This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted from 3 to 16 April. Text may be adapted from the respective articles and lists; see their page histories for attribution.
Operation Ironside(nominatedbyErrantX) was a World War II military deception undertaken by the Allies in 1944. It formed part of Operation Bodyguard, a broad strategic deception plan instigated by the Allies throughout the year to help cover the June 1944 invasion of Normandy. Ironside supported the overall deception by suggesting to the Germans that the Allies would subsequently land along the Bay of Biscay, and complemented efforts to deceive the Germans into believing that the Allies would also land in southern France at this time (Operation Vendetta).
Hartebeest(nominatedbySainsf) is an Africa antelope, first described by the German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in 1766. It has a particularly elongated forehead and oddly shaped horns, short neck, and pointed ears. Its legs, which often have black markings, are unusually long. The coat is generally short and shiny. Both sexes have horns, which reach lengths of 45–70 cm (18–28 in).
Isopogon anethifolius(nominatedbyCasliber and Melburnian) is a shrub in the family Proteaceae. The species is found only in coastal areas close to Sydney, and to the immediate west. It occurs naturally in woodland, open forest and heathland on sandstone soils. An upright shrub, it can reach to 3 m (10 ft) in height, with terete leaves that are divided and narrow. The yellow flowers appear from September to December and are prominently displayed. They are followed by round grey cones, which give the plant its common name of drumsticks.
No. 90 Wing(nominatedbyIan Rose) was a Royal Australian Air Force wing that operated during the early years of the Malayan Emergency. Its purpose was to serve as an umbrella organisation for the RAAF units deployed in the conflict. The wing was established in July 1950, and disbanded in December 1952. The wing headquartered at the Changi Air Base, on the east coast of Singapore.
George Bernard Shaw(nominatedbyTim riley and Brianboulton) (1856–1950) was an Irish playwright, critic and polemicist whose influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond. He wrote more than sixty plays, including major works such as Man and Superman, Pygmalion and Saint Joan. With a range incorporating both contemporary satire and historical allegory, Shaw became the leading dramatist of his generation, and in 1925 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Spotted green pigeon(nominatedbyFunkMonk) is a species of pigeon of unknown provenance, which is most likely extinct. It was first mentioned and described in 1783 by John Latham, who claimed to have seen two specimens and a drawing depicting the bird. The taxonomic relationships of the bird were long obscure, and early writers suggested many different possibilities, though the idea that it was related to the Nicobar pigeon prevailed, and it was therefore placed in the same genus, Caloenas. Today, the species is only known from a specimen kept in World Museum, Liverpool.
The Senghenydd colliery disaster(nominatedbySchroCat) occurred at the Universal Colliery in Senghenydd, Wales, in October 1913. The explosion, which killed 439 miners and a rescuer, is still the worst mining accident in the United Kingdom. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but the subsequent inquiry thought the most likely cause was a spark from underground signalling equipment that could have ignited any firedamp present. The miners in the east side of the workings were evacuated, but the men in the western section bore the brunt of the explosion, fire and afterdamp.
The 2007 Coca-Cola 600(nominatedbyZ105space) was the twelfth stock car race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the forty-eighth iteration of the event. The 400-lap race was won by Casey Mears of the Hendrick Motorsports team, who started from sixteenth position. After the race, Jeff Gordon's lead in the Drivers' Championship was reduced, because he crashed in the early part of the race. Chevrolet increased its points advantage in the Manufacturers' Championship, placing it forty-one points ahead of Ford.
The Huguenot-Walloon half dollar(nominatedbyWehwalt) is a commemorative coin issued by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1924. It marks the 300th anniversary of the voyage of the Nieuw Nederland, which landed in the New York area in 1624. Many of the passengers were Huguenots. The coin was controversial for its sponsorship by a committee of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America. Of the 300,000 coins authorized by Congress, fewer than half were actually struck, and of these, 55,000 were returned to the Mint and released into circulation. The coins are currently valued in the hundreds of dollars, depending on condition.
Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin(nominatedbyCeoil, Victoriaearle and Outriggr) is a large 15th-century oil and tempera on oak panel painting, usually dated between 1435 and 1440, attributed to the Early Netherlandish artist Rogier van der Weyden. The painting shows Luke the Evangelist, patron saint of artists, sketching the Virgin Mary as she nurses the Child Jesus. The painting's historical significance rests both on the skill behind the design and its merging of earthly and divine realms. By positioning himself in the same space as the Madonna, and showing a painter in the act of portrayal, Van der Weyden brings to the fore the role of artistic creativity in 15th century society.
Raveena Tandon is an Indian actress known for her work in Bollywood films. During her career(nominatedbyKrish!) she appeared in 82 film, with Shab currently being in post-production. She also appeared in the television series Sahib Biwi Gulam, hosted two talk shows and was the judge in four reality shows.
Jessica Chastain (born 1977) is an American actress who has appeared on film, television, and stage(nominatedbyKrimuk90). She appeared in 25 feature films, with two (The Zookeeper's Wife and Miss Sloane) currently being in post-production. Chastain acted in eleven television episodes, and the television film Blackbeard. She also has a stage career, and was part of six productions between 1998 and 2012.
Arsenal F.C., an association football club based in Holloway, London, was founded in 1886 as Dial Square. Since Arsenal's first competitive match, more than 500 players have failed to reach 25 appearances for the club(nominatedbyLemonade51). Many of these players have spent only a short period of their career at Arsenal before seeking opportunities in other teams; some players had their careers cut short by injury, while others left for other reasons. Several of these players spent only brief periods with Arsenal on loan from other clubs.
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award of India. Instituted in 1954, the award is given for the "exceptional and distinguished service", without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The recipients are announced every year on Republic Day and are registered in The Gazette of India. As of 2016, 294 people received the award(nominatedbyVivvt). The recipients receive a certificate signed by the President and a medal with no monetary grant associated.
Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship(nominatedbyMPJ-DK) is a national Mexican singles professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F.. Since its creation in 1942, the championship been promoted by many promotions, but since December 2007 Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre has had the exclusive rights to the title. The official definition of the Light Heavyweight weight class in Mexico is between 92 kg (203 lb) and 97 kg (214 lb), but the weight limits for the different classes are not always strictly enforced. Since its inception in 1942, 47 wrestlers have held the title.
The World Fantasy Awards are given each year by the World Fantasy Convention for the best fantasy fiction published in English during the previous calendar year. The World Fantasy Convention Award(nominatedbyPresN) is a special award given in some years for "peerless contributions to the fantasy genre". These have included authors, editors, and publishers. It was first presented in 1978; it was awarded annually through 1987 and again in 1997. Though it has not been awarded since, it is still listed as an official category.
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