Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests

Rodents are mammals of the order Rodentia, characterized by two pairs of continuously growing incisors, one pair in the upper and one in the lower jaw. About forty percent of all mammal species are rodents, and they are found on all continents except Antarctica. They are the most diversified mammalian order, including mice, rats, squirrels, prairie dogs, porcupines, beavers, guinea pigs, and hamsters. There are arboreal, burrowing, and semi-aquatic species. While the largest species, the capybara, can weigh as much as 66 kg (146 lb), many rodents weigh less than 100 g (3.5 oz) and have robust bodies, short limbs and long tails. They use their sharp incisors to gnaw food, defend themselves, and shape their habitat. Most eat seeds or other plant material. Many species live in societies with complex forms of communication and can be monogamous, polygynous, or promiscuous. The rodent fossil record dates back to the Paleocene on the supercontinent of Laurasia. (Full article...)

Layout of SMS Westfalen

SMS Westfalen was a Nassau-class dreadnought battleship built for the German Imperial Navy. Laid down in 1907, and launched in July 1908, she was commissioned into the High Seas Fleet in November 1909. The ship was equipped with a main battery of twelve 28 cm (11 in) guns in six twin turrets using an unusual hexagonal arrangement. Westfalen saw extensive service in the North Sea in the early years of World War I. In the early hours of 1 June 1916, the ship was heavily engaged in fighting against British light forces during the Battle of Jutland, severely damaging several British destroyers. On another fleet sortie in August 1916, the ship was damaged by a torpedo from a British submarine. Later in the war, Westfalen participated in sorties into the Baltic Sea against the Russian Navy, and to support the White Finns in the Finnish Civil War. The ship was ceded to the Allies after the war and broken up in 1924. (Full article...)

George Rolph, the victim of the attack

The Ancaster incident was an attack on George Rolph (pictured) on June 3, 1826, in Ancaster, Upper Canada, where members of the Tory elite dragged Rolph from his home to tar and feather him. Government officials refused to prosecute the cases and some acted as counsel for the accused at subsequent civil trials. The judge awarded Rolph £20 from two of the defendants. Reformers, the political opponents of the Tories, cited the incident as evidence of the Tories engaging in political violence to maintain their power. This argument contributed to the Reformers' victory in the 1828 elections for the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada and their investigation of the abuse of power perpetuated by public prosecutors. Historians cited the incident to highlight the tensions between the ruling elite and the growing agrarian society in Upper Canada, which resulted in the Tories using violence in an attempt to retain their influence. (Full article...)

William Mackenzie wrote the articles that instigated the riot

The Types Riot was the destruction of William Mackenzie's printing press by members of the Family Compact in York, Upper Canada (modern Toronto). The Family Compact was the ruling elite of Upper Canada. Mackenzie created the Colonial Advocate newspaper and published editorials accusing the Family Compact of incompetence and peculation. On the evening of June 8, 1826, 9–15 rioters forced their way into the newspaper offices and destroyed property. During the event, Mackenzie's employees tried to get passersby to help stop the rioters. Bystanders refused when they saw government officials were watching the spectacle. Mackenzie sued the rioters and jury awarded Mackenzie £625 to be paid by the defendants, a harsh settlement. Several newspapers denounced the government officials who had failed to stop the riot. Reformers viewed Mackenzie as a martyr and he remained popular for several years. Historians identify the event as a sign of weakening Tory influence in Upper Canada politics. (Full article...)

Rodrigo performing "Love Is Embarrassing"

"Love Is Embarrassing" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo (pictured) from her second studio album, Guts (2023). A new wave song with influences of riot grrrl, pop rock, and pop-punk, "Love Is Embarrassing" has self-deprecating lyrics in which she derides a crush and expresses embarrassment about how much she was attracted to him. Rodrigo co-wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. Music critics found the lyricism of "Love Is Embarrassing" relatable and praised the production and Rodrigo's vocals, both of which they also compared to other artists. The song reached the top 30 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States and entered the charts in several other countries. It received a platinum certification in Australia, Brazil, and Canada. Rodrigo included the song on the set list of her 2024–2025 concert tour, Guts World Tour. She suffered a wardrobe malfunction while performing the song during the London tour stop, which critics believed she handled well. (Full article...)

Trump in 1964

Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, was born on June 14, 1946, in New York City to Fred Trump, a real-estate developer, and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, a Scottish immigrant. Trump enrolled at the Kew-Forest School, a private school affiliated with Fred, when he was five. In his seventh grade year, Fred discovered that Trump had secretly been going to Manhattan, where he acquired knives. Fred sent Trump to New York Military Academy. He graduated from New York Military Academy in May 1964. After graduating from the academy, Trump attended Fordham University from 1964 to 1966, studying economics. Early in his sophomore year, seeking a larger business network, Trump transferred to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, an institution favored by his father. Trump graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in May 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics. (Full article...)

