Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/December 17

Skip to table of contents

This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/December 17.

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 December 17 article, see Talk:December 17 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 December 17, 2024

1271 Avenue of the Americas is a 48-story skyscraper on Sixth Avenue, between 50th Street and 51st Street, in Midtown Manhattan, a neighborhood of New York City. Designed by Wallace Harrison of Harrison, Abramovitz, and Harris, the building was developed between 1956 and 1960 as part of Rockefeller Center. The building's eight-story base partially wraps around its 48-story main shaft. The facade comprises glass panels between limestone columns. The lobby has walls of white marble and stainless steel walls, and red-burgundy glass ceilings, with artwork by Josef Albers, Fritz Glarner, and Francis Brennan. The ground floor also includes storefronts. Each of the upper floors covers 28,000 sq ft (2,600 m²), with the offices arranged around the core. Construction started in May 1957, the building was topped out during November 1958, and the occupants took possession in late 1959. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the lobby as a city landmark in 2002. (Full article...)

Recently featured:

view – talk – edit – history – watch

Picture of the day for December 17, 2024

The Mauritius fody (Foudia rubra) is a rare and endangered species of bird in the weaver family, Ploceidae. It is endemic to the southern Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, where it resides in several types of forest, including degraded areas, as well as plantations. With a length of around 14 centimetres (5.5 inches), breeding males are olive brown, with a red head, breast and rump patch, and black lores. Females, non-breeding males and juveniles are olive brown with white wing bars and a brown bill. The bird feeds on insects such as grasshoppers, beetle larvae, caterpillars, and also spiders. Berries are eaten regularly by some individuals, and it feeds on nectar regularly, using its specialised brush-tipped tongue. This male Mauritius fody was photographed on the Île aux Aigrettes, an island off Mauritius's south-eastern coast.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

Recently featured:

← Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/December 16 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/December 18 →

Since all novellas are works of fiction, "fictional novella" sounds like the novella itself is made up. Can we drop the word "fictional", so the text just reads "a novella about Ebenezer Scrooge"? —Etaoin (talk) 18:12, 17 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

2011 notes

Swapped out and moved to Ineligible for maintenance reasons: Romanos I Lekapenos, Wright Flyer
New articles (unused): Mohamed Bouazizi
Swapped out: Siege of Godesberg, Gran Colombia, 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état, Harrods bombing
Swapped in: General Order No. 11 (1862) (6th appearance, last in 2009), Darwin Rebellion (3rd appearance, last in 2009), Douglas DC-3 (first appearance), Polish 1970 protests (2nd appearance, last in 2007), MV Danny F II (first appearance)

--howcheng {chat} 19:27, 16 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

2012 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Project Blue Book (maintenance)
New articles (unused): 1960 Munich Convair 340 crash
Omitted: General Order No. 11 (1862) (ineligible—maintenance); Darwin Rebellion; Douglas DC-3; Polish 1970 protests; MV Danny F II
Included: William I, Duke of Normandy (first appearance); Aztec calendar stone (first appearance); Malmedy massacre (5th appearance, last in 2009); We Charge Genocide (first appearance); Mohamed Bouazizi (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 09:29, 16 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

2013 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): General Order No. 11 (1862)
Omitted: William I, Duke of Normandy; Aztec calendar stone; Malmedy massacre; We Charge Genocide; Mohamed Bouazizi
Included: Saturnalia (first appearance); Siege of Godesberg (2nd appearance, last in 2010); 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état (2nd appearance, last in 2010); 1960 Munich Convair 340 crash (first appearance); Harrods bombing (5th appearance, last in 2010)

—howcheng {chat} 06:13, 16 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2014 notes

Omitted: Saturnalia; Siege of Godesberg; 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état; 1960 Munich Convair 340 crash; Harrods bombing
Included: Sack of Rome (546) (first appearance); Gran Colombia (3rd appearance, last in 2010); Darwin Rebellion (4th appearance, last in 2011); Polish 1970 protests (3rd appearance, last in 2011); The Simpsons (5th appearance, last in 2009; 25th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 08:57, 16 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Protected edit request on 17 December 2014

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

1819 – The Republic of Colombia in South America was established, with Simón Bolívar as its first president. Historians have referred to this new independent-from Spain republic as "Great Colombia" to differentiate it from current Colombia. 64.56.94.109 (talk) 14:14, 17 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

It says "Gran Colombia", not just "Colombia". —howcheng {chat} 17:20, 17 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2015 notes

