Wikipedia:Today's featured list/December 2013
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December 2
Beginning in 1989, X-Men video games have appeared for home consoles, handheld game consoles, arcades, and personal computers. The first video games were released on 8-bit home platforms. Most X-Men video games, especially those released in the 2000s, were released on several platforms. Several companies have developed entries in the franchise, including Paragon Software, Software Creations, Konami, and Capcom. The titles are action games that pit the X-Men against Marvel supervillains, typically taking the form of beat 'em up and fighting games. X-Men characters also frequently appear in Marvel games that focus on several of its comic book franchises, including Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The franchise holds several Guinness World Records, including most games based on a superhero group, first tag-team fighting game, first superhero first-person shooter, and most number of simultaneous players on an arcade game. (Full list...)
December 9
The army groups of the National Revolutionary Army (flag pictured) were the largest conventional mobile formations in the organization of the army of the Republic of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The first army groups were established immediately after the Japanese attack at Marco Polo Bridge on 7 July 1937, and new army groups continued to be formed throughout the war. During the war, the only military formations larger than the army group were the military regions, which were defined by geographical boundaries, and the army corps, of which only four were formed and only during the Battle of Wuhan. In effect, the army group was the largest fighting unit of the National Revolutionary Army, and usually exercised command over two or more field armies or several corps, and assorted lesser units. By the end of the war with Japan, 40 army groups were in existence. The civil war saw three additional army groups being formed, even as they were gradually being replaced by newly-formed army corps, by then a largely analogous formation. (Full list...)
December 16
The Mayor of Pichilemu is an elected politician who is the head of the executive branch of government of the commune of Pichilemu, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region, Chile. The mayor presides over the local city council, composed of six members, and serves as the civic representative of the commune. The mayor is popularly elected in a municipal election, by simple majority. The office is held for a four-year term without term limits. Forty different individuals, including acting mayors, have held the office of mayor since the commune of Pichilemu was created in December 1891. José María Caro Martínez (pictured), elected in 1894, was the inaugural mayor of the commune, and served for almost four consecutive terms, interrupted by his resignation in 1905. The current mayor is Socialist Roberto Córdova; he was first elected in an extraordinary city council election to fill an unexpired term on 1 September 2009. Córdova was re-elected to a full term on 28 October 2012, due to end on 6 December 2016. (Full list...)
December 23
International Space Station spacewalks are major events in the building and maintaining of the orbital laboratory. Spacewalks are performed to install new components to the International Space Station, to re-wire systems, modules, and equipment, and to monitor, install, and retrieve scientific experiments. From 1998 to 2005, thirty-seven space shuttle missions were scheduled to assemble, outfit and begin experiments and research aboard the station. The initial spacewalk to begin the assembly of the International Space Station was held on December 7, 1998, following the launch of the first section of the station, Zarya, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on November 20, 1998. The spacewalk attached the U.S.-built Unity node to Zarya. STS-102 crew members Susan J. Helms and James S. Voss performed the longest spacewalk on March 11, 2001. (Full list...)
December 30
Thirty-five five-wicket hauls were taken by Waqar Younis (pictured) during his career in international cricket. Waqar is a retired Pakistani fast bowler who made his Test debut in 1989 against India at National Stadium, Karachi. His first Test five-wicket haul came the following year against New Zealand in a match which Pakistan won at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Starting his One Day International (ODI) career in October 1989 against West Indies at the Sharjah Stadium, Waqar's first ODI five-wicket haul came against Sri Lanka in April 1990 at the Sharjah. He is thirteenth overall among all-time Test five-wicket haul takers, and top of the equivalent ODI list. He was considered one of the best exponents of swing bowling and took 373 wickets in Test matches and 416 in ODIs during his career. (Full list...)