Wikipedia:Big events make key participants notable

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not only are the September 11 attacks notable enough for a standalone article, but so are all the flights involved, many people, many other related events that followed, and so on. In fact, there is an entire category devoted to this event that has nearly 100 articles plus a dozen subcategories, some of that have subcategories of their own!

For more than 100 years, very large events have made the key participants, of the event, notable beyond that single event. Also, several phrases or small places have also become notable from a single event, and therefore, Wikipedia has separate articles for those topics. The general rule, in many cases, is to cover the event, not the person. However, as both the event and the individual's role grow larger, separate articles become justified.

The Wikipedia guidelines

President Ronald Reagan
in 1981. As an independent article, detailed facts about Hinckley can be kept separate from articles about President Reagan or others involved, rather than being repeated within each.

The following big events have made several key people/phrases notable:

  • The sinking of the
    R.M.S. Titanic
    generated several notables in 1912:
  • Edward John Smith, a captain of the White Star Line, died as Titanic's captain
  • Frederick Fleet, the crewman who sighted the iceberg
  • Molly Brown
    , a passenger whose lifeboat held the only survivors pulled from the water
  • wireless telegraph
    used onboard
  • SOS, a distress signal used in Morse code, new at the time

Other big single events which have generated several notables, include:

  • The assassination of
    President Kennedy
    ) in 1963:
  • The murder of actress Sharon Tate and LaBianca neighbors, in 1969:
  • Charles Manson, imprisoned as the leader of the plot
  • Manson family
    , followers of Manson (some at the scene)
  • Helter Skelter
    , struggle Manson said would end the world.

In general, most events are not of a large enough scale to make the key participants notable. However, others generate such mainstream coverage that the key people, or companies, or products, or places, or other names become separately notable, as almost household names for the general public.

In summary, as noted in Wikipedia guideline WP:Notability (people), some highly publicized events have made the key participants instantly notable, due to having a major role or impact in the event. Hence, separate articles have become justified.