Documents and sports

One of the four surviving official copies of Magna Carta from the year 1215, now at the British Library, seen in a new featured picture

This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted from 7 July 2013 through 13 July 2013.

Featured articles

Soring is intended to accentuate the gaits of horses to make them be more attractive in horse shows. The practice causes pain to the horses and was outlawed in the United States by the Horse Protection Act of 1970.

Four featured articles were promoted this week.

Military service of Ian Smith (nom), nominated by Cliftonian. The future prime minister of Rhodesia served with the British Royal Air Force in the Second World War, something that helped him earn support in his subsequent career as a politician.

Horse Protection Act of 1970 (nom), nominated by Dana boomer and Montanabw. This United States federal law outlawed the "soring" of horses, which made the horses step higher for show ring competitions, but was extremely painful for the animals.

Harold Davidson (nom), nominated by Brianboulton. Davidson was a priest in the Church of England who was defrocked due to a sex scandal. He died at the claws and teeth of a circus lion.

Norman conquest of England (nom), nominated by Ealdgyth. The invasion of England by a Norman army cemented William the Conqueror's control of England, and is considered by some historians a turning point in the history of the Western hemisphere thanks to the radical changes made in the years immediately succeeding the conquest.

Featured lists

The discography of South Korean girl group Girls' Generation (Korean: 소녀시대; So Nyeo Shi Dae) is now featured. This photo was promoted to Featured picture in 2012.

Fans of the Slovenian Football Club Maribor (Nogometni Klub Maribor), commonly referred to as NK Maribor, celebrate their league title on 29 May 2011. The list of the club's players is now featured.

Five featured lists were promoted this week.

List of NK Maribor players (nom) nominated by Ratipok. Association football club NK Maribor was founded in 1960. The team competes at the highest level of association football in Slovenia.

81st Academy Awards (nom) nominated by Birdienest81. The 81st Academy Awards for films released in 2008 were awarded in 24 categories. Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight and Milk also earned awards in the ceremony.

The Verve discography (nom) nominated by Sufur222. British alternative rock band The Verve has released four studio albums, two compilation albums and fourteen singles across their twenty-year career. Their album Urban Hymns received much praise and several platinum certifications.

Girls' Generation discography (nom) nominated by Raykyogrou0. South Korean girl group Girls' Generation has released a number of popular albums and singles. Their single "Gee" was the "Song of the Decade" for the 2000s in South Korea. Starting in 2007 with Girls' Generation, the group has sold more than 5 million physical albums and more than 40 million singles.

List of songs in Glee (season 1) (nom) nominated by Robin. American television series Glee focuses on the William McKinley High School glee club. Many cover versions of songs are performed by the characters. Show creator Ryan Murphy is responsible for selecting all of the songs used.

Featured pictures

The United States Declaration of Independence was publicized on 4 July 1776.

Sixteen featured pictures were promoted this week.

The check from the United States Treasury for the purchase of what is now the State of Alaska from the Russian Empire in the year 1867

Petra Martić (nom) created and nominated by Diliff. Martić (born 1991) is a Croatian professional tennis player. On 11 June 2012 her world ranking was 42nd. She has career records of 132–91 in singles and 50–39 in doubles.

Felis silvestris silvestris (nom) created by Lviatour and nominated by Tomer T. The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is naturally found in Europe, Turkey, and in the Caucasus mountains. Their populations have significantly declined or become extinct in some areas.

Chat Flycatcher (nom) created by Yathin sk and nominated by Nikhilb239. The Chat Flycatcher (Bradornis infuscatus) is a bird species found in some African savannas. This photo was taken in Etosha National Park, Namibia.

R. V. C. Bodley (nom), unknown photographer, restored by Adam Cuerden and nominated by TCO. Colonel Ronald Victor Courtenay (R. V. C.) Bodley (1892 – 1970) was a British army officer and later an author. He was appointed assistant military attaché to Paris on 15 August 1918 and attended the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Discouraged by what he heard at the Conference, he left the military and went to live with the Arabs in the Sahara desert. His book Wind in the Sahara, published in 1944, covered his experiences there. He also traveled around the Pacific and wrote The Drama in the Pacific.

