LIST OF INTERNATIONAL OBSERVANCES

Below follows a list of consecutively days, years and decades that have been denoted as
international observances by the United Nations. There are also other organizations that declare
international observances, although these are not as widely recognized.

January
January 1

- Global Family Day--formerly One Day of Peace and Sharing, recognized by the UN

January 6

- World day for War orphans

initiated by (S.O.S Enfants En Detresse - ww.soseed.org by Stephen N. KINUTHIA)

January 11 -

International Day for Peace in Kenya January 11, 2008.

Recent events in the country left Kenyans in fear of their future. The stalemate between the
political leaders has created opportunity for destructive forces, and organized militia, which
have risen to kill innocent people (more than 450 killed, thousands injured and over 250,000
displaced - initiated by (Kenya Welfare Foundation & Kenya Development Network and
Consortium)
January 15

- Martin Luther King Day

January 27

- International Holocaust Remembrance Day

February
February 02

- World Wetlands Day

February 04

- World Cancer Day

February 04

- International Tacky Email Formatting Day

February 12

- Darwin Day

February 14

- Valentines Day

February 21

- International Mother Language Day, recognized by the UN

March
March

8 - United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace, recognized by the UN

March

15 - World Consumer Rights Day

March

20 - International Day of the Francophonie (site (French))

March

21 - World Sleep Day

March

21 - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, recognized by the UN

March

22 - World Day for Water, recognized by the UN

March

23 - World Meteorological Day, recognized by the UN

March

24 - World Tuberculosis Day, recognized by the UN

March

27 - World Theatre Day

March

27 - World Wear Odd socks day

April
April

4 - International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, recognized by the

UN
April

7 - World Health Day, recognized by the UN

April

22 - Earth Day

April

23 - World Book and Copyright Day, recognized by the UN

April

25 - Africa Malaria Day

April

26 - World Intellectual Property Day, recognized by the UN

April

28 - International Workers' Memorial Day

April

29 - World Dance Day

May
May 1

- May Day

May 3

- World Press Freedom Day, recognized by the UN

May 4

- International Firefighters' Day

May 8

- World Red Cross & Red Crescent Day

May 12

- International Nurses Day

May 15

- International Day of Families, recognized by the UN

May 17

- World Telecommunication Day, recognized by the UN

May 21

- World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, recognized by the UN

May 22

- International Day for Biological Diversity, recognized by the UN

May 29

- International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, recognized by the UN

May 31

- World No Tobacco Day, recognized by the UN

1st Tuesday of
2nd

May - World Asthma Day

Saturday of May - World Fair Trade Day

June
June 1

- International Children's Day

June 4

- International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, recognized by the UN

June 5

- World Environment Day, recognized by the UN

June 8

- World Brain Tumour Day

June 8

- World Ocean Day

June 12

- World Day against Child Labour

June 14

- World Blood Donor Day, recognized by the UN

June 17

- World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, recognized by the UN

June 18

- International Picnic Day

June 20

- World Refugee Day, recognized by the UN

June 21

- World Music Day

June 23

- United Nations Public Service Day, recognized by the UN

June 26

- International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, recognized by the UN

June 26

- International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, recognized by the UN

July
1st Saturday of

July - International Day of Cooperatives, recognized by the UN

July 11 - World

Population Day, recognized by the UN

August
August 9

- International Day of the World's Indigenous People

August 12

- International Youth Day

August 13

- Left Handers Day

August 23

- International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition

August 29

- According to Hoyle Day

September
September

8 - International Literacy Day, recognized by the UN

September

8 - World Rabies Day

September

11 - World First Aid Day

September

16 - International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, recognized by the UN

September

19 - International Talk Like a Pirate Day

September

21 - International Day of Peace, recognized by the UN, World Alzheimer's Day

September

22 - (World) Car Free Day(s)

September

25 - International Grab Hand Day. Not Recognised by UN, but only those in the GIS
Industry, and all associated IT Disciplines.

September

26 - European Day of Languages

September

27 - World Tourism Day

September

28 - Right to Know Day [1]

4th

week of September - (International) Peace Week

During

last week of September - World Maritime Day, recognized by the UN

October
First Monday of

October - World Habitat Day

October

1 - International Day of Older Persons, recognized by the UN

October

1 - World Vegetarian Day

October

2 - International Day of Non-Violence, recognized by the UN, observed on M.K.

