along a 5.8-mile (9.3 km) segment referred to as the Interstate MAX. From there, it crosses the Willamette River into downtown Portland and operates as a northbound only service of the Portland Transit Mall on 6th Avenue. The line serves 17 stops between the Expo Center and PSU South/Southwest 6th and College stations; of these, seven stops occupy the median of North Interstate Avenue, giving that segment its name. The Yellow Line runs for approximately 21 hours daily with a minimum headway of 15 minutes during most of the day. As of September 2019, the Yellow Line is the fourth-busiest service in the MAX system, carrying an average of 12,960 riders each weekday.
- The secretarybird (nominated by LittleJerry, Aa77zz, and Casliber) is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region. John Frederick Miller described the species in 1779. Although a member of the order Accipitriformes, which also includes many other diurnal birds of prey such as kites, hawks, vultures, and harriers, it is placed in its own family, Sagittariidae. The secretarybird hunts and catches prey on the ground, often stomping on victims to kill them. Although the secretarybird occurs over a large range, the results of localised surveys suggest that the total population is experiencing a rapid decline, probably as a result of habitat degradation. The species is therefore classed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The secretarybird appears on the coats of arms of Sudan and South Africa.
- Sergo Ordzhonikidze (nominated by Kaiser matias) was a Georgian Bolshevik and Soviet politician, who served as People's Commissar of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspectorate (1926–1932), Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the National Economy (1930–1932) and People's Commissar of Heavy Industry (1932–1937). He was also a member of the Politburo from 1926 to 1937.
- The Siege of Lilybaeum (nominated by Gog the Mild) lasted for nine years, from 250 to 241 BC, as the Roman army laid siege to the Carthaginian-held Sicilian city of Lilybaeum (modern Marsala) during the First Punic War. It ended in a Roman victory.
- Super-Science Fiction (nominated by Mike Christie) was an American digest science fiction magazine published from 1956 to 1959, edited by W.W. Scott and published by Feature Publications. Robert Silverberg and Harlan Ellison, who were at the start of their careers at the time, quickly started bringing Scott science fiction stories. Scott bought scores of stories from the pair during the magazine's short life; much of the remainder was sent in by literary agents, and generally comprised material rejected by other magazines first, though Scott did obtain two stories from Isaac Asimov. After a couple of years Feature decided to switch the focus of the magazine to monster stories. Four more issues appeared, all the stories featuring a monster in some way, but Feature brought the axe down in 1959. The last issue was dated October that year. The magazine is not highly regarded by critics, though Silverberg considers the material he wrote for Scott and other action-adventure magazine publishers to have helped him learn his trade as a writer.
- The Boat Race 2020 (nominated by The Rambling Man) was a side-by-side rowing race scheduled to take place on 29 March 2020. Held annually, The Boat Race is contested between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. This would have been the 75th women's race and the 166th men's race, and for the fifth time in the history of the event, the men's, women's and both reserves' races would have been held on the Tideway on the same day. Cambridge led the longstanding rivalry 84–80 and 44–30 in the men's and women's races, respectively. The races were cancelled on 16 March 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom. Other than as a result of war, it was the first time the men's race had been cancelled since it has taken place annually from 1845. It was also the first cancellation of the women's race since its 1964 revival. It would have been the first time in the history of the event that both senior races had been umpired by women. The members of each crew were announced on the date that the race would have been conducted.
- The Grand Budapest Hotel (nominated by DAP389) is a 2014 comedy-drama film written and directed by Wes Anderson, which explores tragedy, war, fascism, nostalgia, friendship, and loyalty. Ralph Fiennes leads a seventeen-actor ensemble cast as Monsieur Gustave H., famed concierge of a mountainside resort in the Republic of Zubrowka. When Gustave is framed for the murder of a wealthy dowager (Tilda Swinton), he and his recently befriended protégé Zero (Tony Revolori) embark on a quest for fortune and a priceless Renaissance painting against the backdrop of encroaching pandemonium. Anderson's American Empirical Pictures produced the film in association with Studio Babelsberg and Indian Paintbrush's Scott Rudin and Steven Rales, and Fox Searchlight Pictures handled its commercial distribution. The Grand Budapest Hotel was financed by Indian Paintbrush and a German government-funded rebate program. It was well received by critics, though the film's approach to the subject matter, fragmented storytelling, and characterization drew occasional disapproval. The BBC chose The Grand Budapest Hotel as one of the greatest films of the twenty-first century. The film grossed US$172.9 million on a budget of US$25 million.
- The Minute Man (nominated by Guerillero) is an 1874 sculpture by Daniel Chester French located in Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Massachusetts. It was created between 1871 and 1874 after extensive research, and originally intended to be made of stone. The medium was switched to bronze and it was cast from ten Civil War-era cannons appropriated by Congress. The statue was unveiled in 1875 for the centennial of the Battle of Concord. It received critical acclaim and continues to be praised by commentators. The statue has been a suffragette symbol, a symbol of the United States National Guard and Air National Guard, and has been used on coins such as the Lexington–Concord Sesquicentennial half dollar and the Massachusetts state quarter.
