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Revision as of 16:38, 2 December 2008 editWehwalt (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators152,769 edits →December 24: striking through text← Previous edit Revision as of 17:53, 2 December 2008 edit undoMattisse (talk | contribs)78,542 edits →December 16: +Next edit →
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**Smallbones raised a similar issue above, and I think my response would also address Sceptre's concerns. The article has had no significant changes since it passed FAC. ]] ] 18:52, 26 November 2008 (UTC) **Smallbones raised a similar issue above, and I think my response would also address Sceptre's concerns. The article has had no significant changes since it passed FAC. ]] ] 18:52, 26 November 2008 (UTC)
***Okay. I trust both of you, so I'll '''support'''. ''']''' <sup>(])</sup> 23:34, 26 November 2008 (UTC) ***Okay. I trust both of you, so I'll '''support'''. ''']''' <sup>(])</sup> 23:34, 26 November 2008 (UTC)
*'''Support''' — interesting subject, good article. —] <small>(] • ])</small> 16:21, 2 December 2008 (UTC) *'''Support''' — interesting subject, good article. —] <small>(] • ])</small> 16:21, 2 December 2008 (UTC)
*'''Support''' — per all the support reasons given above. This article on a complex subject was extensively worked over for clarity, focus, and maintenance of NPOV regarding LaRouche as a figure. &mdash;] (]) 17:52, 2 December 2008 (UTC)


===December 17=== ===December 17===

Revision as of 17:53, 2 December 2008

Here the community can nominate articles to be selected as "Today's featured article" (TFA) on the main page. The TFA section aims to highlight the range of articles that have "featured article" status, from Art and architecture through to Warfare, and wherever possible it tries to avoid similar topics appearing too close together without good reason. Requests are not the only factor in scheduling the TFA (see Choosing Today's Featured Article); the final decision rests with the TFA coordinators: Wehwalt, Dank, Gog the Mild and SchroCat, who also select TFAs for dates where no suggestions are put forward. Please confine requests to this page, and remember that community endorsement on this page does not necessarily mean the article will appear on the requested date.

  • The article must be a featured article. Editors who are not significant contributors to the article should consult regular editors of the article before nominating it for TFAR.
  • The article must not have appeared as TFA before (see the list of possibilities here), except that:
    • The TFA coordinators may choose to fill up to two slots each week with FAs that have previously been on the main page, so long as the prior appearance was at least five years ago. The coordinators will invite discussion on general selection criteria for re-runnable TFAs, and aim to make individual selections within those criteria.
    • The request must be either for a specific date within the next 30 days that has not yet been scheduled, or a non-specific date. The template {{@TFA}} can be used in a message to "ping" the coordinators through the notification system.

If you have an exceptional request that deviates from these instructions (for example, an article making a second appearance as TFA, or a "double-header"), please discuss the matter with the TFA coordinators beforehand.

It can be helpful to add the article to the pending requests template, if the desired date for the article is beyond the 30-day period. This does not guarantee selection, but does help others see what nominations may be forthcoming. Requesters should still nominate the article here during the 30-day time-frame.

Purge the cache to refresh this page

Shortcuts

Featured content:

Featured article candidates (FAC):

Featured article review (FAR):

Today's featured article (TFA):

Featured article tools:

How to post a new nomination:

I. Create the nomination subpage.

In the box below, enter the full name of the article you are nominating (without using any brackets around the article's name) and click the button to create your nomination page.


II. Write the nomination.

On that nomination page, fill out as many of the relevant parts of the pre-loaded {{TFAR nom}} template as you can, then save the page.

Your nomination should mention:

  • when the last similar article was, since this helps towards diversity on the main page (browsing Misplaced Pages:Today's featured article/recent TFAs will help you find out);
  • when the article was promoted to FA status (since older articles may need extra checks);
  • and (for date-specific nominations) the article's relevance for the requested date.
III. Write the blurb. Some Featured Articles promoted between 2016 and 2020 have pre-prepared blurbs, found on the talk page of the FAC nomination (that's the page linked from "it has been identified" at the top of the article's talk page). If there is one, copy and paste that to the nomination, save it, and then edit as needed. For other FAs, you're welcome to create your own TFA text as a summary of the lead section, or you can ask for assistance at WT:TFAR. We use one paragraph only, with no reference tags or alternative names; the only thing bolded is the first link to the article title. The length when previewed is between 925 and 1025 characters including spaces, " (Full article...)" and the featured topic link if applicable. More characters may be used when no free-use image can be found. Fair use images are not allowed.
IV. Post at TFAR.

