Wikipedia

Wikipedia:April Fools' Main Page/Did you know

< Wikipedia:April Fools' Main Page
Did you know?
Introduction and rules
IntroductionWP:DYK
General discussionWT:DYK
GuidelinesWP:DYKCRIT
Reviewer instructionsWP:DYKRI
Nominations
Nominate an articleWP:DYKCNN
Awaiting approvalWP:DYKN
ApprovedWP:DYKNA
April 1 hooksWP:DYKAPRIL
Holding areaWP:SOHA
Preparation
Preps and queuesTM:DYK/Q
Prepper instructionsWP:DYKPBI
Admin instructionsWP:DYKAI
Main Page errorsWP:ERRORS
History
StatisticsWP:DYKSTATS
Archived setsWP:DYKA
Just for fun
Monthly wrapsWP:DYKW
AwardsWP:DYKAWARDS
UserboxesWP:DYKUBX
Hall of FameWP:DYK/HoF
List of users ...
... by nominationsWP:DYKNC
... by promotionsWP:DYKPC
Administrative
Scripts and botsWP:DYKSB
On the Main Page
Main Page errorsWP:ERRORS
To ping the DYK admins{{DYK admins}}

Please use this page for discussions surrounding the creation of "Did You Know" items for April Fools' Day 2027

Areas of work needed to complete the front page are:

Ground rules for this activity along with a list of participants may be found on the Main talk page.

Rules

edit

April Fools Did You Know items should present some trivia that can be presented in a manner that is possibly unbelievable to the reader. This can be done through words or names that mean two different things, shortened names, unbelievable facts, unrelated facts, etc. The normal written and unwritten rules for Did You Know (DYK) are followed, with these exceptions...

  • April Fools DYKs are subject to the usual exclusions regarding prior Main Page appearance, but the normal rules for special occasions do not apply: the article need only have been created/expanded/brought to GA in the year immediately preceding the April 1 on which it will appear.
  • Proper capitalization, title formatting, and linking standards may be disregarded only if adhering to them will tend to give away the joke. This should be done as little as possible. (example from 2009: "... that Caviar, Chardonnay, and Hot Cocoa compete for the love of Ray J? ")

All other Wikipedia rules and guidelines still apply. Pay special attention to Wikipedia's Biographies of living persons guidelines if your hook relates to a living person.

Remember, we are trying to confuse and mislead Wikipedians and visitors, not lie to them. Keep all hooks and articles completely truthful, but outrageous. (examples from 2010: A hook claiming Dmitry Medvedev died in 2005 is ok, saying Mikheil Saakashvili died is not.)

How to review a nomination

edit

Any editor who was not involved in writing/expanding or nominating an article may review it by checking to see that the article meets the DYK criteria except, per above, the normal new enough rule (long enough, no serious editorial or content issues) and the hook is cited. Editors may also alter the suggested hook to improve it, suggest new hooks, or even lend a hand and make edits to the article which the hook applies so that the hook is supported and accurate. For a more detailed discussion of the DYK rules and review process see the guidelines.

If you want to confirm that an article is ready to be placed on a later update, or note that there is an issue with the article or hook, please use the following symbols to point the issues out:

Symbol Code Status Description
{{subst:DYKtick}}

{{subst:DYKyes}}

 Approved No problems, ready for DYK
{{subst:DYK?}} Query DYK eligibility requires that an issue be addressed. Notify nominator with {{subst:DYKproblem|Article|header=yes|sig=yes}}
{{subst:DYK?no}} Maybe DYK eligibility requires additional work. Notify nominator with {{subst:DYKproblem|Article|header=yes|sig=yes}}
{{subst:DYKno}} Rejected Article is either completely ineligible or otherwise requires an insurmountable amount of work before becoming eligible.
{{subst:DYK?again}} New review Requesting a second opinion or fresh review

An article cannot be officially promoted until a reviewer has given approval () to at least one of the article's hooks.

Nominations

edit

Awaiting verification

edit

Note: Nominations for April 1 should be added to Template talk:Did you know in the usual way, as well as below.

Verified hooks

edit

Wombat feces

edit
(
)
Two deposits of wombat feces next to a one pound coin
Two deposits of wombat feces next to a one pound coin
Moved to mainspace by Launchballer (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 387 past nominations.

Launchballer 19:41, 5 April 2026 (UTC).[reply]

  • I couldn't resist reviewing this in return. The article is long enough, new enough and well-written. QPQ is done and the pic has an appropriate licence tag. The hook is supported by reliable inline citations. Is the hook good? No, it's magnificent. Good to go. Yakikaki (talk) 21:13, 5 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]
I've moved this to Wikipedia:April Fools' Main Page/Did you know. TarnishedPathtalk 09:42, 10 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Courtesan election

