http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Today%27s_featured_article This RSS feed is a screen scrape of the Wikipedia Featured Articles page en-us GNU Free Documentation License Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:05:03 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss wikipedia@jeays.net XML::RSS 1.45 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Today%27s_featured_article/November_7%2C_2009 &lt;div style="float:left;margin:0.5em 0.9em 0.4em 0;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Victoria_Cross_Medal_Ribbon.jpg">100px|The Victoria Cross for Australia medal</a>&lt;/div><br /><br />The <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross_for_Australia">Victoria Cross for Australia</a></strong> is the highest award in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders,_decorations,_and_medals_of_Australia">Australian Honours System</a>, superseding the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross">Victoria Cross</a> for issue to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia">Australia</a>ns. It was created by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/letters_patent">letters patent</a> signed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II_of_the_United_Kingdom">Elizabeth II</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Australia">Queen of Australia</a>, on 15 January 1991. The first medal was awarded on 16 January 2009 to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trooper_(rank)">Trooper</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Donaldson">Mark Donaldson</a>, for the rescue of a coalition forces interpreter from heavy fire in Oruzgan Province in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001–present)">Afghanistan</a>. Donaldson's award came almost 40 years after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_Officer">Warrant Officer</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Payne">Keith Payne</a> became the last Australian to be awarded the (original) Victoria Cross for gallantry on 24 May 1969 during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War">Vietnam War</a>. The Victoria Cross for Australia is the "decoration for according recognition to persons who in the presence of the enemy, perform acts of the most conspicuous gallantry, or daring or pre-eminent acts of valour or self-sacrifice or display extreme devotion to duty." As the highest Australian award, it is listed first on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Honours_Order_of_Precedence">Australian Order of Wear</a> with precedence in Australia over all orders, decorations and medals. The decoration may be awarded to members of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Defence_Force">Australian Defence Force</a> and to other persons determined by the Australian Minister for Defence. When the medal is awarded, the ceremony is presided over by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor-General_of_Australia">Governor-General of Australia</a> on behalf of the Queen of Australia, who presents the medal during an investiture. (<strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross_for_Australia">more...</a></strong>)<br /><br />Recently featured: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darjeeling">Darjeeling</a> &ndash; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Knight_Lane">Franklin Knight Lane</a> &ndash; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_355">Interstate 355</a><br /><br />