Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests

Please place new requests at the top of the page.

Entry template

===[[ARTICLE TITLE]]===
<div style="width:55%; background-color:#f5fffa; border:1px solid #cef2e0;padding:1em;padding-top:0.5em; color: black">
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[[Image:IMAGENAME.EXT||left|100px|Logo for ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007]]
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<div>SUMMARY '''([[ARTICLE TITLE|more...]])'''</div>
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YOUR REASON(S) FOR THE PROPOSED ARTICLE. ~~~~

Then place {{Main Page request}} to the talk page under the Article History.

Requests

Maserati MC12

A Maserati MC12

The Maserati MC12 is a grand tourer which was manufactured by Maserati in 2004 and 2005. There were only 50 produced and all were sold to customers chosen by Maserati, each costing €600 000. The car was made for homologation so that Maserati could race it in the FIA GT.

Maserati designed and built the car on the chassis of the Enzo Ferrari but the final car is much larger. The MC12 is longer, wider and taller than the Enzo Ferrari, but the Enzo has faster acceleration and a higher top speed.

The MC12 was developed to signal Maserati's return to racing after 37 years. Three GT1 race cars were entered into the FIA GT toward the end of the 2004 season, achieving a victory at the Zhuhai International Circuit. In 2005 the 2 teams racing MC12's placed first and second while in 2006 only one team, Vitaphone Racing, entered but repeated the victory. The racing MC12's were entered into the American Le Mans Series in 2005 but were not as successful as in the FIA GT. (more...)

Recently promoted to FA (February 17th). I'm not requesting a specific date but it should be separated from Mini Moke, another car article. James086^Talk 03:06, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Cannibal Holocaust

Theatrical poster

Cannibal Holocaust (1980) is a controversial exploitation film directed by Ruggero Deodato and based on a screenplay written by Gianfranco Clerici and Giorgio Stegani. Filmed in the actual Amazon Rainforest, it focuses on a team of four documentarians who head deep into the jungle to make a documentary on the primitive native tribes that live there. After two months and no word from the team, a famous anthropologist is sent on a rescue mission in hopes of finding the team alive. The film stars Robert Kerman as the anthropologist Harold Monroe, Carl Gabriel Yorke as director Alan Yates, Francesca Ciardi as Alan's girlfriend Faye, Perry Pirkanen as the cameraman Jack Anders, and Luca Barbareschi as fellow cameraman Mark Tomaso.

Cannibal Holocaust is one of the best known exploitation films due to the controversy it caused during its release. After premiering in Italy, the film was seized by the local Magistrate and Deodato was arrested for obscenity. He was later accused of making a snuff film based on circulating rumors that the film's actors were slain for the camera. Though Deodato would be cleared of these charges, the film was banned in Italy, the UK, Australia, and several other countries for graphic gore, sexual violence, and for the geniune slayings of six animals featured in the film. While many nations have revoked the ban, it is still banned to this day in other countries around the world. Despite this notoriety, Cannibal Holocaust is seen by some critics as a social commentary on civilized society.

This article has been recently promoted to Featured Article status, and my reason is just because I'm a fan of the film and want it to have more recognition than it has now. I am wary about the poster, however, as it may be too graphic for the main page. Helltopay27 23:15, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

This article only has a chance in Hell of appearing on the main page.-BillDeanCarter 06:57, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Ah, the user formally known as BiancaofHell (don't ask how I know and remember that... it's a long story). Yeah, I remember your reaction to it on the featured article nomination page. It's too bad, really, and I find it weird because of Wikipedia's "strict" no-censorship policy. Helltopay27 16:35, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Mini Moke

Mini Moke

The Mini Moke is a vehicle based on the Mini and designed for the British Motor Corporation (BMC) by Sir Alec Issigonis. The name comes from "Mini"—the car with which the Moke shares many parts—and "Moke", which is archaic British slang for "donkey".

The initial design was a prototype for a light military vehicle in the style of the American Jeep, but its small wheels and low ground clearance made it impractical as an off-road vehicle. It was subsequently offered in a civilian version as a low cost, easily maintained, utility vehicle. The Moke finally achieved success as a beach buggy - becoming a popular 'cult' vehicle in Australia, the U.S. and many tropical holiday resorts. The Moke used identical engine, transmission and suspension parts to the basic Mini.

Mokes were first built at BMC's Longbridge, Birmingham plant, but production was soon moved overseas. 14,500 Mokes were produced in the UK between 1964 and 1968, 26,000 in Australia between 1966 and 1981 and 10,000 in Portugal between 1980 and 1993 when production of the Moke ended.

(more...)

Recently promoted to FA. It's been six months since we last had a car article on the front page and in the whole history of Wikipedia, there have only ever been six car articles on the front page. SteveBaker 23:17, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Roman-Spartan War (Request ASAP)

The Roman–Spartan War or Laconian War of 195 BC was fought between the Greek city-state of Sparta and a coalition comprised of Rome, the Achean League, Pergamum, Rhodes, and Macedon.

During the Second Macedonian War (200–196 BC), Macedon had given Sparta control over Argos, an important city on the Aegean coast of Peloponnese. Sparta's continued occupation of Argos at the end of war was used as a pretext for Rome and its allies to declare war. The anti-Spartan coalition laid siege to Argos, captured the Spartan naval base at Gythium, and soon invested and besieged Sparta itself. Eventually, negotiations led to peace on Rome's terms, under which Argos and the coastal towns of Laconia were freed from Spartan rule and the Spartans were compelled to pay a war indemnity to Rome over the next eight years. Argos joined the Achaean League, and the Laconian towns were placed under Achaean protection.

As a result of the war, Sparta lost its position as a major power in Greece. All consequent Spartan attempts to recover the losses failed and Nabis, the last sovereign ruler, was eventually murdered. Soon after, Sparta was forcibly made a member of its former rival, the Achaean League, ending several centuries of fierce political independence. (More...)

• This article is on a scarcly none part of Greek history and by appearing on the front page it might help give it more coverage. Kyriakos 07:38, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Effects of Hurricane Isabel in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Hurricane Isabel making landfall

The Effects of Hurricane Isabel in Maryland and Washington, D.C. were among the worst from a tropical cyclone in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Hurricane Isabel formed from a tropical wave on September 6 2003 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It moved northwestward, and within an environment of light wind shear and warm waters it steadily strengthened to reach peak winds of 165 mph (265 km/h) on September 11. After fluctuating in intensity for four days, Isabel gradually weakened and made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) on September 18. It quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania the next day. The large circulation produced tropical storm force winds throughout the area, downing many trees and leaving about 1.24 million people without power. The worst of its effects came from its storm surge, which inundated areas along the coast and resulted in severe beach erosion. In Eastern Maryland, hundreds of buildings were damaged or destroyed, primarily in Queen Anne's County from tidal flooding. Thousands of houses were affected in Central Maryland, with severe storm surge flooding reported in Baltimore and Annapolis. Washington, D.C. sustained moderate damage, primarily from the winds. Throughout Maryland and Washington, damage totaled about $820 million (2003 USD, $915 million 2006 USD), with only one direct fatality due to flooding. (More...)

It's featured, it's comprehensive, and shows that Wikipedia is more than just a general knowledge encyclopedia &mdash it is also becoming a leading source for informations on tropical cyclones. Any date would do for main date; the hurricane occurred in September so there's no good dates any time soon. Hurricanehink (talk) 04:29, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Act of Independence of Lithuania (Request for March 11)

Facsimile of the Act of of Independence of Lithuania

The Act of Independence of Lithuania was signed by the Council of Lithuania on February 16 1918, proclaiming the restoration of an independent State of Lithuania, governed by democratic principles, with Vilnius as its capital. The Act was signed by all twenty members of the council, chaired by Jonas Basanavičius. The Act of February 16 was the end result of a series of resolutions on the issue, including one issued by the Vilnius Conference and the Act of January 8. The path to the Act was long and complex because the German Empire exerted pressure on the Council to form an alliance. The Council had to carefully maneuver between the Germans, whose troops were present in Lithuania, and the demands of the Lithuanian people.

While the Act's original document has been lost, its legacy continues. The laconic Act is the legal basis for the existence of modern Lithuania, both during the interwar period and since 1990. The Act formulated the basic constitutional principles that were and still are followed by all Constitutions of Lithuania. The Act itself was a key element in the foundation of Lithuania's Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, adopted on March 11, 1990. Lithuania, breaking away from the Soviet Union, stressed that it was simply re-establishing the independent state that existed between the world wars and that the Act never lost its legal power. (More...)

• The article was written and nominated for FA because WP:LITH hopes it can make the front page on March 11 to commemorate the Independence Day of Lithuania. Renata 02:36, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

David I of Scotland

Contemporary portrait of David, found in the Book of Kelso.

David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim (b. 1083x1085; d. May 29 1153) was a 12th century ruler who was in succession Prince of the Cumbrians (1113-1124) and King of Scots (1124-1153). The youngest son of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada and Margaret, David spent most of his childhood in Scotland, but was exiled to England in 1093. There he became a hanger-on at the court of King Henry I and experienced long exposure to Norman and Anglo-French culture. When David's brother, King Alexander I of Scotland, died in 1124, David chose, with the backing of Henry I, to take the Kingdom of Scotland (Alba) for himself. He was forced to engage in warfare against his rival and nephew, Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair. Subduing the latter took David ten years, and involved the destruction of Óengus, Mormaer of Moray. David's victory allowed him to expand his control over more distant regions theoretically part of his Kingdom. After the death of his former patron Henry I, David supported the claims of Henry's daughter and his own niece, the former Empress-consort, Matilda, to the throne of England; in the process, he came into conflict with King Stephen and was able to expand his power in northern England, despite his defeat at the Battle of the Standard in 1138. The term "Davidian Revolution" is used by many scholars to summarise the changes which took place in the Kingdom of Scotland during his reign. These included his foundation of burghs, implementation of the ideals of Gregorian Reform, foundation of monasteries, Normanisation of the Scottish government, and the introduction of feudalism through immigrant French...(more...)

Not sure about a specific date; May 29, though far into the future, is the date of his death, and the only possible suggestion. He deserves to be on the main page on any day though. ;) -- Calgacus (ΚΑΛΓΑΚΟΣ) 01:56, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Law | URGENT on Main Page

Equality and the balancing of interests under law is symbolised by a blindfold and weighing scales

Law (from Old English lagu "something laid down or fixed"; legal comes from Latin lex "law") has been defined as a "system of rules", as "any system of regulations to govern the conduct of the people of a community, society or nation", as an "interpretive concept" to achieve justice, as an "authority" to mediate people's interests, and even as "the command of a sovereign, backed by the threat of a sanction". Law informs everyday life and society in a wide variety of ways. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus ticket to trading swaptions on a derivatives market. When buying or renting, property law defines people's rights and duties towards a bank or landlord. When earning pensions, trust law protects savings. Tort law allows claims for compensation when someone or their property is harmed. But if the harm is criminalised, and the act is intentional, then criminal law offers means to prosecute the perpetrator. Society itself is built upon law. Constitutional law provides a framework for making new laws, protecting people's human rights, and electing political representatives, while administrative law allows ordinary citizens to challenge the way government bodies exercise their power. International law regulates the affairs between sovereign nation states in everything from trade, to the environment, to military action. As the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote in 350 BC, "the rule of law is better than the rule of any individual." (More...)

• The reasons for the above formitting are:

1. In the first introduction paragraph there was a huge discussion on what Law is, so I have bolded and italized some of the quotes in the first Paragraph.
2. I have italized the wikilinks which are law related so its easier to read, esp. when on the main page to attract attention.

I've replaced the above with what the current law page shows, which is what I've updated it; it's somewhat shorter, because we've got a relatively long intro and the Aristotle quote, perhaps, is a good tantiliser; Was just about to put this up myself but hadn't realised it was already on here!Wikidea 12:34, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

• This Law was brought to FA status with the help of a lot of Wikipedia editors esp. Wikidea (talk · contribs), Yannismarou (talk · contribs), SandyGeorgia (talk · contribs), Robth (talk · contribs) Peter Isotalo (talk · contribs) and many many more.

--Parker007 21:29, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Support It should appear immediately, and then again in 4 to 6 months. The more people read it the finer it will get.-BillDeanCarter 07:00, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

• Hmm. This is a WP:VA. Definitely support for TFA soon. Titoxd^(?!?) 08:08, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Support (obviously!) and I shamelessly agree that, if it helps to get people working on sub articles, that it could be good to feature it again later. I was wondering if a message on the discussion page could be posted in order to point people to the sub pages if they want to add lots. This is a page that, as much as anything on Wikipedia, everyone can have an opinion about and want to edit, if you see what I mean. Wikidea 12:34, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Cricket World Cup (Request for March 13)

The ICC Cricket World Cup trophy

The ICC Cricket World Cup trophy

The ICC Cricket World Cup, generally referred to as the Cricket World Cup, is the premier international championship of men's One-day International (ODI) cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years. The tournament is one of the world's largest and most viewed sporting events. According to the ICC, it is the most important tournament and the pinnacle of achievement in the sport. The first Cricket World Cup contest was organised in England in 1975. A separate Women's Cricket World Cup has been held every four years since 1973.

The finals of the Cricket World Cup are contested by all ten Test-playing and ODI-playing nations, together with other national teams that qualify through the ICC Trophy competition. Australia has been the most successful of the five teams to have won the tournament, taking three titles. The West Indies have won twice, while India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have each won once.

The most recent Cricket World Cup finals were held between 9 February and 24 March 2003, in Southern Africa. Australia defeated India in the final to retain the championship. The 2007 Cricket World Cup will be held in the West Indies and commences on 13 March 2007. The 2007 tournament will feature sixteen teams competing in a pool stage (played in round robin format), then a "super 8" stage, followed by semi-finals and a final. (more...)

"The premier international championship of men's One-day International (ODI) cricket", the Cricket World cup, starts on 13 March and the final is played on 28 April. It would be good to see this article on the main page on either of those dates. I chose the logo for the upcoming tournament as the image, but the lead image of the article Image:Cricket_World_Cup_trophy.png might be preferred. →Ollie (talk • contribs) 19:49, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Strong support The ideal timing of it being on the main page will be March 13^th but April 28^th will do too. I prefer the trophy picture though, so I have switched it.--Thugchildz

Support I agree with the ideal timing - opening day of the tournament would be superb. Lots of good work has gone into this recently to improve the quality, too. --Dave. 21:42, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Strong Support. I also prefer March 13, as it would raise the awareness of the tournament before it occurred. However, April 28 is also good. This is a brilliant oppurtunity to raise the awareness of the World Cup and cricket itself; it's brilliant that this article has become a featured article! Cream147 _{Shout at me for doing wrong} 21:41, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Support Yep March 13 make pefect sence. I really think that there should be more FA on the main page for a reason other than they are a FA. Buc 07:15, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Strong Support Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there has ever been a cricket article on the main page. Admittedly, there are precious few Cricket FA's, but I am in total and complete compliance with a) the trophy picture being selected and b) the date of most relevance, in this case March 13. We really should make sure main page articles have relevance to a current event, if it is major. к1иgf1$н£я5ω1fт 16:48, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Apart from Cricket, The Ashes, Bodyline, History of Test cricket from 1884 to 1889, Brian Close, and A. E. J. Collins, you mean? Actually, there are only a few FAs on cricket subjects that have not been on the Main Page... -- ALoan (Talk) 17:31, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Yes, lots of Cricket pages have made the front page. Is there a single cricket featured article that hasn't been on the front page (besides this one naturally)? Obviously, that doesn't mean that this one shouldn't join the crew naturally. Cream147 _{Shout at me for doing wrong} 20:08, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

See the list on WP:CRIC - the bold ones have been on the main page on the date given. Six have, three haven't, and one de-featured article has. →Ollie (talk • contribs) 20:18, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

All of those? That's surprising. I do apologise for my idiocy. Please, ignore my futile attempts at wisdom :) к1иg---f1$н---£я5ω1fт 15:49, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Bill Russell (Request March 12)

Image Bill Russell receiving the Most Valuable Player award of the 1963 All-Star game.

