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 November 15, 2024
Wikipedia:Today's featured article/November 15, 2024 create – talk – watch
Picture of the day for November 15, 2024
Sherman's March to the Sea was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army. The campaign began on November 15, 1864, with Sherman's troops leaving Atlanta, recently taken by Union forces, and ended with the capture of the port of Savannah on December 21. His forces followed a " scorched earth" policy, destroying military targets as well as industry, infrastructure, and civilian property, disrupting the Confederacy's economy and transportation networks. The operation debilitated the Confederacy and helped lead to its eventual surrender. This picture shows an engraving by Alexander Hay Ritchie depicting Sherman's March to the Sea. Engraving. credit: Alexander Hay Ritchie; restored by Adam Cuerden Recently featured: Archive More featured pictures view talk history watch file page create protected version (To create the protected version, replace the first line with {{subst:POTD row and save the page.)

We might also consider using this image, of the Intel 4004, for this date. -- Wernher 17:43, 3 November 2005 (UTC) reply

I propose adding the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. A new sovereign state is more important than a military operation, for example. -- Seksen ( talk) 13:23, 20 May 2011 (UTC) reply

• Omitted: Penda of Mercia; Zappas Olympics; Commonwealth of the Philippines; Porajmos; Northern Cyprus
• Included: Glorious Revolution (6th appearance, last in 2008; moved from November 5 (Julian date)); William Tecumseh Sherman (3rd appearance, last in 2010); Operation Commando Hunt (2nd appearance, last in 2010); Buran (spacecraft) (5th appearance, last in 2010); Palestinian Declaration of Independence (first appearance)

— howcheng { chat} 10:40, 14 November 2012 (UTC) reply

• New articles (unused): In Cold Blood; Hu Jintao/ Xi Jinping
• Omitted: William Tecumseh Sherman; Operation Commando Hunt; Buran (spacecraft); Palestinian Declaration of Independence
• Included: Battle of Morgarten (first appearance); Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil (first appearance); Porajmos (2nd appearance, last in 2011; 70th anniversary); Northern Cyprus (2nd appearance, last in 2011; 30th anniversary)
• Repeats: Glorious Revolution (2nd consecutive appearance, 7 total; 325th anniversary)

— howcheng { chat} 07:21, 14 November 2013 (UTC) reply

• Omitted: Battle of Morgarten; Glorious Revolution; Porajmos; Northern Cyprus (ineligible—maintenance)
• Included: Penda of Mercia (7th appearance, last in 2011); William Tecumseh Sherman (4th appearance, last in 2012; 150th anniversary); In Cold Blood (first appearance); Hu Jintao/ Xi Jinping (both: first appearance)
• Repeats: Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total; 125th anniversary)

• Omitted: Penda of Mercia; William Tecumseh Sherman; Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil; In Cold Blood; Hu Jintao/ Xi Jinping
• Included: Battle of Morgarten (2nd appearance, last in 2013; 700th anniversary); Glorious Revolution (8th appearance, last in 2013); Zappas Olympics (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Commonwealth of the Philippines (5th appearance, last in 2011; 80th anniversary); Palestinian Declaration of Independence/ State of Palestine (Declaration: 2nd appearance, last in 2012; State: first appearance)

— howcheng { chat} 08:51, 13 November 2015 (UTC) reply

• Moved to Ineligible: Hu Jintao/ Xi Jinping (maintenance)
• Omitted: Battle of Morgarten; Glorious Revolution; Zappas Olympics; Commonwealth of the Philippines; Palestinian Declaration of Independence/ State of Palestine
• Included: Justin II (first appearance); William Tecumseh Sherman (5th appearance, last in 2014); Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil (3rd appearance, last in 2014); Porajmos (3rd appearance, last in 2013); Buran (spacecraft) (6th appearance, last in 2012)

