Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/May 4

This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/May 4.

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 4 article, see Talk:May 4 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 4, 2025
Wikipedia:Today's featured article/May 4, 2025 create – talk – watch
Picture of the day for May 4, 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 3 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/May 5 →

Anybody have a map of the Alexander VI demarcation line? RickK | Talk 05:14, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Such a map would look nice on the Inter caetera page. -- PFHLai 22:42, 2005 May 2 (UTC)

Kent State?

Shouldn't the Kent State shootings be mentioned on this pagelet? -- Schnee (cheeks clone) 22:05, 4 May 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It was there. I took it out to avoid having too much blank space on the right side of MainPage. I meant to rotate it back in some time during the day, but was too busy elsewhere to do so. .... -- PFHLai 04:20, 2005 May 5 (UTC)

It's the 40 year anniversary

Errors in Selected anniversaries/On this day

The main page now says:

1970 - The Ohio National Guard shot at students in Kent State University protesting the United States invasion of Cambodia.

They more than "shot at students" - they killed four students and wounded nine students, one of whom has been paralyzed for 37 years as a result, on the campus of Kent State University. This is taking NPOV to an extreme, and in fact I believe it is misleading. These facts are not in dispute whatsoever, and they are crucial. For the first time in US history, armed soldiers were brought onto a US campus where they shot and killed four students and wounded nine, one of them for life. You do a disservice to the truth to characterize it as merely "shot at" when there were deaths and grievous injury and saying "students in Kent State University" which does not clearly state that the protest and shootings were on campus. I hope this can be fixed quickly, before it scrolls off. Thank you.

It should read something like:

1970 - The Ohio National Guard shot and killed four students on the Kent State University campus who were protesting the United States invasion of Cambodia. Nine other students were wounded, one of whom is paralyzed for life.

Tvoz |talk 19:31, 4 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No matter how many bullets reached the students's bodies, this is still the first time in history when armed soldiers were brought onto a US campus to shoot at students. --74.13.126.166 20:59, 4 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, that is correct, but it doesn't say that either. All it says is they shot at students. Killing them is worse than shooting at them, wouldn't you agree? To not say that is a distortion of the event and of the truth. Tvoz |talk 21:29, 4 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Mentioning the 4 deaths seems okay, as there is ample room. I don't see any distortion either way. --74.13.126.166 02:01, 5 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Once again I've asked that '"1970 – The Ohio National Guard shot at students in Kent State University protesting the United States invasion of Cambodia." be changed to "1970 – The Ohio National Guard killed four students and wounded nine in Kent State University protesting the United States invasion of Cambodia." It is not just a detail that 4 students were killed. As I've said elsewhere, this is like saying that John Wilkes Booth shot at Abraham Lincoln. I would guess that we say that he shot and killed Lincoln. Tvoz/talk 15:01, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Latvian independence day

4 May is Independence day in Latvia and, considering that it was made public holiday and flag day few years ago, shouldn`t this be added (in the first line, I mean) ? ~~Xil (talk) 22:26, 30 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Kent shootings (moved from WP:ERRORS)

Why is there no mention of the Kent State shootings? May 4 is an important anniversary- 40 years - from the day that American National Guardsmen shot and killed 4 students on an American college campus who were protesting the expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. This belongs on the front page of Wikipedia. Tvoz/talk 03:16, 4 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps because the ITN section features so much American news? :-) --can dle •wicke 04:15, 4 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Really? I see only one such American news story for May 4 - from 1886. Tvoz/talk 04:49, 4 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, I see you said "ITN" - I was talking about "OTD". However, my point still holds - there is only one "American" story in On this Day today, and I fail to see what relevance that has as a determinant of whether a significant anniversary should be front-page noted. Tvoz/talk 05:06, 4 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

That, and Kent State shootings#Monday, May 4 currently has an 'orange'- or 'red'-level article tag. Zzyzx11 (talk) 04:22, 4 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

That tag should have been removed long ago - there are 68 footnotes and a long list of sources in the "Further reading" and "External links". The tag is gone now. More to the point - this is a significant anniversary of a significant event, and Wikipedia's front page should not be silent on it. Tvoz/talk 04:49, 4 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Furthermore, ZZyZZx11, please take a look at Remembrance of the Dead which is listed as the top item in today's On This Day and actually has an article-level orange tag which is far worse than the tag that had been on one section of the Kent State article; same for Greenery Day which is also a top item today in On This Day, yet also has an orange tag. Obviously that is not the reason the anniversary of the Kent State shootings has not been listed, and I strenuously object to this. Tvoz/talk 05:06, 4 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Even if I hide those two holidays, there is still only room to list 5 events at a time. I'd like to field some opinions on which one should be substituted, or else we can wait until the main page needs to "re-balance" to warrant a sixth one. I'm unwilling to unilaterally remove one that is already being displayed without some type of consensus, because if the roles were reversed, and I unilaterally removed the Kent State shootings article for the sole reason to post one that is "more significant or notable" IMO, you'd probably be complaining too. Cheers. Zzyzx11 (talk) 05:37, 4 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Force me to make a choice, and I'd get rid of the Battle of the Coral Sea, but I have a hard time saying that the Kent State incident is of greater importance than any of the things listed there already. Bradjamesbrown (talk) 12:18, 4 May 2010 (UTC) (Also note that Coral Sea is a featured article, while Kent State is on the border between C and B.) 12:30, 4 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