New articles (unused): Ugyen Wangchuck
Omitted: Sack of Rome (546); Gran Colombia (ineligible—maintenance); Darwin Rebellion; 1970 Polish protests; The Simpsons
Included: William I Longsword (2nd appearance, last in 2012); Aztec calendar stone (2nd appearance, last in 2012); Wright brothers (7th appearance, last in 2009; blurb previously featured Wright Flyer, which is currently ineligible and last appeared in 2010); Malmedy massacre (7th appearance, last in 2012); 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 18:55, 15 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

2016 notes

Omitted: William I Longsword; Aztec calendar stone; Wright brothers; Malmedy massacre; 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey
Included: Bhutan (rescued from Ineligible); Siege of Godesberg (3rd appearance, last in 2013); General Order No. 11 (1862) (7th appearance, last in 2011); Ugyen Wangchuck (first appearance); 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état (3rd appearance, last in 2013; 90th anniversary); Mohamed Bouazizi (2nd appearance, last in 2012)

—howcheng {chat} 18:01, 16 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]

2017 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Douglas DC-3 (maintenance); 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey (maintenance)
Omitted: Bhutan (ineligible—maintenance); Siege of Godesberg; General Order No. 11 (1862); Ugyen Wangchuck (ineligible—maintenance); 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état; Mohamed Bouazizi
Included: Saturnalia (2nd appearance, last in 2013); Sack of Rome (546) (2nd appearance, last in 2014); Fire in the Winter Palace (first appearance); Disappearance of Harold Holt (first appearance; 50th anniversary); Harrods bombings (6th appearance, last in 2013); Rumi (2nd appearance, last in 2007; previously appeared on September 30); Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (first appearance; 100th anniversary); Agnes Mary Mansour (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 18:15, 15 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]

2018 notes

Omitted: Saturnalia; Sack of Rome (546); Fire in the Winter Palace; Disappearance of Harold Holt; Harrods bombing; Rumi; Elizabeth Garrett Anderson; Agnes Mary Mansour
Included: William Longsword (3rd appearance, last in 2015); General Order No. 11 (1862) (8th appearance, last in 2016); Darwin rebellion (5th appearance, last in 2014; 100th anniversary); Finnish Security Intelligence Service (first appearance; 70th anniversary); 1970 Polish protests (4th appearance, last in 2014); Roger L'Estrange (first appearance); Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma (first appearance); Daniel Inouye (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 17:08, 17 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]

2019 notes

Omitted: William Longsword; General Order No. 11 (1862); Darwin rebellion; Finnish Security Intelligence Service; 1970 Polish protests; Roger L'Estrange; Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma; Daniel Inouye
Included: Aztec sun stone (3rd appearance, last in 2015); Wright brothers (8th appearance, last in 2015); German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee (first appearance; 80th anniversary); The Simpsons (6th appearance, last in 2014; 30th anniversary); MV Danny F II (2nd appearance, last in 2011; 10th anniversary); Domenico Cimarosa (first appearance); Willard Libby (first appearance); Eva Ekvall (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 16:48, 18 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]

2020 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Fire in the Winter Palace (maintenance); 1960 Munich C-131 crash (maintenance)
Omitted: Wright brothers; German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee; The Simpsons; MV Danny F II; Domenico Cimarosa; Willard Libby; Eva Ekvall
Included: Saturnalia (3rd appearance; last in 2017); 1970 Polish protests (5th appearance; last in 2018; 50th anniversary); Mohamed Bouazizi (3rd appearance; last in 2016; 10th anniversary); Ludwig van Beethoven (first appearance; 250th anniversary); Pierre Paul Émile Roux (first appearance); Alicia Boole Stott (first appearance)
Repeats: Aztec sun stone (2nd consecutive appearance, 4 total)

—howcheng {chat} 04:11, 19 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]

2021 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Wright brothers (POTD for 2021); MV Danny F II (maintenance)
New articles (ineligible): O Antiphons
Omitted: Saturnalia; Aztec sun stone; 1970 Polish protests; Mohamed Bouazizi; Ludwig van Beethoven; Pierre Paul Émile Roux; Alicia Boole Stott
Included: Sack of Rome (546) (3rd appearance, last in 2017; 475th anniversary); Siege of Godesberg (4th appearance, last in 2016); Darwin rebellion (6th appearance, last in 2018); We Charge Genocide (2nd appearance, last in 2012; 70th anniversary); Harrods bombing (7th appearance, last in 2017); Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba (first appearance); Aubrey Faulkner (first appearance); Eva Ekvall (2nd appearance, last in 2019; 10th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 18:38, 18 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]