Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2016-05-28/Featured content



This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted from 15 to 21 May. Text may be adapted from the respective articles and lists; see their page histories for attribution.

Featured articles
featured articles were promoted this week.
 * Hasan al-Kharrat (nominated by Al Ameer son) (1861–1925) was one of the principal Syrian rebel commanders of the Great Syrian Revolt against the French Mandate. His main area of operations was in Damascus and its Ghouta countryside. Al-Kharrat was killed in a French ambush in Ghouta, and the revolt dissipated by 1927, but he gained a lasting reputation as a martyr of the Syrian resistance to French rule.
 * Isidor Isaac Rabi (nominated by Hawkeye7) (1898–1988) was an American physicist and Nobel laureate, recognized in 1944 for his discovery of nuclear magnetic resonance, which is used in magnetic resonance imaging. He was also one of the first scientists in the United States to work on the cavity magnetron, which is used in microwave radars and microwave ovens.
 * The new wave of British heavy metal (nominated by Lewismaster) was a nationwide musical movement that started in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. It is best remembered for drawing on the heavy metal of the 1970s and infusing it with the intensity of punk rock to produce fast and aggressive songs. The DIY attitude of the new metal bands led to the spread of raw-sounding, self-produced recordings and a proliferation of independent record labels. Song lyrics were usually about escapist themes such as mythology, fantasy, horror and the rock lifestyle.
 * William Harper (nominated by Cliftonian) (1916–2006) was a politician, general contractor and Royal Air Force fighter pilot who served as a Cabinet minister in Rhodesia from 1962 to 1968, and signed that country's Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1965.
 * Reg Pollard (nominated by Ian Rose) (1903–1978) was a senior commander in the Australian Army, serving as Chief of the General Staff from 1960 to 1963. After retiring from the military in 1963, Pollard became Honorary Colonel of the Royal Australian Regiment; he served as Australian Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II during the Royal Visit in 1970 and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order the same year.
 * Baleen whales (nominated by Dunkleosteus77) are a widely distributed and diverse parvorder of carnivorous marine mammals, and comprise four families and 15 species. They have two limbs that are modified into flippers. Baleen whales use their baleen plates to filter out food from the water. They have fused neck vertebrae, and are unable to turn their head at all. Baleen whales have two blowholes, and have a layer of fat under the skin to keep them warm. Although baleen whales are widespread, most species prefer the colder waters around the Northern and Southern poles.
 * William Howard Taft (nominated by Wehwalt) (1857–1930) served as the 27th President of the United States and as the 10th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected president in 1908, the chosen successor of Theodore Roosevelt, but was defeated for re-election by Woodrow Wilson in 1912. After leaving office, Taft returned to Yale as a professor, continuing his political activity and working against war through the League to Enforce Peace. In 1921, Warren G. Harding appointed Taft chief justice, a position in which he served until a few weeks before his death.
 * Walt Disney (nominated by SchroCat) (1901–1966) was an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor and film producer. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer he received 22 Academy Awards from 59 nominations and has won more individual Oscars than anyone else. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and one Emmy Award, among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Featured lists
featured lists were promoted this week.
 * Costa Rica is administratively divided into seven provinces which are subdivided into 81 cantons (nominated by Mattximus), and these are further subdivided into districts. Cantons are the only administrative division in Costa Rica that possess local government in the form of municipalities. Each municipality has its own mayor and several representatives, all of them chosen via municipal elections every four years. The largest canton by population is the capital San José with a population of . The smallest canton by population is Turrubares with residents. The largest canton by land area is San Carlos, which spans 3347.98 km2, while the smallest is Flores at 6.96 km2.
 * Bipasha Basu (born 1979) is an Indian actress who has featured in over 50 films (nominated by Yashthepunisher and Vensatry), predominantly in Bollywood. She also hosted the television horror series Darr Sabko Lagta Hai in 2015.
 * Bradley Cooper (born 1975) is an American actor and producer. As of 2016, he has won 21 awards from 70 nominations (nominated by Famous Hobo) . His major nominations include four Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Tony Award.

Featured pictures
featured pictures were promoted this week.