Template:Did you know nominations/Disappearance of Harold Holt


 * The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as |this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by BlueMoonset (talk) 05:05, 5 December 2017 (UTC)

Disappearance of Harold Holt

 * ... that objects named after Harold Holt following his drowning death include a warship, a naval communication station, and several swimming pools?
 * Comment: moved from draftspace
 * Comment: moved from draftspace

Created by Ivar the Boneful (talk). Self-nominated at 16:12, 4 November 2017 (UTC).


 * Symbol confirmed.svg This substantial and interesting article is new enough and long enough. The hook facts are sourced inline, the article is neutral and I detected no copyright issues. No QPQ necessary. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 11:15, 8 November 2017 (UTC)
 * Symbol question.svg If his body was never found and drowning is only suspected, why are we calling it "his drowning death"? Also, I think it's important to identify who he was.
 * ALT1: ... that objects named after Prime Minister of Australia Harold Holt following his disappearance in 1967 include a warship, a naval communication station, and several swimming pools?
 * But truthfully, I think you could do much more with the hook than list in memorium namings. Yoninah (talk) 10:30, 10 November 2017 (UTC)


 * Yoninah what other hook would you suggest? As the article explains, the fact that he drowned is not disputed outside of conspiracy theorists. Ivar the Boneful (talk) 07:02, 11 November 2017 (UTC)
 * I think this will hook readers outside Australia as well:
 * ALT2: ... that conspiracy theories following the disappearance of Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt while swimming in 1967 include him being picked up by a Chinese submarine? Yoninah (talk) 11:36, 13 November 2017 (UTC)
 * Symbol voting keep.svg ALT2 is both interesting and acceptable. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 06:23, 16 November 2017 (UTC)

I'm not sure I like the conspiracy angle, it seems a bit gimmicky and/or clickbaity. Would we run such an outlandish hook on, say, the JFK assassination? I think the intention of the original hook was misinterpreted – it wasn't to just list things named after Holt, it was to point out the incongruity of a man who drowned being commemorated almost solely by aquatic/nautical objects (the swimming pool is well known, the others less so). The original (rephrased in ALT3) would still be my preference, but ALT4 and ALT5 could be considered too. Ivar the Boneful (talk) 17:05, 17 November 2017 (UTC)


 * ALT3: ... that Australian prime minister Harold Holt's drowning death has been commemorated by a warship, a naval installation, and multiple swimming pools?


 * ALT4: ... that Australian prime minister Harold Holt suffered two near-drownings in the same year as his eventual disappearance?


 * ALT5: ... that the disappearance of Australian prime minister Harold Holt came a few days after his doctor had advised him to swim less?
 * Symbol confirmed.svg Thank you,, I agree that what was needed in the original hooks was a bit more contrast. "Multiple swimming pools" solves it perfectly. Restoring tick for ALT3 per Cwmhiraeth's review. Yoninah (talk) 20:42, 18 November 2017 (UTC)