Featured content
The best of the week
This report covers content promoted from 12 to 18 February 2012.
Featured articles
Eight featured articles were promoted this week:
- George Andrew Davis, Jr. (nom) by Ed!. George Andrew Davis, Jr. (1920 – 1952) was a highly decorated flying ace of the United States Army in World War II, and later of the US Air Force during the Korean War. Davis rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in "MiG Alley" during the war. He was the only American flying ace to be killed in action in Korea. With a total of 21 victories, Davis is one of only seven US military pilots to become an ace in two wars, and one of only 31 to be credited with more than 20 victories. He was the fourth highest scoring ace of the Korean War.
- Tricholoma pardinum (nom) by Casliber. Tricholoma pardinum, commonly known as the spotted tricholoma, tiger tricholoma, tigertop, leopard knight, or dirty trich, is a gilled mushroom widely distributed across North America and Europe, as well as parts of Asia. It is generally found in beech woodland in summer and autumn. First officially described by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1801, Tricholoma pardinum has had a confusing taxonomic history that extends over two centuries. In 1762, German naturalist Jacob Christian Schäffer described the species Agaricus tigrinus with an illustration corresponding to what is thought to be T. pardinum, and consequently, the name Tricholoma tigrinum has been used erroneously in some European field guides.
- Royal Opera, London (nom) by Tim riley. The Royal Opera is a company based in central London, resident at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Along with the English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Covent Garden Opera Company, it was known by that title until 1968. It brought a long annual season and consistent management to a house that had previously hosted short seasons under a series of impresarios. When the company was formed, its policy was to perform all works in English, but since the late 1950s most operas have been given in the original language.
- Tropical Storm Cindy (1993) (nom) by Hylian Auree. Tropical Storm Cindy was a weak but unusually wet Atlantic tropical cyclone that caused disastrous flooding across Martinique in August 1993. Cindy formed east of the island and became the season's third named storm on August 14. Due to unfavorable atmospheric conditions, Cindy remained disorganized while crossing the northeastern Caribbean Sea. After attaining maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h), the storm began to weaken from interaction with the high terrain of Hispaniola. It made landfall in the Dominican Republic as a tropical depression on August 16, and dissipated over the territory the following day.
- President Truman's relief of General Douglas MacArthur (nom) by Hawkeye7. On 11 April 1951, US President Harry S. Truman relieved General of the Army Douglas MacArthur of his commands for making public statements that contradicted the administration's policies. MacArthur was a popular hero of World War II who later became commander of United Nations forces fighting in the Korean War, and his relief remains a controversial topic in the field of civil-military relations. In relieving MacArthur, Truman upheld a view of the President's role as pre-eminent, thereby triggering a constitutional crisis. The notion that the President had extraordinary or even absolute power came to be known as Imperial Presidency. Henceforth, all military officers were on notice that they could be relieved at will.
- Mark Satin (nom) by Babel41. Mark Ivor Satin (born 1946) is an American political theorist, author, and newsletter publisher. Although often referred to as a "draft dodger" or "draft resister", he is better known for contributing to the development and dissemination of three political perspectives – neopacifism in the 1960s, New Age politics in the 1970s and 1980s, and radical centrism in the 1990s and 2000s. Satin has launched a political newsletter and wrote an award-winning book, Radical Middle (2004); both projects criticized political partisanship and sought to promote mutual learning and innovative policy syntheses across social and cultural divides.
- Katharine Hepburn (nom) by Lobo512. Katharine Houghton Hepburn (1907 – 2003) (right) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. Known for her headstrong independence and spirited personality, Hepburn's career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned more than 60 years. She cultivated a screen persona that matched this public image, and regularly played strong-willed, sophisticated women. Her work covered a range of genres, from screwball comedy to literary drama, and she received four Academy Awards for Best Actress—a record for any performer. In the 1940s she began an alliance with Spencer Tracy, a screen-partnership that spanned 25 years and produced nine movies.
- Franco-Mongol alliance (nom) by Elonka. Franco-Mongol relations were established in the 13th century, as Christian Crusaders and the Mongol Empire attempted to form a Franco-Mongol alliance against the Muslims. The Mongols were sympathetic to Christianity, as there were influential Nestorian Christians in the Mongol court. The Franks were open to support from the East, owing to the legend of the mythical Prester John, an Eastern king in a magical kingdom whom many believed would come to the assistance of the Crusaders in the Holy Land. The Franks and Mongols also shared a common enemy in the Muslims, but despite many messages, gifts, and emissaries over the course of several decades, the often-proposed alliance never came to fruition.