edit
(
)
  • ... that Chinese prostitutes were elected?
  • Source: * Hershatter, Gail (1999). Dangerous Pleasures: Prostitution and Modernity in Twentieth-Century Shanghai. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 165–169. ISBN 978-0-520-20439-3.
    • ALT1: ... that one winner of a courtesan election became the "milk president"? Source: * Hershatter, Gail (1999). Dangerous Pleasures: Prostitution and Modernity in Twentieth-Century Shanghai. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-520-20439-3. The winning courtesans received elegant sets of Western-style furniture; the first-place winner was thenceforth known throughout Shanghai as the "milk president," after the main ingredient in the sponsor's product.
    • ALT2: ... that patrons reportedly bought thousands of ballots so their favourite courtesans could be elected? Source: * He, Qiliang (2018). Newspapers and the Journalistic Public in Republican China: 1917 as a Significant Year for Journalism. New York, London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-79669-2. In one report in the Eastern Times, for example, a certain Mr. Yuan, the fourth son of Yuan Shuxun (1847–1915), intendant of Shanghai from 1891 to 1892, was said to have created a sensation in the courtesan circles for buying over 20,000 voting slips for his beloved courtesan, Judi. ... In a separate report regarding two male patrons' subscriptions, one of 10,000 and the other of 3,000 pieces of newspapers, to acquire the voting slips,
    • ALT3: ... that the winners of courtesan elections could see their value increase tenfold? Source: Henriot, Christian (2001). Prostitution and Sexuality in Shanghai: A Social History, 1849–1949. Translated by Castelino, Noel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-57165-4. Wang Tao says that being ranked had the effect of making a girl immediately famous and of increasing her value tenfold. Conversely, those who were not selected saw it as a form of disgrace or discredit.
    • Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Else Went
    • Comment: ALT0 is suggested as an April Fools hook.
Created by Crisco 1492 (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 787 past nominations.

 — Chris Woodrich (talk) 23:29, 15 April 2026 (UTC).[reply]

    General: Article is new enough and long enough
    Policy: Article is sourced, neutral, and free of copyright problems
    Hook: Hook has been verified by provided inline citation
    QPQ: Done.

    Overall: All look good. For an ordinary hook, I approve ALT2 as it appears the more interesting of them all. If chosen for April's fools hook, then ALT0 is also good. A.Cython(talk) 00:19, 18 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

    Samuel A. Shelton

    edit
    (
    )
    Samuel A. Shelton
    Samuel A. Shelton
    • ... that Samuel A. Shelton (pictured) knows better than to stick his head against a buzz-saw?
    5x expanded by Guerreroast (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 37 past nominations.

    Roast (talk) 05:46, 25 March 2026 (UTC).[reply]

    General: Article is new enough and long enough
    Policy: Article is sourced, neutral, and free of copyright problems
    Hook: Hook has been verified by provided inline citation
    QPQ: Done.

    Overall: Nice work on the expansion. All hooks are interesting, but if ALT0/1 are used, I would put quotes around "knows better than to stick his head against a buzz-saw" and "...to run up against a stone wall" if it doesn't run on April 1. Epicgenius (talk) 15:38, 26 March 2026 (UTC)[reply]

    Yeah I'm okay with using quotes for it. Roast (talk) 15:47, 26 March 2026 (UTC)[reply]

    Alejandro Moral Antón

    edit
    (
    )
    Created by Thriley (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 214 past nominations.

    Thriley (talk) 00:00, 26 April 2026 (UTC).[reply]

      General: Article is new enough and long enough
      Policy: Article is sourced, neutral, and free of copyright problems
      Hook: Hook has been verified by provided inline citation
      QPQ: Done.

      Overall: Bordering on the line of newness, but I think it's close enough. Correct me if the 7-day period is absolutely strict and doesn't have wiggle room. Long enough, every paragraph has a source, neutral, passes Earwig, QPQ done. Hook verified. As it is right now, I think it would work great for an April Fools hook, but I would suggest ALT1 for a non-April Fools hook.

      ALT1 ... that Alejandro Moral Antón succeeded the future Pope Leo XIV as prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine? PizzaKing13 (¡Hablame!) 🍕👑 23:56, 26 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]
      Boldly moving this nomination to the April Fool's section as ALT0 is far superior and an excellent AFD hook. Dclemens1971 (talk) 20:36, 14 May 2026 (UTC)[reply]

      See the Old Lady Decently

      edit
      (
      )
      • Source: Coe, Jonathan (4 June 2004). Like a Fiery Elephant: The Story of B S Johnson. Picador (imprint). p. 29-32.
      Created by ISD (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 23 past nominations.

      ISD (talk) 08:00, 3 April 2026 (UTC).[reply]

      General: Article is new enough and long enough

      Policy compliance:

      Hook: Hook has been verified by provided inline citation
      QPQ: Done.

      Overall: @ISD: Sorry that you had to wait so long for a review. Looks good except for just one concern that needs to be resolved above. Epicgenius (talk) 13:46, 6 May 2026 (UTC)[reply]

      Comment: I think ALT0 is terrific for April Fool's Day and have moved this nomination to that section. Dclemens1971 (talk) 00:08, 15 May 2026 (UTC)[reply]
      • OK, while I have no problem with this going up on April Fools, I just want to make sure the hook doesn't cause too much offensive, in that the reason why Johnson never completed his Matrix Trilogy of books is because he took his own life. I don't want anyone to get into trouble if this is an issue. ISD (talk) 07:26, 15 May 2026 (UTC)[reply]
      Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:April_Fools%27_Main_Page/Did_you_know&oldid=1354208071"