Gandhi's birthday

October

4 - World Animal Day

October

5 - World Teachers' Day

Second Wednesday of

October - International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction

October

6 - World Hospice and Palliative Care Day

October

8 - World Humanitarian Action Day

October

9 - World Post Day

October

10 - World Mental Health Day, recognized by the UN

October

14 - World Standards Day

October

15 - Foundation of the Black Panthers Day

October

16 - World Food Day, recognized by the UN

October

17 - International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, recognized by the UN

October

24 - United Nations Day, recognized by the UN

October

24 - World Development Information Day, recognized by the UN

November
November

1 - World Vegan Day

November

6 - International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and
Armed Conflict, recognized by the UN

November

9 - World Freedom Day

November

16 - International Day for Tolerance, recognized by the UN

November

17 - International Students Day

November

19 - World Toilet Day

November

20 - Africa Industrialization Day, recognized by the UN

November

20 - Universal Children's Day, recognized by the UN

November

21 - World Hello Day

November

21 - World Television Day, recognized by the UN

November

25 - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, recognized by

the UN
November

29 - International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, recognized by the UN

December
December

1 - World AIDS Day, recognized by the UN

December

2 - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, recognized by the UN

December

3 - International Day of Disabled Persons, recognized by the UN

December

5 - International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, recognized by

the UN
December

7 - International Civil Aviation Day, recognized by the UN

December

9 - The International Day against Corruption, recognized by the UN

December

10 - Human Rights Day, recognized by the UN

December

18 - International Migrants Day, recognized by the UN

December

20 - International Human Solidarity Day, recognized by the UN

Years

1950s
1959/1960

- World Refugee Year

1960s
1961

- International Health and Medical Research Year

1965

- International Cooperation Year

1967

- International Tourist Year

1968

- International Year for Human Rights

1970s
1970

- International Education Year

1971

- International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination

1974

- World Population Year

1975

- International Women's Year

1978/1979
1979

- International Anti-Apartheid Year

- International Year of the Child

1980s
1981

- International Year of Disabled Persons

1982

- International Year of Mobilization for Sanctions against South Africa

1983

- World Communications Year

1984

- Year of Women in South Africa [2]

1985

- Year of the United Nations

1985

- International Youth Year

1986

- International Year of Peace

1987

- International Year of Shelter for the Homeless

1990s
1990

- International Literacy Year

1992

- International Space Year

1993

- International Year of the World's Indigenous People

1994

- International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal

1994

- International Year of the Family

1995

- World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of Victims of the Second World War

1995

- United Nations Year for Tolerance

1996

- International Year for the Eradication of Poverty

1998

- International Year of the Ocean

1999

- International Year of Older Persons

2000s
2000

- International Year of Thanksgiving

2000

- International Year for the Culture of Peace

2001

- International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and

Related Intolerance

2001

- International Year of Volunteers

2001

- United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations

2002

- International Year of Ecotourism [3]

2002

- International Year of Mountains [4] United Nations General Assembly Resolution 24

session 53 (retrieved 2007-11-19)

2002

- United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage [5]

2003

- International Year of Freshwater [6]

2003

- European Disability Year

2004

- International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition [7]

2004

- International Year of Rice

2005

- International Year for Sport and Physical Education

2005

- International Year of Microcredit [8]

2005

- World Year of Physics (declared by IUPAP) [9]

2006

- International Year of Deserts and Desertification

2007

- Year of the Dolphin (extended to 2008)

(2007)-2008-(2009)

- International Year of Planet Earth - (N.B. Triennium) - [10] and [11] & [12]

2007

- Year of the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons in Colombia

2008

- International Year of Languages

2008

- International Year of the Potato

2008

- International Year of Sanitation

2009

- International Year of Astronomy [13] (proposal accepted by 33rd session of the UNESCO
General Conference, proclaimed by United Nations 62nd General Assembly)

2009

- International Year of Natural Fibres [14]

2009

- International Year of Reconciliation [15]

2010s
2010

- International Year of Communications

2011 -

International Year of Forests

Decades
19761985

- United Nations Decade for Women [16]

19942004

- First International Decade of the World's Indigenous People [17]

19972006

- First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty [18]

20002010

- Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism [19] (pdf)

20012010

- International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the
World [20], recognized by the UN

20032012

- United Nations Literacy Decade [21]

20052014

- United Nations Decade on Education for Sustainable Development - [22]

20052014

- Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People [23]

20052015

- Water for Life Decade