User:MIDI/ODB
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 | This page in a nutshell: An individual's birthday is usually irrelevant when mentioning their death |
The number of days (NDAYS) between someone's birthday and the date of their death is generally irrelevant. Sometimes, biographical articles use wording such as "Joe Bloggs died on 7 October 2024, six days day before his 72nd birthday". At best, writing like this is unnecessary – if the article includes the individual's birthday then the reader has all the information they need. At worst, it implies a link[a] between the two dates – correlation does not imply causation.
Overview
[edit]When covering an individual's death, many articles refer to their death relative to their birthday (e.g. "one day after their birthday" or "n days shy of their birthday). While an individual's death on their birthday may be notable (and is more than likely covered in reliable sources), an arbitrary number of days between a person's date of death and their birthday is trivia and should be avoided. If (and only if) their death is causally related to their birthday, it may be worth mentioning with support of reliable sources. One example may be a person known for their longevity, because their main reason for notability is their date of birth.
Dealing with NDAYS
[edit]Dealing with NDAYS is simple: state the simplest of verifiable facts. If someone died n days after their 72nd birthday, they died at the age of 72. If they died n days before their 72nd birthday, they died at the age of 71.
- Example A
- Before 09:45 UTC on 19 March 2024, the Charles A. Crow article said:
- He died in Campbell, Missouri, March 20, 1938, 11 days shy of his 65th birthday.
- At 09:45 UTC on 19 March 2024, the article was modified to say:
- He died in Campbell, Missouri, March 20, 1938, at the age of 64.
- Example B
- Before 19:42 UTC on 21 August 2024, the Frank Bowerman article said:
- Bowerman died in his birthplace of Romeo, Michigan five days shy of his 80th birthday.
- At 19:42 UTC on 21 August 2024, the article was modified to say:
- Bowerman died in his birthplace of Romeo, Michigan on November 30, 1948, at the age of 79.
- Example C
- Before 19:47 UTC on 21 August 2024, the Marty Engel article said:
- He died on January 29, 2022, four days after his 90th birthday.
- At 19:47 UTC on 21 August 2024, the article was modified to say:
- He died on January 29, 2022, at the age of 90.
Footnotes
[edit]- ^ The birthday effect, which states that an individual's likelihood of death appears to increase on or close to their birthday, is only relevant if covered by reliable sources in relation to the subject's death