Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/August 18

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This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 18.

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 18 article, see Talk:August 18 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 18, 2024

One of Kes's costumes with wig and ear prosthetics

Kes is a fictional character in the science fiction television show Star Trek: Voyager, played by Jennifer Lien. Kes joins the crew of the starship USS Voyager in the pilot episode, opening an aeroponics garden and working as a medical assistant. She is a member of a telepathic alien species with a life span of only nine years. She leaves the ship in the fourth season after her powers threaten to destroy it. She reappears in an episode in the sixth season and features in Star Trek: Voyager novels and short stories. Voyager's creators intended Kes to provide audiences with a different perspective on time. Although Kes is portrayed as fragile and innocent, she is also shown as having hidden strength and maturity. Voyager's producers reluctantly fired Lien after her personal issues affected her reliability on set. Kes was a fan favorite character while Voyager was airing, although critics reacted more negatively, finding her boring and without a clear purpose. Lien was praised for her performance. (Full article...)

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Picture of the day for August 18, 2024

W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) was an American sociologist, historian and civil rights activist. The first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard, he became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. He rose to national prominence as the leader of the Niagara Movement, a group of African-American activists who wanted equal rights for blacks, and was one of the co-founders of the NAACP in 1909. He wrote one of the first scientific treatises in the field of American sociology, and published three autobiographies. Black Reconstruction in America (1935) challenged the prevailing orthodoxy that blacks were responsible for the failures of the Reconstruction era. On August 28, 1963, a day after his death, his book The Souls of Black Folk was highlighted by Roy Wilkins at the March on Washington, and hundreds of thousands of marchers honored him with a moment of silence. A year later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, embodying many of the reforms for which he had campaigned his entire life, was enacted. This gelatin silver print of Du Bois was taken in 1907 by the American photographer James E. Purdy, and is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Photograph credit: James E. Purdy; restored by Adam Cuerden

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← Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/August 17 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/August 19 →

I think the 1941 item would read better with the word was inserted after the word Program. -- 199.71.174.100 00:11, 18 August 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Phobos: larger, not largest.

Right ! It's the larger of the two moons of Mars. There isn't a third one. -- 199.71.174.100 07:04, 18 August 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Fixed both. Thanks. -- Sundar ^{\talk \contribs} 07:10, August 18, 2005 (UTC)

Vinalia Rustica

According to the Vinalia Rustica article, the festival doesn't actually have anything to do with the temple of Venus. Is this correct? CSWarren 13:20, 18 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

2012 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Virginia Dare (combined with Roanoke Colony blurb)
Omitted: Roanoke Colony; Helium; 1891 Martinique hurricane; Fifth Test, 1948 Ashes series; Movement to impeach Pervez Musharraf
Included: Great Meteor of August 18, 1783 (first appearance); Battle of Globe Tavern (first appearance); Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (2nd appearance, last in 2009; blurb previously featured Women's suffrage in the United States, last appeared in 2010); 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2nd appearance, last in 2010); Luis Carlos Galán (4th appearance, last in 2010)

—howcheng {chat} 07:44, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

2013 notes

Omitted: 1783 Great Meteor; Battle of Globe Tavern; Helium; Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Battle of Long Tan (latter added as observance); Luis Carlos Galán
Included: Battle of Marj Rahit (684) (first appearance); Siege of Málaga (1487) (first appearance); Phobos (moon) (4th appearance, last in 2010); Fifth Test, 1948 Ashes series (3rd appearance, last in 2011); Hurricane Alicia (first appearance; 30th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 07:06, 17 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2014 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Helium (ineligible—maintenance)
Omitted: Battle of Marj Rahit (684); Siege of Málaga (1487); Phobos (moon); Fifth Test, 1948 Ashes series; Hurricane Alicia
Included: Pendle witches/Samlesbury witches (Pendle: first appearance; Samlesbury: 3rd appearance, last in 2012, moved from August 19); Battle of Globe Tavern (2nd appearance, last in 2012; 150th anniversary); 1891 Martinique hurricane (3rd appearance, last in 2011); 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Battle of Long Tan (6th Battalion: 3rd appearance; Battle: 8th appearance; both last in 2012); Luis Carlos Galán (5th appearance, last in 2012; 25th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 05:39, 17 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2015 notes

Added and deleted: Mortal Kombat (film) (not notable enough)
Omitted: Battle of Globe Tavern; 1891 Martinique hurricane; 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Battle of Long Tan; Luis Carlos Galán
Included: Virginia Dare/Roanoke Colony (Dare: first appearance; Colony: 5th appearance, last in 2011); Helium (9th appearance, last in 2012; rescued from Ineligible); Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (3rd appearance, last in 2012); Axe murder incident (5th appearance, last in 2009; rescued from Ineligible)
Repeats: Pendle witches/Samlesbury witches (both: 2nd consecutive appearance; Pendle: 2 total; Samlesbury: 4 total)

—howcheng {chat} 08:49, 16 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

2016 notes

Omitted: Virginia Dare/Roanoke Colony (ineligible—maintenance); Pendle witches/Samlesbury witches; Helium; Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Included: Siege of Málaga (1487) (2nd appearance, last in 2013); 1783 Great Meteor (2nd appearance, last in 2012); 1891 Martinique hurricane (4th appearance, last in 2014; 125th anniversary); 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Battle of Long Tan (6th Battalion: 4th appearance; Battle: 9th appearance; both last in 2014; 50th anniversary)
Repeats: Axe murder incident (2nd consecutive appearance, 6 total; 40th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 16:02, 17 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

