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.
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.
Today's featured article for September 8, 2024
Wikipedia:Today's featured article/September 8, 2024
Bridges attended a segregated kindergarten in 1959. In early 1960, Bridges was one of six black children in New Orleans to pass the test that determined whether they could go to the all-white William Frantz Elementary School. Two of the six decided to stay at their old school, Bridges went to Frantz by herself, and three children (Gail Etienne, Leona Tate and Tessie Prevost) were transferred to the all-white McDonogh No. 19 Elementary School. All four 6-year-old girls were escorted to school by federal marshals during the first day they attended the two schools. In the following days of that year, federal marshals continued to escort them.
That first day, Bridges and her mother spent the entire day in the principal's office; the chaos of the school prevented their moving to the classroom until the second day. On the second day, however, a white student broke the boycott and entered the school when a 34-year-old Methodist minister, Lloyd Anderson Foreman, walked his five-year-old daughter Pam through the angry mob, saying, "I simply want the privilege of taking my child to school…" A few days later, other white parents began bringing their children, and the protests began to subside. Yet Bridges remained the only child in her class, as she would until the following year. Every morning, as Bridges walked to school, one woman would threaten to poison her, while another held up a black baby doll in a coffin. This led the U.S. Marshals dispatched to oversee her safety to only allow Bridges to eat the food that she brought from home, and she was not allowed to participate in recess.
As of 2004, Bridges, now Ruby Bridges Hall, still lived in New Orleans with her husband, Malcolm Hall, and their four sons. After graduating from a desegregated high school, she worked as a travel agent for 15 years and later became a full-time parent. She is now chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which she formed in 1999 to promote "the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences". Describing the mission of the group, she says, "racism is a grown-up disease and we must stop using our children to spread it."
Hello! If it is possible, please add: Siege of Szigetvár, 450th anniversary, this battle is very important either for Hungarians, Croats and Turks. --Norden1990 (talk) 23:09, 7 September 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Howcheng Would it be possible to add Huey Long back this year. It's the 85th anniversary and I've improved the article in recent days, particularly the section on his assassination. Thanks! ~ HAL333 15:13, 18 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Can we please include Macedonia's Independence Day to this year's list? - Fsimeski (talk) 21:23, 8 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
@Fsimeski: That article is ineligible. —howcheng {chat} 02:53, 10 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Hello. I was wondering for this year's edition of 8 September, if we should include Elizabeth II in the births/deaths section please, due to it being the first anniversary of her passing? The C of E God Save the King! (talk) 16:18, 5 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Personally, I think it would be better to blurb it (is that what we call it here?) as the accession of Charles III. Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/February 6 had Elizabeth II's accession (not George VI's death) as the main point, though it mentioned his death. Perhaps something like
Estar8806, please excuse me editing your blurb above as we don't allow redirects from the main page. I shall implement the suggestion. Schwede66 21:37, 7 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@Schwede66 Thank you. I was unaware of that redirect rule. However, I would point out that the link should still be displayed as "Commonwealth realms" because "Commonwealth realm" refers to just one of the individual countries the British monarch is head of state of, not just the collective system. estar8806 (talk) ★ 21:41, 7 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for enlightening me; will make it plural. Regarding redirects, it's documented at WP:MPNOREDIRECT. Schwede66 21:53, 7 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]