Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/August 12: Difference between revisions

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This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 12.

To report an error when this list is currently on the Main Page, see Main Page errors. Please remember that this list defers to the supporting articles, so it is best to achieve consensus and make any necessary changes there first.
Before making a suggestion, please read the selected anniversaries guidelines. Please remember that this list usually defers to supporting pages when there is disagreement, so it is best to achieve consensus and make any necessary changes there first.
To discuss improvements to the corresponding August 12 article, see Talk:August 12 instead.

Frequently asked questions

Q1: Why is [Insert event here], an event that is "more important and significant" than all the others that are currently listed, not posted?: A1: Relative article quality along with the mix of topics already listed are often deciding factors in what gets posted. Any given day of the year can have a great many important or significant historical events. The problem is that there is generally only room on the Main Page to list about 5 events at a time, so not everything can be posted.

As stated on Wikipedia:FAQ/Main Page, the items and events posted on the Main Page are chosen based more on how well they are written, not based on how much important or significant their subjects are. It is easier for admins to select a well-written, cited, verifiable article over a poor one versus trying to determine objectively how much a subject is important or significant.

Keep in mind that the quality requirements only apply to the selected bolded article, not the other links. Thus, an event may qualify for multiple dates in a year if there is an article written in a summary style and an article providing detailed content; if one of those pages have cleanup issues, the other page can be bolded as an alternate.

Another criterion is to maintain some variety of topics, and not exhibit, just for example, tech-centrism, or the belief that the world stops at the edge of the English-speaking world. Many days have a large pool of potential articles, so they will rotate in and out every year to give each one some Main Page exposure. In addition, an event is not posted if it is also the subject of this year's scheduled featured article or featured picture.

Q2: There are way too many 20th-century events listed. Why aren't there more events from the 19th century and before?

A2: The short, basic reason is the systemic bias of Wikipedia. There are not enough good, well-written articles on 19th-century and earlier events for all 365 days in the year. Currently, a majority of users seem to be generally more interested in writing articles about recent events. If you would like to further help mitigate the systemic bias in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Countering systemic bias.

Q3: This page seems to be biased toward events based in [Insert country or region here]. What can be done about it?

A3: This again is attributed to the systemic bias of Wikipedia. Many users are generally more interested in working on good, well-written articles pertaining to their home country. Since this is the English Wikipedia, there will be more English-speaking users, and thus more articles pertaining to English-speaking countries. And if there are more users who are from the United States, there will probably be more well-written articles about events based in the United States. Again, if you would like to further help mitigate the systemic bias in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Countering systemic bias.

Q4: Why is the birthday/death anniversary of [Insert name here] not listed?

A4: There are only four slots available for birth and death anniversaries. As with the events, article quality and diversity in time period, geography, and reason for notability are all contributing factors in whether an article gets selected for inclusion.

Q5: Are the holidays/observances listed in any particular order?

A5: Yes, there is a specified order: International observances first, then alphabetically by where observed.

Q6: Some of the holidays/observances that are listed have dates in parentheses beside them. What do they mean?

A6: There are two reasons that some holidays/observances have dates next to them:

Non-Gregorian-based holidays/observances are marked with the current year as a reminder to others that their dates do in fact vary from year to year.
National Days, Independence Days, and other holidays celebrating the nationhood of a country are generally marked by the year of the significant historic date being observed.

Today's featured article for August 12, 2025
Wikipedia:Today's featured article/August 12, 2025 create – talk – watch
Picture of the day for August 12, 2025
The featured picture for this day has not yet been chosen. In general, pictures of the day are scheduled in order of promotion to featured status. See Wikipedia:Picture of the day/Guidelines for full guidelines. create

← Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/August 11 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/August 13 →

Tyrannosaurus

Is a fossil discovery noteworthy? Is there something special about this fossil? Rick K 06:10, Aug 5, 2004 (UTC)

That's the most complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex ever found. Is this significant enough to be included on the MainPage ? I'd say it's a weak case. -- PFHLai 18:57, 2005 August 9 (UTC)

The History Channel currently seems to think it's noteworthy that it is the current lead story on its "This Day in History" page for Aug 12.[1] I just re-added it here to replace another item that needs cleanup – the only two reasons I picked that one first is because of The History Channel page, and an excuse to bold and feature the current FA Tyrannosaurus. Zzyzx11 (Talk) 06:14, 10 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

2012 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Lakshman Kadirgamar (maintenance)
Omitted: Treaty of Nöteborg; King Philip's War; Night of the Murdered Poets; Battle of the Bogside; IBM Personal Computer
Included: Cleopatra VII (first appearance); Battle of Didgori (first appearance; rescued from Ineligible); Deimos (moon) (5th appearance, last in 2010); Wola massacre (first appearance); Bloody Gulch massacre (first appearance); Sue (dinosaur) (2nd appearance, last in 2010)

—howcheng {chat} 03:07, 11 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2013 notes

Omitted: Cleopatra; Battle of Didgori; Deimos (moon); Wola massacre; Bloody Gulch massacre; Sue (dinosaur)
Included: King Philip's War (6th appearance, last in 2011); Quagga (2nd appearance, last in 2009; rescued from Ineligible); Night of the Murdered Poets (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Battle of the Bogside (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Russian submarine Kursk explosion (3rd appearance, last in 2010)

—howcheng {chat} 10:31, 11 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2014 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Japan Airlines Flight 123
Omitted: King Philip's War; Quagga (ineligible—TFA for 2014); Night of the Murdered Poets; Battle of the Bogside; Kursk submarine disaster
Included: Treaty of Nöteborg (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Battle of Didgori (2nd appearance, last in 2012); Deimos (moon) (6th appearance, last in 2012); Wola massacre (2nd appearance, last in 2012); IBM Personal Computer (%th appearance, last in 2011)

—howcheng {chat} 06:25, 11 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 *Rescued from Ineligible (unused): [[Japan Airlines Flight 123]]
 *Omitted: [[King Philip's War]]; [[Quagga]] (ineligible—[[WP:Today's featured article/August 12, 2014|TFA for 2014]]); [[Night of the Murdered Poets]]; [[Battle of the Bogside]]; [[Kursk submarine disaster]]
-*Included: [[Treaty of Nöteborg]] (2nd appearance, last in 2011); [[Cardinal Richelieu]] (first appearance); [[Deimos (moon)]] (6th appearance, last in 2012); [[Wola massacre]] (2nd appearance, last in 2012); [[IBM Personal Computer]] (%th appearance, last in 2011)
+*Included: [[Treaty of Nöteborg]] (2nd appearance, last in 2011); [[Battle of Didgori]] (2nd appearance, last in 2012); [[Deimos (moon)]] (6th appearance, last in 2012); [[Wola massacre]] (2nd appearance, last in 2012); [[IBM Personal Computer]] (%th appearance, last in 2011)
 <span style="font-family:Verdana; ">—'''[[User:Howcheng|<span style="color:#33C;">howcheng</span>]]'''  <small>{[[User talk:Howcheng|chat]]}</small></span> 06:25, 11 August 2014 (UTC)