Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/June 17

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This is the talk page for making suggestions or discussing improvements to Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/June 17.

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 June 17 article, see Talk:June 17 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.

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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.
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Today's featured article for June 17, 2025

The russet sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, distributed in eastern Asia. A chunky little seed-eating bird with a thick bill, it has a body length of 14 to 15 cm (5.5–5.9 in). Its plumage is mainly warm rufous above and grey below. It exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the plumage of both sexes patterned similarly to that of the corresponding sex of the house sparrow. Its vocalisations are sweet and musical chirps, which when strung together form a song. The russet sparrow is known well enough in the Himalayas to have a distinct name in some languages, and is depicted in Japanese art. It feeds mainly on the seeds of herbs and grains, but it also eats berries and insects, particularly during the breeding season. This diet makes it a minor pest in agricultural areas, but also a predator of insect pests. It is a social bird within its own species, but disperses to breed. The typical clutch has five or six whitish eggs. Both sexes incubate and feed the young.(Full article...)

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Picture of the day for June 17, 2025

Igor Stravinsky (17 June 1882 – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor, considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century. He studied under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov until his death in 1908. Soon after, Stravinsky met the impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who commissioned the composer to write three ballets for Ballets Russes: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and The Rite of Spring (1913), the last of which caused a near-riot at the premiere in Paris. His compositional style varied greatly, being influenced at different timess by Russian folklore, neoclassicism, and serialism. His ideas influenced Aaron Copland, Philip Glass, Béla Bartók, and Pierre Boulez, who were all challenged to innovate beyond traditional tonality, rhythm, and form. This photograph of Stravinsky in the early 1920s is from the George Grantham Bain collection.

Photograph credit: Bain News Service; restored by MyCatIsAChonk

Recently featured:

← Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/June 16 * Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/June 18 →

1579 - Sir Francis Drake claims California for England
1775 - American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Bunker Hill is fought
1776 - American invasion of Quebec ends
1885 - The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor
1972 - Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee
1976 - China tests its first hydrogen bomb

The NIght Attack

Please change the name of Vlad III the Impaler to Vlad III Dracula, as it is mentioned in the Night Attack, the article which is featured On this Day. It is a matter of consistency and nothing else. It is not good to have Vlad III Impaler on the main page and Vlad III Dracula in the article. --Thus Spake Anittas 22:01, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Also, I don't think it should say that he attacked an Ottoman Empire camp, but an Ottoman camp. Otherwise, everything else is fine. --Thus Spake Anittas 22:05, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

2012 notes

Omitted: New Albion; Battle of Bunker Hill; Population Registration Act
Included: The Night Attack (4th appearance, last in 2009; rescued from Ineligible); Battle of Vienna, Virginia (first appearance); Hyatt Regency walkway collapse (first appearance)
Repeats: Origins and architecture of the Taj Mahal (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total); Joint Communique (3rd consecutive appearance, 3 total)

—howcheng {chat} 05:26, 16 June 2012 (UTC)[reply]

2013 notes

Deleted: New Democratic Party (Canada) (moved to August 3)
Omitted: The Night Attack; Origins and architecture of the Taj Mahal; Battle of Vienna, Virginia; Joint Communique; Population Registration Act, 1950
Included: New Albion (3rd appearance, last in 2011); Wairau Affray (first appearance); Battle of Dagu Forts (1900) (first appearance); Watergate complex (2nd appearance, last in 2010)

—howcheng {chat} 05:50, 16 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2014 notes

New articles (unused): Sultan bin Salman Al Saud (30th anniversary next year)
Omitted: New Albion; Watergate complex/Watergate scandal
Included: Battle of the Rosebud; Joint Communique; O. J. Simpson
Repeats: Wairau Affray (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total); Battle of Dagu Forts (1900) (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

—howcheng {chat} 07:49, 16 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

2015 notes

New articles (ineligible): RMS Lancastria (maintenance)
New articles (unused): First aerial crossing of the South Atlantic
Omitted: Wairau Affray; Battle of the Rosebud; Joint Communiqué; O. J. Simpson
Included: The Night Attack (4th appearance, last in 2012); Battle of Bunker Hill (8th appearance, last in 2011); Sultan bin Salman Al Saud (first appearance; 30th anniversary); Population Registration Act, 1950 (3rd appearance, last in 2012)
Repeats: Battle of Dagu Forts (1900) (3rd consecutive appearance, 3 total)

—howcheng {chat} 09:37, 16 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

2016 notes

Moved to Ineligible: New Albion (maintenance); Watergate complex/Watergate scandal (Scandal: maintenance)
Omitted: The Night Attack; Battle of Bunker Hill; Battle of Dagu Forts (1900); Sultan bin Salman Al Saud
Included: Origins and architecture of the Taj Mahal (3rd appearance, last in 2012); Wairau Affray (3rd appearance, last in 2014); First aerial crossing of the South Atlantic (first appearance); RMS Lancastria (first appearance; rescued from Ineligible)
Repeats: Population Registration Act, 1950 (2nd consecutive appearance, 4 total; 25th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 06:51, 16 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

