World Football Day

Last year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to recognize May 25 as World Football Day. In 2024, the day marked the 100th anniversary of the first international football tournament featuring teams from all regions.

Football, known as soccer in the United States, made its Olympic debut in Paris in 1924. This annual celebration is meant to honour the global impact of football as a unifying sport. It also sheds light on the role of football in promoting peace, development and women’s empowerment. The day encourages all countries to celebrate the value of the sport through special events and competitions.

Football traces its roots to ancient civilisations, with early versions of the game being played in China, Greece, and Rome. The modern version, however, emerged in 19th-century England, when official rules first came into place, leading to the foundation of the Football Association in 1863.

World Football Day: History

From dusty fields to state-of-the-art stadiums, football has now grown into a global passion, with tournaments like the FIFA World Cup uniting nations and cultures. The proposal to designate May 25 as World Football Day was put forward by Libya’s ambassador to the United Nations, Taher El-Sonni. The initiative received widespread support, with over 160 UN member states showing a thumbs-up to the resolution.

While presenting the proposal, Ambassador El-Sonni highlighted football’s global reach, emphasizing its presence in communities of all sizes—from small villages to major cities. He also admitted it to be the most popular sport in the world.

World Football Day: Significance

World Football Day celebrates the power of football to unite people across cultures, nations, and backgrounds. The sport promotes teamwork, fair play, and mutual respect, while also driving social inclusion, community development, and peace-building efforts. It also honours football’s cultural impact and its ability to inspire youth and encourage healthy lifestyles.

 

Kazu Nazrul Islam's Birth Anniversary

Kazi Nazrul Islam, born on 24 May, 1899, in Churulia, Bengal [now in West Bengal, India], was an influential and prolific Bengali poet and anti-imperial activist. He was known as Bidrohi Kobi (“Rebel Poet”) because of his revolutionary activities and participation in the Indian Independence Movement. His literary output includes poems, songs, short stories, novels, essays, and plays. Nazrul Islam significantly contributed to Bengali music with between 2,000 and 4,000 musical compositions collectively known as Nazrul Geeti (“Songs of Nazrul”). His writings are admired for their themes of freedom, social justice, gender equality, and communal harmony. He migrated to Bangladesh in 1972 and was later named the country’s national poet.

World Wrestling Day

World Wrestling Day commemorates the first Greco-Roman wrestling world championships held on May 23, 1904 in Vienna, Austria.

Today, World Wrestling Day is used as a time to celebrate and promote all styles of amateur wrestling around the world.

The month of May is regarded as “World Wrestling Month”

On May 23, 1904, competitors from 5 surrounding countries participated in the inaugural Greco-Roman World Championship held in Vienna, Austria.

The host country, Austria, was heavily represented, accounting for 19 out of 26 total competitors, while Demark, Germany, Hungary, and Bohemia also brought representatives.

Sherlock Holmes Day

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for being the author of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle’s birthday, May 22, is celebrated as Sherlock Holmes Day for fans of one of the most famous literary detectives of all time.

Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1859. While he wrote some short stories as a young adult, Doyle did not originally pursue a career as an author. He went to medical school and graduated with his bachelor’s in 1881 and earned his M.D. in 1885. One of Doyle’s professors, Dr. Joseph Bell, was a master of diagnostics and deduction. His observational prowess would provide inspiration for the character of Sherlock Holmes.

“A Study in Scarlet”, the first Sherlock Holmes story, was published in 1887. The adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were immediately popular with readers, but Doyle wasn’t passionate about the characters. He considered the Sherlock Holmes stories to have more popular “commercial” value compared to his other writing. He wanted to be regarded as a more “serious” author for the other novels, plays and poems he wrote. 

Doyle continued to practice medicine, got married and had a family, all while pursuing a literary career. While he explored writing nonfiction and penned many pieces on spiritualism, it was Sherlock Holmes who would reign supreme. The last of Sherlock Holmes’s stories were published in 1927, and Doyle passed away in 1930.

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

 

Held every year on 21 May, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrates not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development. The United Nations General Assembly first declared this World Day in 2002, following UNESCO’s adoption of the 2001 Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, recognizing the need to “enhance the potential of culture as a means of achieving prosperity, sustainable development and global peaceful coexistence.” 

With the adoption in September 2015 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations, and the Resolution A/C. 2/70/L.59 on Culture and Sustainable Development adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2015, the message of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is more important than ever. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals can best be achieved by drawing upon the creative potential of the world’s diverse cultures, and engaging in continuous dialogue to ensure that all members of society benefit from sustainable development. 

World Metrology Day

World Metrology Day is celebrated globally on May 20 every year to highlight the importance of the science of measurement in our daily lives and raise awareness around it.

Metrology has constantly pushed scientific and technological advancements; this day highlights metrology’s impact on quality of life and conservation of the environment, thereby aligning with UNESCO’s objective to advance science for a better world.

Plant Something Day (United States)

Plant Something Day is a holiday that is celebrated in the United States every year on May 19. It encourages people to take a few minutes to plant something around them. It could be a flower, a tree, or an indoor plant. Any plant that grows would suffice. During the holiday, local businesses like nurseries and landscapers usually host community events to plant in public spaces together. People can plant at home, in schools, in parks, and in other community gardens. The planting initiates help to protect the environment and enhance the beauty of public spaces.