File:Kent State massacre.jpg

This file is used here in violation of WP:NFCC #9. It can not be used and must be removed. Please do so ASAP. Thank you, --Hammersoft (talk) 21:05, 3 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Hello?!?!? --Hammersoft (talk) 13:03, 4 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Please see above. A non-free file exists on this page in violation of WP:NFCC #9 and must be removed. --Hammersoft (talk) 14:42, 4 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Done VernoWhitney (talk) 17:50, 4 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Yes to Star Wars Day...

No to May Fourth Movement? 66.108.223.179 (talk) 10:02, 4 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The article has maintenance tags on it, making it ineligible. —howcheng {chat} 04:47, 3 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Correct tile of Latvian independence day

Since it is protected now and I might forget later - the title of the holiday was recently changed to Restoration of Independence day, because using just independence with no restoration is considered somewhat controversial ~~Xil (talk) 12:26, 4 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

2012 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Royal Canadian Navy (maintenance); Greenpeace (maintenance)
Omitted: Battle of Tewkesbury; Kent State shootings
Included: Inter caetera (4th appearance, last in 2010); Haymarket affair (6th appearance, last in 2010)
Repeats: Spanish Constitution of 1812 (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total); Battle of the Coral Sea (5th consecutive appearance, 6 total; 70th anniversary); Margaret Thatcher (2nd consecutive appearance, 7 total)

No new articles this year. :( —howcheng {chat} 16:34, 3 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

2013 notes

Deleted: William Walker (filibuster) (moved to May 3: wrong date); Greenpeace (moved to October 5: date not in article)
Omitted: Inter caetera; Spanish Constitution of 1812; Haymarket affair; Battle of the Coral Sea; Margaret Thatcher
Included: Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (first appearance); Ancient Order of Hibernians (first appearance); Grammy Awards (first appearance); HMS Sheffield (D80) (first appearance)
Repeats: On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia (2nd consecutive appearance as blurb, 5 total)
Note: On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia (Restoration of Independence Day) removed from observances this year as the article is included in the blurbs

—howcheng {chat} 09:32, 3 May 2013 (UTC)[reply]

2014 notes

Omitted: Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson; Ancient Order of Hibernians; Grammy Awards; HMS Sheffield (D80); On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia
Included: Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (first appearance); Spanish Constitution of 1812 (3rd appearance, last in 2012; 200th anniversary); Battle of the Coral Sea (7th appearance, last in 2012); Ken Livingstone (first appearance)
Repeats: Manaslu (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total; 40th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 07:03, 3 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2015 notes

Omitted: Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; Spanish Constitution of 1812; Manaslu; Ken Livingstone
Included: Inter caetera (5th appearance, last in 2012); Haymarket affair (7th appearance, last in 2012); Kent State shootings (4th appearance, last in 2011); On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia (7th appearance, last in 2013; 25th anniversary)
Repeats: Battle of the Coral Sea (2nd consecutive appearance, 8 total)

—howcheng {chat} 09:23, 2 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

2016 notes

New articles (unused): Parliament House (Malta)
Omitted: Star Wars Day (ineligible—maintenance); Inter caetera; Haymarket affair; Battle of the Coral Sea; Kent State shootings; On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia
Included: Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (2nd appearance, last in 2013); Spanish Constitution of 1812 (4th appearance, last in 2014); Ancient Order of Hibernians (2nd appearance, last in 2013); German surrender at Lüneburg Heath (first appearance); Margaret Thatcher (8th appearance, last in 2012)

—howcheng {chat} 05:31, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Cassinga Day

May 4 is Cassinga Day in Namibia, a national holiday remembering the Battle of Cassinga in Angola. Too late or too stubby to include? --Pgallert (talk) 14:37, 3 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@Pgallert: Too stubby, sorry. The battle article needs maintenance, so that's no good either. —howcheng {chat} 00:20, 4 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