2017 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Sultan bin Salman Al Saud (maintenance)
New articles (unused): Cornwallis's Retreat (moved from June 16)
Omitted: Origins and architecture of the Taj Mahal (ineligible—maintenance); RMS Lancastria; Population Registration Act, 1950 (ineligible—maintenance)
Included: Night Attack at Târgovişte (6th appearance, last in 2015); Battle of Taku Forts (1900) (4th appearance, last in 2015); Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act (first appearance; rescued from Ineligible); Joint Communiqué (5th appearance, last in 2014); John Kay (flying shuttle) (first appearance); M. C. Escher (first appearance); Annie S. Swan (first appearance)
Repeats: Wairau Affray (2nd consecutive appearance, 4 total)

—howcheng {chat} 07:28, 17 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

2018 notes

Moved to Ineligible: O. J. Simpson/O. J. Simpson murder case (both: maintenance)
Omitted: Night Attack at Târgovişte; Battle of Taku Forts (1900); Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act; Joint Communiqué; John Kay (flying shuttle); M. C. Escher
Included: Kalmar Union (first appearance); New Albion (4th appearance, last in 2013; rescued from Ineligible); RMS Lancastria (2nd appearance, last in 2016); Charleston church shooting (first appearance); Carl Van Vechten (first appearance); Carmen Casco de Lara Castro (first appearance)
Repeats: Wairau Affray (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total; 175th anniversary); Annie S. Swan (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total; 75th birthday)

—howcheng {chat} 07:26, 17 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

2019 notes

Omitted: Kalmar Union; New Albion; Wairau Affray; Charleston church shooting; Carl Van Vechten; Carmen Casco de Lara Castro; Annie S. Swan
Included: Pope Martin I (first appearance); Mumtaz Mahal/Taj Mahal (Mahal: 2nd appearance, last in 2019 (on April 27, her birthday); Taj: first appearance; blurb previously featured Origins and architecture of the Taj Mahal, which is currently ineligible, and is making its 4th appearance, last in 2016); Battle of the Rosebud (2nd appearance, last in 2014); Sultan bin Salman Al Saud (2nd appearance, last in 2015; rescued from Ineligible); Birgitte Thott (first appearance); Susan La Flesche Picotte (first appearance); M. C. Escher (2nd appearance, last in 2017)
Repeats: RMS Lancastria (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total)

—howcheng {chat} 16:02, 17 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Suggestion to be added

Hello, @Howcheng:, Could you please add the following:

Mohamed Morsi (d. 2019), president of Egypt. Thanks for your help. --Dr-Taher (talk) 04:14, 17 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

@Dr-Taher: Looks good for next year. —howcheng {chat} 06:39, 17 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. --Dr-Taher (talk) 04:48, 18 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

2020 notes

Moved to Ineligible: Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act (maintenance)
Omitted: Pope Martin I; Mumtaz Mahal/Taj Mahal; Battle of the Rosebud (ineligible—maintenance); Sultan bin Salman Al Saud (ineligible—maintenance); Birgitte Thott; Susan La Flesche Picotte; M. C. Escher
Included: Night Attack at Târgoviște (7th appearance, last in 2017); Cornwallis's Retreat (3rd appearance, last in 2016); Decree 900 (3rd appearance, last in 2015); Sakanoue no Tamuramaro (first appearance); Daskalogiannis (first appearance); Isabelle Delobel (first appearance)
Repeats: RMS Lancastria (3rd consecutive appearance, 4 total; 80th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 17:05, 18 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

2021 notes

Hello, @Howcheng:, This is to remind you regarding this addition (*Mohamed Morsi (d. 2019), president of Egypt.). Thanks for you. --Dr-Taher (talk) 12:18, 6 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

2021 notes

New articles (unused): Richard Gagnon
Omitted: Night Attack at Târgoviște; Cornwallis's Retreat; RMS Lancastria; Decree 900; Sakanoue no Tamuramaro; Isabelle Delobel
Included: Kalmar Union (2nd appearance, last in 2018); Wairau Affray (6th appearance, last in 2018); Battle of the Taku Forts (1900) (5th appearance, last in 2017); Joint Communiqué (6th appearance, last in 2017); June 2017 Portugal wildfires (first appearance); Gauhar Ara Begum (first appearance); Mohamed Morsi (first appearance)
Repeats: Daskalogiannis (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total; 250th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 17:28, 19 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

2022 notes

New articles (ineligible): Battle of St. Charles (TFA for 2022)
Moved to Ineligible: First aerial crossing of the South Atlantic (maintenance)
Omitted: Wairau Affray; Battle of the Taku Forts (1900); Joint Communiqué; June 2017 Portugal wildfires; Gauhar Ara Begum; Daskalogiannis; Mohamed Morsi
Included: New Albion (5th appearance, last in 2018); Cornwallis's Retreat (4th appearance, last in 2020); Decree 900 (4th appearance, last in 2020; 70th anniversary); Charleston church shooting (2nd appearance, last in 2018); M. C. Escher (3rd appearance, last in 2019); Annie S. Swan (3rd appearance, last in 2018); Grace Towns Hamilton (first appearance; 30th anniversary)
Repeats: Kalmar Union (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total; 675th anniversary)

—howcheng {chat} 07:13, 21 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]