WIKIPEDIA TALK:SELECTED ANNIVERSARIES MARCH 29

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This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/March 29.

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 March 29 article, see Talk:March 29 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 March 29, 2025
Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 29, 2025 create – talk – watch
Picture of the day for March 29, 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/March 28 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/March 30 →

1799 - New York passes a law aimed at gradually abolishing slavery in the state
1806 - The Great National Pike, better known as the Cumberland Road, becomes the first United States federal highway.
1945 - World War II: Last day of V1 Flying Bomb attacks on England.
1974 - NASA's Mariner 10 becomes the first spaceprobe to fly by Mercury. It was launched on November 3, 1973.
1981 - First running of the London Marathon

2012 notes

Omitted: Knights of Columbus; Bombing of Lübeck in World War II; Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México; Canada Act 1982
Included: Battle of Towton (6th appearance, last in 2010); M1911 pistol (5th appearance, last in 2010; rescued from Ineligible); Battle of Cape Matapan (first appearance); 1999 Chamoli earthquake (first appearance)
Repeats: 4 Vesta (5th consecutive appearance, 6 total)

— howcheng { chat} 07:31, 28 March 2012 (UTC) reply

Addendum: 4 Vesta omitted for balance. — howcheng { chat} 16:37, 29 March 2012 (UTC) reply

Addendum II: 4 Vesta put back on for balance. — howcheng { chat} 21:25, 29 March 2012 (UTC) reply

2013 notes

New articles (ineligible): Emperor Wu of Han (maintenance)
Moved to Ineligible: Appomattox Campaign (maintenance)
Rescued from Ineligible (unused): London Marathon
New articles (unused): Terracotta Army
Omitted: Battle of Towton; 4 Vesta; M1911 pistol; Battle of Cape Matapan; 1999 Chamoli earthquake
Included: New Sweden (8th appearance, last in 2010; rescued from Ineligible; 375th anniversary); Royal Albert Hall (4th appearance, last in 2010; rescued from Ineligible); Heiligenbeil Pocket (first appearance); Operation Barrel Roll (first appearance; 40th anniversary); 2010 Moscow Metro bombings (first appearance)

— howcheng { chat} 08:37, 28 March 2013 (UTC) reply

2014 notes

Deleted: Emperor Wu of Han (moved to March 9 as natural deaths are only permitted on centennial anniversaries)
Moved to Ineligible: Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (date not in article)
Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Appomattox Campaign; Mariner 10
Omitted: New Sweden; Royal Albert Hall; Heiligenbeil Pocket; Operation Barrel Roll; 2010 Moscow Metro bombings (ineligible—maintenance)
Included: Malagasy Uprising (first appearance); Battle of Towton (7th appearance, last in 2012); Knights of Columbus (2nd appearance, last in 2011); New People's Army (first appearance); Terracotta Army (first appearance; 40th anniversary); London Marathon (first appearance)

— howcheng { chat} 06:02, 28 March 2014 (UTC) reply

2015 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): 2010 Moscow Metro bombings
Omitted: Battle of Towton; Knights of Columbus; New People's Army; Terracotta Army; London Marathon
Included: 4 Vesta (7th appearance, last in 2012); Appomattox Campaign (first appearance; 150th anniversary); Royal Albert Hall (5th appearance, last in 2013); Heiligenbeil Pocket (2nd appearance, last in 2013; 70th anniversary); Canada Act 1982 (2nd appearance, last in 2011)

— howcheng { chat} 09:32, 27 March 2015 (UTC) reply

2016 notes

Omitted: 4 Vesta; Appomattox Campaign; Heiligenbeil Pocket; Canada Act 1982
Included: Siege of Paris (845) (first appearance); New Sweden (9th appearance, last in 2013); Battle of Cape Matapan (2nd appearance, last in 2012; 75th anniversary); Mariner 10 (4th appearance, last in 2009)
Repeats: Royal Albert Hall (2nd consecutive appearance, 6 total)