Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2015-06-17/Featured content



This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted from May 31 to June 6

Featured articles
Featured articles were promoted this week.
 * Battle of San Patricio (nominated by Karanacs) The Battle of San Patricio was a 15-minute-long battle between Mexican forces under General José de Urrea and about forty Texians who were members of a volunteer army fighting for the independence of Texas. The forty were leading a troop of horses that had been gathered for a planned attack on the Mexican port of Matamaros. The Mexicans tracked the Texians to the town of San Patricio, and were able to kill or capture all except six. As the Mexican government had decreed that the Texian rebels were "pirates" the captives were dispatched after questioning.
 * Carl Nielsen (nominated by Ipigott, Smerus, Mirokado, and Dr. Blofeld) Carl Nielsen was a Danish composer who wrote six symphonies, a wind quintet and three concertos. This year marks his 150th birthday, and the airwaves hum with performances of his works. His symphonies last for about half an hour, and are noted for their unusual tonality. The success of his first symphony at a performance in Berlin in 1896 was the catalyst to Nielsen's increasing reputation, and he received commissions for theatre music and celebratory cantatas. Some of Nielsen's symphonies appear to have a psychological programme; his second symphony (1901–02) was inspired by a painting of Four Humours (angry, depressed, apathetic and in the mood for bacon). The third, the Sinfonia Espansiva is reckoned to be about the "outward growth of the mind's scope", although Nielsen never defined "espansiva". It uses Nielsen's technique of writing in two keys at the same time, despite which it was the first of his works to be commercially recorded. He married the sculptor Anne Marie Brodersen – she was strong-willed and determined to continue her own career, often spending long periods away from Nielsen and leaving him with their three children and other women.
 * Earth-grazing meteoroid of 13 October 1990 (nominated by Jan.Kamenicek) Weighing 44 kilos and travelling at a speed of about 42 kilometres a second (it's all metric in space) this ordinary chondrite grazed Earth's atmosphere at a height of 98.67 kilometres on 13 October 1990. Although flights of meteroids through the atmosphere are relatively common, observations of such events by scientific astronomical instruments are rare- this was the second (the first being in 1972), and was the first to be observed by cameras of the European Fireball Network from two locations far enough apart to enable its trajectory to be calculated.
 * Irataba (nominated by Rationalobserver, Maunus, and Dr. Blofeld) Irataba, leader of the Mohave American Indian people, was an important mediator between his people and the United States during the second half of the 19th century. He first met European Americans in 1851, when the Sitgreaves Expedition entered Mohave territory. As an English speaker and a gifted orator Irataba used his skills to protect his people by negotiating with the US government; he met President Lincoln and members of the government in Washington in 1864. As elected leader of the band of Colorado Mohave, Irataba was also a warrior, leading his band against other American Indian tribes that posed a threat to the Mohave.
 * Microscopium (nominated by Casliber) Microscopium is a small constellation of stars. If you can see it, you're south of latitude 45°N and in an area with clean, clear night skies. It was named by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille after a common optical instrument used by scientists. The brightest star in it is Gamma Microscopii, which is a yellow giant 381 light-years distant from our Sun. Another notable member is BO Microscopii, known as "Speedy Mic" for its fast rotational period of 9 hours 7 minutes. Just think, in the time it takes you to read this page "Speedy Mic" has rotated twice. We know, you keep on falling asleep in the middle of
 * Panama–Pacific commemorative coins (nominated by Wehwalt) The Panama–Pacific International Exposition, held in San Francisco in 1915, had a booth run by numismatist and entrepreneur Farran Zerbe. He sold five different commemorative coins, a silver half-dollar and (in gold) a dollar, a quarter-eagle and two $50 dollar pieces. They were struck by the San Francisco Mint.