Check used for the Alaska Purchase (nom) created by Edouard de Stoeckl and William H. Seward, and nominated by Crisco 1492. The Alaska Purchase by the United States from the Russian Empire in 1867 was received with mixed political reviews in the United States, with some commentators deriding it as Seward's Folly in a reference to U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward. Public opinion changed after the Klondike Gold Strike of 1896. Alaska was later discovered to have valuable oil deposits and had strategic significance during the 20th Century "Cold War".

Kei Nishikori (nom) created and nominated by Diliff. Kei Nishikori (born 1989) is a Japanese tennis player. His world ranking is 12th as of 8 July 2013. His career singles record is 123–83.

Katie Green (nom) created by NGUYEN DINH Quoc-Huy, cropped and nominated by Keraunoscopia. Katie Green (born 1987) is an English model. For a time she represented the Ultimo lingerie brand until she violated her contract by being photographed topless. She has campaigned against "size zero" models. Company magazine in the United Kingdom named her one of the 12 most inspirational women of 2008.

Tilework on the Dome of the Rock (nom) created by Godot13 and nominated by Indefatigable2. A tile is a manufactured piece of hard material such as glass or ceramic that is usually placed in a pattern on a surface such as a floor, wall, or ceiling. The tilework shown in this photograph is from the mid-16th century on the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Cardinal Richelieu (nom) created by Philippe de Champaigne and nominated by Adam Cuerden. Armand Jean du Plessis, cardinal-duc de Richelieu et de Fronsac (1585 – 1642) was a French clergyman and politician. He became a Roman Catholic cardinal in 1622 and King Louis XIII's chief minister in 1624.

Official Apollo 11 Crew Photo (nom) created by NASA and nominated by Indefatigable2. Apollo 11 was a NASA mission to the Earth's moon. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to walk on the moon. A third astronaut, Michael Collins, remained in the orbiting command module during the lunar landing of the Eagle module. After stepping on the surface of the moon, Armstrong famously said, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind". The a was not heard in the original radio signal but recent analysis shows that it may have been obscured by static.

Irfan Kolothum Thodi (nom) created by Muhammad Mahdi Karim and nominated by Keraunoscopia. Irfan Kolothum Thodi (born 1990) is an Indian athlete. He finished in 10th place and set the Indian national record for the 20 kilometer walk at the 2012 Summer Olympics with a time of 1:20:21.

Doleschallia bisaltide (nom) created and nominated by Arctic Kangaroo. Doleschallia bisaltide, commonly known as the Autumn Leaf or Leafwing, is a butterfly found in India, Australia, and Singapore. This photograph was taken near Singapore Changi Airport.

United States Declaration of Independence (nom) created by Thomas Jefferson and the Continental Congress and nominated by Indefatigable2. The United States Declaration of Independence was first drafted by Thomas Jefferson and adopted with modifications by the Continental Congress. The Declaration announced that the thirteen colonies of the United States considered themselves to be independent of the British Empire. There are multiple versions of the declaration, and the most famous version is found today at the United States National Archives. The body of Declaration includes the statement, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The document has influenced other declarations of independence throughout the world.

California Tule Fog (nom) created by NASA MODIS and nominated by Tatiraju.rishabh. Tule fog is a thick ground fog in parts of California. It is named for the tule grass wetlands and is noted for contributing to weather-related motor vehicle accidents.

Magna Carta (nom) created by Barons and King John of England and nominated by Indefatigable2. The Great Charter (Latin Magna Carta) was issued in the year 1215. It is the first document that was forced onto a king of England by a group of his subjects. The Charter forms an important piece in the historical development of constitutional law in the English-speaking world, since many former British colonies adapted English law for their own use.

The Ruins of Holyrood Chapel (nom) created by Louis Daguerre and nominated by Keraunoscopia. The Ruins of Holyrood Chapel is an oil on canvas painting by French artist Louis Daguerre. It was completed circa 1824. It depicts the ruins of Holyrood Abbey in Scotland, a scheduled monument. Today the painting is exhibited at Walker Art Gallery, England.