Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2023 October 5

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October 5

Dates of Events on Wikipedia Articles -- How do I know if it is Julian Calendar or Gregorian Calendar?

In Wikipedia articles, are all dates for events prior to Thursday, 4 October 1582 given according to the Julian Calendar (unless specified otherwise)?

As the Gregorian calendar was adopted on different dates in different countries, what calendar is used for events described following that date? Presumably the national one and thus an event occurring between two countries on different calendars will have different dated?

I have tried and failed to find a Wikipedia policy document on this issue. Can you please provide a reference?

88.207.158.124 (talk) 17:27, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

See MOS:JG. You basically have it right; use the calendar in force at the time and place of what is being described. Put a footnote or similar in the article briefly explaining the calendars used in the article. Jc3s5h (talk) 17:52, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

Thank you for the response. The MOS:JG resolves my uncertainty with

"Dates after 4 October 1582 in a place where the Julian calendar was observed should be given in the Julian calendar."

88.207.158.124 (talk) 19:47, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

Further confusion can arise from New Year in various locales having become 1 March or other dates (even the moving target of Easter) for periods in the Julian era, and switching at some point that didn't necessarily coincide with the J–G switch. Conversion by a historical source from an entirely different calendar (e.g. Jewish or Islamic) may also not be accurate. My 'religious' new year occurs in 26 days' time. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.212.210.36 (talk) 17:40, 6 October 2023 (UTC)