Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/October 12

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This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/October 12.

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 October 12 article, see Talk:October 12 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 October 12, 2025
Wikipedia:Today's featured article/October 12, 2025 create – talk – watch
Picture of the day for October 12, 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/October 11 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/October 13 →

If you took the time to check your facts you would know that there was not a "racial brawl" on the Kitty Hawk on October 12. The fact of the matter is that the precipitating factor is that one sailor stole another sailors wallet which is what truly led to the disturbance. It is disingenuous at best to blame this event on race - it was a crime perpetrated by one individual that led to a large fight.

Columbus discovery of America

Shouldn't this event be inserted in selected anniversaries?--Panairjdde 11:46, 14 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I am in agreement with Pana!

Matthew Shepard

Matthew Shepard died 10 years ago, October 12, 1998, as a result of being beaten and left tied to a fence in Wyoming. His death made international headlines as a particularly egregious example of gay bashing. It surprised me that it wasn't included in the list of selected anniversaries, and it doubly surprised me that, despite text inviting me to edit the list, I couldn't, since it was fully protected. This is the danger of prophylactic protection of pages; Good-faith editors with a long history of contributions are prohibited from improving the encyclopedia without cause. So, why not Matthew Shepard? --SSBohio 14:12, 18 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Most likely it was omitted because of an unintended oversight (although, isn't the day that Shepard was actually attacked, October 7, more significant?). As for you trying to edit this page at the moment you did, it was probably because it was appearing on the main page, or about to appear there (see Wikipedia:FAQ/Main Page#Why am I not able to edit the Main Page?). Cheers. Zzyzx11 (Talk) 16:38, 18 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Correctin to Colombus entry

Colombus actually made first landfall on Samana Cay. San Salvador Island was formerly thought to be the correct location, but this was formally corrected in 1986, when the National Geographic Society affirmed that he first visited Samana Cay. -109.150.145.19 (talk) 18:29, 12 October 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The Christopher Columbus article still says it's unknown exactly where he landed, and even the Samana Cay article only claims that some historians believe that was the place. howcheng {chat} 07:42, 13 October 2011 (UTC)[reply]

2012 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Criminal Tribes Act; Negative pressure ventilator
New articles (unused): First Battle of Passchendaele
Omitted: Christopher Columbus; Edith Cavell; Voskhod 1; Jaffna University Helidrop; 1999 Pakistani coup d'état; 2002 Bali bombings
Included: Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse (first appearance); Pledge of Allegiance (first appearance); Inejiro Asanuma (first appearance); Brighton hotel bombing (6th appearance, last in 2008); 1992 Cairo earthquake (first appearance; 20th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 10:41, 11 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Edit request on 12 October 2012

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

The summary for Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse describing her parachute "jump" is misleading, since she didn't get out of the gondola; the whole gondola descended by parachute. The first actual parachute jump may not have taken place until 1887 in San Francisco (see http://www.cliffhouseproject.com/history/baldwin/baldwin.htm). I suggest something like:

Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse became the first woman to make a parachute descent from a hot-air balloon (artwork pictured), falling 900 m (3,000 ft) in the balloon's gondola.

WolfmanSF (talk) 03:31, 12 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. —howcheng {chat} 07:58, 12 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

2013 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Voskhod 1 (maintenance); Equatorial Guinea (maintenance)
Omitted: Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse; Pledge of Allegiance; Inejiro Asanuma; Brighton hotel bombing; 1992 Cairo earthquake
Included: Treaty of Salynas (4th appearance, last in 2010); Christopher Columbus (9th appearance, last in 2011); Criminal Tribes Act (3rd appearance, last in 2010); Negative pressure ventilator (5th appearance, last in 2010); Jaffna University Helidrop (2nd appearance, last in 2011)

—howcheng {chat} 05:59, 11 October 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2014 notes

Omitted: Columbus Day (ineligible—maintenance); Treaty of Salynas; Christopher Columbus; Criminal Tribes Act; Negative pressure ventilator; Jaffna University Helidrop
Included: Equatorial Guinea (rescued from Ineligible); Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse (2nd appearance, last in 2012); Pledge of Allegiance (2nd appearance, last in 2012); First Battle of Passchendaele (first appearance); Brighton hotel bombing (7th appearance, last in 2012; 30th anniversary); 1999 Pakistani coup d'état (2nd appearance, last in 2011)

