Wikipedia:Days of the year
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The following is a proposed Wikipedia policy, guideline, or process. The proposal may still be in development, under discussion, or in the process of gathering consensus for adoption. Thus references or links to this page should not describe it as "policy". |
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Events that are considered notable in a nutshell:
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When compiling lists of Events for inclusion in Wikipedia:WikiProject Days of the year articles, it is necessary to keep in mind that what's listed should be notable both around the globe and throughout time. The items selected should be relevant to all Wikipedians, regardless of nationality, interests, and beliefs.
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[edit] Events
[edit] What is notable
[edit] Human accomplishments/social milestones
- Records significant on a global scale, such as firsts, lasts, precedents, milestones (first human to walk on the moon, to climb Mount Everest, to reach Antarctica, etc.)
- Significant social firsts - date when first country/major country abolished slavery, allowed women to vote, allowed same-sex marriage, legalized abortion, and so forth, date when a person/group made a significant social milestone
- Dates of completion or premiere of major works of art and architecture recognized on a global scale, such as the Golden Gate Bridge
[edit] The rise and fall of countries/global movements
- Beginnings, ends, and perhaps significant battles or movements in global wars or wars involving at least one country considered a world power at the time of the war. A significant battle would be one that changed the course of a war, such as D-Day.
- Dates of independence/liberation/formation/merging/splitting of countries, including those formed/significantly changed in a peaceful revolution
- Formation of major alliances in which at least one participating country was a global power at the time of formation
- Dates of formation of global organizations/organizations in which world powers are members (such as the European Union, NATO, the Red Cross)
- Dates significant world leaders/movements rose to or fell from power
- Dates of important documents and treaties - the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Versailles, etc.
- Major dates in the history of world religion. If it's overly speculative (or if the religion is practiced by less than 1 million people or another sizeable number), it shouldn't be included.
- Founding or first occurrence of global events, such as the Olympic Games
[edit] Law and crime related
- Important verdicts and court decisions
- Passages of substantial legislation
- UN Security Council decisions
- Assassinations or attempted assassinations of significant world leaders/influential figures. Successful assassinations can also be listed under "Deaths," but in the Events section, a note can be included about the assassin and other key details.
- Major terrorist attacks that greatly affected countries and had a significant number of casualties (i.e. over 1000)
[edit] Scientific events and accomplishments
- Milestones in inventions/technology - the date the nuclear bomb was first used successfully, the date the first computer went on the market, the date the Internet began, patent dates of important inventions like the telephone, light bulb, etc.
- Dates of important medical accomplishments, such as the first heart transplant
- Milestones in space exploration
- Scientific discoveries
[edit] Major disasters
- Natural disasters that significantly impacted a major metropolitan area or country (the tsunami of 2004, Hurricane Katrina). Just one listing should do - the date the hurricane formed, date it first made landfall, date it dissipated, etc. are not relevant. Number of deaths is not a qualifying factor.
[edit] What is not notable or not considered an Event
* In general, events that would not be of interest globally/that do not have an impact on more than one country
- Births and deaths (except assassinations). Births and deaths should be listed in their respective sections.
- Dates of festivals (national, local, global) - this is a yearly occasion, not a one-time event
- Dates that pertain to television programs, movies, books, video games, etc. - this is not notable on a global scale (exceptions include the breaking of world records for sales, etc.)
- Sport records - unless they are significant world records (speed) or social precedents (e.g. first black man to play in MLB)
- Founding or openings of institutions/buildings that lack global significance or are not the first of their kind, such as foundings of random universities, schools, museums, businesses, or stores
- Future events - this is speculation
- Minor crimes/law violations - e.g. "___ goes on killing spree, killing two farmers"
- Minor or unremarkable natural disasters - e.g. "Mudslide kills two people"
- Minor terrorist attacks - e.g. "Suicide bomber kills ten people"
- Patent dates for most inventions, e.g. chewing gum, porter cement, etc.
- Repetitive events - e.g. multiple sightings of comets, listing of Super Bowl winners, listing of every significant battle in a war, listings of every person to become president of a country, regardless of the impact of their presidency
- School shootings - these are fairly common and any entries should be limited to those shootings that lead to changes in legislation or those that are significantly different from previous occurrences
- Fictional events
[edit] Standing the test of time
When adding events to Wikicalendar articles, events should meet global notability standards for the foreseeable future. Events that are popular news items for a short period of time would not be considered long-term globally notable. Something that is newsworthy is not necessarily noteworthy.
[edit] Births and Deaths
Only the births and deaths of people who are themselves subjects of Wikipedia articles should be listed. To have an article, a person must meet the criteria outlined in WP:BIO. Being part of a group with an article or having the page that bears one's name redirected to a different article does not qualify as having one's own article. Having a Wikipedia user page does not qualify as having an article. Also, being the subject of a Wikipedia article is only a minimum requirement for inclusion in a Wikicalendar article. Not all people meet the more stringent notability requirements for Wikicalendar articles.
[edit] Holidays and observances
Holidays and observances, if notable enough for inclusion, should be the subject of a Wikipedia article (or in the case of religious feasts, mentioned in a linked article). These entries should also be limited to those events that occur on the same date annually and to observances that are currently celebrated (not the date it was once celebrated or will be celebrated).
[edit] What to do about excess items
Items that do not follow this criteria but are still factual and relevant can be moved to other timelines or portals, such as:
This offers an opportunity for the expansion of these sections as well.