After you have created the nomination page, add it here under a level-3 heading for the preferred date (or under a free non-specific date header). To do this, add (replacing "ARTICLE TITLE" with the name of your nominated article):
===February 29===
{{Misplaced Pages:Today's featured article/requests/ARTICLE TITLE}}

Nominations are ordered by requested date below the summary chart. More than one article can be nominated for the same date.

It would also then be helpful to add the nomination to the summary chart, following the examples there. Please include the name of the article that you are nominating in your edit summary.

If you are not one of the article's primary editors, please then notify the primary editors of the TFA nomination; if primary editors are no longer active, please add a message to the article talk page.

Scheduling:

In the absence of exceptional circumstances, TFAs are scheduled in date order, not according to how long nominations have been open or how many supportive comments they have. So, for example, January 31 will not be scheduled until January 30 has been scheduled (by TFAR nomination or otherwise).

Summary chart

Currently accepting requests from December 10 to January 9.

The chart will be updated regularly by editors who follow this page:

Date Article Points Comments
Dec 10 Olivier Messiaen 5–8 Birth centenary
Dec 11 SkyTrain (Vancouver) 2 anniversary
Dec 16 Criminal trials of the LaRouche movement 4 Anniversary
Dec 17 Trevor Linden 0-1 Retirement ceremony for jersey, NEXT TO BE REPLACED
Dec 24 Lazare Ponticelli 2 Birthday (by his mother's account)

