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 April 1 article, see Talk:April 1 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?
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.
It seems kind of boring to have the actual facts printed on April Fool's day. --Nintendorulez [[User talk:Nintendorulez|talk]] 01:50, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just because it's April Fools day doesn't mean the real events that occured on this date have to be ignored. But if the mainpage is going to be a big April Fool's Joke that day, then I don't think it'd be innapropriate to change the references accordingly. -- SmthManly / ManlyTalk / ManlyContribs 22:57, 12 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If anything, we should have unusual anniversaries on this page. -- user:zanimum
Yes, perhaps, but please keep the April Fool's Day reference. It's the only explanation people from some cultures will have of why their most useful reference source has gone crazy for a day. BigBlueFish 20:18, 31 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I am going to add a few entries from Wikipedia:April Fool's Main Page. All but the last are April Fool's jokes that these organisations played on the public, so therefore I am not putting false information into the Main Page. These entries are as follows:
I thought there was already an April Fools Joke up there! "Ordered to hold Five Forks, Confederate General George Pickett instead lost almost 3,000." I find it hilarious that General Pickett cant hold five forks in his hand and instead drops 3,000! SGGHspeak! 00:39, 1 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Good day all. Stuffed into the code of this page is an entry that states that a very important date in Iran's history occurred on April Fools day 1974. I can't find any reference to anything like that when I looked around, except for one mention on a "brainy encyclopedia" site that doesn't really count because all the site does is rip text off Wikipedia. Since I can't apparently edit the inaccurate thing out of the page itself, could someone who CAN edit it do so? The "anniversary" has plopped itself onto Iran's talk page... Never Cry Wolf 12:48, 21 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The entry you're referring to is currently commented out, which means that it does not appear. There's also a comment next to it that the date of the event could not be found or verified yet; that's why it was commented out. Thanks! Flcelloguy (A note?) 23:30, 21 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Be bold! (Although in this case, I would probably link to Akitu, which is where the main article on the holiday seems to be, and add a few references in beforehand to ensure that we have the correct date.) Thanks! Flcelloguy (A note?) 01:51, 7 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
How can I be bold when I dont have access to be edit :D Chaldean 03:12, 7 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Ah, I didn't even notice that; for future reference, you may wish to use ((editprotected)) to request editing of a protected page or for a quick response - I only happened to have this page on my watchlist and came across your request. In any case, the page is now unprotected. Thanks! Flcelloguy (A note?) 00:58, 8 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
"The Netherlands became the first country to approve medical treatments that provide permanent pain relief from all known human diseases and disorders." Does this not smack of POV if it doesn't contain the term "euthanasia"? Right now when I see this I think the Netherlands discovered some miracle panacea that's a cure-all. I think it needs to mention assisted suicide or euthanasia. I'm going to sleep and won't have time to argue this point, but I just want to bring it up. Valley2city‽ 22:15, 31 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Giuditta Pasta (19th century; female; 150 years)[edit]
The Italian opera soprano Giuditta Pasta died 150 years ago on 1 April 1865. I'd be bold and add this for any other day, but I haven't understood the weird cheesy entries or the double lists for April Fool's versions. So, can someone please add:
Presenting a female child as a male is not a sex change. Claiming it's a joke doesn't make it one; even if we do stipulate that it is a joke, it's a completely unfunny one, and should be replaced by some other event entirely. Why @Howcheng: persists in making insulting unfunny pseudo-jokes based on this event is beyond me; surely there's something else we could use.—chbarts (talk) 19:47, 5 April 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Of course it's not a sex change. That's the whole point! —howcheng {chat} 20:10, 5 April 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Reverted unfunny, incorrect, uncited, and transphobic edit per rules. I would like to come to a consensus on this, but hate and rule-breaking will not stand.—chbarts (talk) 01:00, 15 April 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Transphobia cannot meet the standards of WP:CIVIL, by definition. As WP:CIVIL is a core principle, a contribution which doesn't honor it must be removed. Is there going to be any further discussion on this?—chbarts (talk) 00:29, 17 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure if the version on today's page in 2018 is the same as what you were bringing up for discussion in 2015, but I came here to say I agree. Poor taste, even for April Fool's Day and its associated whatnot. Worse still is seeing this on the main page, the day after the International Transgender Day of Visibility; I don't suppose that this was noted on yesterday's main page? Echoedmyron (talk) 20:04, 1 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Can I ask a question about the Royal Air Force (maintenance) tag, causing it to be ineligible? I've had a look over the article and can't see anything. It's the 100 year anniversary of the biggest military joke in 2018, so I'd love to see the world's oldest independent air force get a mention on the main page. -LÒÓkingYourBest(Talk|Edits) 13:39, 24 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]
@LookingYourBest: Someone removed my maintenance tag. I've now gone through the entire article and it's not in very good shape. There are a lot of sections that are severely lacking in citations. Thanks. —howcheng {chat} 16:12, 24 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]
"Adolf Hitler (pictured) was placed in a cage"[edit]
"1924 – Adolf Hitler (pictured) was placed in a cage"
What is this supposed to mean? Is this vandalism or am I missing something? Adolf Hitler was never placed in any cage! And such wording is not present in the corresponding article!--Adûnâi (talk) 00:22, 1 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]
@Adûnâi: Hitler was sentenced to prison on April 1, 1924. The wording is for April Fool's. —howcheng {chat} 01:09, 1 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]
NOTE: Beginning this year, we are no longer doing the joke versions of the blurbs, as Wikipedia April Fool's seems to be mostly dead. —howcheng {chat} 17:39, 1 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]
I notice that, on the Main Page, in the "On this day" box, there isn't any mention of today being April Fools' Day. Iranian Islamic Republic Day and Edible Book Day are noted, but not April Fools' Day. Why has it been omitted? Is this some kind of a joke? —Matthew - (talk) 21:52, 1 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Could Jofra Archer be added to the eligible articles? His birth date is 1 April 1995, and article is well sourced, so would be eligible for adding to this list and maybe being used in a future year. The specific change needed would be:
Thank you for your consideration. This is my first nomination, so let me know if I've done anything wrong. Joseph2302 (talk) 14:07, 1 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]