Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/November 20

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This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/November 20.

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 November 20 article, see Talk:November 20 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 November 20, 2025
Wikipedia:Today's featured article/November 20, 2025 create – talk – watch
Picture of the day for November 20, 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/November 19 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/November 21 →

I did not know we had arrived at the point where all links on the Mainpage had to be of FA quality.... --TheDJ (talk • contribs) 17:11, 18 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Suggested addition

The first module of the International Space Station was launched November 20, 1998, according to the Assembly of the International Space Station and various other websites ([1] [2] [3] [4]). I propose this anniversary to be added to the Selected anniversaries for November 20. For the equal balance of subjects, I propose this to be added instead of Slánský trial, as there are currently two trials and no subjects in science and technology on the selected anniversaries for this date, and the start of the ISS is a major event in technology. I believe this can replace the November 2 event on the first resident crew. --Gerrit ^CUTEDH 08:30, 20 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

1998 – The first module of the International Space Station was launched by a Proton rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome.

I'd like to express an opinion in favour of this addition too. Colds7ream (talk) 16:08, 4 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Historically, the International Space Station article has been featured on November 2 to mark the first resident crew,[5] while Zarya, its first module, has been featured here[6] ... except it is now currently tagged for cleanup. Since International Space Station was already featured on November 2 this year, this issue about whether to move International Space Station might have to wait next year – unless the Zarya page is significantly improved in the next few days. Cheers. Zzyzx11 (talk) 04:07, 8 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

2012 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Essex (whaleship)
New articles (unused): Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Lake Peigneur; 2003 Istanbul bombings
Omitted: Diocletian; Zumbi; Tour de France; Battle of Cambrai (1917) (ineligible—maintenance); Slánský trial
Included: Battle of Vuelta de Obligado (first appearance); José Antonio Primo de Rivera (first appearance); Occupation of Alcatraz (first appearance); Grand Mosque Seizure (3rd appearance, last in 2010); Lusaka Protocol (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 08:15, 19 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]

2013 notes

New articles (unused): Fort Lee Historic Park
Omitted: Battle of Vuelta de Obligado; José Antonio Primo de Rivera; Occupation of Alcatraz; Grand Mosque Seizure (ineligible—maintenance); Lusaka Protocol
Included: Essex (whaleship) (4th appearance, last in 2010); Nuremberg Trials (5th appearance, last in 2008; rescued from Ineligible); Lake Peigneur (first appearance); 1991 Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 shootdown (first appearance); International Space Station (8th appearance, last in 2010)

—howcheng {chat} 07:13, 19 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2014 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Grand Mosque Seizure
Omitted: Essex (whaleship); Nuremberg trials; Lake Peigneur; 1991 Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 shootdown; International Space Station
Included: Diocletian (8th appearance, last in 2011); Battle of Porto Bello (first appearance; 175th anniversary); Tour de France (6th appearance, last in 2011; rescued from Ineligible); Farmington Mine disaster (first appearance); Lusaka Protocol (2nd appearance, last in 2012; 20th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 08:45, 19 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2015 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Essex (whaleship) (maintenance)
Omitted: Battle of Porto Bello; Tour de France (ineligible—maintenance); Farmington Mine disaster; Lusaka Protocol
Included: Fort Lee Historic Park (first appearance); Battle of Vuelta de Obligado (2nd appearance, last in 2012); Nuremberg trials (6th appearance, last in 2013; 70th anniversary); Grand Mosque seizure (4th appearance, last in 2012; rescued from Ineligible)
Repeats: Diocletian (2nd consecutive appearance, 9 total)

—howcheng {chat} 08:23, 18 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]

2016 notes

Moved to Ineligible: José Antonio Primo de Rivera (maintenance); 1991 Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 shootdown (maintenance)
Omitted: Diocletian; Fort Lee Historic Park; Nuremberg trials; Grand Mosque seizure
Included: Battle of Porto Bello (2nd appearance, last in 2014); Battle of Cambrai (1917) (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (first appearance); Lusaka Protocol (3rd appearance, last in 2014)
Repeats: Battle of Vuelta de Obligado (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total)

—howcheng {chat} 01:27, 20 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

2017 notes

I nominated the Ali al-Ridha article for wp:OTD as observance, because special ritual called reciting sermon held every year on the night of death of Ali al-Ridha. I hope there isn't any problem for this nomination.Saff V. (talk) 10:36, 12 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]
- @Saff V.: Can you add the Gregorian dates to the article, kind of like how it is in Eid al-Fitr#In the Gregorian calendar? —howcheng {chat} 02:15, 19 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]
  - @Howcheng: Yes, of course! It was done! Saff V. (talk) 16:14, 19 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

