Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/May 21

This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/May 21.

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 May 21 article, see Talk:May 21 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 May 21, 2025
The red-capped parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius) is a species of broad-tailed parrot native to southwest Western Australia. Described by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820, it is classified in its own genus owing to its distinctive elongated beak. Its closest relative is the mulga parrot. It is not easily confused with other parrot species; both adult sexes have a bright crimson crown, green-yellow cheeks, and a distinctive long bill. The wings, back, and long tail are dark green, and the underparts are purple-blue. Found in woodland and open savanna country, the red-capped parrot consumes seeds (particularly of eucalypts), flowers, berries, and occasionally insects. Nesting takes place in tree hollows. Although the red-capped parrot has been shot as a pest and has been affected by land clearing, the population is growing and the species is not threatened. It has a reputation of being anxious and difficult to breed in captivity. (Full article...) Recently featured: Cher Malcolm X Margaret Sanger Archive By email More featured articles About view – talk – edit – history – watch
Picture of the day for May 21, 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/May 20 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/May 22 →

2012 notes

Latest comment: 12 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

New articles (unused): Seventh-day Adventist Church (be sure to feature this next year—150th anniversary); IKAROS
Omitted: Branimir of Croatia (ineligible—maintenance); John III Sobieski; Clara Barton; Treaty of Ciudad Juárez; Louis Slotin; Suharto
Included: Sacking of Lawrence (first appearance); FIFA (3rd appearance, last in 2009); Charles Lindbergh (6th appearance, last in 2008; blurb previously featured Spirit of St. Louis, which is ineligible); Propaganda Due (first appearance); Assassination of the monks of Tibhirine (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 06:09, 20 May 2012 (UTC)Reply

2013 notes

Latest comment: 11 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Moved to Ineligible: Clara Barton (maintenance); IKAROS (maintenance)
Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Leopold and Loeb (should be used in 2014 for the 90th anniversary)
Omitted: John III Sobieski; Sacking of Lawrence; FIFA; Charles Lindbergh; Propaganda Due; Assassination of the monks of Tibhirine
Included: Timurid relations with Europe (first appearance); Seventh-day Adventist Church (3rd appearance, last in 2005; moved from October 22; 150th anniversary); Manchester Ship Canal (7th appearance, last in 2010); White Night riots (2nd appearance, last in 2010); Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi (2nd appearance, last in 2009; rescued from Ineligible)

—howcheng {chat} 05:46, 20 May 2013 (UTC)Reply

2014 notes

Latest comment: 10 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

New article (unused): Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (although 150th anniversary, appeared as POTD recently)
Omitted: Timurid relations with Europe; Seventh-day Adventist Church; Manchester Ship Canal; White Night riots; Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
Included: Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (2nd appearance, last in 2004; had been deleted from page in the intervening decade); Clara Barton (2nd appearance, last in 2011; rescued from Ineligible); Treaty of Ciudad Juárez (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Leopold and Loeb (first appearance; 90th anniversary); Suharto (5th appearance, last in 2011)

—howcheng {chat} 08:55, 20 May 2014 (UTC)Reply

2015 notes

Latest comment: 9 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

New articles (unused): Commonwealth War Graves Commission; National War Memorial (Canada)
Omitted: Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor; Clara Barton; Treaty of Ciudad Juárez; Leopold and Loeb; Suharto (ineligible—maintenance)
Included: Branimir of Croatia (2nd appearance, last in 2011; rescued from Ineligible); Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (first appearance); FIFA (4th appearance, last in 2012); Charles Lindbergh (7th appearance, last in 2012); Propaganda Due (2nd appearance, last in 2012)

—howcheng {chat} 11:29, 19 May 2015 (UTC)Reply

2016 notes

Latest comment: 8 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Omitted: Branimir of Croatia; Battle of Spotsylvania Court House; FIFA (inelilgible—maintenance); Charles Lindbergh; Propaganda Due
Included: Timurid relations with Europe (2nd appearance, last in 2013); John III Sobieski (6th appearance, last in 2012); Manchester Ship Canal (8th appearance, last in 2013); Louis Slotin (2nd appearance, last in 2011; 70th anniversary); Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi (3rd appearance, last in 2013; 25th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 08:09, 19 May 2016 (UTC)Reply

