Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Æthelstan

Æthelstan

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the TFAR nomination of the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page unless you are renominating the article at TFAR. For renominations, please add   to the top of the discussion and   at the bottom, then complete a new TFAR nom underneath.

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/October 27, 2014 by BencherliteTalk 10:13, 15 October 2014 (UTC)



Æthelstan (died 939) is regarded by historians as one of the greatest Anglo-Saxon monarchs and the first king of England. The grandson of Alfred the Great, he succeeded as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 924. In 927 he conquered Viking-ruled York and thus became the first king to rule the whole of England. In 934 he invaded Scotland, and in 937 the Scots and the Vikings united to launch an invasion of England, but Æthelstan won a crucial victory at the Battle of Brunanburh. This gave him great prestige both in England and on the Continent. Æthelstan centralised government and summoned leading figures from distant areas to his councils, including Welsh kings, who acknowledged his lordship by their attendance. He was one of the most pious West Saxon kings (depicted presenting a book to St Cuthbert), and was known for collecting relics and founding churches. His household was the centre of English learning during his reign, and it laid the foundation for the Benedictine monastic reform later in the century. No other West Saxon king played as important a role in European politics, and he arranged the marriages of several of his sisters to continental rulers.
 * Most recent similar article(s): Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians, 3 August 2014
 * Main editors: Dudley Miles
 * Promoted: 2014
 * Reasons for nomination: Supporting campaign to get more TFAs starting with Æ. Also the first King of England deserves a TFA. 27 October is the 1075th anniversary of his death.
 * Support as nominator. Dudley Miles (talk) 18:22, 9 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Support. Honestly, I'd never heard of him. Which seems as good a reason as any to run it on the front page. Hawkeye7 (talk) 21:41, 9 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Support, most educational. On a much less educational level -- would someone please take on improving The Sword in the Stone (film) ? Thank you, &mdash; Cirt (talk) 23:08, 18 September 2014 (UTC)