Image Bill Russell receiving the Most Valuable Player award of the 1963 All-Star game.

William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, the 6'9" Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven league championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league.

Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team.

Russell is widely considered one of the best defensive players in NBA history. His shot-blocking and man-to-man coverage were major reasons for the Celtics' success, and he inspired other players to elevate their own defensive play. (more...)

NBA Hall-of-Fame Boston Celtics player Bill Russell is the most successful player in North American professional team sports, winning 11 titles in 13 years. AFAIK, there never has been a NBA player on the Main Page before, due to a lack of WP:NBA FA articles, so this would be a legitimate equest. The FA promotion (Feb 17) just missed February 12, his birthday, so March 12 commemorates the day his jersey was retired by the Celtics franchise.[1] —Onomatopoeia 14:05, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

• Support there is no other appropriate date. Chensiyuan 13:11, 24 February 2007 (UTC)
• Support It's WP:NBA's first featured article, and we're very proud of it. And the date's quite appropriate, too! ekedolphin 08:37, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin, aged 51, shortly after publishing On the Origin of Species

Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an eminent English naturalist who achieved lasting fame by convincing the scientific community that species develop over time from a common origin. His theories explaining this phenomenon through natural and sexual selection are central to the modern understanding of evolution as the unifying theory of the life sciences, essential in biology and important in other disciplines such as anthropology, psychology and philosophy.

Darwin developed his interest in natural history while studying first medicine, then theology, at university. His five-year voyage on the Beagle established him as a geologist whose observations and theorising supported Charles Lyell's uniformitarian ideas, and the subsequent publication of his journal of the voyage made him famous as a popular author. Puzzled by the geographical distribution of wildlife and fossils he collected on the voyage, he investigated the transmutation of species and conceived his theory of natural selection in 1838. He had seen others attacked for such heretical ideas and confided only in his closest friends while carrying out extensive research to meet anticipated objections. However, in 1858, Alfred Russel Wallace sent him an essay describing a similar theory, forcing early joint publication of both of their theories.

His 1859 book, On the Origin of Species, established evolution by common descent as the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature. Human origins and features without obvious utility such as beautiful bird plumage were examined in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, followed by The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. His research on plants was published in a series of books, and in his final book, he examined earthworms and their effect on soil.

In recognition of Darwin's pre-eminence, he was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to John Herschel and Isaac Newton.

(More...)

Charles Darwin is, quite simply, one of the top two, if not the most, important scientists in the field of Biology. Only real rival I can think of is Gregor Mendel. 19 April, as the 125th anniversary of his death, seems particularly appropriate. Adam Cuerden ^talk 00:29, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

• I do not know if this is some sort of poll, but in that case I support this request.--Uyet Ustranimii 21:07, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Sydney Roosters (Request for 18th or 19th of March)

Image alt-text

The Sydney Roosters (also known as The Roosters) are a professional rugby league club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. They play in the National Rugby League and are one of the most successful clubs in Australian rugby league, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League and National Rugby League titles. The side holds the longest winning streak (nineteen) and the second largest margin of victory (87–7) in league history. The club was founded in 1908 in Paddington, Sydney, under the name "Eastern Suburbs"; in 1994, the name was changed to the "Sydney City Roosters", and in 2000 to just the "Sydney Roosters". The Bondi Junction-based Roosters have a long-standing and fierce rivalry with the South Sydney Rabbitohs from Redfern, who are, along with the Sydney Roosters, the only remaining foundation club in the National Rugby League. In Australia, a foundation club is one that played in the first season of a competition. Eastern Suburbs played in the first season of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, the predecessor to the National Rugby League competition.(more...)

Already a featured article. The Sydney Roosters will commence its 100th season on Monday the 19th of March. It would be great if the article could get front page status to coincide with this historic rugby league event on either the 18th or 19th of March of this year. Sbryce858 11:18, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

Solar System

Image alt-text

The Solar System comprises the Sun and the retinue of celestial objects gravitationally bound to it: the eight planets, their 162 known moons, three currently identified dwarf planets and their four known moons, and thousands of small bodies. This last category includes asteroids, meteoroids, comets, and interplanetary dust. In broad terms, the charted regions of the Solar System consist of the Sun (astronomical symbol), four rocky bodies close to it called the inner planets, an inner belt of rocky asteroids, four giant outer planets and a second belt of small icy bodies known as the Kuiper belt. In order of their distances from the Sun, the planets are Mercury (), Venus (), Earth (), Mars (), Jupiter (), Saturn (), Uranus (), and Neptune (). Six of the eight planets are in turn orbited by natural satellites (usually termed "moons" after Earth's Moon) and every planet past the asteroid belt is encircled by planetary rings of dust and other particles. The planets other than Earth are named after gods and goddesses from Greco-Roman mythology. The three dwarf planets are Pluto, (), the largest known Kuiper belt object, Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, and Eris, which lies beyond the Kuiper belt in a region called the scattered disc. (more...)

FA this notable should be put on main page as soon as possible. Buc 09:52, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

AC/DC

AC/DC, from left to right: Malcolm Young, Phil Rudd, Angus Young, Cliff Williams and Brian Johnson

AC/DC, from left to right: Malcolm Young, Phil Rudd, Angus Young, Cliff Williams and Brian Johnson

AC/DC are an Australian hard rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. AC/DC are considered pioneers of hard rock, selling more than 150 million albums worldwide. However, they post-date the UK pioneers of hard (blues) rock, such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath, releasing their first album in the mid-1970s after these were established.

AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. With Phil Rudd in drums, membership remained stable until bassist Cliff Williams replaced Mark Evans in 1977. In 1980, after the release of eleven albums including their highly successful, Highway to Hell, lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died. The group briefly considered disbanding, but soon singer Brian Johnson was selected as Scott's replacement. Later that year, the band released their biggest-selling album, Back in Black.

The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was also highly successful and was their first album to reach #1 in the U.S., however, AC/DC declined in popularity, and poor record sales continued until the release of The Razor's Edge in 1990. Their latest album, Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well-received by critics. A new album is expected in 2007. (More...)

The article was promothed to FA less than a month ago. No particular date requested. No-Bullet (Talk • Contribs) 03:16, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Chelsea F.C. (Request for 14 March)

Image alt-text

Chelsea Football Club are an English professional football club based in west London. Founded in 1905, they play in the FA Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier in English football. They have had two broad periods of success, one during the 1960s and early 1970s, and the second from the late 1990s to the present day. Chelsea have won three league titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups. During the 2005-06 season, they became Premier League champions for the second consecutive year.

Chelsea's home is the 42,055 capacity Stamford Bridge football stadium in Fulham, West London, where they have played since their foundation. Despite their name, the club are based just outside the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. In 2003, the club were bought by Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich.

The club's traditional kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks. Their traditional crest is a ceremonial blue lion holding a staff; a modified version of this was adopted in 2005. Chelsea are one of the best-supported clubs in the UK, with an estimated fanbase of around four million. The club have made a contribution to popular culture, appearing in films and the music charts. (more...)

One of the biggest football (soccer) clubs in the world. The date is the date they were founded. Buc 17:32, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

Aaron Sorkin (Request date to be determined)

Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born on June 9, 1961 in New York City) is an American screenwriter, producer and playwright. He graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre in 1983, and spent much of the 1980s in New York as a struggling, largely unemployed actor. He found his passion in writing plays however, and quickly established himself as a young promising playwright. His stageplay A Few Good Men caught the attention of Hollywood producer David Brown, who bought the film rights before the play even premiered. A Few Good Men was first a Broadway success and then a box office success. Sorkin spent the early 1990s writing two other screenplays at Castle Rock Entertainment for the films Malice and The American President. In the mid-1990s he worked as a script doctor on films such as Schindler's List and Bulworth. His television career began in 1998, when he created the TV comedy series Sports Night. A year later he created the multiple Emmy-award-winning political drama The West Wing. In 2006 he created the TV dramedy Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. His most recent feature film screenplay is Charlie Wilson's War. After more than a decade away from the theatre, Sorkin returned to write The Farnsworth Invention, which starts a run at La Jolla Playhouse in late February 2007. (More...)

Hello. Now that the Aaron Sorkin article has reached the quality of an FA, it's time to let the world know. Here are the reasons I think the article should appear on the main page on (a date to be determined):

1. It's the first article on a Screenwriter to reach FA. Knowledge of such a career was previously missing from Wikipedia.
2. It will encourage others to improve the articles on Screenwriters and Playwrights at Wikipedia.
3. It will hopefully draw contributors to the nascent Wikiproject Screenwriters.
4. The date requested is a Monday, so if you read the article at the office or on campus or really anywhere, you'll be able to immediately catch one of Sorkin's works later that night on the Tube: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
5. It's the most detailed and comprehensive article on the life of Aaron Sorkin to be found anywhere on the planet, making it a Wikipedia exclusive at the moment.-BiancaOfHell 00:12, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

Unfortunately this article contains no images. This is a requirement for an article to be on the main page. Buc 17:04, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

There's a free image now. ShadowHalo 18:57, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

All Blacks (Request for 7 September to 20 October)

the 1905 All Blacks on their Northern Hemisphere tour.

The All Blacks are New Zealand's national rugby union team. Rugby union is New Zealand's national sport, with the All Blacks a formidable power in international rugby, possessing a winning record against all nations. The All Blacks compete annually with Australia and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with Australia. They have been Tri-Nations champions seven times in the tournament's eleven-year history, have twice completed a Grand Slam (in 1978 and in 2005), and currently hold the Bledisloe Cup. They are the top ranked team in the world, and the 2006 International Rugby Board (IRB) Team of the Year. Twelve former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. (More...)

Requesting late September or early October 2007 (during the Rugby World Cup). Buc 17:55, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

Sasha (DJ) (request for September 4)

Sasha DJ-ing in Romania

Sasha (born Alexander Coe on 4 September 1969), is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s, and became a central figure in the development and popularisation of electronic dance music. He partnered with fellow DJ John Digweed in 1993, touring internationally and producing a series of mixes (compilations of other artists work played in a continuous fashion). Through their track selection and mixing techniques, Sasha and Digweed were instrumental in the evolution of progressive trance and house music.

Sasha has produced multiple UK-charting singles and has remixed tracks for artists such as Madonna and The Chemical Brothers. His remix of Felix Da Housecat's "Watching Cars Go By" earned him a 2004 Grammy nomination. Sasha's remixing and production often combine electronic music genres, making it difficult for critics to pinpoint his musical style, including on his debut album of original work, Airdrawndagger. Sasha's use of live audio engineering equipment helped popularise technological innovations among DJs who formerly relied on records and turntables. (More...)

The queue is rather long, so I should probably submit this now. I would like to request September 4, Sasha's birthday, for this to be FA of the day. If not then, any other day is fine. I realize this is pop culturey, but I don't recall any electronic music articles on the front page. Wickethewok 16:32, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

Roy of the Rovers

Roy of the Rovers

Roy of the Rovers

Roy of the Rovers is a British comic strip about the life and exploits of a fictional footballer named Roy Race which has run in various publications since 1954. The strip gave its name to a weekly (and later monthly) comic magazine, published by IPC and Fleetway from 1976 to 1995, in which it was the main feature. The weekly strip ran from 1954 to 1993 and followed Race's playing career until its conclusion with his loss of a foot in a helicopter crash. When the monthly comic was launched later that year, the focus switched to his son, Rocky, a player at the same club. This publication was short-lived, and folded after only 19 issues. The adventures of the Race family were featured one final time in short installments in the monthly Match of the Day football magazine, in which father and son were reunited as manager and player. These strips began in 1997 and continued until the magazine's close in May 2001; they currently represent the latest printed Roy of the Rovers stories. However, in February 2007, it was announced that a group of fans had obtained the rights to reprint classic strips and, eventually, publish new stories in a local football fanzine.

Football-themed stories were a staple of British comics from the 1950s onwards, and Roy of the Rovers was the most popular ever produced, with an estimated one million readers at the height of its popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s. As such, it holds a unique place in British football folklore, demonstrated most clearly by the stock phrase "real Roy of the Rovers stuff". This is often used by football writers and commentators when describing displays of great skill or results that go against the odds, in reference to the dramatic storylines that became the strip's trademark. (More...)

Became featured around August 2006, but it's an article that not many people tend to pay attention to. A bit more public attention has surrounded the series now, though, following the announcement of a new series and the curious deal struck by fans to obtain the rights, so it might be nice and timely to get it on the front page at some point. Seb Patrick 14:21, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

The Boondock Saints

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The Boondock Saints is a 1999 action crime drama film written and directed by Troy Duffy. The film stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as fraternal twins Conner and Murphy, who become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian Mafia in self-defense. Believing they are on a mission from God, the brothers with friend and former mob errand boy David Della Rocco—who is extensively referred to as the "Funny Man" throughout the film—set out to rid their home city of Boston from the Russian and Italian Mafia. Meanwhile, they are pursued by FBI agent Paul Smecker, played by Willem Dafoe, and are joined at the end of the film by Il Duce, played by Billy Connolly. Duffy wrote the screenplay based on his personal experience of the world around him, including news reports, and seeing a deceased woman being removed from a drug dealer's apartment. The film experienced a limited theatrical release of only five theaters for one week, and was met with poor critical reviews; however, it proved divisive among viewers, developing a cult following and enmity from viewers and critics who have called it a film undeserving of cult status. (More...)

Article achieved featured status, on December 20th, 2006. I'd like to request a February 13th date on the main page if possible, mostly because that is my birthday, and would be of personal value to myself. If the 13th of February is not conceivable, any date would be sufficient. KOS | talk 19:13, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Hollaback Girl

Cover of "Hollaback Girl"

Cover of "Hollaback Girl"

"Hollaback Girl" is a pop song written by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams for Stefani's debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). The song is strongly influenced by 1980s hip hop and dance music, and was written in response to a comment about Stefani made by grunge musician Courtney Love in an interview with Seventeen magazine.

The song was released in 2005 as the album's third single, and it proved to be one of the biggest successes of the year. It reached the number one spot in Australia and the United States, and became the first U.S. digital download to sell more than one million copies and the first to sell more digital singles than CDs. At the 2006 Grammy Awards, the song was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. Despite its commercial success, "Hollaback Girl" had a polarizing effect on music critics and was especially criticized for its repeated use of the word "shit". (More...)

Recently promoted to FA. It would make a nice reminder to readers that Wikipedia is not censored and that featured articles are about the quality of the prose, not the quality of the subject. No specific date requested. ShadowHalo 18:12, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (request for 10 March)

The Buffy logo.

The Buffy logo.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American cult television series that aired from March 10, 1997, until May 20, 2003. It was created by writer-director Joss Whedon under his production tag, Mutant Enemy. The series narrative follows Buffy Anne Summers (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar), the latest in a line of young women chosen by fate to battle against vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness. Like previous slayers, Buffy is aided by a Watcher, who guides and trains her. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy surrounds herself with a circle of loyal friends who become known as the "Scooby Gang". The series usually reached between two and four million viewers on original airings. Although such ratings are lower than successful shows on the "big four" networks (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox), they were a success for the relatively new and smaller Warner Brothers Network. (More...)