Howell (right) with fellow Australian ace Raymond Brownell in France c. 1917

Cedric Howell (17 June 1896 – 10 December 1919) was an Australian flying ace of the First World War. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1916 and was posted to the 46th Battalion on the Western Front. In November 1916, he was accepted for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps and was shipped to the United Kingdom for flight training. Graduating as a pilot, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and posted to No. 45 Squadron RFC in France during October 1917; two months later the unit sailed to the Italian theatre. Howell spent eight months flying operations over Italy, conducting attacks against ground targets and engaging in sorties against aerial forces and he was credited with shooting down a total of nineteen aircraft. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, the Military Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross. He was posted back to the United Kingdom in July 1918. In 1919, Howell was killed while taking part in the England to Australia air race. (Full article...)

The Atlanta Compromise was a proposal put forth by Booker T. Washington in a speech he gave in 1895. He urged Southern blacks to accept segregation and to temporarily refrain from campaigning for equal rights. In return, Southern whites would allow blacks to receive basic legal protections, access to property ownership, employment opportunities, and vocational and industrial education. The proposal met with opposition from fellow African American leader W. E. B. Du Bois – who instead urged blacks to agressively fight for equal rights. Under the direction of Washington's Tuskegee Machine, the Compromise was the dominant policy pursued by black leaders in the South from 1895 to 1915. During this period, the educational opportunities for blacks improved. However, Southern states adopted Jim Crow laws which codified segregation and racism, and prevented blacks from voting. Equal rights for Southern blacks were not significantly advanced until the civil rights movement of the 1960s. (Full article...)

Film logo

KPop Demon Hunters is a 2025 American animated musical urban fantasy film directed and co-written by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix, the film features the voices of Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo. The film follows a K-pop girl group, Huntrix, who lead double lives as demon hunters; they face off against a rival boy band, the Saja Boys, whose members are secretly demons. The film received universal praise, winning two Academy Awards among its many accolades. It became the most-watched original title in Netflix history with 325 million views. The film's sing-along limited theatrical release was the widest by number of theaters for a Netflix film, and the first to top the box office in the United States. The film's soundtrack became the first such to have four songs in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten, was certified double Platinum, and won a Grammy Award. (Full article...)

Tatannuaq was an Inuk interpreter for two of John Franklin's Arctic expeditions in Canada. Originally from a group of Inuit living 320 km (200 mi) north of Churchill, he was employed as an interpreter at the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) trading post in Churchill, becoming proficient in English and Cree. Tatannuaq was an interpreter for Franklin's Coppermine expedition; Franklin would sometimes send him ahead of the party to scout the terrain, and he helped to communicate with groups they encountered. He accompanied Franklin on the Mackenzie River expedition, serving in a diplomatic role and dissuading Inuit groups from attacking the expedition. After working as an interpreter at Fort Chimo, he left to assist in locating John Ross's expedition and died due to bad weather a short distance from Fort Resolution in early 1834. The butterfly species Callophrys augustinus and a Northwest Territories lake were named for him. (Full article...)

Map of the fleet movements prior to the Battle of Trapani

The Battle of Trapani took place on 23 June 1266 off Trapani, Sicily, between the fleets of the Republic of Genoa and the Republic of Venice, as part of the War of Saint Sabas (1256–1270). The two fleets met near Trapani in Sicily on 22 June. After learning of the Venetian fleet's smaller size, the Genoese war council resolved to attack, but during the night Genoese commander Lanfranco Borbonino reversed the decision and instead ordered his ships to take up a defensive position, bound together with chains, near the shore. As the Venetian fleet attacked the next day, many of the Genoese crews, mostly hired foreigners, lost heart and abandoned their ships. The battle was a Venetian victory, as they sank or captured the entire Genoese fleet. On their return to Genoa, Borbonino and most of his captains were tried and fined large sums for cowardice. Genoa continued the war, in which neither side was able to gain a decisive advantage, until it was ended through French mediation in 1270. (Full article...)

Title page

The Path to Rome is a 1902 travelogue by the French-English author and historian Hilaire Belloc. Belloc recounts his pilgrimage from Toul in northeastern France to Rome. The work contains his account of events in short vignettes, his thoughts on his travels, and asides about the history and geography of places he visits. Drawings, maps, and musical notation are also included throughout. The book is mostly written in a stream-of-consciousness style, including conversations between Belloc and an imagined reader, and its use of complex literary techniques have been described as foreshadowing postmodern literature. The Path to Rome was Belloc's most financially successful work, established him as a serious author, and influenced several writers at the time. Contemporary reviews were positive, focusing on his authenticity, shrewd observations, and sense of humour. Retrospectives have similarly praised the book. Belloc himself later recounted that it was "the only book I ever wrote for love". (Full article...)