2017 notes

New articles (unused): Hurricane Alicia
Omitted: Siege of Málaga (1487); 1783 Great Meteor; 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Battle of Long Tan (Battle still included as observance); Axe murder incident (ineligible—maintenance)
Included: Battle of Marj Rahit (684) (2nd appearance, last in 2013); Virginia Dare/Roanoke Colony (Dare: 2nd appearance; Colony: 6th appearance; both last in 2015; rescued from Ineligible); Helium (10th appearance, last in 2015); The Hardest Day (first appearance); Uzbin Valley ambush (first appearance); Agneta Horn (first appearance); Matthew Boulton (first appearance); Maria Ulfah Santoso (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 03:21, 18 August 2017 (UTC)[reply]

2018 notes

Omitted: Battle of Long Tan (ineligible—maintenance); Battle of Marj Rahit (684); Roanoke Colony; The Hardest Day; Uzbin Valley ambush; Agneta Horn; Matthew Boulton (moved to August 17); Maria Ulfah Santoso
Included: Margaret of Valois (5th appearance, last in 2009; rescued from Ineligible); Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (4th appearance, last in 2014); Fifth Test, 1948 Ashes series (4th appearance, last in 2013; 70th anniversary); Movement to impeach Pervez Musharraf (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Knut Alvsson (first appearance); Baji Rao I (first appearance); Ruth Norman (2nd appearance, last in 2017; also appeared on July 12, her death anniversary)
Repeats: Helium (2nd consecutive appearance, 11 total; 150th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 06:07, 18 August 2018 (UTC)[reply]

2019 notes

New articles (unused): Robert Redford; Cameron White; Evan Gattis; Jack Hobbs (footballer)
Omitted: Margaret of Valois; Helium; Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; Fifth Test, 1948 Ashes series; Movement to impeach Pervez Musharraf; Knut Alvsson; Baji Rao I; Ruth Norman
Included: Battle of Marj Rahit (684) (3rd appearance, last in 2017); Pendle witches/Samlesbury witches (Pendle: 3rd appearance; Samlesbury: 5th appearance; both last in 2015); Phobos (moon) (5th appearance, last in 2013); Hildegard Trabant (first appearance); Luis Carlos Galán (6th appearance, last in 2014; 30th anniversary); Agneta Horn (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Maria Ulfah Santoso (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Edward Norton (first appearance; 50th birthday)

—howcheng {chat} 16:26, 23 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]

2020 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Helium (maintenance); Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (Alice Paul is POTD for 2020); Baji Rao I (maintenance)
Omitted: Battle of Marj Rahit (684); Pendle witches/Samlesbury witches; Phobos (moon); Hildegard Trabant; Luis Carlos Galán (ineligible—maintenance); Agneta Horn; Maria Ulfah Santoso; Edward Norton
Included: Battle of Long Tan (rescued from Ineligible); Siege of Málaga (1487) (3rd appearance, last in 2016); Roanoke Colony (7th appearance, last in 2017); The Hardest Day (2nd appearance, last in 2017; 80th anniversary); 2017 Turku attack; (first appearance) Olaf I of Denmark (first appearance); Ruth Norman (3rd appearance, last in 2018); Jack Hobbs (footballer) (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 02:19, 20 August 2020 (UTC)[reply]

2021 notes

Omitted: Siege of Málaga (1487); Roanoke Colony; The Hardest Day; 2017 Turku attack; Ruth Norman; Jack Hobbs (footballer)
Included: 1783 Great Meteor (3rd appearance, last in 2016); 1891 Martinique hurricane (4th appearance, last in 2014); Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (5th appearance, last in 2018); 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Battle of Long Tan (Battalion: 5th appearance; Battle: 10th; both last in 2016); Movement to impeach Pervez Musharraf (3rd appearance, last in 2016); Baji Rao I (2nd appearance, last in 2018; rescued from Ineligible); Cameron White (first appearance)
Repeats: Olaf I of Denmark (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

—howcheng {chat} 08:17, 19 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

2022 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Margaret of Valois (maintenance)
New articles (ineligible): Genghis Khan (maintenance)
Omitted: 1783 Great Meteor; 1891 Martinique hurricane; Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Battle of Long Tan; Movement to impeach Pervez Musharraf; Olaf I of Denmark; Baji Rao I; Cameron White
Included: Battle of Marj Rahit (684) (4th appearance, last in 2019); Pendle witches/Samlesbury witches (Pendle: 4th appearance; Samlesbury: 6th; both last in 2019); Sakhalin Koreans (first appearance); Fifth Test, 1948 Ashes series (5th appearance, last in 2018); Hurricane Alicia (2nd appearance, last in 2013); Ruth Norman (4th appearance, last in 2020); Maria Ulfah Santoso (3rd appearance, last in 2019); Edward Norton (2nd appearance, last in 2019)

—howcheng {chat} 16:29, 22 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

2023 rationale

Is Battle of Long Tan a holiday? Why is it in that section?
Wouldn't be opposed to a switch if someone else thinks 1919 and 1920 is too close.
Added three new articles to b/d. Please scrutinize these to make sure these are up to standards.
Avoided Effort to impeach Pervez Musharraf
Again, entries are all war-heavy.

Heart ^(talk) 04:00, 6 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]