Requests

December 10

Messiaen was the titular organist at Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris for 61 years.
Messiaen was the titular organist at Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris for 61 years.
Olivier Messiaen (December 10, 1908 – April 27, 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 11, where he studied with Paul Dukas and Marcel Dupré. He was organist at the church of La Trinité (pictured) in Paris from 1931 until his death and was a professor at the Paris Conservatoire from 1941 until his retirement in 1978. Rhythmically complex, and harmonically and melodically based on modes of limited transposition, which were his own innovation, Messiaen's style draws on many exotic musical influences such as Indonesian gamelan and ancient eastern rhythms. He also championed the ondes Martenot. Messiaen experienced a form of synaesthesia manifested as a perception of colours when he heard certain harmonies, and he used combinations of these colours in his compositions. Many of his compositions depict what he termed "the marvellous aspects of the Roman Catholic faith". Widely travelled, he wrote works inspired by such diverse influences as Japanese music, the landscape of Bryce Canyon in Utah, and the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Messiaen found birdsong fascinating; he believed birds to be the greatest musicians and considered himself as much an ornithologist as a composer. He incorporated birdsong from across the world into a majority of his music. His innovative use of birdsong and colour, his personal conception of the relationship between time and music, and his intent to express religious ideas, all combine to make Messiaen's musical style notably distinctive. (more…)
  • Points: Messiaen's centenary - 6, article featured since February 2006 - 2, Total: 8. The centenary seems too good an opportunity to miss. Feel free to edit the summary, which I have hastily rearranged from the article's lead; I will probably trim and tweak it myself when I have more time. All the images in the article are fair use, so how would people feel about putting up a picture of, say, a golden oriole? A bird image would be appropriate, but would its relevance be immediately and obviously apparent to the casual visitor? A pity Elliott Carter isn't featured - another "great composer", who was born the following day… --RobertG ♬ talk 09:05, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support in principle - points seem to be correct, article (at a quick glance) seems to be up to today's FA standards. The bird pix in the article looks like it's out of copyright, but the pix issue is a minor problem only - we don't always need a pix, do we? Blurb needs work. This would be a lot more interesting to many people than an Interstate highway. Smallbones (talk) 16:35, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support as 8 points. There is a direct conflict between this one and Zappa, both are composers. I'd rather see this one run due to it being a centennial.--Wehwalt (talk) 23:02, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
    • ...I disagree. One is for rock (in addition to being a rock star), and the other (this guy) is for organs (in addition to bird-watching and a performer). Not very similar in my eyes. —Ed 17  23:22, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
      • Then I guess we could, by your arguments, have a long line of composers, each dissimilar from the last, each claiming main page representation points, absent Raul's judgment, based on different genres and hobbies. One article begins "a French composer"; the other "an American composer". That's similar enough for me. Besides, as HJensen points out, Zappa was also a classical composer.--Wehwalt (talk) 23:36, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support/General comment Fine article, and a date that is, of course, perfect. I am, however, worried that the article has so many fair use images. It would never have been allowed at a FAC today, and confuses editors currently trying to promote new articles to FA status. Also it should lose 2 points due to the Opeth article (another music article), at least if Zappa should lose two points. My comment is that this voting process is a bit peculiar. If the Zappa article had been slated at Dec. 4, and the nominator for Messiaen came up with the nomination at a point where this was not visisble on this page, then a great 5 (8-3) point article should be opposed? Also, if the Messiaen article runs on December 10, is Zappa then again a rock star (which most have believed until now) that can run on his birthday December 21 (as a 2 point article)? I just think it is on a somewhat shaky basis that points are being applied (I had, e.g., no knowledge about Opeth being slated, and those supporting the Zappa article probably didn't either - so points change during the process which somehow makes votes made at different times incomparable). Basically, I think that deducting and adding points on this page is peculiar as it opens up for stategic considerations in nomination procedure which should not be there imo. But in the end, I guess it is Raul who puts the pieces together? Cheers.--HJensen, talk 10:59, 13 November 2008 (UTC)
    • Comment Yep, Raul makes the calls. He put Opeth on the queue for his own reasons — I don't think it had been discussed here. But that's his prerogative. As for points changing mid-stream, generally regulars of this page try to keep an eye out for potential conflicts before they arise. Opeth caught us unawares. However, people !voting here should keep in mind that the point system is a guideline for keeping this page down to five candidates, and Raul sometimes schedules good candidates even if their point value changes due to the scheduling of other articles. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 07:11, 14 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support for centenary and significance of topic. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 07:11, 14 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support. Most certainly agree with above comment by Karanacs (talk · contribs) that this is an excellent topic to feature. Cirt (talk) 13:41, 14 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Strong Support. We have very few FA's on composers, we should show them off. Ceoil (talk) 23:00, 20 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support and added picture. –thedemonhog talk • edits 01:43, 23 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Comment Shouldn't the picture be of the composer himself, as this is a biographical article? Lithoderm 18:42, 24 November 2008 (UTC)

December 11
MkII approaching station at Main St. and Terminal Ave.
MkII approaching station at Main St. and Terminal Ave.

The SkyTrain is a two-line urban mass transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It uses Bombardier's Advanced Rapid Transit technology, with fully automated trains running principally on elevated tracks (hence the name). There have been no derailments or collisions in its history. SkyTrain is operated by British Columbia Rapid Transit Company under contract from TransLink, a regional government transportation agency. It operates on a proof-of-payment fare system and is policed by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service. SkyTrain's 49.5 km (30.8 mi) of track make it the longest automated light rapid transit system in the world. It also uses the longest mass transit-only bridge, the SkyBridge, to cross the Fraser River. There are 33 stations in the system, which carries more than 160,000 to 180,000 people every day on the two lines The Expo Line was built in time for the Expo 86 World's Fair; the Millennium Line opened in 2002 and further expansions are underway to coincide with the 2010 Winter Olympics. (more…)

