If you thought your 2016 was looking busy, just be glad you're not the United Nations. The organization will be marking 129 "International Days" — not to mention assorted weeks, decades and a year.
Looking over the list is overwhelming but also enlightening. It's clear certain dates are more popular than others. The most extreme case is March 21, when five days share a spot on the calendar. That's especially odd when you realize that there are huge gaps without any days. January has only one: the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.
That's on the 27th, which is also the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. It's common for dates to be chosen to connect with historical events. Others have been picked to line up with existing celebrations — that's why April 22 is International Mother Earth Day. And you'll notice a few don't have exact dates. One example: World Habitat Today, which falls on the first Monday in October.
None of the days would exist without the founding of the United Nations. That event spawned United Nations Day, which is held every October 24 and is one of the oldest on the list.
As for the newest? Two days are making a 2016 debut: International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11) and World Tsunami Awareness Day (November 5).
Here's the full list:
JANUARY
27 January
International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
FEBRUARY
4 February
6 February
International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
11 February
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
13 February
20 February
21 February
International Mother Language Day
MARCH
1 March
3 March
8 March
20 March
International Day of Happiness
21 March
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
21 March
21 March
21 March
21 March
22 March
23 March
24 March
24 March
25 March
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
25 March
International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members
APRIL
2 April
4 April
International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
6 April
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
7 April
International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda
7 April
12 April
International Day of Human Space Flight
22 April
International Mother Earth Day
23 April
23 April
24 - 30 April
Note: Okay, technically it's a "week" but it's included on the calendar of "International Days"
25 April
26 April
World Intellectual Property Day
28 April
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
29 April
Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare
30 April
MAY
3 May
8-9 May
Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War
9-10 May
15 May
17 May
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
21 May
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
22 May
International Day for Biological Diversity
23 May
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula
29 May
International Day of UN Peacekeepers
31 May
JUNE
1 June
1 June
"Vesak", the Day of the Full Moon
4 June
International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
5 June
6 June
Russian Language Day at the UN
8 June
12 June
World Day Against Child Labour
13 June
International Albinism Awareness Day
14 June
15 June
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
17 June
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
20 June
21 June
23 June
United Nations Public Service Day
23 June
25 June
26 June
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
26 June
United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
JULY
4 July (first Saturday in July)
International Day of Cooperatives
11 July
15 July
18 July
Nelson Mandela International Day
28 July
30 July
International Day of Friendship
30 July
World Day against Trafficking in Persons
AUGUST
9 August
International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples
12 August
19 August
23 August
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition
29 August
International Day against Nuclear Tests
30 August
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
SEPTEMBER
5 September
8 September
12 September
United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 September
International Day of Democracy
16 September
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
21 September
25 September (date varies but always in last week of September)
26 September
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 September
OCTOBER
1 October
International Day of Older Persons
2 October
International Day of Non-Violence
5 October
5 October (first Monday in October)
9 October
10 October
11 October
International Day of the Girl Child
13 October
International Day for Disaster Reduction
15 October
International Day of Rural Women
16 October
17 October
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
20 October
24 October
24 October
World Development Information Day
27 October
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
31 October
NOVEMBER
2 November
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
5 November
World Tsunami Awareness Day
6 November
International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
10 November
World Science Day for Peace and Development
14 November
15 November (third Sunday in November)
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
16 November
International Day for Tolerance
19 November
19 November (third Thursday in November)
20 November
20 November
21 November
25 November
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
29 November
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
DECEMBER
1 December
2 December
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
3 December
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
5 December
International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development
5 December
7 December
International Civil Aviation Day
9 December
9 December
International Anti-Corruption Day
10 December
11 December
18 December
20 December
International Human Solidarity Day
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDEwMTk5OTQ0MDEzNDkxMDYyMDQ2MjdiMw004))