2017 notes

Latest comment: 7 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Moved to Ineligible: Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (maintenance); Seventh-day Adventist Church (maintenance); Assassination of the monks of Tibhirine (maintenance)
Omitted: Timurid relations with Europe; John III Sobieski (ineligible—maintenance); Manchester Ship Canal; Louis Slotin; Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi (ineligible—maintenance)
Included: Siege of Syracuse (877–878) (first appearance); Clara Barton (3rd appearance, last in 2014); Commonwealth War Graves Commission (first appearance; 100th anniversary); Charles Lindbergh (8th appearance, last in 2015); Propaganda Due (3rd appearance, last in 2015)

—howcheng {chat} 06:04, 21 May 2017 (UTC)Reply

2018 notes

Latest comment: 6 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Omitted: Siege of Syracuse (877–878); Clara Barton (ineligible—maintenance); Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Charles Lindbergh; Propaganda Due; Feng Dao; Armand Hammer; Al Franken
Included: Timurid relations with Europe (3rd appearance, last in 2016); Sacking of Lawrence (2nd appearance, last in 2012); Manchester Ship Canal (9th appearance, last in 2016); Treaty of Ciudad Juárez (3rd appearance, last in 2014); Suharto (6th appearance, last in 2014; rescued from Ineligible); Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (first appearance); Tudor Arghezi (first appearance); Linda Laubenstein (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 15:38, 22 May 2018 (UTC)Reply

2019 notes

Latest comment: 5 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Moved to Ineligible: White Night riots (maintenance)
Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Rajiv Gandhi (blurb previously featured Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, which is still ineligible)
New articles (unused): The Shortest Way with the Dissenters
Omitted: Timurid relations with Europe; Sacking of Lawrence; Suharto; Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk; Tudor Arghezi; Linda Laubenstein
Included: Siege of Syracuse (877–878) (2nd appearance, last in 2017); National War Memorial (Canada) (first appearance; 80th anniversary); Kingda Ka (first appearance); Olaf the Black (first appearance); Rudolf Koller (first appearance); Nadine Dorries (first appearance)
Repeats: Manchester Ship Canal (2nd consecutive appearance, 10 total); Treaty of Ciudad Juárez (2nd consecutive appearance, 4 total)

—howcheng {chat} 15:54, 21 May 2019 (UTC)Reply

2020 notes

Latest comment: 4 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Moved to Ineligible: Propaganda Due (maintenance)
Omitted: Siege of Syracuse (877–878); Manchester Ship Canal; Treaty of Ciudad Juárez; National War Memorial (Canada); Kingda Ka; Olaf the Black; Rudolf Koller; Nadine Dorries
Included: Timurid relations with Europe (4th appearance, last in 2018); The Shortest Way with the Dissenters (first appearance); Slavery in Colombia (first appearance); Leopold and Loeb (2nd appearance, last in 2014); Suharto (7th appearance, last in 2018); Tommaso Campanella (first appearance); Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland (first appearance); Leonidas Vasilikopoulos (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 15:58, 22 May 2020 (UTC)Reply

2021 notes

Latest comment: 3 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

New articles (unused): Anne Walter Fearn
Omitted: Timurid relations with Europe; The Shortest Way with the Dissenters; Leopold and Loeb; Suharto; Tommaso Campanella; Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland; Leonidas Vasilikopoulos
Included: Siege of Syracuse (877–878) (3rd appearance, last in 2019); Commonwealth War Graves Commission (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Demon core/Louis Slotin (Core: first appearance; Slotin: 3rd appearance, last in 2019; 75th anniversary); Rajiv Gandhi (5th appearance, last in 2007; 30th anniversary); Olaf the Black (2nd appearance, last in 2019); Tudor Arghezi (2nd appearance, last in 2018); Al Franken (2nd appearance, last in 2017; 70th birthday)
Repeats: Slavery in Colombia (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

—howcheng {chat} 21:46, 26 May 2021 (UTC)Reply

2022 notes

Latest comment: 2 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Moved to Ineligible: Seventh-day Adventist Church (maintenance); National War Memorial (Canada) (maintenance)
Omitted: Slavery in Colombia; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Rajiv Gandhi; Olaf the Black; Tudor Arghezi; Al Franken
Included: Timurid relations with Europe (5th appearance, last in 2020); Treaty of Ciudad Juárez (5th appearance, last in 2019); Charles Lindbergh (9th appearance, last in 2017); 2014 Taipei Metro attack (first appearance); Luis Fajardo (Spanish Navy officer) (first appearance); Anne Walter Fearn (first appearance); Leonidas Vasilikopoulos (2nd appearance, last in 2020; 90th birthday)
Repeats: Demon core/Louis Slotin (both: 2nd consecutive appearance; Core: 2 total; Slotin: 4 total)

—howcheng {chat} 16:50, 22 May 2022 (UTC)Reply

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