— howcheng { chat} 21:33, 14 November 2016 (UTC) reply

• Moved to Ineligible: Glorious Revolution (maintenance); Commonwealth of the Philippines (maintenance)
• Omitted: Justin II; William Tecumseh Sherman; Porajmos; Buran (spacecraft) (ineligible—maintenance)
• Included: Penda of Mercia (8th appearance, last in 2014); Castellania (Valletta) (first appearance); In Cold Blood (2nd appearance, last in 2014); Operation Commando Hunt (3rd appearance, last in 2012); Madeleine de Scudéry (first appearance); Émile Durkheim (first appearance); María Santos Gorrostieta Salazar (first appearance)
• Repeats: Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil (2nd consecutive appearance, 4 total)

— howcheng { chat} 08:14, 15 November 2017 (UTC) reply

• Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Xi Jinping ( Hu Jintao remains ineligible)
• New articles (unused): Æthelhere of East Anglia
• Omitted: Shichi-Go-San (ineligible—maintenance); Penda of Mercia/ Battle of the Winwaed; Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil; In Cold Blood; Operation Commando Hunt (ineligible—maintenance); Madeleine de Scudéry; Émile Durkheim; María Santos Gorrostieta Salazar
• Included: Battle of Morgarten (3rd appearance, last in 2015); Zappas Olympics (3rd appearance, last in 2015); Romani genocide (4th appearance, last in 2016; 75th anniversary); Buran (spacecraft) (7th appearance, last in 2016; 30th anniversary); Odo II, Count of Blois (first appearance); Hamilton–Mohun Duel (first appearance); Gus Poyet (first appearance)
• Repeats: Castellania (Valletta) (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

— howcheng { chat} 17:02, 15 November 2018 (UTC) reply

• Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Commonwealth of the Philippines
• Omitted: Battle of Morgarten; Castellania (Valletta); Zappas Olympics; Romani genocide; Buran (spacecraft); Odo II, Count of Blois; Hamilton–Mohun Duel; Gus Poyet
• Included: Justin II (2nd appearance, last in 2016); William Tecumseh Sherman (2nd appearance, last in 2016); 1922 Guayaquil general strike (first appearance); In Cold Blood (3rd appearance, last in 2017; 60th anniversary); Xi Jinping (2nd appearance, last in 2014); Æthelhere of East Anglia (first appearance); Sara Josephine Baker (first appearance); Johanna Westerdijk (2nd appearance, last in 2018; also appeared on January 4, her birthday)

— howcheng { chat} 16:56, 18 November 2019 (UTC) reply

• Moved to Ineligible: Battle of Morgarten (maintenance); Free City of Danzig (maintenance)
• Omitted: Brazil (Republic Day not really mentioned); Justin II; William Tecumseh Sherman; 1922 Guayaquil general strike; In Cold Blood; Xi Jinping; Æthelhere of East Anglia; Sara Josephine Baker; Johanna Westerdijk (deleted—appears elsewhere)
• Included: Penda of Mercia/ Battle of the Winwaed (Penda: 9th appearance, last in 2017; Battle: 5th, last in 2009); Castellania (Valletta) (3rd appearance, last in 2018); Zappas Olympics (4th appearance, last in 2018); Palestinian Declaration of Independence/ State of Palestine (Declaration: 3rd appearance; Palestine: 2nd; both last in 2015); Georgia O'Keeffe (first appearance); Claus von Stauffenberg (first appearance); Charles Thomson Rees Wilson (first appearance)

— howcheng { chat} 04:37, 17 November 2020 (UTC) reply

• Omitted: Penda of Mercia/ Battle of the Winwaed; Castellania (Valletta); Zappas Olympics; Commonwealth of the Philippines; Palestinian Declaration of Independence/ State of Palestine; Georgia O'Keeffe; Claus von Stauffenberg; Charles Thomson Rees Wilson
• Included: Justin II (3rd appearance, last in 2019); Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil (5th appearance, last in 2017); Fountain of Time (3rd appearance, last in 2016; moved from September 1); Romani genocide (5th appearance, last in 2018); Buran (spacecraft) (8th appearance, last in 2018); Malo (saint) (first appearance; 1400th anniversary); Sara Josephine Baker (2nd appearance, last in 2019); Margaret Mead (first appearance)

— howcheng { chat} 04:30, 17 November 2021 (UTC) reply