Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/February 12

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This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/February 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 February 12 article, see Talk:February 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 February 12, 2025
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← Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/February 11 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/February 13 →

Darwin Day isn't a real day- Red Hand Day is.

Charles Darwin was born on this day - in same year as Lincoln

Perhaps this should be noted on 1809 along with Licncoln's birthday:

Charles Darwin, renowned naturalist and evolution theorist, was also born.

Minor newsbit: 450 Christian Churches To Commemorate Charles Darwin http://www.playfuls.com/news_00222_450_Christian_Churches_To_Commemorate_Charles_Darwin.html —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Vir (talk • contribs) 11:12, 2006 February 12.

Darwin Day is already on the top line. And Lincoln's Birthday has been removed. Please note that we usually don't do birthdays on Selected Anniversaries, except for special round numbers like 100th, 250th, etc. -- PFHLai 17:47, 12 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ooops, thanks for comment. So, it was hiding right up there on the top line. :) Vir 18:22, 12 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why have Darwin day and not Lincoln Day? I know WP is hesitant about birthday commemorations, but is Darwin considered more notable than Lincoln?--Bellerophon5685 (talk) 23:39, 12 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2012 notes

Omitted: Vasco da Gama (ineligible—maintenance), Michigan State University, The Scream, 433 Eros
Included: USS Macon (ZRS-5) (first appearance), Isaac Woodard (first appearance), Colgan Air Flight 3407 (first appearance)
Repeats: Chilean Declaration of Independence (3rd consecutive appearance, 3 total), Puyi (2nd consecutive appearance, 9 total)
Note: USS Yorktown (CG-48) has been in the pool for a while now, but still hasn't made an appearance. Skipped it this year because there would have been too many US military-related articles (USS Macon, Isaac Woodward).

—howcheng {chat} 08:54, 11 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Addendum: The Scream added later for balance. —howcheng {chat} 12:04, 12 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

2013 notes

Moved to Ineligible: USS Yorktown (CG-48) (maintenance)
Omitted: Chilean Declaration of Independence; USS Macon (ZRS-5) (ineligible—maintenance); Isaac Woodard; The Scream; Colgan Air Flight 3407
Included: Santiago (2nd appearance, last in 2010; rescued from Ineligible); Michigan State University (3rd appearance, last in 2011); Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (first appearance); 433 Eros (2nd appearance, last in 2011)
Repeats: Puyi (3rd consecutive appearance, 10 total)

—howcheng {chat} 06:40, 11 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2014 notes

Omitted: Santiago (ineligible—maintenance); Michigan State University; 433 Eros
Included: Chilean Declaration of Independence (4th appearance, last in 2012); Christian Dior (first appearance); The Scream (3rd appearance, last in 2012; 20th anniversary)
Repeats: Puyi (4th consecutive appearance, 11 total); Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total; 40th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 06:32, 11 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2015 notes

New articles (unused): Lincoln Memorial (Abraham Lincoln is POTD for 2015)
Omitted: Darwin Day (ineligible—maintenance); Christian Dior; Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; The Scream
Included: Michigan State University (4th appearance, last in 2013); Sikhote-Alin meteorite (first appearance); Colgan Air Flight 3407 (2nd appearance, last in 2012)
Repeats: Chilean Declaration of Independence (2nd consecutive appearance, 5 total); Puyi (5th consecutive appearance, 12 total)

—howcheng {chat} 11:05, 10 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

2016 notes

Omitted: Sikhote-Alin meteorite; Colgan Air Flight 3407
Included: Isaac Woodard (2nd appearance, last in 2012; 70th anniversary); Murder of James Bulger (first appearance)
Repeats: Chilean Declaration of Independence (3rd consecutive appearance, 6 total); Michigan State University (2nd consecutive appearance, 5 total); Puyi (6th consecutive appearance, 13 total)

—howcheng {chat} 07:42, 10 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

2017 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Lincoln Memorial (maintenance)
New articles (unused): Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill
Omitted: Michigan State University; Isaac Woodard; Murder of James Bulger
Included: Christian Dior SE (first appearance; blurb previously featured Christian Dior, which is currently ineligible, and is making its 2nd appearance, last in 2014; 70th anniversary); The Scream (4th appearance, last in 2014); 433 Eros (3rd appearance, last in 2013)
Repeats: Chilean Declaration of Independence (4th consecutive appearance, 8 total); Puyi (7th consecutive appearance, 14 total)