Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/August 24

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This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 24.

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 24 article, see Talk:August 24 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 24, 2024
Anna Lee Fisher is an American chemist, emergency physician and former NASA astronaut who was the first mother to fly in space. Fisher became an astronaut candidate with NASA Astronaut Group 8 and joined the Astronaut Office for the development of the Canadarm and the testing of payload bay door contingency spacewalk procedures. She was assigned to the search and rescue helicopters for four Space Shuttle missions, then involved in the verification of flight software at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory and supported vehicle integration and payload testing at Kennedy Space Center. She flew into space on the Space Shuttle Discovery for the STS-51-A mission and used the Canadarm to retrieve two satellites in incorrect orbits. Fisher then worked on procedures and training issues for the International Space Station (ISS), was a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) and the lead CAPCOM for ISS Expedition 33, and was involved in developing the display for the Orion spacecraft. (Full article...) Recently featured: John F. Kennedy document hoax Total Recall (1990 film) Turabay dynasty Archive By email More featured articles About view – talk – edit – history – watch
Picture of the day for August 24, 2024
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 23 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/August 25 →

Out of Date

Just my opinion, but Hurricane Andrew should be removed because Hurricane Camille is listed as a previous anniversary this same month. If it isn't removed, it should at least be made up to date. Hurricane Katrina makes Andrew the second-costliest natural disaster now. Miss Michelle | Talk to Michelle 00:27, 8 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Stabiae

In the SA about Mount Vesuvius, it has links to Pompei and Heraculaneum, but not Stabiae - there is a page on Stabiae...--Nunners 08:56, 24 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wrong Date

National Heroes' Day in the Philippines is on the 31st, not the 24th. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.85.59.68 (talk) 07:45, 24 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Buddhist crisis

I don't feel the Buddhist crisis entry is appropriate today because today's item is a lead-up to an action rather than an action itself. I think perhaps the only OTD-caliber items for Vietnam from 1963 would be the assassination of Diem on Nov. 2 and perhaps the self-immolation protest on June 11. By this I mean no disrespect to the long and interesting history of that country, only that those are probably the events that have the most resonance from that particular year.

A more-appropriate OTD item for today would be the ~~Burning of Washington~~ St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:59, 24 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Is this complaint related to your comments at Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries#Vietnamese items in On This Day? Again, as I said there, I am neutral on that matter. As for Burning of Washington, it is today's FP. And as for the other article, St. Bartholomew's Day massacre#Interpretations could use some cleanup. Cheers. Zzyzx11 (talk) 03:16, 24 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not opposed to having Vietnamese items on OTD, I just think this was not the best choice. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 22:16, 24 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

WP. ERRORS, please, E1ComandanteChe,should see some mail Friday 26th, went to Mass and let God see B.B. King. Good elbows and chick pea , soup, slowcook. ankles a little swollen, too much excitement for me ,you are. Rest, 1:00 a.m. SelAnniv65.92.98.29 (talk) 19:21, 24 August 2011 (UTC)24 August, 2011 3:20 p.m.[reply]

2012 notes

New articles (unused): Capture of Berwick (1482)
Omitted: Kolkata (ineligible–date not verified); Siege of Cádiz (200th anniversary; should've planned this better last year); Panic of 1857; Action T4; Cable 243
Included: Battle of the Bagradas River (49 BC) (first appearance); Gutenberg Bible (2nd appearance, last in 2007); Mexican War of Independence (5th appearance, last in 2009; rescued from Ineligible); Battle of the Eastern Solomons (5th appearance, last in 2010; 70th anniversary); Hurricane Andrew (3rd appearance, last in 2010; 20th anniversary)
Note: Declined to use 2010 San Fernando massacre as a possible candidate because 2011 San Fernando massacre is a better article to use.

—howcheng {chat} 09:28, 23 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Independence Day of Ukraine

Independence Day of Ukraine is by now a decent (stub-)article; no need to link to List of national independence days anymore on Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 24 (it does so now...)... Can an Administrator please fix this link; I can not do it myself.... — Yulia Romero • Talk to me! 21:45, 15 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Fixed the link.

DDima 02:48, 16 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2013 notes

New articles (unused): Lance Armstrong (moved from July 24)
Omitted: Independence Day of Ukraine (ineligible—stub; Ukraine needs maintenance); Battle of the Bagradas River (49 BC); Gutenberg Bible; Mexican War of Independence (ineligible—maintenance); Battle of the Eastern Solomons; Hurricane Andrew
Included: Capture of Berwick (1482) (first appearance); Panic of 1857 (3rd appearance, last in 2011); Goodison Park (2nd appearance, last in 2010); Action T4 (5th appearance, last in 2011); IAU definition of planet (4th appearance, last in 2010)

—howcheng {chat} 06:46, 23 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2014 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Treaty of Córdoba (blurb previously featured Mexican War of Independence, which is ineligible)
Omitted: Capture of Berwick (1482); Panic of 1857; Goodison Park; Action T4; IAU definition of planet
Included: Ukraine (rescued from Ineligible); Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 (first appearance; blurb previously featured Mount Vesuvius and is making its 8th appearance, last in 2010; rescued from Ineligible); Burning of Washington (4th appearance, last in 2009; 200th anniversary; rescued from Ineligible); 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team (first appearance); Cable 243 (3rd appearance, last in 2011); 2004 Russian aircraft bombings (first appearance; 10th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 09:44, 23 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2015 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Job Charnock
Omitted: Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79; Burning of Washington; 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team; Cable 243; 2004 Russian aircraft bombings
Included: Sack of Rome (410) (2nd appearance, last in 2010; rescued from Ineligible); Gutenberg Bible (3rd appearance, last in 2012); Treaty of Córdoba (first appearance); Action T4 (6th appearance, last in 2013); Lance Armstrong (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 07:58, 22 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

2016 notes

New articles (unused): Battle of Marj Dabiq (maintenance)
Moved to Ineligible: Job Charnock (maintenance)
Omitted: Sack of Rome (410); Gutenberg Bible; Treaty of Córdoba; Lance Armstrong
Included: Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 (2nd appearance, last in 2014); Burning of Washington (5th appearance, last in 2014); Battle of Cer (first appearance); IAU definition of planet (5th appearance, last in 2013; 10th anniversary)
Repeats: Action T4 (2nd consecutive appearance, 7 total; 75th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 06:39, 23 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Lord Laitinen's Suggestion

I believe that the Feast of Saint Bartholomew should be added to this section, as he was an apostle to Jesus Christ and major religious figure. ~Lord Laitinen~ (talk) 00:31, 24 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunately, that article has a yellow-level maintenance tag ({{refimprove}}) on it, making it ineligible for inclusion. —howcheng {chat} 05:40, 24 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]