Featured lists
Featured lists were promoted this week.
 * Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (nominated by Birdienest81 and Cowlibob) The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor has been awarded since 1936 to honor "an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while working within the film industry." Originally awarded in the form of a plaque, since 1944 the typical Oscar statuette has been given. The latest winner is J. K. Simmons for his rôle as a music teacher in the drum-banging bro-rom Whiplash.
 * Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year (nominated by Harrias) This has been awarded since 1950 to the best cricketer aged under 23, playing for a county and eligible to play for England.
 * List of United States ODI cricketers (nominated by Blackhole78) The US cricket team has played two one-day international matches, in 2004 against New Zealand. They lost both, and unfortunately lost their ODI status. This is a list of the thirteen players in the team at that time.
 * List of accolades received by Kaminey (nominated by SchroCat ) A day in the life of the underworld of the major Indian city of Mumbai; identical twins Charlie and Guddu and a guitar case full of cocaine, corrupt policemen, double-dealing jockeys, and a psychopathic politician's sister called Sweety. Charlie lisps and Guddu stutters—it's a good job Guddu is the lover of Sweety and not Charlie. Kaminey "is a 2009 Indian caper thriller" which has achieved cult status, and has won awards for its music and soundtrack.
 * List of accolades received by The Last of Us (nominated by Rhain1999) The Last of Us is a video game developed by Naughty Dog for the Sony PlayStation 3. It has won umpteen awards, including "Most Memorable Moment" for the "Giraffes Scene", and the "Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award".
 * List of scheduled monuments in Mendip (nominated by Rodw) Mendip is a local government district in the county of Somerset, England. It has a broad range of scheduled monuments within its 285 square miles, most of which, according to the List of scheduled monuments in Mendip|list, are bowl barrows. And then there's Glastonbury Abbey and Nunney Castle, and some duck decoys. This featured list completes the set of seven lists, covering the more than 670 scheduled monuments in the county of Zummerzet, and the whole is being put forward for promotion as a featured topic. Bist we be surprized? No-oh.
 * Meryl Streep on screen and stage (nominated by Krimuk90 and Dr. Blofeld) Meryl Streep began her acting career on stage in 1975, playing the part of an actress with a talent for melodrama. Probably her best-known roles are as Linda in The Deer Hunter and Donna in Mamma Mia. She has recently played a witch in the musical fantasy Into The Woods, taking the risk of being typecast following her Oscar-winning performance as Baroness Milksnatcher.

Featured pictures
Featured pictures were promoted this week.
 * Nina Sublatti (created by Ailura; nominated by Brandmeister) Georgian singer Nina Sublatti cites as her influences Janis Joplin, Brian Molko, Florence Foster Jenkins and Björk. She sang Georgia's entry for the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, "Warriors". Nina is also a noted calligrapher – it takes a long time to get her autograph, but the result is beautiful. And indelible. And on your forehead.
 * La Sila Observatory (created by F. Kamphues for ESO; nominated by The Herald) At a site on the edge of the Atacama Desert in Chile, chosen for its dry climate and dark night sky, a number of telescopes have been erected. Astronomers working at the site have discovered a record number of extra-solar planets, including several digable ones. In response to reader's queries regarding previous issues, this is a joke. "Digable Planets" is a group of musicians who play that hip-hopping style of music popular among middle-aged people.
 * The Three Musicians (created by Diego Velázquez; nominated by Crisco 1492) The Three Musicians is a painting by the 17th century Spanish master, Diego Velázquez. It is not known whether this is a genre painting of an everyday scene, or an allegory, or a scene from some tourist hell, where your peaceful enjoyment of a pint glass of xérès Viejo Calcetín and a bocadillo de queso con Branston is interrupted by three aficionados of the atonal.
 * Jane Addams (created by Bain News Service, restored and nominated by Adam Cuerden) Suffragette, founder of the social work profession in the United States, philosopher, advocate of the settlement movement, reformer, co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union and Hull House, chair of the 1915 International Congress of Women, first president of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Jane Addams was an absolute dynamo, who spent her life trying to improve the world – and succeeding.
 * Mansu Hill Grand Monument (created by Uspn; nominated by Blorgy555) Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il at the Mansu Hill Grand Monument.
 * Baden-Powell authorized Siege of Mafeking 10 Shilling note (1900) (created by Mahikeng; nominated by Godot13) Issued during the siege of Mafeking this ten-bob note was designed by Baden Powell and drawn on the flat surface of a boxwood croquet mallet sawn in half. The design was then made into a woodcut and printed on lined writing paper. The design was intended for the £1 note, but was felt to be artistically unsatisfactory, so it was demoted to a 10-shilling note. A few of the notes have the spelling mistake "Commaning", which was soon corrected. A total of £5,228 of all denominations was issued, of which only about £638 was redeemed for real money after the siege. The rest were kept as souvenirs or sold to collectors.
 * Seth Rollins (created by Anton; edited and nominated by Crisco 1492) Seth Rollins is an American wrestler, depicted here holding the winning prize for the Money in the Bank ladder match.