  • Points:
  • Promoted over a year, but less than two years, ago: 1 point
  • Date relevant to article topic (date of first operation): 1 point
  • A similar article has not been featured on the main page, 3 months : 1 point
  • Total - 3.
  • Feel free to edit the blurb (might need some editing). —ThePointblank (talk) 05:07, 24 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Question points — although it's conceivable that a 12-year-old in Vancouver might do a report on the local train system, I'm not sure that's the intended meaning of the "basic subject matter" criterion. My understanding was that it was meant to indicate subjects that any English-speaking 12-year-old might do a school report on — articles like Australia or ant. I really don't think that 12-year-olds outside of the Vancouver area are likely to do reports on the SkyTrain.
    I'm also unsure about the "no similar articles" claim — we had John Bull (locomotive) on September 15. I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination to say that two articles on trains are similar. I think this might be a 2-point article, and as such might not have merited removing the USS Nevada (which had fairly broad support). —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 05:45, 24 November 2008 (UTC)
For the record, at the point when USS Nevada (BB-36) was removed, it and Harvey Milk both had 12 supports and no opposition. While removal of either is within the letter of the rules, I don't think that removing an article with no opposition is a great idea. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 05:55, 24 November 2008 (UTC)
For full disclosure, I nominated Nevada and I have asked Pointblank on his talk page to add Nevada back for personal reasons. (Thanksgiving break form college combined a possible complete lack of computer access until the 31st)
But a quick question: do you have to be a major contributor to an article to nom it? —Ed 17  05:59, 24 November 2008 (UTC)
No, anyone can nominate any FA they think is appropriate (within the rules). —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 06:02, 24 November 2008 (UTC)
K, I just wanted to know - I've been thinking of nomming a few here myself. :) —Ed 17  06:04, 24 November 2008 (UTC)
Try not to nominate too many, as there are many people patiently waiting in line for a spot. –thedemonhog talk • edits 06:11, 26 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Oppose I just feel that we've had at least one transportation article a month over the last several months, without regard to similarity, we'll likely have the road article, and I just think it is too much too soon.--Wehwalt (talk) 06:37, 26 November 2008 (UTC)
  • FYI, Ceres (dwarf planet) has been nominated to appear on January 1st, per the instructions on the top of this page. IMO this article has 3 points, same point value as claimed by Ceres. So if this nomination sticks, Ceres is essentially out of the running. Also per the instructions on this page, this should have replaced the entry with the lowest point value, currently SkyTrain (Vancouver), not exceeded the five article limit. Dave (talk) 00:14, 27 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Comment I could see Dwarf Planet as a basic subject matter point, but I think Haumea itself is beyond the twelve year old level. And I think Volcanism on Io loses this the main page representation points, and in any event we had Planet on August 24 so it would be at most one point. Date relevance, first time, Two Points--Wehwalt (talk) 00:29, 27 November 2008 (UTC)
Modified point calculations to show 3 points claimed. ThePointblank (talk) 05:49, 27 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Comment - I've struck out the above two comments, as they appear to be related to an article that was temporarily nominated overnight, and not to Skytrain. Feel free to revert if I'm mistaken —  Tivedshambo  (t/c) 07:37, 27 November 2008 (UTC)

