User:Fabricationary/Event proposal

This proposal has become dormant through lack of discussion by the community.

It is inactive but retained for historical interest. If you want to revive discussion on this subject, try using the talk page or start a discussion at the village pump.

This is a proposal for what should and should not be included in the Events sections of date pages in Wikipedia:WikiProject Days of the year.

What Should Be Listed

Human Accomplishments/Social Milestones

Records significant on a global scale, such as firsts (first human to walk on the moon, to climb Mount Everest, to reach Antarctica, etc.), extremes (maybe hottest/coldest temperatures recorded)
Significant social firsts - date when first country/major country abolished slavery, allowed women to vote, allowed same-sex marriage, legalized abortion, and so forth, date when a person/group made a significant social milestone
Milestones in inventions/technology - the date the nuclear bomb was first used successfully, the date the first computer went on the market, the date the Internet began, patent dates of important inventions like the telephone, etc.
Dates of completion or premiere of major works of art and architecture recognized on a global scale, such as the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Rise and Fall of Countries/Global Movements

Beginnings, ends, and perhaps significant battles or movements in global wars or wars involving at least one country considered a world power at the time of the war. By significant battles, I mean those that turned the tide of the war, such as D-Day.
Dates of independence/liberation/formation of countries, including those formed/significantly changed in a peaceful revolution
Formation of major alliances in which at least one participating country was a global power at the time of formation
Dates of formation of global organizations/organizations in which world powers are members (such as the European Union, NATO, the Red Cross)
Dates significant world leaders/movements rose to power (by significant, I mean that the leader/movement had a significant impact on the world during their time in power, not just that they led a major world power).
Dates of important documents and treaties - the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Versailles, etc.
Major dates in the history of world religion. If it's overly speculative (or if the religion is practiced by less than 1 million people or another sizeable number), it shouldn't be included.
Founding or first occurrence of global events, such as the Olympic Games.

Major disasters/crimes

Assassinations or attempted assassinations of significant world leaders/influential figures. Successful assassinations can also be listed under "Deaths," but in the Events section, a note can be included about the assassin and other key details.
Natural disasters that killed a significant (few thousand?) number of people, or ones that significantly impacted a major metropolis/country (the tsunami of 2004, Hurricane Katrina, and that sort). Just one listing should do - we shouldn't need to know, for example, date the hurricane formed, date it first made landfall, date it dissipated, etc.)
Major terrorist attacks that greatly affected countries and had a significant number of casualities (i.e. over 1000)

What Should Not Be Listed

*In general, events that would not be of interest globally/that do not have an impact on more than one country.

Births and deaths (except assassinations)
Future events - this is speculation
Dates that pertain to television programs, movies, books, video games, etc. - this is not notable on a global scale
Sport records - unless they are significant world records (speed) or social precedents (first black man to play in MLB)
Dates of festivals (national, local, global) - this is a yearly occasion, not a one-time event
Minor natural disasters - i.e. "Mudslide kills two people in rural Kansas"
Minor terrorist attacks - i.e. "Suicide bomber kills ten people in Israel"
Minor crimes/law violations - i.e. "___ goes on killing spree, killing two Finnish farmers"
Repetitive events - i.e. multiple sightings of comets, listing of Superbowl winners, listing of every significant battle in a war, listings of every person to become president of a country, regardless of the impact of their presidency.
Founding or openings of institutions/buildings that lack global significance or are not the first of their kind, such as foundings of random universities, schools, museums, businesses, or stores.

What To Do About Excess Items

Items that do not follow this criteria but are still factual and relevant can be moved to other timelines or portals, such as:

This offers an opportunity for the expansion of these sections as well.

Withstanding the test of time?

On many pages, there are many events listed for recent years, while the events listed for past years become sparser. Perhaps the events should be limited to include only those we think will be remembered in 10, 20, 50, or more years. For example, from May 13 - "2000 - In Enschede, the Netherlands, a fireworks factory explodes, killing 22 people, wounding 950, and resulting in approximately €450 million in damage. " - was this significant on a global scale? Did it start a war/massive reforms? Did people outside the Netherlands take notice, even then?