Requested for March 10, 2007. This article went through a very long and strict FAR, resulting in it genuinely deserving its featured status from October 2006. Improvements have continued, and several editors including myself regularly check that all edits are improving rather than damaging quality, and taken/take action if required. On March 10, 2007, it will be ten years since the show was first broadcast. I have spent more than a year on Wikipedia now, and worked very hard to improve many Buffy-related articles including this one, and would be eternally eternally grateful if this article could be 'Today's featured article' on the 10th anniversary of Buffy. -- Paxomen 16:39, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

• Comment. References removed. Michaelas10 (Talk) 22:29, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

You mean references have been removed from this mini-summary of the article above. I looked at the history of the article and the references in the article are as strong as ever, and were even updated and corrected in mid-February. -- Buffyverse 17:17, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Vijayanagara Empire

Yali pillars

The Vijayanagara Empire was a South Indian empire based in the Deccan. Established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I, it lasted until 1646 although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan sultanates. The empire is named after its capital city of Vijayanagara, whose impressive ruins surround modern Hampi, now a World Heritage Site in modern Karnataka, India. The writings of medieval European travelers such as Domingo Paes, Fernao Nuniz and Niccolò Da Conti and the literature in local vernaculars provide crucial information about its history. Archaeological excavations at Vijayanagara have revealed the empire's power and wealth.

The empire's legacy includes many monuments spread over South India, the best known being the group at Hampi. The previous temple building traditions in South India came together in the Vijayanagara Architecture style. The mingling of all faiths and vernaculars inspired architectural innovation of Hindu temple construction, first in the Deccan and later in the Dravidian idioms using the local granite. Secular royal structures show the influence of the Northern Deccan Sultanate architecture. Efficient administration and vigorous overseas trade brought new technologies like water management systems for irrigation. The empire's patronage enabled fine arts and literature to reach new heights in the languages of Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit, while Carnatic music evolved into its current form. The Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in South Indian history that transcended regionalism by promoting Hinduism as a unifying factor. (More...)

This article has just been selected as a FA.Dineshkannambadi 13:53, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria

Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria

Ivan Alexander ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history. Ivan Alexander began his rule by dealing with internal problems and external threats from Bulgaria's neighbours, the Byzantine Empire and Serbia, as well as leading his empire into a period of economic recovery and cultural and religious renaissance.

However, the emperor was later unable to cope with the mounting incursions of Ottoman forces, Hungarian invasions from the northwest and the Black Death. In an ill-fated attempt to combat these problems, he divided the country between his two sons, thus forcing it to face the imminent Ottoman conquest weakened and divided.

During Ivan Alexander's rule, the Second Bulgarian Empire entered a period of considerable prosperity, which is sometimes referred to as the "Second Golden Age of Bulgarian culture", the original one being the rule of Simeon the Great. A large number of Bulgarian monasteries and churches were constructed or renovated on the order of the tsar. (More...)

Just promoted. No specific date requests, but it's the first purely Bulgarian FA so many people can't wait to see it frontpaged, including me :) Todor→Bozhinov 12:22, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Having thought about it for a while, 17 February (date of his death) might be a good date, but I do realize the queue is quite long, so I wouldn't complain too much if this request isn't fulfilled :) Todor→Bozhinov 20:54, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

The Office with date request

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The Office is an Emmy Award-winning American television comedy that debuted on NBC as a midseason replacement on March 24, 2005. The show is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. Although fictional and scripted, the show takes the form of a documentary, with the presence of the camera often acknowledged. (More...)

This article was approved as a featured article in April 2006. It seems appropriate to put it up on March 24th. Support. --Hemlock Martinis 02:40, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

The article has changed a lot since it was featured: diff. Not easy to tell whether it's deteriorated or gotten better since so many paragraphs have been shuffled around, but thought I'd mention it. — BrianSmithson 13:14, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Proteasome

Side view of an assembled proteasome complex.

Proteasomes are large protein complexes inside all eukaryotes and archaea, as well as some bacteria. In eukaryotes, they are located in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The main function of the proteasome is to degrade unneeded or damaged proteins by proteolysis, a chemical reaction that breaks peptide bonds. Enzymes that carry out such reactions are called proteases. Proteasomes are a major mechanism by which cells regulate the concentration of particular proteins and degrade misfolded proteins. Proteins are tagged for degradation by the action of enzymes called ubiquitin ligases, which attach a small protein called ubiquitin to their target. Once a protein is tagged with a single ubiquitin molecule, this is a signal to other ligases to attach additional ubiquitin molecules to produce a polyubiquitin chain which is recognized and bound by the proteasome. The overall system of ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation is known as the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Structurally, the proteasome is a barrel-like complex containing a "core" of four stacked rings around a central pore. Each ring is composed of seven individual proteins. The inner two rings are made of seven β subunits containing the protease active sites, while the outer two rings each contain seven α subunits that block free access to the central pore and bind regulatory particles that recognize polyubiquitin tags and initiate the degradation process. This pathway is essential for many cellular processes, including the cell cycle, the regulation of gene expression, and responses to oxidative stress. The importance of proteolytic degradation inside cells and the role of ubiquitin in proteolytic pathways was acknowledged in the award of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko and Irwin Rose. (More...)

Recent FA on a major topic in biochemistry and cell biology; subject of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. No specific date. Opabinia regalis 06:27, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

West Bengal

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West Bengal is a state in eastern India. With Bangladesh, which lies on its eastern border, the state forms the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. To its northeast lie the states of Assam and Sikkim and the country Bhutan, and to its southwest, the state of Orissa. To the west it borders the state of Jharkhand and Bihar, and to the northwest, Nepal.

The region that is now West Bengal was a part of a number of empires and kingdoms during the past two millennia. The British East India Company cemented their hold on the region following the Battle of Plassey in 1757 CE, and the city of Kolkata, then Calcutta, served for many years as the capital of British India. A hotbed of the Indian independence movement through the early 20th century, Bengal was divided in 1947 into two separate entities, West Bengal - a state of India, and East Pakistan belonging to the new nation of Pakistan.

Following India's independence in 1947, West Bengal's economic and political theatres were dominated for many decades by intellectual Marxism, Naxalite movements and trade unionism. From late 1990s, economic rejuvenation led to a spurt in the state's economic and industrial growth. An agriculture-dependent state, West Bengal occupies only 2.7% of the India's land area, though it supports over 7.8% of Indian population, and is the most densely populated state in India. West Bengal has been ruled by the CPI(M)-led Left Front for three decades, making it the world's longest-running democratically-elected communist government. Many notable poets, writers, artists and performers are native to West Bengal.

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Got featured status in November 2006. This state in eastern India has interesting history, politics, culture etc. It has the highest population density among the states in India, and has a democratically elected communist government that had been ruling the state for last three decades - a record! Dwaipayan (talk) 12:52, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

Slayer

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Slayer is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame as a leader of the American thrash metal movement with their 1986 release Reign in Blood, which has been labeled "the heaviest album of all time". The band is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal bands along with Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax, and are known for their distinctive musical traits involving fast tremolo picking, guitar solos, double bass drumming, and screaming vocals. The band's lyrics and album art, which cover topics such as serial killers, satanism, religion, warfare, and the Holocaust have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits and strong criticism from religious groups and the public. Since the their debut record in 1983, the band has released two live albums, one box set, and ten studio albums, selling over four million copies. The band has received two Grammy nominations, and headlined music festivals worldwide; including Ozzfest and the Download Festival. (More...)

Only three articles relating to heavy metal music have been on the front page, last was 5th of January 2006. The band has had a big influence on the metal scene and would nice to see it on the front page sometime, no specific date requested. M3tal H3ad 10:28, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

I've given it some copyediting, but I doubt it's written well enough to be featured on the main page. Michaelas10 (Talk) 09:40, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

I did a copyedit and removed some crap added by anons over the weeks, much better now - if you disagree leave me a msg and give me some example of poor prose and I'll fix it. M3tal H3ad 12:09, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

I'm sorry, I meant to the request text. There needs to be a maximum of two paragraphs, while one paragraph is usually the accepted length. Michaelas10 (Talk) 18:11, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Any better? M3tal H3ad 01:08, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Diplodocus

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Diplodocus (pronounced /ˌdɪploʊˈdoʊkəs/ or /dɪˈplɔdəkəs/) is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur whose fossilised skeleton was first discovered in 1878. The generic name refers to its double-beamed chevron bones (Greek diplos/διπλος meaning 'double' and dokos/δοκος meaning 'wooden beam' or 'bar') located in the underside of the tail. They were initially believed to be unique to Diplodocus; however, they have since then been discovered in other diplodocids.

It lived in what is now western North America at the end of the Jurassic Period. Diplodocus was one of the more common dinosaurs found in the Upper Morrison Formation, about 150 to 147 million years ago, in what is now termed the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages. This was an environment and time dominated by gigantic sauropod dinosaurs such as Camarasaurus, Barosaurus, Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus.

Diplodocus is among the most easily identifiable dinosaurs, with its classic dinosaur shape, long neck and tail and four sturdy legs. For many years, it was the longest dinosaur known. Its great size may have been a deterrent to the predators Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus: their remains have been found in the same strata, which suggests they coexisted with Diplodocus. (More...)

Hasn't been an amimal article for a while. One of the best know dinosaurs ever. Buc 22:31, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

Psittacosaurus

Breathing, sleeping model of Psittacosaurus sp., in the Natural History Museum, London.

Psittacosaurus (IPA pronunciation: /ˌsɪtəkoʊ'sɔɹəs/ or /sɪˌtækoʊ-/, from the Greek for 'parrot lizard') is a genus of psittacosaurid ceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Asia, about 130 to 100 million years ago. It is notable for being the most species-rich dinosaur genus. At least eight extinct species are recognized from fossils found in different regions of China and Mongolia, with possible additional species from Thailand and Russia.

All species of Psittacosaurus were gazelle-sized bipedal herbivores characterized by a high, powerful beak on the upper jaw. At least one species had long, quill-like structures on its tail and lower back, possibly serving a display function. Psittacosaurs were extremely early ceratopsians and, while they developed many novel adaptations of their own, they also shared many anatomical features with later ceratopsians, such as Protoceratops and the elephant-sized Triceratops. (More...)

Psittacosaurus was actually the first Featured Article on a dinosaur genus, but has never appeared on the Main Page. An effort by User:Sheep81 and the rest of the Wikipedia:WikiProject Dinosaurs team, it would be nice to see this well-written and comprehensive article on the front page. No specific date is requested. Firsfron of Ronchester 21:18, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

Paulins Kill

The Paulins Kill near Blairstown, in Warren County, New Jersey.

The Paulins Kill near Blairstown, in Warren County, New Jersey.

The Paulins Kill (also known as Paulinskill or Paulinskill River) is a 28.6 mile (46 km) long tributary of the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey in the United States. It is New Jersey's third largest contributor (behind the Musconetcong River and Maurice River) to the Delaware River in terms of long-term median flow—flowing at a rate of 76 cubic feet of water per second (2.15 m³/s). The Paulins Kill drains an area of 176.85 square miles (458 km²) across portions of two counties (Sussex and Warren) consisting of eleven municipalities. The Paulins Kill, which flows southwest from its source near Newton, New Jersey, is located at the border of the Appalachians and New York-New Jersey Highlands physiographic provinces.

The Paulins Kill was a conduit for the emigration of Palatine Germans who settled in northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania during the colonial period and the American Revolution. Remnants of their settlement are still found in local architecture and cemeteries. The results of these settlements were chiefly agricultural, as evinced by surviving farms and mills, and the area remains largely rural to this day.

Recently promoted to feature article status on 10 January 2007, it is a river with a unique and significant history in terms of its role in colonial American ethnic settlement patterns. No specific date requested, but... my birthday is coming up on 11 February. ;-) ExplorerCDT 09:22, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

Pilot (House)

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"Pilot" is the first episode of the television series House, which premiered on the FOX network on November 16, 2004. It introduces the characters of Dr. Gregory House (played by Hugh Laurie)—a maverick antisocial doctor—and his team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. The episode features Dr. House's attempts to diagnose a young grade-school teacher after she collapses in class. "Pilot" was directed by series producer Bryan Singer, who directed films such as The Usual Suspects, X-Men and later, Superman Returns; the episode guest-starred Robin Tunney as House's first patient of the series. (More...)

This is an article that I recently brought up to featured status. Good dates could be any date that is the 1st of any month (as it was the 1st episode) or January 30th as that is when House returns to television. The Filmaker 22:39, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Christopher C. Kraft, Jr.

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Christopher Columbus Kraft, Jr. (born February 28, 1924) is a retired NASA engineer and manager. After graduating from Virginia Tech in 1944, Kraft was hired by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor organization to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He worked for over a decade in aeronautical research before being asked in 1958 to join the Space Task Group, a small team entrusted with the responsibility of putting America's first man in space. Assigned to the flight operations division, Kraft became NASA's first flight director. He was on duty during such historic missions as America's first spaceflight, first orbital flight and first spacewalk. More than any other man, Kraft was responsible for shaping the organization and culture of NASA's Mission Control. (More...)

Recently promoted, this article discusses one of the most important figures in America's manned space program, who appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 1965 but has since become less widely known. MLilburne 18:29, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Scottish Parliament Building

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The Scottish Parliament Building is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Edinburgh. Construction on the building commenced in June 1999 and the Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) held their first debate in the new Parliament on Tuesday, 7 September 2004. The formal opening by Queen Elizabeth II took place on 9 October 2004. Enric Miralles, the Catalan architect who designed the building, died during the course of its construction. From 1999 until the opening of the new building in 2004, committee rooms and the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament were temporarily housed in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland located on The Mound in Edinburgh. Office and administrative accommodation in support of the Parliament were provided in buildings leased from Edinburgh City Council. The new Scottish Parliament Building brought together these different elements into one purpose built parliamentary complex, housing 129 MSPs and over 1000 staff and civil servants. (More...)

A detailed article, which was recently featured. Definitely one of the most unique buildings in the world, and one of the most architecturally significant and controversial buildings to be constructed, in Europe, in recent times. Globaltraveller 10:33, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Turkey

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Turkey is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in southwestern Asia and the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey is a democratic, secular and constitutional republic whose political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I. Since then, Turkey has increasingly integrated with the West while continuing to foster relations with the Eastern world. Turkey played an important role in the Cold War as part of NATO's bulwark against Soviet enroachment into southern Europe, and in 2005 began accession negotiations with the European Union. Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country, which owing to its strategic location at the intersect of two continents, has afforded it a unique culture steeped in Eastern and Western tradition, often described as a bridge between the two civilizations. More...

Just been promoted to FA. Great article that gives a comprehensive and informative overview of a big and important but often not too well known country. This is only the second FA of WikiProject Turkey (after Turkish literature), and we need all the coverage we can get - many project articles need the attention of a much greater number of editors! No particular date. Cheers! Baristarim 22:24, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

Support Valuable Human Knowledge, esp. since its attempting to join EU. --Foundby 08:34, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Struck out comment made by banned user.--Rmky87 23:46, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Indo-Greek Kingdom

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The Indo-Greek Kingdom covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent from 180 BCE to around 10 CE, and was ruled by a succession of more than thirty Hellenistic kings, often in conflict with each other. The kingdom was founded when the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius invaded India in 180 BCE, ultimately creating an entity which seceded from the powerful Greco-Bactrian Kingdom centered in Bactria (today's northern Afghanistan). During the two centuries of their rule, the Indo-Greek kings combined the Greek and Indian languages and symbols, as seen on their coins, and blended ancient Greek, Hindu and Buddhist religious practices, as seen in the archaeological remains of their cities and in the indications of their support of Buddhism. The Indo-Greek kings seem to have achieved a level of cultural syncretism with no equivalent in history, the consequences of which are still felt today, particularly through the diffusion and influence of Greco-Buddhist art. (More...)

