Wikipedia:Notability (history)

This guideline provides some additional criteria for determining the notability of historical topics.

A historical person, organisation or event that meets either the general notability guideline or the criteria outlined in this or any other subject-specific notability guideline, and which is not excluded under the What Wikipedia is not policy, is presumed to merit an article.

Failure to satisfy the criteria outlined in this guideline (or any other notability guideline) is not a criterion for speedy deletion.

Persons
The criteria of WP:BIO are primarily intended for biographies of living people. They may be unsuitable for persons who died long ago because they would be too restrictive and would exclude articles on individuals who are worthy of notice.

Common sense should prevail in determining the notability of persons who died long ago.

In general, the longer a verifiable person has been dead, the more likely they are to be notable. A person who died before the year 1450 is notable if their name is known to us.

Organizations
The criteria of WP:ORG are primarily intended for contemporary organizations. They may be unsuitable for organizations which ceased to exist long ago because they would be too restrictive and would exclude articles on organizations which are worthy of notice.

Again, common sense should prevail in determining the notability of non-contemporary organizations.

An organization that existed before the year 1450 is notable if its name is known to us.

Events
The criteria of WP:EVENT may be unsuitable for events that happened hundreds of years ago because they would be too restrictive and would exclude articles on events that are worthy of notice.

Again, common sense should prevail in determining the notability of such events.

Books
For the criteria for non-contemporary books, see the guideline WP:OBK (which also mandates the use of common sense).