Wikipedia:Today's featured list/September 2011
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September 5
"Ancient documents" is a category of Japanese National Treasures that comprises documents from the Asuka period to the Meiji period, selected for especially high historical or artistic value. The documents consist of letters, diaries, records or catalogues, certificates, imperial decrees, testaments, and maps, housed in temples, museums, libraries, shrines, and private collections. They record early Japanese governance and Buddhism, including contact with China, the organization of the state, and life at the Japanese imperial court. The documents are significant examples of calligraphy. Lettering, in the form of inscribed artefacts, was brought to Japan from China c. 2000 years ago. From 5th-century Korea came classical Chinese books, probably written on paper. Soon after, scribes were appointed to the provinces to record events and report conditions. By the end of the 7th century, reading and writing became part of Japanese life, mostly because of the need for literate officials and the rise of Buddhism, which required the study of written sūtras. (Full list...)
September 12
The Gordon Bennett Cup (trophy pictured) is the world's oldest gas balloon race. Referred to as the "Blue Ribbon" of aeronautics, the first race started from Paris, France, on September 30, 1906. The event was sponsored by James Gordon Bennett, Jr., the millionaire sportsman and owner of the New York Herald. According to the organizers, the aim of the contest is simple: "to fly the furthest distance from the launch site." The distance record is held by the Belgian duo of Bob Berben and Benoît Siméons who, in 2005, piloted their balloon 3,400 kilometers (2,100 mi) from Albuquerque to Canada. The 2010 edition started in the United Kingdom, with the balloons departing from Bristol on September 25. The race was marred by the disappearance of the American team during a storm over the Adriatic Sea on October 1. The balloon was missing until December 6, when a fishing vessel found the cabin containing the pilots' bodies off the coast of Italy. The most recent edition, in 2011, started from France on 10 September, ending two days later with a win for the French team. (Full list...)
September 19
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In the English coastal city of Brighton and Hove, more than 30 former places of worship have been demolished for various reasons (Connaught Institute pictured during demolition in 2010). The area, originally a collection of villages around the fishing port of Brighthelmston and its neighbour Hove, has a long history of Christian worship, and many denominations founded churches and chapels as the town grew into the fashionable resort of Brighton and absorbed its neighbours. Pressure for land and redevelopment claimed many churches, such as Charles Busby's Greek Revival St Margaret's proprietary chapel and the landmark Dials Congregational Church; others, like the Gothic Revival Christ Church and the "graceful" Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion Chapel, suffered structural or fire damage; and others became unviable as congregations declined. The "Wagner churches"—a series of eleven 19th-century Anglican churches in poor areas, founded and paid for by the Vicar of Brighton Henry Michell Wagner and his son—have fared badly: six no longer survive. In many cases, displaced worshippers have joined the congregations of other churches, whose parishes have been enlarged. (Full list...)
September 26
The Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame is a collection of plaques (pictured), mounted on a brick wall in the Ashburn Alley section of Citizens Bank Park, the ballpark of the Philadelphia Phillies. From 1978 to 2003, the Phillies inducted one figure from their franchise history and one notable person from the Philadelphia Athletics (A's) organization each year—with the exception of 1983, when the Phillies inducted their Centennial Team. Since 2004, only Phillies are inducted; the team no longer inducts notable Athletics. The original goal of the Wall of Fame was to induct the greatest players in Phillies and Athletics history, but exceptions have been made for non-players who have made significant contributions to the organizations. The first figures to be inducted into the Wall of Fame were Robin Roberts, who was inducted for the Phillies; and Connie Mack, inducted for the A's. The Wall's most recent inductee is John Kruk. (Full list...)