An eye-openning historical subject for those who encounter it (usually by chance). The article has now been featured for 1 year. PHG 18:52, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Support Never heard of this article. Plus it looks interesting. --Foundby 08:38, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Struck out comment made by banned user.--Rmky87 23:45, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Cell nucleus

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In cell biology, the nucleus (pl. nuclei; from Latin nucleus or nuculeus, kernel) is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in most eukaryotic cells. It contains most of the cell's genetic material, organized as multiple long linear DNA molecules in complex with a large variety of proteins such as histones to form chromosomes. The genes within these chromosomes make up the cell's nuclear genome. The function of the nucleus is to maintain the integrity of these genes and to control the activities of the cell by regulating gene expression. The nucleus is supported externally by the cytoskeleton and internally by a system of nuclear lamina; it is separated from the cytoplasm by the nuclear membrane, a double membrane that encloses the entire organelle and keeps its contents separated from the cellular cytoplasm. Because the membrane is impermeable to macromolecules, it contains numerous nuclear pores through which molecules such as proteins and RNA are transported by a tightly regulated system of nuclear transport. The internal contents of the nucleus are non-uniform and are organized into specific territories, the most noticeable of which is the nucleolus. The nucleus was the first cellular organelle to be discovered; it was first described in 1802 by Franz Bauer and later elaborated upon by Scottish botanist Robert Brown. (More...)

Critical topic in cell biology, recently promoted to FA after a successful MCB collaboration in September. No specific date. Opabinia regalis 02:02, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

I second the nomination. Good article. GAThrawn22 22:04, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Nightwish

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Nightwish is a Finnish power metal band formed in 1996 in the town of Kitee. Nightwish composes songs that are often classified as either symphonic metal or power metal, and sometimes as variants of the genre called opera metal and epic metal. Nightwish is considered one of the main developers of the symphonic metal genre, which encompasses similar bands such as Epica, After Forever and Visions of Atlantis.

Although the band has been prominent in their home country since the release of their first single ("The Carpenter"), they did not achieve worldwide fame until the release of the album Once (2004). This album led to Nightwish video clips being shown on MTV in the United States and inclusion of their music on U.S. movie soundtracks. Their biggest U.S. hit, "Wish I Had an Angel", made it onto 2 U.S. film soundtracks, as a way to promote their first North American tour. They produced 3 more singles and music videos from this album, and a final one, "Sleeping Sun", from a 2005 "best of" compilation, Highest Hopes, prior to vocalist Tarja Turunen's departure. (More...)

The Nightwish article has been long featured, but never the daily article. Non-American music has received a disproportionately small representation on the front page, and this band is one of the more notable international bands out there. 71.54.98.39 21:16, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

Oppose This is advertisment. No actual knowledge value to make humans smarter. --Foundby 08:30, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Struck out comment made by banned user with sockpuppet.--Rmky87 23:44, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

I disagree, by that rationale any movie, contemporary musician, or any modern piece of the human experience could be construed as 'advertisement'. *Disclaimer: I am the original suggester of this article for Featured Article of the Day, but I wasn't logged in when I posted it.--Fulorian 00:55, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Support It's a good article and more variety would be nice in the Featured Article of the Day. Rainer1 23:01, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

It's closer to a FAR then being on the front page. Since the vocalists departure lots of one sentence paragraphs, without references have been added. Merge, remove or expand them, add more references, cleanup the references and it should be ok. M3tal H3ad 02:25, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

• Oppose - I realize that this really isn't a vote or anything, but this is really not featured quality. Its under-referenced (the sources that are cited are not formatted properly; one of the "sources" is geocities site!), each section consists of 1 sentence-long paragraphs, the prose is far from brilliant, fair-use media is poorly justified. This isn't even a GA. Wickethewok 07:25, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Hoysala Empire

Sala fighting the tiger, the symbol of Hoysala Empire

The Hoysala Empire was a prominent South Indian empire that ruled most of the modern day state of Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the empire was initially based at Belur but was later moved to Halebidu.

The Hoysala rulers were originally hill peoples of Malnad Karnataka, an elevated region in the Western Ghats range. In the 12th century, taking advantage of the internecine warfare between the then ruling Western Chalukyas and Kalachuri kingdoms, they annexed areas of present day Karnataka and the fertile areas north of the Kaveri River delta in present day Tamil Nadu. By the 13th century, they governed most of present-day Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and parts of western Andhra Pradesh in Deccan India.

The Hoysala era was an important period in the development of art, architecture, and religion in South India. The empire is remembered today primarily for its temple architecture. Over a hundred surviving temples are scattered across Karnataka, including the well known Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, and the Kesava Temple at Somanathapura. The Hoysala rulers also patronised the fine arts. This patronage encouraged literature to flourish in Kannada and Sanskrit.

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This article has just been selected as a FADineshkannambadi 16:48, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Celine Dion

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Céline Marie Claudette Dion (OC, OQ) (born March 30 1968) is a French Canadian Grammy and Juno award winning pop singer and occasional songwriter. Dion was born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec. As a teen, she achieved success in francophone Canada after her manager and future husband, René Angélil, mortgaged his home in order to finance her first record. She later gained recognition in parts of Europe and Asia after she won both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. In 1990 Dion established a foothold in the anglophone music market with Unison, and during the 1990s achieved worldwide fame and success with several English and French records, of which her most successful was "My Heart Will Go On" (1998), the theme to the 1997 film Titanic. In 1999 Dion announced a temporary break from entertainment in order to focus on her husband, who was diagnosed with throat cancer. Following a three-year hiatus, she released A New Day Has Come. By 2004 she had accumulated record sales of 175 million, and was presented with the Chopard Diamond award from the World Music Awards show for becoming the Best-selling Female Artist in the World. As of 2003 Dion has performed nightly in her show A New Day... at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, under a contract that extends through 2007. (More...)

Became a featured article almost a year ago. This is one of the best articles on one of the world's most successful pop singers (along with Mariah Carey, Phil Collins and Kylie Minogue, which have all graced the 'front cover'). Please give the article the chance to appear on the main page. Orane (talk • cont.) 04:28, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

Rus' Khaganate

Guests from Overseas, an 1899 painting by Nicholas Roerich depicting early Varangian adventurers in Russia.

The Rus' Khaganate was a polity that flourished during a poorly documented period in the history of Eastern Europe (roughly the late 8th and early to mid-9th centuries CE). A predecessor to the Rurik Dynasty and the Kievan Rus', the Rus' Khaganate was a state (or a cluster of city-states) in what is today northern Russia. The region's population at that time was composed of Slavic, Finnic, and Norse peoples, among which the dominant group was the Rus' tribe or tribes. The region was also a center of operations for eastern Scandinavian (Varangian) adventurers, merchants and pirates. According to contemporaneous sources, the population centers of the region, which may have included the proto-towns of Holmgard (Novgorod), Aldeigja (Ladoga), Lyubsha, Alaborg, Sarskoe Gorodishche, and Timerevo, were under the rule of a monarch or monarchs using the Old Turkic title Khagan. The Rus' Khaganate period marked the genesis of a distinct Rus' ethnos, and its successor states would include Kievan Rus' and later states from which modern Russia evolved. (More...)

Relatively new article (about 2 months old); was featured on DYK, recently accorded FA status. Little-known period of Russian history. Briangotts (Talk) (Contrib) 05:07, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

Empires: Dawn of the Modern World

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Empires: Dawn of the Modern World is a history-based real-time strategy computer game developed by Stainless Steel Studios and released on October 21, 2003. Considered an unofficial sequel to Empire Earth, the game requires players to collect resources to build an empire, train military units, and conquer opposing civilizations. Based on a slightly compressed version of world history, Empires covers five eras, from the Medieval Age to World War II. The game features seven civilizations: England, the Franks, Korea and China are playable from the Medieval Age to the Imperial Age; and the United States, Russia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom are playable in the World War I and World War II ages. The game attracted positive critical reaction. (More...)

This reached FA a couple weeks ago, and I thought it might be interesting to show up on the main page, since it is the first RTS game since Starcraft to reach FA. No date requested, since I know there are a lot of FA video game articles out right now.--Clyde Miller 01:01, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

Arctic Tern

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The Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It has a circumpolar distribution, breeding colonially in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. The species is strongly migratory, seeing two summers each year as it migrates from its northern breeding grounds to the oceans around Antarctica and back each year. This is the longest regular migration by any known animal. Arctic Terns are medium-sized birds with mainly grey and white plumage, a red beak and feet, a white forehead, a black-nape and crown (streaked white), and white cheeks. The upper wing is gray with a white leading edge, and the collar is completely white, as is the rump. The deeply forked tail is whitish, with grey outer webs. The hindcrown to the ear-coverts is back. The Arctic Tern is K-selected, caring for and aggressively defending a small number of young. Parents feed them fish for a considerable time and help them fly south to winter. Arctic Terns are long-lived, with many reaching twenty years of age. They eat mainly fish and small marine invertebrates. The species is abundant, with an estimated one million individuals. While the trend in the number of individuals in the species as a whole is not known, exploitation in the past has reduced this bird's numbers in the southern reaches of its range. (More...)

Suggesting for 25 December. We don't have anything Christmas-related in the wings, but at least this bird exists in the arctic. BrianSmithson 04:37, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Caspian expeditions of the Rus

Gripsholm Runestone commemorating the 1043 raid.

The Caspian expeditions of the Rus were military raids undertaken by the Rus between 864 and 1041 on the Caspian Sea shores. Initially, the Rus appeared in Saerkland in the 9th century traveling as merchants along the Volga trade route, selling furs, honey, and slaves. The first small-scale raids took place in the late 9th and early 10th century. The Rus undertook the first large-scale expedition in 913; having arrived on 500 ships, they pillaged Gorgan, Azerbaijan, and the adjacent areas, taking slaves and goods. On their return, the northern raiders were attacked and defeated by Khazar Muslims in the Volga Delta, and those who escaped were killed by the local tribes on the middle Volga. During their next expedition in 943, the Rus captured Barda, the capital of Arran, in the modern-day Azerbaijan. The Rus stayed there for several months, killing many inhabitants of the city and amassing substantial plunder. It was only an outbreak of dysentery among the Rus that forced them to depart with their spoils. Sviatoslav, prince of Kiev, commanded the next attack, which destroyed the Khazar state in 965. Sviatoslav's campaign established the Rus's hold on the north-south trade routes, helping to alter the demographics of the region. Raids continued through the time period with the last Scandinavian attempt to reestablish the route to the Caspian Sea taking place in 1041 by Ingvar the Far-Travelled.(More...)

Great new featured article about an important and relatively unknown period of history. Briangotts (Talk) (Contrib) 21:44, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon

Cover of the game

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon (がんばれゴエモン～ネオ桃山幕府のおどり～, Ganbare Goemon ~New Dance of the Peach Mountain Shogunate~) is a video game released by Konami for the Nintendo 64 on August 7, 1997 in Japan and April 16, 1998 in North America. It is the fifth entry in the Ganbare Goemon series and the second Goemon game released in North America, following Legend of the Mystical Ninja. Featuring elements of platform and action-adventure games, Mystical Ninja is a hybrid of Super Mario 64 and the Legend of Zelda series. The story follows Goemon as he struggles to prevent the Peach Mountain Shoguns gang from turning Japan into a fine arts theatre. The journey takes Goemon through three cinematic musical features and battles between gigantic robots. Like other Ganbare Goemon games, it is peppered with surrealist humor and anachronisms. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon sold nearly 200,000 copies worldwide. Reviewers praised its graphics, gameplay, and humorous plot. Critics considered the soundtrack and musical numbers engaging and memorable. Conversely, Mystical Ninja was criticized for localization issues, unintuitive camera control, and dull stretches of travel through Japan. It was followed by Goemon's Great Adventure in 1999 and Goemon Mononoke Sugoroku in 2000. (More...)

An interesting and unusual Nintendo 64 game. Zeality 04:17, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Darjeeling

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Darjeeling is a hill station (a hill town) in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of Darjeeling district, situated in the Shiwalik Hills (or Lower Himalaya) at an average elevation of 2,134 m above sea level. Once ruled by the Kingdom of Sikkim, the Darjeeling region was converted into a hill station by the British East India Company in the 1800s, and came to be known as the "Queen of the Hills." It remained as a part of the state of West Bengal in independent India. The name Darjeeling is a composition of two Tibetan words – Dorje ("thunderbolt") and ling ("place"). Hence, darjeeling translates as "Land of the Thunderbolt". Darjeeling is famous for its tea industry, which produces blends considered among the world's finest. Once used as a sanitarium for British troops and administrators, the town is now a popular tourist destination. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connecting the town with the plains was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Darjeeling is noted for several western-style public schools attracting students from all over India and neighbouring countries. The town was a major centre of Gorkhaland separatism in the 1980s, resulting in a decrease in tourism-related commerce. Darjeeling has continued to grow in the recent years and the region's fragile ecology is threatened by a rising demand for environmental resources stemming from growing tourist traffic and rapid urbanisation. (More...)

A small town in the Himalayas in India, famous for production of tea. The article is FA from August, 2006. No specific date requested.--Dwaipayan (talk) 19:26, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Jocelin (Request for March 17)

Jocelin or Jocelyn (died 1199) was a 12th century Cistercian monk and cleric, who became Abbot of Melrose and Bishop of Glasgow. In his teenage years, he became a monk of Melrose Abbey. He rose in the service of Abbot Waltheof and, by the time of the short abbacy of Waltheof's successor Abbot William, Jocelin had become prior. Then in 1170 Jocelin himself became abbot, a position he held for four years. Jocelin was responsible for leading the promotion of the cult of the emerging Saint Waltheof. As Bishop of Glasgow, he was a royal official. In this capacity he travelled abroad on several occasions, and performed the marriage ceremony between King William the Lion and Ermengarde de Beaumont, later baptizing their son, the future King Alexander II. Among other things, he has been credited by modern historians as "the founder of the burgh of Glasgow and initiator of the Glasgow fair" as well as being one of the greatest literary patrons in medieval Scotland, commissioning the Life of St Waltheof and the Life of St Kentigen and the Chronicle of Melrose ... (More...)

Just promoted to FA; the wiki main page needs to have the life of a medieval churchman. Calgacus (ΚΑΛΓΑΚΟΣ) 07:50, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

He died on March 17; that would be a good date for main space then> Calgacus (ΚΑΛΓΑΚΟΣ) 01:59, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Request for 25 May)

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is a 1977 science fantasy film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga; three later films precede the story in the series' internal chronology. The film is set nineteen years after the formation of the Galactic Empire; construction has finished on the Death Star, a weapon capable of destroying a planet. After Princess Leia, a leader of the Rebel Alliance, steals the weapon's plans in the hope of finding a weakness, she is captured and taken to the Death Star. When Luke Skywalker's home is destroyed, Obi-Wan Kenobi begins Luke’s Jedi training as they attempt to rescue the Princess from the Empire. Produced with a budget of US$11 million, the film became one of the most successful of all time, earning $798 million worldwide during its original theatrical release. It was re-released several times, sometimes with significant changes, such as modification with CGI effects and recreated scenes. (More…)

nomination by The Filmaker 02:21, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

• Support a very well done article.Ganfon 23:59, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
• Strong Oppose Wikipedia is not a Fanipedia of Starwars. --Foundby 08:46, 10 January 2007 (UTC) Previous comment by a known sockpuppet of an indefinitely banned user. QmunkE 23:29, 14 January 2007 (UTC)
  • Again, opposing because you don't like the subject matter is only going to piss people off and is unlikely to influence the decisions of the FA director. -- BrianSmithson 23:52, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
• Strong Support - Just in time for the 30th anniversary I hope. Wiki-newbie 20:25, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
• Support makes sense to me. Jedi6-(need help?) 05:29, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Minnesota

Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Minnesota (IPA: [ˌmɪnəˈsoʊtə]) () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12^th largest state in the U.S., and the 21^st most populous, with over five million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the 32^nd state in 1858. While the state's residents are primarily white and Northern European, substantial influxes of African, Asian, and Hispanic immigrants have joined the descendants of European immigrants and of the original Native American inhabitants.