@Howcheng: @Saff V.: It's too late now (my ERRORS request was ignored), but for future reference, probably better to be specific in cases like this - this was not an Islam-wide celebration. Better to say "Shia Islam" in the link, or even "Twelver Shia." SnowFire (talk) 05:35, 21 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Moved to Ineligible: Nuremberg trials (maintenance); Slánský trial (maintenance); Farmington Mine disaster (maintenance)
New articles (unused): Meredith Whitney; Ian Smith
Omitted: Battle of Porto Bello; Battle of Vuelta de Obligado; Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (ineligible—maintenance)
Included: Diocletian (10th appearance, last in 2015); Fort Lee Historic Park (2nd appearance, last in 2015); Andrei Chikatilo (first appearance); Giovanni Battista Agucchi (first appearance); Gervase Helwys (first appearance); Cri-Zelda Brits (first appearance)
Repeats: Battle of Cambrai (1917) (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total; 100th anniversary); Lusaka Protocol (2nd consecutive appearance, 4 total)

—howcheng {chat} 19:15, 20 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Diocletian

Shouldn't it be simply "became Roman emperor" and not "became the Roman emperor"? AFAIK, English generally omits the definite article when discussing positions which may be held by only one person at a time. Kranix (talk | contribs) 15:25, 20 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

2018 notes

Omitted: Fort Lee Historic Park; Battle of Cambrai (1917); Lusaka Protocol; Giovanni Battista Agucchi; Gervase Helwys; Cri-Zelda Brits
Included: Battle of Vuelta de Obligado (4th appearance, last in 2016); Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (2nd appearance, last in 2016; rescued from Ineligible); Occupation of Alcatraz (2nd appearance, last in 2012); Anton Rubinstein (first appearance); Meredith Whitney (first appearance); Ian Smith (6th appearance, last in 2012; previously appeared on November 11)
Repeats: Diocletian (2nd consecutive appearance, 11 total); Andrei Chikatilo (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

—howcheng {chat} 16:43, 20 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

2019 notes

New articles (ineligible): Irakli Tsereteli (TFA for June 21, 2019)
New articles (unused): Pauli Murray
Omitted: Diocletian; Battle of Vuelta de Obligado; Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Andrei Chikatilo; Ian Smith
Included: Battle of Porto Bello (3rd appearance, last in 2016); Fort Lee Historic Park (3rd appearance, last in 2017); Tour de France (7th appearance, last in 2014; rescued from Ineligible); John Gardner (British writer) (first appearance)
Repeats: Occupation of Alcatraz (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total; 50th anniversary); Anton Rubinstein (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total; 125th anniversary); Meredith Whitney (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total; 50th birthday)

—howcheng {chat} 16:52, 21 November 2019 (UTC)[reply]

2020 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Irakli Tsereteli
Omitted: Battle of Porto Bello; Fort Lee Historic Park; Tour de France; Occupation of Alcatraz; Anton Rubinstein (ineligible—maintenance); John Gardner (British writer) (ineligible—maintenance); Meredith Whitney
Included: Battle of Vuelta de Obligado (5th appearance, last in 2018; 175th anniversary); Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (3rd appearance, last in 2018); Andrei Chikatilo (3rd appearance, last in 2018; 20th anniversary); 2003 Istanbul bombings (first appearance; rescued from Ineligible); Giovanni Battista Agucchi (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Carl Axel Arrhenius (first appearance); Pauli Murray (3rd appearance, last in 2020; also appears on July 1, her death anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 19:16, 21 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

2021 notes

Omitted: Battle of Vuelta de Obligado; Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Andrei Chikatilo; 2003 Istanbul bombings; Giovanni Battista Agucchi; Carl Axel Arrhenius; Cri-Zelda Brits
Included: Diocletian (12th appearance, last in 2018); Battle of Porto Bello (1739) (4th appearance, last in 2019); Tour de France (8th appearance, last in 2019); Grand Mosque seizure (5th appearance, last in 2015); 1991 Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 shootdown (2nd appearance, last in 2013; 30th anniversary; rescued from Ineligible); Thomas Chatterton (first appearance); Irakli Tsereteli (first appearance); Ancel Keys (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 07:17, 21 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]