Featured lists
Three featured lists were promoted this week:
- List of Liverpool F.C. players (fewer than 25 appearances) (nom) by NapHit. Liverpool Football Club is an English association football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. The club was formed in 1892. Since Liverpool's first competitive match, more than 800 players have made a competitive first-team appearance for the club. Many of these players spent only a short period of their career at Liverpool before seeking opportunities in other teams; some players had their careers cut short by injury, while others left for other reasons. The First and Second World Wars also disrupted the careers of footballers across the United Kingdom. As of 25 January 2012, 289 players have played fewer than 25 competitive matches for the club
- John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (nom) by PresN. The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer is an award given annually to the best new writer whose first professional work of science fiction or fantasy was published within the two previous calendar years. The prize is named in honor of science fiction editor and writer John W. Campbell, whose science fiction writing and role as editor of Analog Science Fiction and Fact made him one of the most influential editors in the early history of science fiction. Criticism has been raised about the Campbell, stating that it honors writers that become well-known quickly, rather than necessarily the best or most influential authors from a historical perspective, because of its eligibility requirements.
- List of municipalities in the San Francisco Bay Area (nom) by Kurykh). The San Francisco Bay Area (Golden Gate Bridge pictured at right), commonly known as the Bay Area, is a metropolitan region surrounding the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay estuaries in Northern California. According to the 2010 United States Census, the region has over 7.1 million inhabitants and approximately 6,900 square miles (18,000 km2) of land. The Bay Area is home to three major cities: San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland, and consists of nine counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma), 101 municipalities, and numerous other places.
Featured pictures
Six featured pictures were promoted:
- Portrait of Sir Thomas More; (nom; related article) from the painting by Hans Holbein the Younger; nominated by Crisco 1492. This 1527 oil painting on oak (right), by the German artist and printmaker Hans Holbein the Younger, was commissioned when Holbein lived in London. While there, he gained the friendship of the Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus, who recommended that he befriend Thomas More, then a powerful, knighted speaker at the English Parliament. Another version of this portrait was featured until 8 February, when it was delisted.
- Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto; (nom; related article); created by Paolo Costa and nominated by Tomer T. Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza located at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street in Toronto, Canada, that forms the forefront of the New City Hall. Named for a former mayor of the city, the Nathan Phillips Square contains numerous works of art and is used, among other things, for concerts, carnivals, and protests.
- Australasian Grebe in Mulligan's Flat Nature Reserve; (nom; related article); created and nominated by JJ Harrison. The Australasian Grebe, which measures 25 to 27 centimetres (9.8 to 10.6 in) in length, is among the smallest grebes in the world. Native to Australia and several nearby countries, the grebes are excellent swimmers.
- Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops); (nom; related article), created and nominated by JJ Harrison. Promoted for high quality, clear view of plumage, and good background separation. The Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops) is a small, slender plover, widespread throughout most of Australia, to which it is native and New Zealand, where it self-introduced in the 1950s. The birds maintain the same plumage year-round, allowing easier identification.
- Deutsche Bank Twin Towers (nom; related article), created by Jürgen Matern and nominated by Julia W. This new featured panorama (above) was stitched from 5 images taken from a high angle, showing the entirety of the twin towers and their rounded bases with a flat projection. The Deutsche Bank Twin Towers, each 155 metres (509 ft) high, is the headquarters of Deutsche Bank Group, located in the banking district in Frankfurt, Germany. In the opinion of at least one reviewer, the buildings are quite phallic.
- Mycena inclinata, Clustered Bonnet, UK (nom); related article), created and nominated by Stu Phillips. Mycena inclinata (below), commonly known as the clustered bonnet, is a species of mushroom in the Mycenaceae family. The mushroom, whose edibility is doubtful, has a reddish-brown bell-shaped cap up to 4.5 cm (1.8 in) in diameter. It is a widespread saprobic fungus, and has been found in Europe, North Africa, Asia, Australasia, and North America, where it grows in small groups or tufts on fallen logs and stumps, especially of oak.
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