The state is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," and those lakes and the other waters for which the state is named, together with state and national forests and parks, offer residents and tourists a vigorous outdoor lifestyle. The extremes of the climate contrast with the moderation of Minnesota’s people. The state is known for its moderate-to-progressive politics and social policies, its civic involvement, and high voter turnout. It ranks among the healthiest states by a number of measures, and has one of the most highly educated and literate populations. (More...)

Minnesota is the first U.S. State to reach featured article status Atom 01:48, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Support - an excellent featured article, expanded text, you may want to shorten but I added this to give more info-- Dskluz 23:06, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

• This isn't a vote, it's a request. I've reverted your expansion, as the Today's featured articles are meant to be a short description of the article itself. The Filmaker 05:29, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
• I realize this is not a vote, but on many of the articles nominated here have supporting users in addition to the user who nominated. I felt this did an incomplete job summarizing the article and would like to include more of the intro to this article. I would appreciate it if you would discuss this before changing it again. -- Dskluz 22:39, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Firefly (TV series)

Firefly is an American science fiction cult television series that premiered in the United States and Canada on September 20, 2002. Its naturalistic future setting, modeled after traditional Western movie motifs, presents an atypical science fiction backdrop for the narrative, as well as a fusion of Occidental and Chinese cultures. It was conceived by writer and director Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, under his production tag, Mutant Enemy. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear.

Set in the year 2517, Firefly follows the adventures of the renegades of the spaceship Serenity, and explores the vicissitudes of people who fought on the losing side of a civil war, as well as the pioneer culture on the fringes of their star system.

Firefly was originally broadcast on the FOX network but was cancelled after only eleven of the fourteen produced episodes were aired. Despite the series' relatively short life span, it won an Emmy in 2003 for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series", received strong sales when it was released onto DVD, and had impressive fan support campaigns. This strong fan support led to a film based on the series called Serenity. (More...)

A recent FA about a short-lived TV show that has attained cult status. plange 02:43, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Support, and expanded nom text. JQF • Talk • Contribs 18:21, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Support Jon513 23:03, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Support A nice article to have on the frontpage methinks. Abel29a 02:52, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Support GiftedSlayer77 I also support this as a Featured Article

Support --Oburo 00:16, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Finnish Civil War

Finnish Jägers in Vaasa after returning from Germany

Finnish Jägers in Vaasa after returning from Germany

The Finnish Civil War was a part of World War I and the Russian Revolution of 1917. The war was fought from 27 January 1918 to 15 May 1918 between the forces of Finland's Social Democrats led by the Red People's Delegation of Finland, commonly called the "Reds", and the forces of the conservative Senate, commonly called the "Whites". The Reds were supported by Bolshevist Russia, while the Whites received military assistance from the German Empire and Swedish volunteers. As there were no generally accepted police and army forces to keep order in Finland after March 1917, the left and right began building security groups of their own, leading to the emergence of two independent armed military troops, the White and Red Guards. An atmosphere of political violence and fear grew among the Finns. Fighting broke out in late January 1918 after the Conservative senate named the White Guards as the official army of Finland and the Red Guards rose against them. The Whites were the victors in the war that followed. Approximately 37,000 people died during the conflict, including casualties at the war fronts, and deaths from political terror campaigns and high prison camp mortality. The turmoil destroyed the economy, split the political apparatus, and divided the Finnish nation for many years. (More...)

Another fine fresh featured article. It's an old article but recently overgone peer reviews, a-class reviews and GA, and therefore was improved greatly. PS. You all are free to fix some things in the request, if they are needed. Pudeo (Talk) 12:35, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

• January 27 seems like a nice date to put it on the main page as this will be the anniversary date of the start of the civil war. Well of course, 15 May might make even more sense. Pascal.Tesson 05:31, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

Well, didn't happen. Doesn't really matter anyway, and I don't see much point waiting to May just to get the date. --Pudeo (Talk) 14:44, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Devils have won the Stanley Cup three times, first in the lockout-shortened 1995 season. The club was founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1974, moved to Denver, Colorado after only two seasons, then settled in New Jersey in 1982. Under current general manager Lou Lamoriello, the Devils have earned a playoff spot in each of the last nine and 17 of the last 19 seasons.

Since their move to New Jersey, the Devils have played their home games at the Continental Airlines Arena. In 2007, the team is expected to move to a new arena under construction in the city of Newark. They have rivalries with their trans-Hudson neighbor, the New York Rangers, and with the Philadelphia Flyers, as either the Devils or Flyers have won the Atlantic Division title every season since 1995.(More...)

This article has improved very much over the past few months, and I believe that at this point it is worthy of being on the front page. It is pretty rare for a hockey article to gain featured status, as the Devils are the first NHL team to have that distinguishment. I think it would be good for the community to see another professional team on there, especially from this sport. --Sportskido8 22:24, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Image changed to a free-use one. Oldelpaso 21:26, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

Cretan War

The Cretan War (205 BC–200 BC) was fought by King Philip V of Macedon, the Aetolian League, several Cretan cities (of which Olous and Hierapytna were the most important) and Spartan pirates against the forces of Rhodes and later Attalus I of Pergamum, Byzantium, Cyzicus, Athens and Knossos.

The Macedonians had just concluded the First Macedonian War and Philip, seeing his chance to defeat Rhodes, formed an alliance with Aetolian and Spartan pirates who began raiding Rhodian ships. Philip also formed an alliance with several important Cretan cities, such as Hierapynta and Olous. With the Rhodian fleet and economy suffering from the depredations of the pirates, Philip believed his chance to crush Rhodes was at hand. To help achieve his goal, he formed an alliance with the King of the Seleucid Empire, Antiochus the Great, against Ptolemy V of Egypt (the Seleucid Empire and Egypt were the other two Diadochi states). Philip began attacking the lands of Ptolemy and Rhodes's allies in Thrace and around the Sea of Marmara. (More...)

A fresh FA article which is part of Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history and Wikipedia:WikiProject History of Greece. I fit is possible can it be displayed on the front page on the 24th of December becuase it is the article's 6 month anniversary. Kyriakos 22:10, 25 November 2006 (UTC)

Not really sure why the 6-month anniversary of the Wikipedia article is reason enough for an article to be displayed on that particular date. Surely there's is a more appropriate date than that one. Pepsidrinka 17:23, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

It's as good as a date as all the dates of all those MP FAs that get selected for no particular date. Rlevse 19:17, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

There are no dates recorded during the war so I think the 6 month anniversairy is better than any random date. Kyriakos 20:26, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

You are not obliged to find a meaningful date for the article.--Panarjedde 20:35, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

But would it be possible for it to appear on the front page ont he 24th of December. Kyriakos 21:04, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

It is, as it would be possible to appear on the birthday of the first contributor, but what would be the meaning of this request?--Panarjedde 01:50, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

It means that the article would appear on the front page on a day which has something to do with the artocle instead of a random date.

The relationship is so small that amounts to nothing. Is that clear enough?--Panarjedde 22:19, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I do understand. Just don't worry put it on a any free date when possible. :) Kyriakos 07:15, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Chicago Bears (Request for ANY DAY in FEBRUARY OR MARCH)

The helmet of the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are currently members of the Northern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL) and the current NFC Champions. The Bears have won nine American Football championships (eight NFL Championships and Super Bowl XX) trailing only the Green Bay Packers, who have twelve. The Bears have the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with twenty-six members.

The club was founded in Decatur, Illinois in 1919 and moved to Chicago in 1921. From 1971 to the present, save for the 2002 season, the team has played its home games at Soldier Field in Chicago. The stadium is located next to Lake Michigan and was recently remodeled in a controversial modernization that has attempted to bring stadium amenities expected by today's fans to a historic Chicago building. The team also has a fierce, long-standing rivalry with the Packers, with whom they have played over one hundred seventy games.

The club has played in over a thousand games since becoming a charter member of the NFL in 1920. Through the 2006 season, they lead the NFL in overall franchise wins with 686 and have an overall record of 686–499–42 (going 670–482–42 during the regular season and 16–17 in the playoffs). The club had a return trip to the NFL Playoffs a feat last accomplished in the 1990 and 1991 seasons, and made its first trip to the Super Bowl in twenty one years. (More...)

This article has been a featured article for many months, and I believe that since the team is once again experiencing success this year that it could be time for it to appear on the Today's Main Page. --Happyman22 02:58, 25 November 2006 (UTC)

Support Relevant with the NFL season going on and notable to a lot of people.

Comment I would like to know if there are any plans to put this article up on the Main Page? Thanks. --128.211.198.21 21:49, 7 December 2006 (UTC) Question I know we are in playoff time in the NFL, and I was wondering if this article has any chance of appearing on the Today Page since there are so many other candidates on this page? --Happyman22 03:23, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Support primarily now since it's playoff time and all. Putting it up on the 21st would be a good idea IMO. That and it's a great article and notable.--Wizardman 00:10, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Support If they win today I request for Febuary 4 the day they will play in the Super Bowl.Buc 17:50, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

• Different date like the Patriots FA last year, it may be seen as biased. I'd say mid-February is better. — Deckiller 18:03, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

Support --Happyman22 00:20, 11 February 2007 (UTC) Support -- now that the SuperBowl is over the timing won't seem as biased. Jedi6-(need help?) 05:31, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Chalukya dynasty

Virupaksha temple, Pattadakal, built 740

Virupaksha temple, Pattadakal, built 740

The Chalukya dynasty (Kannada: ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರು, IPA: [ʧaːɭukjə]) was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three closely related, but individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty is known as the Badami Chalukyas who ruled from their capital Badami from the middle of the 6th century. The Badami Chalukyas began to assert their independence at the decline of the Kadamba kingdom of Banavasi and rapidly rose to prominence during the reign of Pulakesi II. The other two later dynasties were the Eastern Chalukyas who ruled from Vengi and Western Chalukyas who ruled from Basavakalyan.

The rise of the Chalukyas marks an important milestone in the history of South India and a golden age in the history of Karnataka. This period saw the birth of efficient administration, rise in overseas trade and commerce and the development of new style of architecture called Vesara. Around the 9th century, it also saw the growth of Kannada as a language of literature in the Jaina Puranas, Veerashaiva Vachanas and Brahminical traditions. The 11th century saw the birth of Telugu literature under the patronage of the Eastern Chalukyas. (More...)

This has just been selected as a FA.Dineshkannambadi 20:47, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

History of Tamil Nadu

A temple from the Chola dynasty period. Cholas were an important ruling dynasty in the history of Tamil Nadu

The region of Tamil Nadu has been under continuous human habitation since prehistoric times and the history of Tamil Nadu and the civilisation of the Tamil people are among the oldest in the world. Throughout its history, spanning from the early Palaeolithic age to the modern time, this region has coexisted with various external cultures. The ancient Tamil dynasties of Chera, Chola and Pandya ruled over this land with a unique culture and language, contributing to the growth of some of the oldest extant literature in the world. They had extensive maritime trade contacts with the Roman empire. Invasion by the Kalabhras during the third century disturbed the traditional order of the land by displacing the three ruling dynasties. These occupiers were overthrown by the resurgence of the Pandyas and the Pallavas, who restored the traditional kingdoms. The Cholas, who re-emerged from obscurity in the ninth century by defeating the Pallavas and the Pandyas, rose to become a great power and extended their empire over the entire southern peninsula.

With the decline of the three ancient dynasties during the fourteenth century, the Tamil country became part of the Vijayanagara Empire. Under this empire the Nayak governors ruled Tamil Nadu. The European trading companies began to appear during the seventeenth century and eventually assumed greater sway over the indigenous rulers of the land. The Madras Presidency comprising of most of southern India was created in the eighteenth century and was ruled directly by the British East India Company. After the independence of India, the Tamil Nadu state was created based on linguistic boundaries. (More...)

This has just been selected as a FA. Parthi ^{talk/contribs} 19:22, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

James Robert Baker

James Robert Baker (October 18, 1946 - November 5 1997) was an American author of sharply satirical, predominantly gay-themed transgressional fiction. A native Californian, his work is set almost entirely in Southern California. After graduating from UCLA, he began his career as a screenwriter, but slowly became disillusioned and started writing novels, instead. Though he garnered fame for his books Fuel-Injected Dreams and Boy Wonder, after the controversy surrounding publication of his novel, Tim And Pete, he faced increasing difficulty having his work published. This was a contributing factor in his suicide.

Baker's work has achieved cult status in the years since his death, and two additional novels have been posthumously published. First edition copies of his earlier works have become collector's items. In recent years, three of his novels have either been filmed or optioned for the movies.(More...)

An interesting cult writer, an interesting read. Also, the first time an article from the LGBT Studies project has made it to FA Jeffpw 18:06, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

I hope the referencing will be corrected before this is chosen for the main page: almost all of the footnotes are incomplete. Sandy (Talk) 21:04, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Mostly cleaned up now - that should not have passed FA. Sandy (Talk) 23:41, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Girl Scouts of the USA (Request for March 12)

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The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) is a youth organization for girls in the United States as well as American girls living abroad. The movement aims to help girls build character and skills for success in the adult world by using the Scout method to develop leadership, values, social conscience, citizenship, and conviction about their potential and self-esteem.

The Girl Scout program sprang from the concerns of the progressive movement in the United States from people who sought to promote the social welfare of young women and as a female counterpart to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and is based on the Scouting principles developed by Robert Baden-Powell.

Girl Scouts are recognized for their achievements through rank advancement and various special awards. Membership is organized according to age levels with activities appropriate to each age group. A member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), the GSUSA has a long history of accepting girls from all backgrounds. (More...)

Made FA a few months ago, the article is a compilation on the Girl Scouts of the USA program. This is a request for March 12, 2007 as it is the date that GSUSA was founded. Darthgriz⁹⁸ 03:31, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

1. Support Jedi6-(need help?) 05:32, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Basiliscus

Solidus celebrating Basiliscus as Augustus of the Byzantine Empire and his victories

Flavius Basiliscus (d. 476/477) was a Byzantine Emperor of the House of Leo, who ruled briefly (9 January 475-August 476), when Emperor Zeno had been forced out of Constantinople by a revolt.

Basiliscus was a military commander who, in 468, led the disastrous Byzantine invasion of Vandal Africa, in one of the largest military operations of Late Antiquity.

Basiliscus succeeded in seizing power in 475, exploiting the unpopularity of Emperor Zeno, the "barbarian" successor to Leo, and a plot organized by Verina that had caused Zeno to flee Constantinople. However, during his short rule, Basiliscus alienated the fundamental support of the Church and the people of Constantinople, promoting the Monophysite christological position in opposition to the widely accepted Chalcedonian faith. So, when Zeno tried to regain his empire, he found virtually no opposition, triumphally entering Constantinople, and capturing and killing Basiliscus and his family.

The struggle between Basiliscus and Zeno impeded the intervention of the Eastern Empire in the fall of the Western Roman Empire, which happened in early September 476. When the chieftain of the Heruli, Odoacer, deposed Western Emperor Romulus Augustus, sending the imperial regalia to Constantinople, Zeno had just regained his throne, and he could only appoint Odoacer dux of Italy. So the Western Roman Empire ended. (More...)

Nice article (self nomination). It would be nice to have it on January 9, 1512nd anniversary of his ascension to the throne, but any day is good. BlaiseMuhaddib 15:25, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

Eurovision Song Contest (Request for May 12)

File:EurovisionTrophy1995.jpg

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held between active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), in which participating countries each submit a song to be performed on live television; then proceed to cast votes for the other countries' songs, in order to find the most popular song in the competition. Each country participates via one of their national EBU-member television stations, whose task it is to select a singer and a song to go forward to represent the country in the international competition.

The Contest has been broadcast every year since its inauguration in 1956, and is one of the longest-running television programmes in the world. Since the year 2000, the Contest has also been broadcast over the Internet; with more than 74,000 people in almost 140 countries having watched the 2006 edition online.

Over the years, the Song Contest has grown from a mere televisual experiment into an international institution of mammoth proportions. Most countries in Europe have taken part at least once during the Contest's history, and the word "Eurovision" is a household name which is recognised across an entire continent. (More...)

