Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2012-04-02/Featured content

Snakes, misnamed chapels, and emptiness: featured content this week

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Featured articles

Snake handling service held in Lejunior, Harlan County, Kentucky at the Pentecostal Church of God, 1946 from the new featured article George Went Hensley, who popularized snake handling. Photo by Russell Lee.

Seven featured articles were promoted this week:

George Went Hensley (nom) by Mark Arsten and Astynax. George Went Hensley (c. 1880 – 1955) was an American Pentecostal minister credited with popularizing the practice of snake handling in the Southeastern United States. A native of rural Appalachia, Hensley experienced a religious conversion around 1910: he came to believe that the New Testament commanded all Christians to handle venomous snakes. In 1955, he was bitten by a snake and became violently ill. Refusing to seek medical attention, he died the following day.
Thomas Blamey (nom) by Hawkeye7. Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey (1884–1951) was an Australian general and the only Australian to attain the rank of field marshal. He was promoted to general in 1941 and in 1942 to Commander in Chief of the Australian Military Forces and Commander of Allied Land Forces in the South West Pacific Area under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. He signed the instrument of Japan's surrender on behalf of Australia on 2 September 1945. He was promoted to field marshal in June 1950.
John de Gray (nom) by Ealdgyth. John de Gray (died 1214) was a medieval English Bishop of Norwich, and the elected but unconfirmed Archbishop of Canterbury. He was employed in the service of John of England even before John's coronation as king, and was rewarded with a number of ecclesiastical offices. In 1205 King John attempted to further reward de Gray with a translation to the archbishopric of Canterbury, but a disputed election process led to de Gray's selection being quashed by Pope Innocent III in 1206.
Blakeney Chapel (nom) by Jimfbleak. Blakeney Chapel is a ruined building on the Norfolk coast of England. Despite its name, it is in the parish of Cley next the Sea, not in the adjoining village of Blakeney, and was probably not a chapel. The building stood on a raised mound or "eye" on the seaward end of the coastal marshes, less than 200 m (220 yd) from the sea. It consisted of two rectangular rooms of unequal size; it appears intact in a 1586 map, but is shown as ruins in later charts. Only the foundations and part of a wall remain.
William McKinley (nom) by Coemgenus and Wehwalt. William McKinley (1843–1901) was the 25th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1897, until his death by assassination in September 1901. McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish-American War, raised protective tariffs to promote American industry, and maintained the nation on the gold standard, rejecting inflationary proposals. His presidency, marked by rapid economic growth, began a period of over a third of a century dominated by the Republican Party.
Roy Dowling (nom) by Ian Rose. Vice Admiral Sir Roy Russell Dowling (1901–1969) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). He served as Chief of Naval Staff, the RAN's highest-ranking position, from 1955 until 1959, and as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, from 1959 until 1961, when he retired from the military. In 1963 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and became Australian Secretary to HM Queen Elizabeth II, serving until his death in 1969.
Carmen (nom) by Brianboulton. Carmen is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. First performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, it was not initially successful, but gained its reputation through productions outside France. Not revived in Paris until 1883, thereafter it rapidly acquired wide celebrity.

Featured lists

Five featured lists were promoted this week:

Keri Hilson discography (nom) by Ozurbanmusic. In her eight-year singing career, American R&B singer-songwriter Keri Hilson has released two studio albums, twelve singles as a solo artist, seventeen as a featured artist, and twenty-nine music videos. Her debut album In a Perfect World..., released in 2009, topped the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and was certified gold; the follow-up No Boys Allowed (2010) was certified platinum. Her highest charting single "Knock You Down", peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
CZW Iron Man Championship (nom) by Wrestlinglover. The CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion, now inactive. Being a professional wrestling championship, the title was won via a scripted ending to a match or awarded to a wrestler because of a storyline. Established in 1999, the title was held by 24 different different wrestlers in 37 reigns before being retired in 2009.
Nebula Award for Best Novel (nom) by PresN. The Nebula Awards are given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for the best science fiction or fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year. The award has been called one of "the most important of the American science fiction awards" and "the science-fiction and fantasy equivalent" of the Emmy Awards. In the 47 nomination years, the works of 159 authors have been nominated; 34 of these have won, including co-authors and ties.
Manchester United F.C. league record by opponent (nom) by HonorTheKing. Since their founding in 1878, the English football club Manchester United have played against 87 teams. The team are undefeated against York City, Long Eaton Rangers, and Wigan Athletic, while they have never won against Accrington. The team's most frequent opponents are Arsenal, against whom they also have their greatest number of wins and losses (77 and 67, respectively). Their most draws (50 in 147 games) have been with arch-rivals Manchester City.
List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall (nom) by Jowaninpensans and Zangar. There are 167 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly) in the south-west of England. A site is chosen based on its fauna, flora, geological or physiographical features. Of the 167 sites, 81 have been designated for their biological interest, 54 for their geological interest and 32 for both. The first sites were recognised in 1951, while the most recent was recognised in 2009.