- Vespro della Beata Vergine (nominated by Gerda Arendt) (Vespers for the Blessed Virgin), SV 206, is a musical setting by Claudio Monteverdi of the evening vespers on Marian feasts, scored for soloists, choirs, and orchestra. It is an ambitious work in scope and in its variety of style and scoring, and has a duration of around 90 minutes. It was first published in 1610, and Monteverdi's Vespers are regarded as a unique milestone of music history, at the transition from Renaissance to Baroque.
Featured lists
Eleven featured lists were promoted this month.
- Chicago is divided into 77 community areas (nominated by John M Wolfson) for statistical and planning purposes. Census data and other statistics are tied to the areas, which serve as the basis for a variety of urban planning initiatives on both the local and regional levels. The areas' boundaries do not generally change, allowing comparisons of statistics across time. The areas are distinct from but related to the more numerous neighborhoods of Chicago; an area often corresponds to a neighborhood or encompasses several neighborhoods, but the areas do not always correspond to popular conceptions of the neighborhoods due to a number of factors including historical evolution and choices made by the creators of the areas. As of 2017, Lake View is the most populous of the areas with over 100,000 residents, while Burnside is the least populous with just over 2,000. Other geographical divisions of Chicago exist, such as the "sides" created by the branches of the Chicago River, the wards of the Chicago City Council, and the parishes of the Roman Catholic Church.
- The Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award (nominated by Bluesatellite) is a special award of merit given to recording artists and music video directors at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), a ceremony that was established in 1984. It is presented by MTV for "outstanding contributions" and "profound impact" on music video and popular culture.
- Javier Bardem is a Spanish actor and producer who has been involved in numerous films (nominated by HAL333).
- Procyonidae is a family of mammals in the order Carnivora, which includes raccoons, coatis, olingos, kinkajous, ring-tailed cats, and cacomistles, and many other extant and extinct mammals. A member of this family is called a procyonid. No procyonid species have been domesticated, though raccoons are sometimes kept as pets. The 14 species of Procyonidae (nominated by PresN) are split into 6 genera, which are not currently grouped into named clades. Procyonidae is believed to have diverged as a separate family within Carnivora around 22.6 million years ago. In addition to the extant species, as of 2020 Procyonidae includes 40 extinct species placed in both extant and 19 extinct genera, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.
- Sebastian Vettel is a German racing driver for the Scuderia Ferrari team who has won four (nominated by MWright96) Formula One world championships.
- American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars has released one concert video and appeared in various music videos, films, television shows, and two television commercials (nominated by MarioSoulTruthFan).
- American country music singer Justin Moore has released numerous albums (nominated by Hog Farm): five studio albums, two extended plays, and fifteen singles. Moore signed with Valory Music Group in 2007, and his first single, "Back That Thing Up", entered the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts in 2008. The next year, his second single, "Small Town USA", became his first (and highest charted) single to enter the Billboard Hot 100.
- The Archbishop of Toronto (nominated by Bloom6132) is the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, who is responsible for looking after its spiritual and administrative needs. As the archdiocese is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province encompassing Southern Ontario and part of Northwestern Ontario, the Archbishop of Toronto also administers the bishops who head the suffragan dioceses of Hamilton, London, Saint Catharines, and Thunder Bay. The current archbishop is Thomas Christopher Collins.
- Founded in 1995, the Romanian Top 100 was the national music chart of Romania. It was compiled by broadcast monitoring services Body M Production A-V (1990s and 2000s) and by Media Forest (2010s), and measured the airplay of songs on radio stations throughout the country. List of Romanian Top 100 number ones (nominated by Cartoon network freak) Over its 17 years of existence, around 150 documented singles reached the number-one position, the first being "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson in 1995. The Magician remix of "I Follow Rivers" (2011) by Lykke Li spent 12 weeks at the summit, longer than any other song. The most successful artists were Madonna and Kylie Minogue with six documented number ones each.
- In England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are designated by Natural England, which is responsible for protecting England's natural environment. Designation as an SSSI gives legal protection to the most important wildlife and geological sites.List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Berkshire (nominated by Dudley Miles) As of September 2019, there are 70 SSSIs in Berkshire, of which 8 are listed for their geological interest and 62 for their biological interest.
- Scarlett Johansson is an American actress who has received various awards and nominations (nominated by CAPTAIN MEDUSA and 186.21.15.202), including one British Academy Film Award and one Tony Award. Additionally, she has been nominated for two Academy Awards and three additional British Academy Film Awards. In 2012, Johansson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the motion picture industry.
Featured pictures
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A male black-headed weaver (Ploceus cucullatus bohndorffi) building a nest (created and nominated by Charlesjsharp)
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1804 Postal Road map of United States and territories (created by Abraham Bradley Jr. with assistance from Aaron Arrowsmith; nominated by BusterD)
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Rosy-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis roseicollis) (created by Charlesjsharp; nominated by MER-C)
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Rosy-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis roseicollis) (created by Charlesjsharp; nominated by MER-C)
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A map of interwar Europe, 1923 (created by George Washington Bacon; restored by Alex:D; nominated by TheFreeWorld)
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French journalist, politician and historian Louis Blanc (1811-1882) (created by Étienne Carjat; restored by JLPC; nominated by Bammesk)
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The Birds' Head Haggadah (created by an unknown author, scan from the Israel Museum; nominated by Andrew J.Kurbiko)
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weirdwikier | Conversations and Contributions 19:15, 28 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]