Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/February 16

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This may be a good candidate in future years. Perhaps a little too new now?

• 2005 - The Kyoto Protocol entered into force.

-- PFHLai 01:22, 16 February 2006 (UTC)

Whose Majesty’s Government?

Compton and Carteret are discussed in reference to “Her Majesty’s Government.” Unless there is something about George II that we don’t know, that seems incorrect. — crism (talk) 15:28, 16 February 2009 (UTC)

Placement of holidays

Would it be possible to place Shrove Tuesday ahead of Mardi Gras, as it is more recognisable as a religious holiday? If not that's totally cool, but please give a reason for why not. Outback the koala (talk) 18:14, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

I'm not sure exactly why Mardi Gras was originally added to appear first.. In comparing the two articles, it appears two different significant ways were developed to observe the day before the beginning to Lent. As the Shrove Tuesday page says, on the one hand, "Christians are expected to go to confession in preparation for the penitential season of turning to God". On the other hand, we have that it "is analogous to the continuing the Carnival tradition associated with Mardi Gras (and its various names in different countries) that continued separately in European Catholic countries." (emphasis added)

And as the Mardi Gras article currently reads, "Similar expressions to Mardi Gras appear in other European languages sharing the Christian tradition. In English, the day is called Shrove Tuesday, associated with the religious requirement for confession before Lent begins." (emphasis added)

But rather than trying to debate which one has more worldwide significance, I'd rather keep them in a neutral alphabetical order. Cheers. Zzyzx11 (talk) 04:49, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Ok while we are english wikipedia... thanks! :) Outback the koala (talk) 08:00, 19 February 2010 (UTC)

2012 notes

• Moved to Ineligible: USS Triton (SSRN-586)/Operation Sandblast (appears on April 25)
• Omitted: Tutankhamun, DuSable Museum of African American History, Ash Wednesday fires
• Included: Stephen Decatur/USS Philadelphia (1799) (7th appearance for Decatur, last in 2010 (rescued from Ineligible); 1st appearance for ship), Sikorsky H-5 (first appearance)
• Repeats: Act of Independence of Lithuania (5th consecutive appearance, 5 total), Janani Luwum (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total), Ideology of Hezbollah/Hezbollah (4th consecutive appearance for Ideology, 4 total; 2nd consecutive for Hezbollah, 3 total)

—howcheng {chat} 17:13, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

2013 notes

• Omitted: Stephen Decatur/USS Philadelphia (1799); Act of Independence of Lithuania; Sikorsky S-51; Janani Luwum; Ideology of Hezbollah/Hezbollah
• Included: Battle of Fort Donelson (first appearance); Tutankhamun (5th appearance, last in 2011; 90th anniversary); DuSable Museum of African American History (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Ash Wednesday fires (2nd appearance, last in 2011; 30th anniversary); Kyoto Protocol (3rd appearance, last in 2008; rescued from Ineligible)

—howcheng {chat} 23:37, 15 February 2013 (UTC)

2014 notes

• Omitted: Battle of Fort Donelson; Tutankhamun; DuSable Museum of African American History; Ash Wednesday bushfires
• Included: Battle of Karuse (first appearance); Stephen Decatur/USS Philadelphia (1799) (Decatur: 8th appearance; Philadelphia: 2nd; both last in 2012); Norwegian heavy water sabotage (first appearance); Janani Luwum (3rd appearance, last in 2012)
• Repeats: Kyoto Protocol (2nd consecutive appearance, 4 total)

—howcheng {chat} 09:13, 15 February 2014 (UTC)

2015 notes

• Omitted: Battle of Karuse; Stephen Decatur/USS Philadelphia (1799); Norwegian heavy water sabotage; Janani Luwum
• Included: Battle of Fort Donelson (2nd appearance, last in 2013); Act of Independence of Lithuania (6th appearance, last in 2012); Altmark Incident (first appearance; 75th anniversary); Ideology of Hezbollah/Hezbollah (Ideology: 5th appearance; Hezbollah: 4th appearance; both last in 2012; 30th anniversary)
• Repeats: Kyoto Protocol (2nd consecutive appearance, 5 total; 10th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 07:33, 14 February 2015 (UTC)