This event is important for millions of Europeans and, as noted in the article, is one of television's oldest and most popular events. It has international appeal and placing it on the main page on the day of the event would alert even more people to this cultural phenomenon. If you decide to put it on the main page then please do it on MAY 12, 2007 - the date of the next contest. Thanks. Martin Leng 16:16, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

Support On the day of the 2007 Contest sounds good. Buc 17:08, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

Battle of Ceresole

Swiss mercenaries and landsknechts engaged in a push of pike

The Battle of Ceresole, fought on April 11, 1544, during the Italian War of 1542, was a lengthy engagement in which a French army under François de Vendôme, Count of Enghien, defeated the Spanish-Imperial army of Alfonso d'Avalos d'Aquino, Marquis del Vasto. Enghien and Del Vasto had arranged their armies along two parallel ridges; after several hours of skirmishing between opposing bands of arquebusiers and an ineffectual artillery exchange, d'Avalos ordered a general advance. In the center, Imperial landsknechts clashed with French and Swiss infantry, suffering enormous casualties. In the southern part of the battlefield, Italian infantry in Imperial service was harried by French cavalry attacks and withdrew after learning that the Imperial troops of the center had been defeated. In the north, meanwhile, the French infantry line crumbled, and Enghien led a series of ineffectual and costly cavalry charges against Spanish and German infantry before the latter were forced to surrender by the arrival of the victorious Swiss and French infantry from the center.

Despite inflicting massive casualties on the Imperial troops, the French failed to exploit the victory, as Enghien was unable to take Milan after much of his army was recalled to face an Anglo-Imperial invasion of France. One of the few pitched battles during the latter half of the Italian Wars, Ceresole is known among military historians chiefly for the "great slaughter" that occurred when columns of intermingled arquebusiers and pikemen met in the center; it also demonstrates the continuing role of traditional heavy cavalry on a battlefield largely dominated by the emerging pike and shot infantry. (more)

A (fairly) recent promotion that was well-received in Danny's contest; might as well try it out here. I've tried to trim the lead down to something reasonable for a Main Page blurb. No particular date in mind. Kirill Lokshin 03:23, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal at Martha's Vineyard, 2006.

Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal (born December 19 1980) is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age eleven, and his short career has seen performances in diverse roles. He has received an Academy Award nomination and won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award.

Gyllenhaal's most notable film appearances began with 2001's cult hit Donnie Darko, in which he played a troubled schizophrenic. In the 2004 blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, he portrayed a student caught in a cataclysmic global cooling event. He played against type as an angry Marine in Jarhead (2005) and, that same year, he won critical acclaim as a gay cowboy in the controversial film Brokeback Mountain.

Gyllenhaal has also taken an activist role in supporting political and social causes. He appeared in Rock the Vote advertising, campaigned for the Democratic party in the 2004 election, and has promoted environmental causes and the American Civil Liberties Union.

No offline biography exists of Jake Gyllenhaal, and consequently this article is the world's most comprehensive bigraphy of him, drawing together many many sources into one place. Main page would be a good place to show off what Wikipedia can achieve. I also request that this article been put on the main page on December 19th, as that will be Gyllenhaal's 26th birthday, and many Jake fans would be delighted to see it there. Dev920 (check out this proposal) 23:18, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Final Fantasy VII

(ファイナルファンタジーVII, Fainaru Fantajī Sebun?) is a console role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. (now Square Enix). Released in 1997, it was the first game in the Final Fantasy series to be produced for the Sony PlayStation, the first to be ported to Windows-based computers, and the first to use 3D computer graphics featuring fully rendered characters on pre-rendered backgrounds.

The game's story centers on a group of adventurers as they battle a powerful mega corporation called "Shin-Ra", which is draining the life of the planet to use as an energy source. As the story progresses, conflicts escalate and the world's safety becomes a major concern.

A major critical and commercial success, the game remains arguably the most popular title in the series, and is often credited with allowing RPGs to achieve mainstream success outside Japan. The ongoing popularity of the title led Square Enix to produce a series of sequels and prequels in the early-to-mid-2000s under the collective title "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII".

One of the most acclaimed video games ever made, arguably the best video game FA yet created, please put this on the main page. :) Judgesurreal777 21:58, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I think FF8 beats it in both terms ^_^ — Deckiller 06:25, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

I always preferred FF9. Anyway, needs a picture and a 'More' link.

Pierre Rossier

French Sailors at Canton, 1858. Stereograph by Pierre Rossier.

Pierre Joseph Rossier (born 16 July 1829, died between 1883 and 1898) was a pioneering Swiss photographer whose albumen photographs, which include stereographs and cartes-de-visite, comprise portraits, cityscapes and landscapes. He was commissioned by the London firm of Negretti and Zambra to travel to Asia and document the progress of the Anglo-French troops in the Second Opium War and, although he failed to join that military expedition, he remained in Asia for several years, producing the first commercial photographs of China, the Philippines, Japan and Siam (now Thailand). He was the first professional photographer in Japan, where he trained Ueno Hikoma, Maeda Genzō, Horie Kuwajirō, as well as lesser known members of the first generation of Japanese photographers. In Switzerland he established photographic studios in Fribourg and Einsiedeln, and he also produced images elsewhere in the country. Rossier is an important figure in the early history of photography not only because of his own images, but also because of the critical impact of his teaching in the early days of Japanese photography.

Apart from one other text, this is the only comprehensive biography anywhere of Rossier, whose story provides an interesting point of entry into the not broadly-known early history of photography in Asia. Most existing scholarship has yet to update even his full name, so it would be helpful and pleasing to give Main Page prominence to him. The relative scarcity of Wikipedia Main Page and Featured Articles on photographers and Asian history could also be partly addressed by putting Rossier on the Main Page. Pinkville 22:46, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

Daniel Webster

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Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 25, 1852) was a leading American statesman during the nation's antebellum, or Pre-Civil War, era. His increasingly nationalistic positions and the effectiveness with which he articulated them led him to become one of the most famous orators and influential Whig leaders of the Second Party System. Although Webster served as Secretary of State, he is primarily recognized for his Senate tenure. He desired greatly to see the Union preserved and conflict averted, which led him to search out compromises designed to stave off the sectionalism that threatened war between the North and South. Webster made three unsuccessful bids for the Presidency, his final attempt failing in part because of his compromises. Much like his attempts at gaining the White House, Webster's efforts at averting civil war toward a definite peace would ultimately prove futile. Despite this, Webster came to be esteemed for his attempts, being officially named by the Senate in 1957 as one of its five most outstanding members. (More...)

• This article reached FA status in September 2006, and I believe that it accurately portrays not only an important individual to American History, but it provides a unique look into the failures and triumphs associated with being a statesman of the antebellum era. I really think any date could be used. Prezboy1 20:25, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Gilwell Park

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Gilwell Park is a campsite and activity centre for Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, and school groups, and a training and conference centre for Scout Leaders. The 44 hectare (109 acre) site is located in the Epping Forest in Chingford, London. Its recorded history goes back over 400 years, beginning as a farm, growing to a wealthy estate that fell into disrepair towards 1900. It was given in 1919 by Scout Commissioner William De Bois Maclaren to The Scout Association of the United Kingdom to provide camping facilities to London Scouts, and training facilities for Scouters. As Scout Leaders from all countries of the world have come to Gilwell Park for their Wood Badge training, it is one of the great landmarks of the world Scouting movement.

• The hallowed ground of Scouting. Worldwide camping and training center of the Scouting movement.Rlevse 17:02, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Pixies

The band, pictured in a concert in Kansas City in 2004

The Pixies are an American alternative rock music group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group disbanded in 1993 in acrimonious circumstances but reunited in 2004. Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and Dave Lovering have been the group's continual members. The Pixies found only modest success in their home country, but were significantly more successful in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, although never achieving mainstream success with their studio albums.

Their music, heavily influenced by punk and surf music, was, while highly melodic, capable of being tremendously abrasive at the same time. Francis was the group's primary songwriter and singer and had a distinctly desperate, yowling delivery. He typically wrote cryptic songs about offbeat subjects, such as unidentified flying objects and surrealism. References to mental instability, violent Biblical imagery, physical injury, and incest feature in many of the band's songs and imagery. (More...)

Recently promoted to FA status. Any date would be fine. CloudNine 09:50, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Boston, Massachusetts

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Boston is the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. It is the largest city in New England. Founded in 1630, Boston is one of the oldest, wealthiest and most culturally significant cities in the United States. Its economy is based on higher education, research, health care, finance and technology. The city has been given many nicknames over the years. The name The City on a Hill came from original Massachusetts Bay Colony's governor John Winthrop's goal to create the biblical "City on a Hill." It also refers to the original three hills of Boston. Beantown refers to early Bostonian tradition of making baked beans with imported molasses. The Hub is a shortened form of a phrase recorded by writer Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Hub of the Solar System. William Tudor, co-founder of the North American Review, christened the city The Athens of America for its great cultural and intellectual influence. Boston is sometimes called the Puritan City because its founders were Puritans, and also called The Cradle of Liberty for its role in instigating the American Revolution. In the nineteenth century, it was also known as the "City of Notions." Since walking is popular in the area, yet another nickname of Boston is America's Walking City. Citizens of Boston are called Bostonians. (More…)

Well written article, any date would be fine. -- R'son-W (speak to me/breathe) 03:19, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

• This doesn't seem like a great summary of the article... it just focuses on the city's nicknames. I'd hope that a summary on the main page would be a bit more substantive. --18.85.46.22 00:39, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
• Agreed with the anon above. Surely there's more substantive information about Boston than the fact that its called "America's Walking City". Wickethewok 07:30, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

City of Manchester Stadium

The City of Manchester Stadium (also known as COMS or Eastlands) is a sports venue in Manchester, England. Originally designed as part of Manchester's failed bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics, the stadium was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games at a cost of GB£110 million. After the Games it was converted for use as a football facility, and became the home of Manchester City F.C. who moved there from Maine Road in 2003, signing a 250 year lease.

The interior of the City of Manchester Stadium is a continuous oval bowl, with three tiers of seating at the sides, and two tiers at each end. With an all seater capacity of 47,726 it is currently the fourth largest stadium in the FA Premier League. On 4 October 2006 it was announced that the stadium will host the 2008 UEFA Cup Final. While the seating is continuous, each side of the stadium has its own name in the manner of a traditional football ground. Initially, all sides of the stadium were named by compass direction (North Stand and South Stand for the ends, East Stand (pictured) and West Stand for the sides). In February 2004 the West Stand was renamed the Colin Bell Stand in honour of the former player. (More...)

• I decided to use this image because it hasn't been used for the main page before (the one in the info box was used in the Manchester City F.C. article), also think this is an informing about a sporting arena and if I am correct there was been no sporting arenas on "Today's Featured article". Any date is suitable. Kingjamie 12:10, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Countdown (game show)

Countdown is a British game show presented by Des O'Connor and Carol Vorderman. It was the first programme aired on Channel 4, and over fifty series have been broadcast since its debut on 2 November 1982. With over 4,000 episodes, it is one of the longest-running game shows in the world. The programme was presented by Richard Whiteley for over twenty years, until his death in 2005. His position was taken over by Des Lynam, who retired from the show on December 22 2006 and was replaced by Des O'Connor on January 2 2007. A celebrity guest also features in every programme, and provides a brief interlude before the first advertisement break.

The two contestants in each episode compete in three disciplines: eleven letters rounds, in which the contestants attempt to make the longest word from nine randomly chosen letters; three numbers rounds, in which the contestants must use arithmetic to make a random target number from six other numbers; and the "conundrum", a buzzer round in which the contestants try to be first to solve a nine-letter anagram. During the series heats, the winning contestant returns the next day until he or she has accumulated eight wins. The best contestants are invited back for the series finals, which are decided in knockout format. Contestants of exceptional skill have received national media coverage, and the programme as a whole is widely recognised and parodied within British culture. (More...)

• A fairly recent FA about a British television classic. By far the best date for this to be on the front page is 2 November, which (this year) marks the 24th anniversary of the first episode of the show, and indeed Channel 4 as a whole. Quite a landmark, and this would be a nice way to mark it. There are several pictures that could accompany this, and I've chosen what I think is the best of the free licensed ones. - CountdownCrispy ^{( ?} 19:50, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

• that blurb needs updating Des Lynam doesn't present it now. SenorKristobbal 00:08, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

Final Fantasy IV

Final Fantasy IV (ファイナルファンタジーIV, Fainaru Fantajī Foa) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. in 1991. It was first released in North America as Final Fantasy II, although the original name was restored in later releases. The game initially appeared on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and has since been ported with minor differences to the PlayStation, WonderSwan Color, and Game Boy Advance. The player takes the role of Cecil, a Dark Knight from the kingdom of Baron, on his journey to save the world from the evil Golbez. Struggling to prevent Golbez from acquiring powerful Crystals, Cecil learns of his heritage and travels through three realms to battle Golbez's minions. His lover, best friend, and other warriors join him for the adventure. Final Fantasy IV introduced innovations that became staples of the Final Fantasy series and role-playing games in general. Its "Active Time Battle" system was used in five subsequent Final Fantasy games. Its character-driven plot, use of the new technologies (such as Mode 7), and critically acclaimed score by Nobuo Uematsu have prompted critics to consider Final Fantasy IV one of the greatest games of all time.

• November 23 is the fifteen year anniversary of this game's US release. --Zeality 17:36, 10 October 2006 (UTC)

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

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Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is a side-scrolling platform video game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by GT Interactive. It was released in 1997 for the PlayStation video game console and Windows OS in North America, Australia and Europe. While the game was criticised for its steep learning curve, it was widely acclaimed for having innovative gameplay, good graphics and engaging cut-scenes, and went on to receive multiple awards. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee was the first game in the planned five part Oddworld Quintology, which includes Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee.

The game centers on the titular Abe, a Mudokon slave working at the RuptureFarms meat processing factory on Oddworld. When he discovers that he and his friends face death at the hands of their desperate master, he decides to escape and aid as many enslaved Mudokons as he can along the way. The player assumes the role of Abe, and must escape from the factory before embarking on a perilous quest to restore his once noble people. (More...)

—Abraham Lure 00:13, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

• I remember playing the demo of this one PS1 over and over when I was 7! memories!

This comment is not helpful and has not been signedBuc 10:32, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

Dhaka

File:Dhaka-panorama.jpg

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the Dhaka District. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka and its metropolitan area have a population exceeding 9 million, making it the largest city in Bangladesh and one of the most populous cities in the world. Under Mughal rule, the city was also known as Jahangir Nagar. The modern city was largely developed by British authorities and soon became the second-largest city in Bengal after Kolkata. With the partition of India, Dhaka became the administrative capital of East Pakistan before becoming the capital of an independent Bangladesh in 1972. During this period Dhaka witnessed extensive political turmoil, including many periods of martial law, the declaration of Bangladesh's independence, military suppression and devastation from war and natural calamities. Modern Dhaka is the centre of political, cultural and economic life in Bangladesh, enjoying the highest literacy rate amongst other Bangladeshi cities and a diverse economy. The city faces severe challenges from pollution, congestion, supply shortages, poverty and crime. In recent decades Dhaka has seen a modernisation of transport, communications and public works. (more...)

Rama's arrow 19:48, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

Kazi Nazrul Islam

Kazi Nazrul Islam was a Bengali poet, writer, musician, revolutionary and philosopher who is best known for pioneering works of Bengali poetry. He is popularly known as the Bidrohi Kobi — Rebel Poet — as many of his works express an intense rebellion against the oppression of human beings through slavery, hatred and tradition. He is officially recognised as the national poet of Bangladesh and commemorated in India. Born in a poor Muslim family, Nazrul worked as a muezzin at a local mosque and later worked and travelled with theatrical groups. Establishing himself as a journalist, Nazrul assailed the British Raj in India and emphatically preached revolution with his poetic works the "Vidrohi" ("Rebel") and "Bhangar Gan" ("The Song of Destruction") and his publication the "Dhumketu" ("Comet"). Nazrul also condemned Muslim religious fundamentalism and explore the lives of downtrodden masses in India. Nazrul wrote the first ghazals in Bengali poetry and composed music for his songs, which are collected as "Nazrul Sangeet" broadcast by recording and radio companies and used in motion pictures. (more...)