December 16
Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr.
Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr.
The criminal trials of the LaRouche movement in the mid-1980s stemmed from federal and state investigations into the activities of American political activist Lyndon LaRouche and members of the LaRouche movement. They were charged with conspiring to commit fraud and soliciting loans they had no intention of repaying. LaRouche and his supporters disputed the charges, claiming the trials were politically motivated. In 1986, hundreds of state and federal officers raided LaRouche offices in Virginia and Massachusetts. A federal grand jury in Boston, Massachusetts indicted LaRouche and 12 associates on credit card fraud and obstruction of justice. The subsequent trial, described as a "courtroom extravaganza", was repeatedly delayed and finally ended in mistrial, after which a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia issued further indictments against LaRouche and five associates. After a short trial, they were convicted of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud on December 16, 1988. LaRouche, who was also convicted of tax evasion, was sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment; he entered prison in 1989 and was paroled five years later. In separate state trials in Virginia and New York, 13 associates received terms ranging from one month to 77 years. The Virginia state trials were described as the highest-profile cases that the state Attorney General's office had ever prosecuted. Fourteen states issued injunctions against LaRouche-related organizations, three of which were forced into bankruptcy after failing to pay contempt of court fines. (more….)
  • Support, with 1 major concern, and 2 requests - this is an extensively researched article, that has been reviewed by some of the best editors on Misplaced Pages (e.g. User:Jossi). My concern is that the Larouchites will cause a major uproar (nuclear confrontation?) over this. At a very minimum this will be a controversial TFA, with some WP:BLP issues raised. In my experience, the Larouchites seem to have a squad of hit-and-run wiki editors putting POV into many articles (e.g. George Soros, where Will BB has supported me many times in getting rid of the POV edits). I think that we have to expect something similar if this is TFA. Nevertheless, I don't think that TFA, or Misplaced Pages in general, should self-censor because of this. My 2 requests are that any supporter of this article look closely at the article itself to make sure this really is TFA/FA material, and that Will BB address the concern I've raised above, so everybody knows what we are getting into. Smallbones (talk) 14:20, 14 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Those are legitimate questions, but I think your concerns are misplaced. No BLP issues have ever been raised about this article that I recall, even while the LaRouche socks were actively working on it. The LaRouche movement embraces the martyrdom of their leader and his aides. There was only one serious controversy, and that was over the inclusion of a quote which the LaRouche accounts thought was exculpatory. That quote is in the article (over the protests of two LaRouche critics). Compared to the Barack Obama vandalism, I'd expect this to be a peaceful TFA. The "squad" of LaRouche accounts has been blocked (they were all socks of a banned editor). The non-sock LaRouche editor hasn't shown interest in this article. As for whether this article is really FA/TFA material, I don't know how to answer that. It passed FAC without any serious reservations. The events described in the article were important. The article is thoroughly researched and cited. The tone is neutral. It was passed by editors even better than Jossi. Is TFA really the right place to review a Featured Article? ·:· Will Beback ·:· 19:56, 14 November 2008 (UTC)
That answers my questions. To answer yours - I think there are some FA articles that don't belong on TFA (e.g. porn stars) and that with older FAs, that they should be looked at to see if they are still up to snuff, but otherwise an FA is an FA. Smallbones (talk) 21:05, 14 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Comment I think that between Shakur and Jena Six (Sept 20), that law related articles have had a sufficient presence that this article cannot claim the three month main page representation point. Agree with point accessment. I don't vote on all articles and am not voting at this time here. And I agree, while editors are free to support or oppose for their own reasons, I would hate to see this page degenerate into a FAC like (where it is appropriate by the way) "Oppose unless you make the following changes . . . " This is not FAR, if a nominated article is obviously poor, editors can oppose, but otherwise a FA is a FA.--Wehwalt (talk) 08:15, 15 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support per past controversial TFAs. –thedemonhog talk • edits 01:46, 23 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support - good date connection and underrepresented subject. Awadewit (talk) 01:02, 25 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support as a 4-point article. As for "underrepresentation", we shouldn't confuse the "diversity" criterion (which is about thinly populated categories at WP:FA) with the "main page representation" category (which is about how recently a similar article has been on the main page). This article doesn't gain or lose any points for main page representation, but it does get a point for the fact that there aren't as many featured articles in "Law" as there are in, say, music or media. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 04:08, 26 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Ugh, LaRouche. I'd support this were it any other figure... but there's a nagging suspicion in the back of my mind that, because it's LaRouche, it's subject to one of the two widely diverse viewpoints about him (visionary, or cult leader). Especially seeing as the LaRouche article is often criticised for being one of the two both on- and off-wiki. I'd prefer a neutrality check to be on the safe side (as featured articles, like any other articles, can slowly drift from NPOV). Sceptre 12:57, 26 November 2008 (UTC)
  • Support — interesting subject, good article. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 16:21, 2 December 2008 (UTC)
  • Support — per all the support reasons given above. This article on a complex subject was extensively worked over for clarity, focus, and maintenance of NPOV regarding LaRouche as a figure. —Mattisse (Talk) 17:52, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

December 17

Retired Canadian professional ice hockey player Trevor Linden

Trevor Linden (born April 11, 1970, in Medicine Hat, Alberta) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks (in two stints), New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals. Before joining the NHL in 1988, Linden captained the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) to consecutive Memorial Cup championships. In addition to appearing in two NHL All-Star games, Linden was a member of the 1998 Canadian Olympic team and participated in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

Throughout his career, Linden has been recognized as a respected leader on and off the ice. He was named captain of the Canucks at the age of 21, making him one of the youngest captains in league history. While captaining the Canucks, Linden led the team to within a game of winning the Stanley Cup in 1994. It was during this time that he began to be called Captain Canuck. In 1998 he was elected President of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), a position he held for eight years. As President, he played an instrumental role in the 2004–05 NHL lockout, including taking a direct role in negotiations with league owners. Off the ice, Linden has taken an active role in charities, and was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership on the ice and humanitarian contributions off the ice in 1997, as well as the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2008. After 19 seasons in the NHL, Linden retired on June 11, 2008, twenty years to the day after he was drafted into the NHL. (more...)