—howcheng {chat} 07:27, 11 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2015 request

@Howcheng:, this is the 100th anniversary of the execution of Edith Cavell. Please can we make sure this features. Mjroots (talk) 08:45, 23 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Got it. —howcheng {chat} 15:57, 23 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

2015 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Christopher Columbus (maintenance)
Omitted: Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse; Pledge of Allegiance; First Battle of Passchendaele; Brighton hotel bombing; 1999 Pakistani coup d'état
Included: Treaty of Salynas (5th appearance, last in 2013); Siemens AG (first appearance); Edith Cavell (5th appearance, last in 2010; 100th anniversary); Inejiro Asanuma (2nd appearance, last in 2012); USS Cole bombing (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 08:16, 11 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Day of Tasu'a

Dear Howcheng! Day of Tasu'a falls one day before Day of Ashura. Tasu's means ninth and Ashura means tenth in Arabic, AFAIK. So, Day of Tasu'a should go to October 10. Thanks. --Mhhossein ^talk 12:16, 8 October 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Oh sorry, I went to WikiConference North America this weekend and did not see your post. Sorry the article did not make it in this year. Next time, please try WP:ERRORS if you don't get a response from me. —howcheng {chat} 07:48, 11 October 2016 (UTC)[reply]

2016 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Iron lung (maintenance); 2002 Bali bombings (maintenance)
Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Shoe-banging incident; Voskhod 1
Omitted: Treaty of Salynas; Edith Cavell; Inejiro Asanuma; USS Cole bombing (ineligible—maintenance)
Included: Criminal Tribes Act (4th appearance, last in 2013); First Battle of Passchendaele (2nd appearance, last in 2014); 1992 Cairo earthquake (2nd appearance, last in 2012)
Repeats: Siemens (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

—howcheng {chat} 17:46, 11 October 2016 (UTC)[reply]

2017 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Voskhod 1 (maintenance); Jaffna University Helidrop (maintenance)
Omitted: Our Lady of Aparecida (ineligible—maintenance); Equatorial Guinea (ineligible—maintenance); Siemens; Criminal Tribes Act
Included: Our Lady of the Pillar (first appearance); Treaty of Salynas (6th appearance, last in 2015); Peasants' War (1798) (first appearance); Shoe-banging incident (first appearance); Demosthenes (first appearance); Ramsay MacDonald (2nd appearance, last in 2014; normally appears on January 22); Ricky Wilson (American musician) (first appearance)
Repeats: First Battle of Passchendaele (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total; 100th anniversary); 1992 Cairo earthquake (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total; 25th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 16:34, 12 October 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Caption of illustration that accompanies 1799: First woman to parachute

As was discussed on Main Page/Errors, Jeanne Geneviève Garnerin had not yet married M. Garnerin OTD, so her maiden name is used; however, the illustration depicts a different event that apparently occurred after they married. The last paragraph of MOS:MULTINAMES suggests the caption should show her name as Jeanne Geneviève Garnerin, and I suggest the addition of (née Labrosse), for clarity. --184.207.175.225 (talk) 06:08, 14 October 2018 (UTC)[reply]

@Howcheng: Thanks for cropping a different image (I assume you're the one who cropped it) and swapping it in, but this one also depicts her after she was married. Her married surname is even written under her likeness. --173.129.64.184 (talk) 18:24, 14 October 2018 (UTC)[reply]

2018 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Edith Cavell (maintenance)
Omitted: Our Lady of the Pillar (ineligible—maintenance); Peasants' War (1798); First Battle of Passchendaele; Shoe-banging incident; 1992 Cairo earthquake; Demosthenes; Ramsay MacDonald (deleted—moved to January 22); Ricky Wilson (American musician) (ineligible—maintenance)
Included: Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse (3rd appearance, last in 2014); Pledge of Allegiance (United States) (3rd appearance, last in 2014); Inejiro Asanuma (3rd appearance, last in 2015); Brighton hotel bombing (8th appearance, last in 2014); Thomas Dudley (first appearance); Richard Molesworth, 3rd Viscount Molesworth (first appearance); Sheila Florance (first appearance)
Repeats: Treaty of Salynas (2nd consecutive appearance, 7 total)