Rama's arrow 19:41, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

Fourth International

File:Logo of the Fourth International.png

The Fourth International has been a socialist international organisation working in opposition to both capitalism and "Stalinism". Consisting of supporters of Leon Trotsky, it has striven for an eventual victory of the working class to bring about socialism. In Paris in 1938, Trotsky and many of his supporters, having been expelled from the Soviet Union, considered the Comintern to have become lost to "Stalinism" and incapable of leading the international working class towards political power. Thus, they founded their own competing "Fourth International". The International suffered a split in 1940 and an even more significant split in 1953. Despite a partial reunification in 1963, more than one group claims to represent the political continuity of the Fourth International. The broad array of Trotskyist Internationals are split over whether the Fourth International still exists and if so, which organisation represents its political continuity. (more...)

Self-nom; featured since 1 October 2006. This is a slightly abbreviated version of the lead. Any date is fine. Warofdreams talk 18:50, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Ziaur Rahman

Ziaur Rahman was the 6th President of Bangladesh and founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. An officer in the Pakistan Army, Zia's unit captured the Kalurghat radio station at the onset of the Bangladesh Liberation War and declared the independence of Bangladesh. Becoming high-ranking officer in the Bangladesh Army, Zia was appointed chief of army staff following the assassination of Sheikh Mujib Rahman in 1975. Declaring himself president in 1977, Zia won a referendum held in 1978. A right-wing politician, Zia established free-market policies in a 19-point programme of industrialisation and development. He adopted policies bringing the government increasingly under Islam, which he imbibed in the national constitution. Zia controversially pardoned the assassins of Sheikh Mujib by signing the Indemnity Act and rehabilitated individuals who had supported the Pakistan Army. A popular yet controversial leader, Zia was assassinated in 1981 in an abortive military coup. His widow Begum Khaleda Zia is the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. (more...)

I know that the picture is a fair use image, but there are no free alternatives for Ziaur Rahman. Please let me know if this is acceptable and if not, what should be done. Rama's arrow 21:21, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

If it is not acceptable, would an alternative be to get a portrait drawn? I vaguely remember seeing a portrait drive going on in WP:FPC. You can request there. -- Sundar ^{\talk \contribs} 13:29, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

War of the Fifth Coalition (October 14)

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The War of the Fifth Coalition was a military conflict in 1809 between an alliance of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, producing horrific casualty rates. After much campaigning in Bavaria and across the Danube valley, the war ended favorably for the French after the bloody struggle at the Battle of Wagram in early July.

The resulting Treaty of Schönbrunn was the harshest that France had imposed on Austria in recent memory. Austria lost over three million subjects, about 20% of her total population, as a result of the territorial changes. While incessant fighting in the Iberian Peninsula would continue, the War of the Fifth Coalition was the last major conflict on the European continent until the French invasion of Russia in 1812 sparked the rise of the Sixth Coalition. (More...)

Requesting October 14th since the Treaty of Schonbrunn was signed that day.UberCryxic 17:07, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

Larrys Creek

Larrys Creek is a 22.9 mile (36.8 km) long tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. A part of the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin, the watershed drains 89.1 square miles (230.8 km²) in six townships and a borough, flowing south from the dissected Allegheny Plateau to the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. The Susquehannocks, Lenape and other tribes lived here and the Great Shamokin Path crossed the creek near its mouth, where Larry Burt, the first settler, also lived by 1769. In the 19th century, the creek and its watershed included 53 sawmills, grist mills, leather tanneries, coal and iron mines. No other stream in the country had so many sawmills. A plank road ran along much of the creek for decades, and two "paper railroads" were planned, but never built. As of 2006, the Larrys Creek watershed is 83.1% forest and 15.7% agricultural (in marked contrast to the 19th century's clear-cut land). Nearly 9000 acres (36 km²) of second-growth forest are protected public and private land for hunting and trout fishing. The polluting industries of the 19th century are gone and the creek "has an exceptionally scenic, ultra-highwater, whitewater run" for canoeing. Despite agricultural runoff and some acid mine drainage, water quality is quite good and a water filtration plant supplies over 2500 customers. (More...)

(self-nomination in that I am the principal author). The article has been featured since August 30, 2006. It is only the second river / stream article currently on the featured articles list. It has been over a year since the other, Zambezi, was Today's featured article. No date suggested, just think it would be an interesting article on the Main Page. Thanks, Ruhrfisch 12:49, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

I expanded the lead in the article and edited it here to make it (hopefully) more interesting and compelling. Ruhrfisch 16:03, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

White Deer Hole Creek (not nominated on this page) and Paulins Kill (see above) are now also featured river / stream articles, and I would be happy to see any of them as Today's featured article. Thanks, Ruhrfisch 19:35, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

I agree it would be nice to see an article about a river on the main page. Dincher 02:15, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Halo: Combat Evolved

Halo: Combat Evolved is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. The "killer application" of the Xbox gaming system, it was released as a launch title for the platform on November 15, 2001. Selling more than six million copies worldwide since release, the game is second only to its sequel, Halo 2, in sales for the Microsoft console. The game received excellent reviews and numerous "Game of the Year" awards, being hailed as one of the best and most influential first-person shooters of all time. The game's popularity has led to labels such as "Halo clone" and "Halo killer", applied to games either similar to, or anticipated to be better than, Halo. In addition, the game inspired and was used in the Red vs. Blue video series, which is credited as the "first big success" of machinima.

Halo's main character is the Master Chief, a cyborg "super-soldier" clad in battle armor. Players assume the role of the Master Chief and battle aliens on foot and in vehicles as they explore the titular Halo, a ring-shaped space habitat, and attempt to uncover its secrets. (More...)

bibliomaniac15 04:31, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

This would be appropriate for November 7 or January 17. — TKD::Talk 10:55, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

Or even January 1, 2007. In case the connection of these dates isn't clear, the protagonist's code name is Spartan-117. — TKD::Talk 11:22, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

Actually I think July 7 (07-07-07) might be a good idea. To those who don't know, there are an abundance of sevens in the game series as an easter egg. On second thought having it on that date might be crufty, but I'm just throwing it out there. James086^Talk 12:29, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

Michael Woodruff

Sir Michael Francis Addison Woodruff FRS (April 3, 1911 – March 10, 2001) was a British surgeon and scientist. Though born in London, Woodruff spent his youth in Australia where he attended college and received a medical degree. Woodruff finished his medical studies shortly after the outbreak of World War II, and joined the Australian Army Medical Corps, but was soon captured by Japanese forces and imprisoned in the Changi Prison Camp. While imprisoned, Woodruff devised an ingenious method of extracting nutrients from agricultural wastes to prevent malnutrition among his fellow POWs.

At the conclusion of the war, Woodruff returned to Britain and began a long career as an academic surgeon, mixing clinical work and research. Over the course of several decades, Woodruff studied transplant rejection, immunosuppression, and other aspects of transplantation biology. His considerable contributions to the science of transplantation culminated on October 30, 1960 when he performed the first kidney transplant in the United Kingdom. For this and his other scientific contributions, Woodruff was selected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1968 and knighted in 1969. Unwilling to rest on his laurels, Woodruff continued his surgical work until retiring in 1976, and even continued to be active in the scientific community for many years aftwerward, researching cancer and serving on the boards of various medical and scientific organizations.

It's been an FA for a while. I'd like to see it on the front page for October 30 (the anniversary of Woodruff's big transplant). Cool3 20:17, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

USA PATRIOT Act, Title III, Subtitle A

President George W. Bush signing the USA PATRIOT ACT in the White House's East Room on October 26, 2001.

The USA PATRIOT Act is an American law which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. The USA PATRIOT Act was passed by the United States Congress in 2001 as a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. It has ten titles, with the third title ("Title III: International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001") written to prevent, detect, and prosecute international money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Title III is itself divided into three subtitles. The first subtitle, entitled Subtitle A: International Counter Money Laundering and Related Measures is designed to put measures into place that counter international money laundering. It does this by requiring that financial instutitions take several new special measures against money laundering — identification is dealt with particularly; by restricting or prohibiting the use of certain types of bank accounts and through adding further legislation that regulates a financial institution's dealing with foreign concerns. (More...)

Rama's arrow 19:31, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

It needs a better lead section, preferably one introducing the specific scope from the very beginning. John Riemann Soong 07:42, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

How did that article get featured in the first place, on the nominate page I count a 6-4 vote; not exactly what I'd call consensus. Jaqu 02:38, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

• Whoa, this doesn't seem like FA quality to me at all. This is basically a summary of the document and contains no analysis or presentation of the Act's effects, people's reactions, etc. Wickethewok 07:35, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Frank Klepacki

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Frank Klepacki (born May 25, 1974) is a video game music composer best known for his work on the Command & Conquer series. Having learned to play drums in childhood, he joined Westwood Studios as a composer at age 17. He scored several games there, including the Lands of Lore series, the Dune games, the The Legend of Kyrandia series, Blade Runner, and the Command & Conquer series. His work in Command & Conquer: Red Alert won two awards. He lives in Las Vegas, where he has shaped a solo career and played and produced for several local bands. His personal and band work touches upon several genres, including orchestral, rock music, hip hop music, alternative rock, progressive rock, soul music, and funk. His work has appeared in various media, including the Spike TV program The Ultimate Fighter. Klepacki is currently the audio director of Petroglyph games, where he scored Star Wars: Empire at War. He has not been contacted to score Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, noting he learned of the game's development the "same way the fans did." Klepacki's next composing project is Universe at War: Earth Assault, a collaboration by Sega and Petrogylph. His most recent solo CD is entitled Awakening of Aggression.

Nothing in mind, but the sooner the better, I guess. He's about to release Awakening of Aggression in the coming two months, which will generate some interest. Hurrah for first CVG bio Featured Article! --Zeality 03:45, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

The Wire (TV series)

The Wire is an American police procedural television series set and produced in the mid-Atlantic city of Baltimore, Maryland. Created by writer/producer and former police reporter David Simon, the series is broadcast by the HBO cable network in the United States. The Wire premiered on June 2 2002 and has aired 50 episodes in four seasons. The first season's plot centers around the ongoing struggles between police units and drug-dealing gangs in Baltimore's west side, and is told from both points of view. Subsequent seasons have focused on other facets of the city. The large cast consists mainly of character actors who are little known for their other roles.

The Wire has received critical acclaim for its realistic portrayal of urban life and uncommonly deep exploration of sociological themes, and has been called the best show on television by TIME, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, and the Chicago Tribune. However, it has failed to draw an audience commensurate with its press. (More...)

Self-nom, work done largely by myself, User:Opark 77 and User:East718. I would like to make an odd request for the date it should be on the front page. I want it to sit until at least a week after the last episode of the upcoming fourth season of the show airs (probably sometime in December). The reasons for this are twofold: (1) I don't want to be accused of promoting the show while new episodes are still being aired, and (2) there should be a full summary of the fourth season's plot and new characters written by that time, rather than just collecting scraps of information on upcoming episodes like we have now. I have not discussed this with Opark 77 or East718, but since they have not yet requested a spot in the front-page queue I am going to make this recommendation myself and see what they think. Andrew Levine

Why not use the header image of the article, Image:Season02 posterart.jpg, rather than a cast shot? The problem with the cast shot is that it shows only the police cast when a large part of The Wire's main story is the duality of the police and Barksdale's, though it's more about institutions as a whole. –– Lid^(Talk) 03:56, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

I just used the preview function to see what the header would look like and, in my opinion, it works better than the cast shot in displaying the article. The cast shot is quite plain and doesn't really draw attention, even the cast shot of the streets group is more interesting but that would again make people make assumptions about the content. –– Lid^(Talk) 15:58, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

I strongly support this request. The best show on TV should deserve a spot on the main page. Jaqu 02:39, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

Can you please put a photo to be displayed along with the article on the main page, so it will look better on the main page. Thnx. --Parker007 17:14, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

I had a photo before, but someone removed it. Andrew Levine 05:35, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Everton F.C.

Everton F.C. are an FA Premier League football club based in Liverpool. Formed in 1878, they were founder members of the football league and they have won the League Championship nine times, the FA Cup five times and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once. Everton's most successful period came in the late 1980s, when they acquired several trophies under the management team headed by Howard Kendall with great players such as Graeme Sharp, Gary Stevens and Peter Reid. Their most successful player was Dixie Dean who still holds the record of 60 league goals in one season and is easily Everton's top scorer of all time with 383 goals in 433 matches. In more recent years, the club have battled relegation, found themselves mid-table and even reached the UEFA Champions League qualifiers by finishing 4th. Their last major honour was the FA Cup in 1995 beating Manchester United. They are currently playing their 104th season in the top flight of football which is longer than any other team and and they have only been relegated twice in their history. The team enjoy a large fanbase, regularly attracting more than 35,000 spectators to their home ground, Goodison Park. (More…)

Soon as possible really. Not really a "bad" time to put it up. SenorKristobbal 18:27, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Although the image is slightly disappointing, I'd like this. Daniel.Bryant ^{[ T · C ]} 07:16, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

• I would think that February 3 would be an appropriate time to have this on the front page as that would coincide with the 176th Merseyside derby. ⁂veila# 12:30, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

I think it is time to have this on the front page, every thing is up to date and looking good, Max 19:42, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

• It would have been Dixie Dean's 100th birthday on the 22nd Janurary. RoyalBlueStuey 13:48, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

File:HalloweenIII poster.jpg

Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 horror film and the third in the Halloween series. It is the only Halloween film that does not feature a plot revolving around the character Michael Myers, instead focusing on an investigation into the activities of the mysterious owner of a toy company, in the week approaching Halloween night. Besides wholly abandoning the Michael Myers plotline, Halloween III departs from the slasher film genre which the original Halloween spawned in 1978. The focus on a psychotic killer is replaced by a "mad scientist" theme. Moreover, the frequency of graphic violence and gore is less than that of Halloween II (1981), although scenes that depict the deaths of characters remain intense. Produced on a budget of $2.5 million, Halloween III grossed $14.4 million at the box office in the United States, making it the poorest performing film in the Halloween series at the time. (More…)

hope its ok to add this with the other halloween featured article requests... 82.14.81.85 22:42, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Halloween II

Halloween II is a 1981 horror film sequel to the influential Halloween (1978). It is directed by Rick Rosenthal and stars Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, and stunt performer Dick Warlock as Michael Myers. While other films in the Halloween series follow, this is the last one written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. The film immediately follows the events of the first film, and centers on Myers's attempts to find and kill Laurie Strode and Loomis's efforts to track and kill Myers. Stylistically, the sequel reproduces certain key elements that made the original Halloween a success but departs significantly from the original by incorporating more graphic violence and gore. It was not as successful as the original, grossing only $25.5 million at the box office in the United States despite its $2.5 million budget. Halloween II was intended to be the last chapter of the Halloween series to revolve around Michael Myers and the Haddonfield setting, but after the lackluster reaction to Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), Myers returned in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988). (More…)

Zzzzz 10:27, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

New Carissa

The New Carissa, officially known as the M/V New Carissa, was a freighter that ran aground on a beach near Coos Bay, Oregon, United States, during a storm in February 1999 and subsequently broke apart. An attempt to tow the bow section of the ship out to sea failed when the tow line broke, and the bow was grounded again. Eventually, the bow was successfully towed out to sea and sunk. The stern section remains on the beach near Coos Bay. Fuel on board the ship was burned off in situ, but a significant amount was also spilled from the wreckage, causing ecological damage to the coastline.