Points: 1, possibly 2. Definitely 1 for significant date: December 17 is the day the Vancouver Canucks are retiring Linden's jersey number, an event that happens once in the career of an ice hockey player. It's the highest honour a team can give a player. Also this is my first nomination, though an article I was the primary editer on has been featured before (Joe Sakic, Nov. 12). Kaiser matias (talk) 02:27, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Comment Sorry, you are screwed as far as the main page point goes, that happened to me with the Borat article, Lenin & McCarthy nominated it under the old system and I never got a first time nominator point. It is fair, the idea is not to hand out a free point, but to encourage those whose work hasn't been seen on the main page to come forward. As for the point for date relevance, I would be inclined to say no, because of the fact that it is not featured in the article, which is what the rule says. I would say this is zero points.--Wehwalt (talk) 02:37, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

  • Not questioning that, I am questioning whether it qualifies under the rule, which gives as examples "Earth on Earth Day, a birthday, or the anniversary of an event receiving significant coverage in the article."--Wehwalt (talk) 04:05, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Oppose Five weeks after the Sakic article, I think having two hockey players so close together is not good, when there are plenty of other sports that haven't run recently or at all. Yes, his number is being retired, but if you live east of the Rockies, south of the 49th parallel, or north of North Vancouver, who is going to know or care? Besides, with SkyTrain likely to run, I don't see that having two Vancouver related articles in a week is such a hot idea. Not saying they are related for point purposes, but we need to mix it up a bit.--Wehwalt (talk) 03:44, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Reluctant Oppose per Wehwalt, but it looks like one of the more interesting sports bios in a long time. Smallbones (talk) 05:12, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Oppose per Wehwalt — too much hockey, too much Vancouver. Sorry. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 16:20, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

December 24
Lazare Ponticelli (center) between two reenactment members in old uniforms in 2006
Lazare Ponticelli (center) between two reenactment members in old uniforms in 2006
Lazare Ponticelli (December 7, 1897 – March 12, 2008) was the last official French veteran of the First World War and poilu, or foot soldier, of its trenches. Born in Italy, he moved to France at age nine and lied about his age to join the French Army in 1914. Upon the entry of Italy into the First World War in 1915, however, Ponticelli was transferred to its army when authorities discovered his true ancestry. After World War I, he and his brothers founded the piping and metal work company "Ponticelli Frères" ("Ponticelli Brothers"), which assisted with the Second World War effort and is still in existence. At the time of his death, Ponticelli was both the oldest living man born in Italy and the oldest man living in France. In his later years, he was critical of war in general and kept his war awards in a shoe box. While he felt unworthy of the state funeral the French government offered him, he eventually accepted one, although he asked for the emphasis of the procession to be on the common soldier that died on the battlefield. (more….)

2-3 points: His mother claimed that he was born on Christmas, thus one point for date connection. One point for, if accepted, being my first FA on the main page. A questionable third point as Ponticelli is the only supercentenarian FA.~the editorofthewiki ~ 01:28, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Support if moved to December 24, otherwise oppose as 2 pointer. Sorry, the fact that he lived a long time doesn't give him a third point. The article is similar to various other soldier articles, but doesn't gain or lose points by that. You might want to mention in the blurb that the offer of state funeral took place before he died otherwise it sounds a bit creepy.--Wehwalt (talk) 02:16, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Support A good article to have on the main page. JonCatalán 02:18, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Comment I notice the article says (see footnote) that his mother said he was born on the 24th. Should the date this is being nominated for be changed?--Wehwalt (talk) 02:43, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

What about how it says in the first line of the blurb that he was born on December 7? What? –thedemonhog talk • edits 04:40, 2 December 2008 (UTC)
Go into the article and look at Note 1. I would certainly suggest changing the blurb birth date to "December 7 or 24"--Wehwalt (talk) 04:56, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Support for Dec. 24 - It would be nice to have a "peace on earth" article for Christmas (Eve), so a soldier article did not grab me at first, but since he was an anti-war soldier... Smallbones (talk) 05:19, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

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