2016 notes

• Omitted: Battle of Fort Donelson; Altmark Incident; Hezbollah; Kyoto Protocol
• Included: Battle of Karuse (2nd appearance, last in 2014); Stephen Decatur/USS Philadelphia (1799) (Decatur: 9th appearance; Philadelphia: 3rd appearance; both last in 2014); Sikorsky H-5 (2nd appearance, last in 2012; 70th anniversary); Ash Wednesday bushfires (3rd appearance, last in 2013)
• Repeats: Act of Independence of Lithuania (2nd consecutive appearance, 7 total)

—howcheng {chat} 08:57, 14 February 2016 (UTC)

Request

I suggest adding Day of the Shining Star. This is the second most important national public holiday in North Korea (we have an OTD for the most important one, Day of the Sun on April 15). We used to have one for Kim Jong-un's birthday on January 8, before it was pointed out that it's not a holiday. Consequentially, I think we have room for this one. – Finnusertop (talk ⋅ contribs) 18:26, 6 February 2017 (UTC)

2017 notes

Today marks the first day we are including births and deaths as a regular feature instead of only on centennial anniversaries.

• Deleted: Gallaudet University (moved to April 8)
• Moved to Ineligible: Janani Luwum (maintenance)
• Omitted: Lithuania (deleted—incorrect date); Stephen Decatur; Act of Independence of Lithuania; Sikorsky H-5; Ash Wednesday bushfires
• Included: Day of the Shining Star (first appearance); Battle of Fort Donelson (3rd appearance, last in 2015); Tutankhamun (6th appearance, last in 2013); Norwegian heavy water sabotage (2nd appearance, last in 2014); DuSable Museum of African American History (3rd appearance, last in 2013); Richard of Dover (first appearance); Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (first appearance)
• Repeats: Battle of Karuse (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total)

—howcheng {chat} 10:40, 16 February 2017 (UTC)

2018 notes

• Moved to Ineligible: Altmark Incident (maintenance); Sikorsky H-5 (maintenance)
• New articles (unused): Theresa Goh
• Omitted: Battle of Karuse; Battle of Fort Donelson; Tutankhamun; DuSable Museum of African American History; Richard of Dover; Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer
• Included: André de Longjumeau (4th appearance, last in 2007; rescued from Ineligible); Stephen Decatur/USS Philadelphia (1799) (Decatur: 10th appearance; Philadelphia: 4th appearance; both last in 2016); Act of Independence of Lithuania (8th appearance, last in 2016; 100th anniversary); 1996 Maryland train collision (first appearance); Coluccio Salutati (first appearance); Thomas Bracken (first appearance); Mary Amdur (first appearance)
• Repeats: Norwegian heavy water sabotage (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total; 75th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 07:57, 16 February 2018 (UTC)

2019 notes

• Omitted: Stephen Decatur; Act of Independence of Lithuania; Norwegian heavy water sabotage; Coluccio Salutati; Thomas Bracken; Mary Amdur
• Included: Battle of Fort Donelson (4th appearance, last in 2017); Tutankhamun (7th appearance, last in 2017); Ash Wednesday bushfires (4th appearance, last in 2016); Jean du Bellay (first appearance); Henry Wilson (first appearance); Lanny McDonald (first appearance)
• Repeats: André de Longjumeau (2nd consecutive appearance, 5 total); 1996 Maryland train collision (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

—howcheng {chat} 04:06, 19 February 2019 (UTC)

2020 notes

• New articles (unused): Fidel Castro
• Omitted: André de Longjumeau; Battle of Fort Donelson; Tutankhamun; Ash Wednesday bushfires; 1996 Maryland train collision; Jean du Bellay; Henry Wilson; Lanny McDonald
• Included: Battle of Karuse (4th appearance, last in 2017); Stephen Decatur/USS Philadelphia (1799) (Decatur: 11th appearance; Philadelpha: 5th; both last in 2018); 1936 Spanish general election (first appearance); Hezbollah/Ideology of Hezbollah (Hezbollah: 5th appearance; Ideology: 6th; both last in 2015; rescued from Ineligible); Kyoto Protocol (6th appearance, last in 2015; rescued from Ineligible); Richard of Dover (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Theresa Goh (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 19:27, 17 February 2020 (UTC)

2021 notes

• Moved to Ineligible: Thomas Bracken (maintenance)
• Omitted: Battle of Karuse; Stephen Decatur/USS Philadelphia (1799); Hezbollah/Ideology of Hezbollah; Kyoto Protocol; Richard of Dover; Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer; Theresa Goh
• Included: André de Longjumeau (6th appearance, last in 2019); Act of Independence of Lithuania (9th appearance, last in 2018); DuSable Museum of African American History (4th appearance, last in 2017; 60th anniversary); 1996 Maryland train collision (3rd appearance, last in 2019; 25th anniversary); Mary the Younger (first appearance); The Weeknd (first appearance); Mary Amdur (2nd appearance, last in 2018)
• Repeats: 1936 Spanish general election (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