The United States Coast Guard performed an investigation and found that captain's error was the main cause of the wreck; however, no criminal liability was established and the captain and crew were not charged. There were significant legal and financial consequences for the ship's owners and insurer.

There are plans in place to dismantle the stern section at its current site and remove it from the beach. (More…)

Any time would be fine. In September 2006, the state Legislative Emergency Board will consider the expenditure request on removing the New Carissa; that might make the article relevant to next month, or it might be a good reason to choose a different time (so as not to appear like we are trying to influence the L.E.B.) As one FAC reviewer noted, not many environmental articles get to FAC status. --EngineerScotty 21:57, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

The KLF

File:The KLF - Why Sheep?.jpg

The KLF were one of the seminal bands of the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Beginning in 1987, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty released hip hop-inspired and sample-heavy records, pioneering the genres "stadium house" (rave music with a pop-rock production and sampled crowd noise) and "ambient house". The KLF released a series of international top-ten hits on their own KLF Communications record label, and became the highest internationally selling UK band of 1991. They adopted the philosophy espoused by esoteric novels The Illuminatus! Trilogy, gaining notoriety for various anarchic situationist manifestations. Their most notorious performance was at the February 1992 Brit Awards, where they fired machine gun blanks into the audience and dumped a dead sheep at the aftershow party. With The KLF's profits, Drummond and Cauty established the K Foundation and sought to subvert the art world, staging an alternative art award for the worst artist of the year and burning a million pounds sterling. (More…)

Zzzzz 21:05, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

• This is a really cool, detailed article. Really fascinating stuff for folks like me who were both an ocean away and very young during The KLF's period of activity. Wickethewok 14:46, 27 September 2006 (UTC)
• (substantial contributor to article) I think this deserves to be on the front page; it's mentioned often enough as a model FA on a band, and they have a truly fascinating story (from underground band to burning a million pounds of excess earnings in 7 short years). It would be nice if it could appear on an anniversary of something (or, at the very least on the 23rd of any month given their fascination with the number 23). --kingboyk 18:31, 27 September 2006 (UTC)
• Won best article in its category ("humanities and culture") at Wikimania 2006. --kingboyk 16:28, 16 October 2006 (UTC)
• (another substantial contributor) I fully agree with kingboyk's sentiments and will echo them: when this article hits the front page it should be an anniversary of something they've done or the 23rd of the month. A particularly good anniversary is coming up: 9th March is the 20th anniversary of the duo's first release. --Vinoir 02:01, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

Chrono Cross

Chrono Cross (クロノ・クロス, Kurono Kurosu) is a console role-playing game created by Square Co. (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation. It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger, which was released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Unlike its predecessor's "Dream Team", Chrono Cross was developed primarily by scenarist and director Masato Kato and other programmers for Chrono Trigger, including art director Yasuyuki Honne and sound planner Minoru Akao. Composer Yasunori Mitsuda scored Chrono Cross and Nobuteru Yūki designed its characters. The story of Chrono Cross focuses on a teenage boy named Serge and a theme of parallel worlds. Faced with an alternate reality in which he died as a child, Serge endeavors to discover the truth of the two worlds' divergence. Upon its release in Japan in 1999 and in the United States in 2000, A "Millennium Edition" featuring a calendar, clock, and music sampler disc was also released. Chrono Cross received high ratings and critical acclaim. The game's 1.5 million worldwide sales led to a Greatest Hits re-release and continued life in Japan as part of the Ultimate Hits series.

Any time is fine. November 18 is the upper limit; that's the date of the game's Japanese release. --Zeality 14:15, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

Elliott Smith

File:BBP 8010 small crop 2.jpg

Elliott Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Although born in the Midwest and primarily raised in Texas, Smith spent the majority of his life in Portland, Oregon. After playing in the rock band Heatmiser for several years, Smith began his career as a solo artist in 1994 with releases on the independent record labels Cavity Search and Kill Rock Stars. He signed a major label contract with DreamWorks Records in 1997, for which he recorded two albums. Smith rose to mainstream prominence when his song "Miss Misery", written for the film Good Will Hunting, was nominated for an Oscar in the best original song category in 1998. The singer battled with depression, alcohol addiction and drug use for many years, and the topics would often appear in his lyrics. (More...)

- Phorque 14:47, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

• Seeing as the fair-use promo image has been removed at some point, here's a free image that, while making less sense, is visually striking. Whatever. - Phorque 14:40, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

• Very influencial musician, has influenced many prominent alternative rock artists. -Richard833 13:30, February 19, 2007.

Chrono Trigger

Chrono TriggerKurono Torigā (クロノ・トリガー) is a console role-playing game created by Square Co. for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan on March 11, 1995 and in North America on August 22 of the same year. The game's story follows a group of young adventurers who travel throughout history to save the planet. Upon its release, certain aspects of Chrono Trigger were seen as revolutionary — including its multiple endings, plot-related sidequests focused on character development, unique battle system, and detailed graphics. It is still regarded by fans as one of the greatest games of all time, and was rereleased in Japan for the Sony PlayStation during 1999. In 2001, it was released in North America as part of the Final Fantasy Chronicles package which also included Final Fantasy IV. It has never been released in PAL territories.

This was promoted this morning, and just in time for its eleventh anniversary in North America. I'd like to see this featured August 22 if there's a remote chance of that happening. Sir Crazyswordsman 23:55, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, now that August is over, I'd like to see it front paged in September. Please, I'm begging you! Sir Crazyswordsman 02:49, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

I added that post when I was logged out for some reason, sorry. Sir Crazyswordsman 16:07, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

• Support. Very important and highly-regarded video game. Great article. --- RockMFR 21:21, 11 February 2007 (UTC)
• I'd love to support this article, but I'm worried about featuring our FAs with longer plot summaries. Even though I helped elevate this article to FA, I don't know if it should be featured yet because of the long synopsis. That way, we can cover our rear ends. — Deckiller 22:00, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

Final Fantasy VI

Final Fantasy VIFainaru Fantajī Shikkusu (ファイナルファンタジーVI) is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd.. Released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the game focuses on a group of rebels as they seek to overthrow an imperial dictatorship. It was the third game in the Final Fantasy series to be released in North America, following Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy IV. As a result, it was marketed under the title "Final Fantasy III" in North America. Several other changes were made to the game, as well, due to various content guidelines imposed by Nintendo of America, including censorship of nudity and offensive language.

Final Fantasy VI was the first game in the series to be directed by someone other than producer and series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, with that role being filled instead by Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Itō. Originally released to near-universal critical acclaim, it is still regarded as a landmark of the series and of the role-playing genre. At 24 megabits, it was the largest role-playing video game to appear on a console at the time of its release, with a significantly greater number of battle customization options than its predecessors and the largest playable cast in the Final Fantasy series to date, excluding spin-off titles. It remains widely praised for its storyline, characters and non-linear style of play.

If possible, I'd like to see this featured on October 11, as that will mark the twelfth anniversary of the game's US release. It's actually been sitting at FA since the end of July. Sir Crazyswordsman 23:50, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes, it takes nearly a year for an article to appear on the main page, but October 11th sounds like a good date. — Deckiller 12:05, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, but FFX went on the main page only two months after it got featured thanks to Ryu's buggling. Sir Crazyswordsman 02:06, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

Mandy Moore

File:MandyMoorepic.jpg

Mandy Moore (born Amanda Leigh Moore on April 10, 1984) is an American singer and actress. Moore grew up in Florida and came to fame as a teenager in 2000, after the release of her debut album So Real. Her subsequent albums, including the self-titled Mandy Moore and Coverage, established her as a well-known pop singer in the United States. Moore has branched out into a film career, starring in 2002's successful teen film A Walk to Remember and later appearing in the lead roles of less well-received movies also aimed at teenage audiences. Two of her latest films, American Dreamz and Saved!, were parodies in which Moore portrayed darker characters than in her previous roles.

Moore's private life, including her relationships with tennis player Andy Roddick and actors Wilmer Valderrama and Zach Braff, has been much-discussed in the media. She is scheduled to appear in several films during 2006 and 2007, and is completing work on another music album. (More…)

A celebrity FA promoted on August 10th. Haven't had one of these on the front page since Lindsay Lohan in early July. Any front page time available is good Mad Jack 05:02, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

I think you're right. I think it should go on the main page, personally. SergeantBolt (t,c) 20:12, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

Excel Saga

File:Excel Saga vol 13.jpg

Excel Saga is a comedy manga series by Koushi Rikudou and an anime based on it, directed by Shinichi Watanabe. While the two media differ in many respects, they share the same principal storyline and gag-based, satirical comedy. Both are set in the city of Fukuoka and follow the attempts of the secret organization ACROSS to conquer that city as a first step towards world conquest. Excel, the hyperactive title character, is the senior officer of ACROSS and zealously serves its handsome but enigmatic leader, Ilpalazzo. She is aided by her coworkers, Hyatt and Elgala, and together they battle the masked forces of the Department of City Security, a shadowy government agency.

Excel Saga parodies many genres and specific works of popular culture in Japan as well as many aspects of Japanese daily life. It employs a large cast featuring moé androids, vicious medical professionals, wandering ghosts, and insidiously cute aliens. Excel Saga, the manga, began publication in 1997, and the anime aired in Japan from October 1999 to March 2000. Both have been translated into several languages, and the anime was televised in parts of Europe and the Americas. (More…)

The article was promoted to FAC on July 14, and I've been on wikibreak for a while. If this should pass muster, I would especially appreciate October 7 (the anniversary of the anime's debut). There are other Excel Saga-specific article I could link to, but I think they're not of high enough quality to link from the main page. If the second paragraph reads a little like a DVD or book cover, I apologize: there's a lot to condense, and I wanted to strike the right balance between accuracy and brevity. Suggestions are welcome!--Monocrat 17:07, 5 August 2006 (UTC)

It's too bad Oct.7 passed by. I would have loved to see this on the front page. - Malomeat 00:47, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

C'est la vie. Another option would be sometime around December 12 of this year, when the next volume of the manga comes out.--Monocrat 16:04, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Somehow the image got messed up. Anyway, please post as soon as possible.--Monocrat 05:49, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

Cleveland

Cleveland is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, and has the largest metro area in the U.S. state of Ohio. The municipality is located on the southern shore of Lake Erie, in the Western Reserve in northeastern Ohio on the Cuyahoga River, approximately 60 miles (100 km) west of the Pennsylvania border. It was founded in 1796 near the mouth of the river, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location at the head of numerous canals and railroad lines. With the decline of heavy manufacturing, Cleveland's businesses have diversified into the service economy, including the financial services, insurance, and healthcare sectors. (More...)

One of the only 5 time winning All-american cities. It is one of the largest cities in the U.S.A, and was at one time the leading industrial city. Maybe July 22, as it was founded then. 11kowrom 21:59, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

Gremlins 2: The New Batch is an American film released in 1990 and a sequel to the original Gremlins (1984). Gremlins 2 is directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker. It stars Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky, Haviland Morris, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, Robert Picardo, and Christopher Lee. The story continues the adventures of the creature Gizmo, who spawns numerous small monsters when wet. In the first film Gizmo's offspring had rampaged through a fictional small town. In Gremlins 2, Gizmo multiples within a building in New York City. The new creatures thus pose a serious threat to the city should they be able to leave the building. Much of the story involves the human characters' efforts to prevent this disaster. Like the first film, Gremlins 2 is a live action comedy-horror film. However, Dante put effort into taking the sequel in new anarchic directions. In general, the film is meant to be more cartoon-like than the darker original. The violence is fairly slapstick. There are also a number of parodies of other films and stories, most notably Gremlins itself, as well as the Rambo films, The Wizard of Oz and Phantom of the Opera. (More...)

Nomination by CanadianCaesar Et tu, Brute? 20:23, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (May 16th 2007)

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 science fantasy film directed and co-written by George Lucas. It was the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, and the second in terms of chronology. The film is set ten years after the Battle of Naboo, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. When an assassination attempt is made on Senator Padmé Amidala, the former Queen of Naboo, nineteen-year-old Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker is assigned to protect her, while his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi is assigned to investigate the assassination attempt. Soon, Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan are drawn into the heart of the Separatist territories, and the beginning of a new threat to the galaxy. Released on May 16, 2002, Attack of the Clones was generally received as an improvement over its predecessor. It was the first motion picture to be shot completely on a high definition digital 24-frame system, and the first Star Wars film to be internationally out-grossed in the year of its original release. (More…)

nomination by The Filmaker 14:39, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

• Requesting that this article be featured directly behind the Revenge of the Sith article, in other words if Attack of the Clones is featured on August 5 than Revenge of the Sith would be featured on August 6 to present a flow of continuity. :) Also, there could be a presence of featuring on days that coincide with their numbers like Episode II is featured on August 2 and the same going for Episode III.

• I could be wrong, but I don't think Raul generally likes featuring articles on related articles close together. For example, while Phil Collins and Genesis (band) were both listed here at almost the exact same time and Phil Collins has been featured, Genesis (band) is still here. Staxringold _talk^contribs 15:33, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

• • • Correct. I try to have the FA jump around by genre/topic and by region of the world (if applicable). Featuring two sci-fi movies back to back would run counter to this. Raul654 16:10, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

I have put date request may 16th 2007, (unless spiderman the movie gets FA status). --Parker007 17:11, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

Denis Law

File:Denis Law signs for Manchester United.JPG

Denis Law (seated, born February 24 1940, in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s. After four years at Huddersfield Town, Manchester City signed him for a transfer fee of £55,000, setting a new British record. Law spent one year there before Torino bought him for £110,000, this time setting a new record fee for a transfer between an English and an Italian club. Although he played well in Italy, he found it difficult to settle there and signed for Manchester United in 1962, setting another British record transfer fee of £115,000. Law is best known for the eleven years that he spent at Manchester United, where he won the prestigious European Footballer of the Year award and helped his club win the First Division in 1965 and 1967. Law left Manchester United in 1973 and returned to Manchester City for a season, then represented Scotland in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Law played for Scotland a total of 55 times and jointly holds the Scottish international record goal tally with 30 goals. (More...)

This was promoted months ago, but I've only just got around to listing it on here. Would love to see it on the front page and it's been a while since we had a football article there. CTOAGN (talk) 18:26, 16 April 2006 (UTC)

Oppose It will look like Wikipedia is a Fanboy of this football player. --Foundby 08:44, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Struck out comment made by sockpuppet of banned user.--Rmky87 23:41, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

History of Michigan State University

The history of Michigan State University (MSU) dates back to 1855, when the Michigan Legislature established the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. As the first agricultural college in the United States, the school served as a prototype for future Land Grant institutions under the Morrill Act enacted during Abraham Lincoln's presidential administration. The school's first class graduated in 1861 right after the onset of the American Civil War. In 1870, the College became co-educational with home economics for women students. The school admitted its first African American student in 1899. During this period, the school established "Farmers' Institutes" as a means of reaching out to the state's agricultural community and informing the membership of developments in agricultural science; the program gradually became the MSU Extension Services.

After World War II, the college gained admission to the Big Ten Conference, joining the rival University of Michigan, and grew to become one of the largest educational institutions in the United States. During the Vietnam War, the school was a hotbed of anti-war protests. In more recent years, MSU has worked on improving its academic reputation, though a series of student riots in the late 1990s has made this task more difficult. Nevertheless, MSU's current president has stated that a renewed focus on biotechnology research and residential college learning would make the university a new model for America's Land Grant institutions.

Recently promoted to Feature Article status, the article is a production of Wikipedia:WikiProject Michigan. No specific date is requested. Jtmichcock 12:45, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

Support Educational Institution = More Human Knowledge = Less Unemployment. lol. --Foundby 08:42, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Struck comment made by sockpuppet of banned user--NPswimdude500 01:42, 31 January 2007 (UTC)