—howcheng {chat} 01:54, 15 October 2018 (UTC)[reply]

2019 notes

New articles (ineligible): Ineos 1:59 Challenge (just happened + maintenance)
New articles (unused): Gilbert Parkhouse
Omitted: Treaty of Salynas; Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse; Pledge of Allegiance; Inejiro Asanuma; Brighton hotel bombing; Thomas Dudley; Richard Molesworth, 3rd Viscount Molesworth; Sheila Florance
Included: Criminal Tribes Act (5th appearance, last in 2016); Uddevalla Suffrage Association (first appearance); First Battle of Passchendaele (4th appearance, last in 2017); Typhoon Tip (first appearance; 40th anniversary); 1999 Pakistani coup d'état (3rd appearance, last in 2014; 20th anniversary); Nicholas Brend (first appearance); Kamini Roy (first appearance); Wilt Chamberlain (3rd appearance, last in 2006; previously appeared on March 2; 20th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 16:30, 14 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Indigenous Peoples' Day

I think Indigenous Peoples' Day would make a fantastic addition to OTD this year or in future years - Its date changes from year to year, but I'm putting this suggestion here as it falls on October 12 in 2020. Pinging @Howcheng:. AviationFreak💬 02:36, 12 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

@AviationFreak: I don't think it's fair to include Indigenous Peoples' Day without Columbus Day, which is currently ineligible due to maintenance tags. —howcheng {chat} 16:01, 12 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

2020 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Werner von Siemens/Siemens (maintenance)
New articles (ineligible): Ineos 1:59 Challenge (maintenance)
Omitted: Criminal Tribes Act; Uddevalla Suffrage Association; First Battle of Passchendaele; Typhoon Tip; 1999 Pakistani coup d'état (ineligible—maintenance); Nicholas Brend; Kamini Roy; Wilt Chamberlain
Included: Chen Yanxiang (first appearance); Peasants' War (1798) (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Holland Tunnel (5th appearance, last in 2017; 100th anniversary; normally appears on November 13); Inejirō Asanuma (4th appearance, last in 2018; 60th anniversary); 1992 Cairo earthquake (4th appearance, last in 2017); Juan José Castelli (5th appearance, last in 2017; moved from August 26); Gilbert Parkhouse (2nd appearance, last in 2017; moved from August 10); Anna Escobedo Cabral (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 18:55, 13 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

2021 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Christopher Columbus (related picture is POTD for 2021)
Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Ricky Wilson (American musician)
New articles (unused): Pope Honorius I; Mary Pinchot Meyer
Omitted: Chen Yanxiang; Peasants' War (1798); Holland Tunnel (deleted—moved back to original date); Inejirō Asanuma; 1992 Cairo earthquake; Juan José Castelli; Gilbert Parkhouse; Anna Escobedo Cabral
Included: Treaty of Salynas (8th appearance, last in 2018); Jeanne Geneviève Garnerin (4th appearance, last in 2018); Criminal Tribes Act (6th appearance, last in 2019; 150th anniversary); Brighton hotel bombing (9th appearance, last in 2018); Thomas Dudley (2nd appearance, last in 2018); Arthur Harden (first appearance); Sheila Florance (2nd appearance, last in 2018; 30th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 07:26, 13 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

2022 notes

Deleted: Holland Tunnel (special anniversary only)
Moved to Ineligible: Criminal Tribes Act (maintenance)
New articles (unused): Aleister Crowley
Omitted: Treaty of Salynas; Jeanne Geneviève Garnerin; Brighton hotel bombing; Thomas Dudley; Arthur Harden
Included: Chen Yanxiang (2nd appearance, last in 2020); Christopher Columbus (5th appearance on October 12, last in 2013, 10 total, rescued from Ineligible); Pledge of Allegiance (4th appearance, last in 2018); First Battle of Passchendaele (5th appearance, last in 2019); Typhoon Tip (2nd appearance, last in 2019); Demosthenes (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Wilt Chamberlain (2nd appearance on October 12, last in 2019, 4 total)
Repeats: Sheila Florance (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total)

Heart ^(talk) 23:36, 16 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]