WIKIPEDIA TALK:SELECTED ANNIVERSARIES FEBRUARY 4

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This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/February 4.

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 February 4 article, see Talk:February 4 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 February 4, 2025
Wikipedia:Today's featured article/February 4, 2025 create – talk – watch
Picture of the day for February 4, 2025
The featured picture for this day has not yet been chosen. In general, pictures of the day are scheduled in order of promotion to featured status. See Wikipedia:Picture of the day/Guidelines for full guidelines. create

← Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/February 3 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/February 5 →

This is my birthday and I was disappointed to see that only boring things have happened in the past on this day.

Unprotect, please

I want to make some modification to the template. Thank you. HELLO, WORLD! 12:00, 1 February 2007 (UTC) reply

Sorry, MainPage items are protected. Please post suggested changes on this talkpage here. Suggestions will be reviewed before posting on MainPage. Thanks. -- PFHLai 15:01, 2 February 2007 (UTC) reply

I see that Zzyzx11 has taken care of this. -- PFHLai 15:13, 2 February 2007 (UTC) reply

---a correction may be need: this page states 1783 - American Revolutionary War: The United Kingdom formally declares that it will cease hostilities with the United States of America. but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Watson-Wentworth%2C_2nd_Marquess_of_Rockingham states "In 1782 he [Rockingham] was appointed Prime Minister for a second time (with Charles James Fox and Lord Shelburne as secretaries of state) and, upon taking office, acknowledged the independence of the United States, initiating an end to British involvement in the Revolutionary War." The date that Rockingham took office was March 27, 1782 Dmossbar ( talk) 03:19, 4 February 2008 (UTC) reply

interviquis

Please add interwikis:

[[ca:Plantilla:Febrer 4]]

[[gl:Wikipedia:Efemérides Destacadas/4 de febreiro]]

-- Pere prlpz ( talk) 15:08, 4 February 2008 (UTC) reply

2012 notes

Deleted: USS Nautilus (SSN-571) (could not verify date; moved to January 17, date of launch)
Omitted: Codex Sinaiticus, M62 coach bombing, 1992 Venezuelan coup d'état attempts, New Carissa
Included: Septimius Severus (5th appearance, last in 2007; moved from April 9 as that date was incorrect), Song Dynasty (9th appearance—has been on every year but on different dates), Yasser Arafat (5th appearance, last in 2010; moved from November 11 (death date) as there are plenty of eligible articles there and OTD rules say that deaths should only be used on centennials), London low emission zone (first appearance)
Repeats: Philippine–American War/ Battle of Manila (1899) (2nd consecutive appearance for both, 5 total for war, 2 total for battle)

— howcheng { chat} 17:20, 3 February 2012 (UTC) reply

2013 notes

Omitted: Septimius Severus; Song Dynasty; Philippine–American War/ Battle of Manila (1899); Yasser Arafat; London low emission zone
Included: 1169 Sicily earthquake (first appearance); Codex Sinaiticus (8th appearance, last in 2011); Patty Hearst (first appearance); Cancer Research UK (first appearance); PhilSports Stadium stampede (first appearance)

— howcheng { chat} 12:31, 3 February 2013 (UTC) reply

2014 notes

Omitted: 1169 Sicily earthquake; Patty Hearst (ineligible—maintenance); Cancer Research UK; PhilSports Stadium stampede
Included: Septimius Severus (6th appearance, last in 2012); M62 coach bombing (2nd appearance, last in 2011; 40th anniversary); 1992 Venezuelan coup d'état attempts (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Facebook (2nd appearance, last in 2010; 10th anniversary)
Repeats: Codex Sinaiticus (2nd consecutive appearance, 9 total)