—howcheng {chat} 07:40, 18 February 2021 (UTC)

2022 notes

• Omitted: André de Longjumeau; Act of Independence of Lithuania; 1936 Spanish general election; DuSable Museum of African American History; 1996 Maryland train collision; Mary the Younger; The Weeknd; Mary Amdur
• Included: Stephen Decatur/USS Philadelphia (1799) (Decatur: 12th appearance; ship: 6th; both last in 2020); Concert pitch (first appearance; rescued from Ineligible); Tutankhamun/Tomb of Tutankhamun (Tut: 8th appearance, last in 2019; Tomb: 6th, last in 2015, moved from November 26); Fidel Castro (4th appearance, last in 2006, previously appeared on January 1); February 2013 Quetta bombing (first appearance); Henry Raspe (first appearance); Henry Wilson (2nd appearance, last in 2019); Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (3rd appearance, last in 2020; 100th birthday)

—howcheng {chat} 07:43, 17 February 2022 (UTC)

Observance placement

@Mx. Granger I would like your clarification for a question I have arising from your placement justification for the entries for the observances list in the article . You said you fixed the list by ordering it alphabetically by country but some of the entries 1) did not show a place of observance (Chinese New Year's Eve) 2) showed a place of observance that wasn't a country (Elizabeth Peratrovich Day and Daisy Gatson Bates Day) Can you explain why you placed those observances in their respective positions? Nghtcmdr (talk) 09:32, 2 January 2026 (UTC)

Chinese New Year's Eve is chiefly observed in China (C), and Elizabeth Peratrovich Day and Daisy Gatson Bates Day are observed in the United States (U). Alternatively, Chinese New Year's Eve could be considered an international observance, because it's also observed by ethnic Chinese communities in other countries like Singapore and Malaysia – but in that case it would go at the beginning of the list anyway, per Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries. —Mx. Granger (talk · contribs) 14:21, 2 January 2026 (UTC)

@Mx. Granger the guidelines you gave do not provide instructions on how sub-state observances (Elizabeth Peratrovich Day and Daisy Gatson Bates Day) should be sorted. Is there policy guidance that you can provide for how that issue should be resolved? I ask 1) so that I can respond properly should a similar case arise in the future 2) because you appear to have extensive knowledge about the rules which govern this project. Nghtcmdr (talk) 09:36, 4 January 2026 (UTC)

I think the guideline I linked does answer the question, if followed precisely: Holidays should be listed in this order: international observances (secular followed by religious) first (except those that are not serious in nature, e.g., International Talk Like a Pirate Day—these should appear at the end of the list), then alphabetically by country where observed. Those two holidays aren't international observances and they are serious in nature, so they should be listed alphabetically by country where observed. They're observed only in parts of the United States, so they should be alphabetized by U.

I've seen the same reasoning followed in other cases, for instance in the current revision for January 12, where a holiday in Tanzania is listed before a holiday in Puerto Rico (part of the United States). —Mx. Granger (talk · contribs) 15:46, 4 January 2026 (UTC)

Or did you mean how these US observances should be sorted relative to each other? On that question I agree the guideline doesn't say. —Mx. Granger (talk · contribs) 16:23, 4 January 2026 (UTC)

@Mx. Granger thanks for the help. I meant how sub-state observances should be sorted relative to state observances, but in the case of sorting sub-state observances relative to other sub-state observances I would think that they should also be sorted alphabetically. Unless I am wrong, it appears you had also thought the same way as you had placed Elizabeth Peratrovich Day (Alaska) ahead of Daisy Gatson Bates Day (Arkansas).

A final question, throughout our discussion you've kept referring to the state instead of the sub-state unit as the place of observance for Elizabeth Peratrovich Day and Daisy Gatson Bates Day. As a general matter, when listing sub-state observances, do we refer to the state or the sub-state where they are held? Or would either choice work? Nghtcmdr (talk) 07:03, 5 January 2026 (UTC)

I think either choice works. For these holidays it probably makes sense to say "Alaska" and "Arkansas", but for example when I added Third Month Fair to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/May I listed its location as "southwest China". —Mx. Granger (talk · contribs) 14:14, 6 January 2026 (UTC)