2017 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Battle of the Coral Sea (TFA for 2017); Superga air disaster (maintenance); Grammy Award (maintenance); Kent State shootings (maintenance)
New articles (ineligible): Peter Minuit (maintenance)
Omitted: Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (ineligible—maintenance); Spanish Constitution of 1812 (ineligible—maintenance); Ancient Order of Hibernians; German surrender at Lüneburg Heath (ineligible—maintenance); Margaret Thatcher
Included: Inter caetera (6th appearance, last in 2015); Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (2nd appearance, last in 2014); Haymarket affair (8th appearance, last in 2015); Manaslu (3rd appearance, last in 2014); Parliament House (Malta) (first appearance); Herman II, Duke of Swabia (first appearance); Audrey Hepburn (first appearance); Christian de Duve (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 04:21, 4 May 2017 (UTC)[reply]

2018 notes

Omitted: Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; Haymarket affair; Manaslu; Parliament House (Malta); Herman II, Duke of Swabia; Audrey Hepburn; Christian de Duve
Included: 1780 Epsom Derby (first appearance); Battle of the Coral Sea (9th appearance, last in 2015; rescued from Ineligible); PEPCON disaster (first appearance); Ken Livingstone (2nd appearance, last in 2014); John Nevison (first appearance); Julia Gardiner Tyler (first appearance); Kanō Jigorō (first appearance)
Repeats: Inter caetera (2nd consecutive appearance, 7 total)

—howcheng {chat} 07:18, 4 May 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Pardon if this is an inappropriate place to ask, but could the PEPCON disaster entrant use {{inflation}} to give listed the monetary value some context? — fourthords | =Λ= | 18:50, 4 May 2018 (UTC)[reply]

@Fourthords: I don't think that it's necessary. The blurb here is just a teaser to get people to read the linked article, where it can be detailed. —howcheng {chat} 17:22, 6 May 2019 (UTC)[reply]

2019 notes

New articles (unused): Nettie Stevens
Omitted: Inter caetera; 1780 Epsom Derby; Battle of the Coral Sea; PEPCON disaster; Ken Livingstone; John Nevison; Julia Gardiner Tyler; Kanō Jigorō
Included: Ancient Order of Hibernians (3rd appearance, last in 2016); Haymarket affair (9th appearance, last in 2017); Margaret Thatcher (9th appearance, last in 2016; 40th anniversary); Parliament House (Malta) (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Richard Graves (first appearance); Audrey Hepburn (2nd appearance, last in 2017; 90th birthday); Lillian Estelle Fisher (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 17:27, 6 May 2019 (UTC)[reply]

2020 notes

New articles (ineligible): Michael L. Gernhardt (POTD for 2020)
New articles (unused): William H. Prescott; Walter Walsh
Omitted: Ancient Order of Hibernians; Haymarket affair; Margaret Thatcher; Parliament House (Malta); Richard Graves; Audrey Hepburn; Lillian Estelle Fisher
Included: Inter caetera (8th appearance, last in 2018); Manaslu (4th appearance, last in 2017); On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia (8th appearance, last in 2015; 30th anniversary); Ken Livingstone (3rd appearance, last in 2018; 20th anniversary); Julia Gardiner Tyler (2nd appearance, last in 2018; 100th birthday); Gotse Delchev (first appearance); Amos Oz (first appearance)

—howcheng {chat} 16:54, 5 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]

2021 notes

Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Michael L. Gernhardt
New articles (ineligible): Tipu Sultan (maintenance)
Omitted: Inter caetera; On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia; Ken Livingstone; Julia Gardiner Tyler; Gotse Delchev; Amos Oz
Included: Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (3rd appearance, last in 2016; rescued from Ineligible); 1780 Epsom Derby (2nd appearance, last in 2018); Battle of the Coral Sea (10th appearance, last in 2018); William H. Prescott (first appearance; 225th birthday); Franklin Carmichael (first appearance); Carl von Ossietzky (first appearance)
Repeats: Manaslu (2nd consecutive appearance, 5 total)

—howcheng {chat} 07:02, 6 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

2022 notes

New articles (ineligible): Michael L. Gernhardt (maintenance)
Omitted: Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson; 1780 Epsom Derby; Battle of the Coral Sea; Manaslu; William H. Prescott; Carl von Ossietzky
Included: Inter caetera (9th appearance, last in 2020); Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (3rd appearance, last in 2017); HMS Sheffield (D80) (2nd appearance, last in 2013; 40th anniversary); Parliament House (Malta) (3rd appearance, last in 2019); Herman II, Duke of Swabia (2nd appearance, last in 2017); Amos Oz (2nd appearance, last in 2020)
Repeats: Battle of the Coral Sea (2nd consecutive appearance, 11 total); Franklin Carmichael (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

—howcheng {chat} 06:56, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]