Featured pictures

Fourteen featured pictures were promoted this week:

Coiled ladder snake (nom; related article), created by Benny Trapp, edited by Papa Lima Whiskey 2, and nominated by Tomer T (pictured above). Ladder snakes, members of the Colubridae family, can measure up to 160 centimetres (63 in) long and eat mice, eggs, and insects. This specimen was shot in Portugal.
The Dog (nom; related article), created by Francisco de Goya and nominated by Crisco 1492. This untitled work by Spanish artist Fransisco Goya, often referred to as The Dog, is one of fourteen works Goya painted on the walls of his house between 1819 and 1823. The work, which measures 131.5 cm × 79.3 cm (51¾ in × 31¼ in) and depicts a small dog's head in vast emptiness, was described by reviewer Aaadddaaammm as the "most beautiful painting in the world".
The Princess from the Land of Porcelain (nom; related article), created by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, brightened by Papa Lima Whiskey 2, and nominated by Crisco 1492. Whistler's Princess, painted between 1863 and 1865, depicts an Anglo-Greek model in a kimono in front of a Japanese-style folding screen. It is a part of the Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery of Art.
Gippsland Water Dragon in Mitchell River National Park (nom; related article), by Jjron. This new featured picture depicts a Gippsland Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii howittii) in Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The Gippsland Water Dragon, which can grow to over 3 feet (36 in) in length, is a subspecies of the Australian water dragon.
Rokeby Venus (nom; related article), created by Diego Velázquez and nominated by Crisco 1492. The Rokeby Venus, probably painted by Velázquez during a trip to Italy between 1647 and 1651, depicts the Roman goddess of love Venus looking at her reflection in a mirror held by her son Cupid. The painting is the only surviving nude by the artist.
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (nom; related article), created by Steve Jurvetson and nominated with modifications by Papa Lima Whiskey 2. The Western Terrestrial Garter Snake is an ovoviviparous snake native to southwestern Canada and the western United States. The animals live in coniferous forests and can measure 46–104 cm (18–41 inches).
El pintor Francisco de Goya (nom; related article), created by Vicente López y Portaña and nominated by Crisco 1492. This portrait of Francisco Goya (1746–1828), a painter who spent several years as court painter for the Spanish crown, measures 95.5 × 80.5 cm (37.6 × 31.7 in) and is held in the Museo Del Prado in Spain. It depicts Goya holding a palette and was painted when the subject was 80 years old.
1899 Michigan Wolverines football team (nom; related article), created by Fred Rentschler and nominated by Tomer T. The new featured picture depicts the 1899 season lineup of the Michigan Wolverines, the college football team for the University of Michigan. Consisting of 20 players, the team started their season with six shutouts, but went 50–50 in their last four games.
The Third of May 1808 (nom; related article), created by Francisco Goya, edited by Papa Lima Whiskey 2, and nominated by Crisco 1492. The Third of May 1808, an 1814 oil on canvas work which measures 268 × 347 cm (106 × 137 in), commemorates Spanish resistance to Napoleon's armies during the occupation of 1808. Acknowledged as one of the first paintings of the modern era, the painting has inspired works by Édouard Manet and Pablo Picasso.
Mating Common Lime Butterflies (nom; related article), created by Jkadavoor and nominated by Crisco 1492. The new featured picture, taken in Kadavoor, India, depicts a male and female Common Lime in intercourse. The Common Lime's lifespan is generally around two months, and an average of eight generations occur yearly.
Church of St John the Baptise, Harescombe (nom; related article), created by Saffron Blaze and nominated by Jjron. Harescombe Church, a grade 2* listed building also known as Church of St John the Baptist, was built in the thirteenth century and consecrated in 1315; iron crosses were added in the 1800s.
Nintendo GameCube (nom; related article), created by Evan-Amos and nominated by Crisco 1492. The GameCube, a video game console by Nintendo, was the first Nintendo console to use optical discs. The newly featured image is of an indigo system; black, platinum, and orange systems were commonly available as well.
Wheelchair basketball – LE Roma vs Toulouse (nom; related article), created by PierreSelim and nominated by Crisco 1492. Wheelchair basketball, one of the major disabled sports, is played by both disabled and able-bodied persons while in wheelchairs. The new featured picture comes from the first pool tour of the 2012 Euroleague of wheelchair basketball.
Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex (nom; related article), by Sanyam Bahga. The new featured picture depicts the Virasat-e-Khalsa, formerly known as the Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex, a museum in Anandpur Sahib, India. The museum, which opened in 2011, details the events leading to the birth of Sikhism.

Featured topics

One featured topic was promoted this week:

Grand Prix motorcycle racing World champions (nom), with six featured lists. The topic covers all champions of the motorcycle Grand Prix, the premier championship of motorcycle road racing, from all classes, from the organisation's establishment to the present.