Important Days to Remember – October

The theme of the International Day of Older Persons 2017 is “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society.” This day is about enabling and expanding the contributions of older people in their families, communities and societies at large. It focuses on the pathways that support full and effective participation in old age, in accordance with old persons’ basic rights, needs and preferences.

The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day. The theme for World Habitat Day 2 October 2017 was Housing Policies: Affordable Homes. The purpose of World Habitat Day is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter

2017 Theme: “Exploring New Worlds in Space”. World Space Week is the largest annual space event in the world. It helps build up the workforce of tomorrow by inspiring students, demonstrates visible public support for the space programme, educates the public about space activities, and fosters international cooperation in space outreach and education.

World Teachers’ Day 2017 was celebrated under the theme “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers”, echoing the 2015 theme that followed the adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) in September 2015, when teacher empowerment was reaffirmed as a top priority in all education and development strategies. Held annually on 5 October since 1994, World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.

India started to celebrate Air Force day on 8th of October in the year 1932 as an auxiliary air force of Indian Empire.

World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969. Since then, countries around the world participate annually in the celebrations.

Mental health in the workplace is the theme of World Mental Health Day 2017. World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues and mobilizing efforts in support of better mental health. 

Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. This year, International Day of the Girl (11 October) will focus on the theme, “EmPOWER girls: Before, during and after conflict“.

International Day for Disaster Reduction began in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. Held every 13 October, the day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face. The 2017 edition continues under the “Sendai Seven” campaign, centred on the seven targets of the Sendai Framework. This year’s focus is Target B: Reducing the number of affected people by disasters by 2030.

Each year on 14 October, the members of the IEC, ISO and ITU celebrate World Standards Day, which is a means of paying tribute to the collaborative efforts of the thousands of experts worldwide who develop the voluntary technical agreements that are published as international standards.

This day recognizes the role of rural women, including indigenous women, in agricultural and rural development, particularly in developing countries.

FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the Organization in 1945.  Events are organized in over 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. This year’s theme is Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development.

2017 theme — Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies. The theme for this year’s commemoration reminds us of the importance of the values of dignity, solidarity and voice underscored in the Call to Action to fight to end poverty everywhere. 

World Osteoporosis Day (WOD), marked on October 20 each year, is a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related bone diseases. This year’s theme is, “Love your bones – Protect your future“.

Police Commemoration Day is observed on October 21 every year to mark the martyrdom of Policemen killed in Ladakh in 1959 and to pay tribute to all other Police personnel killed on duty during the year. 

2017 Theme: Potential in Diversity. UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.

World Polio Day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis. Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure, but there are safe and effective vaccines.

Audiovisual documents, such as films, radio and television programmes, are our common heritage and contain the primary records of the history of the 20th and 21st centuries. Unfortunately, that heritage is now endangered, because sound recordings and moving images can be deliberately destroyed or irretrievably lost as a result of neglect, decay and technological obsolescence. Through initiatives such as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage and the Memory of the World Programme, the work of preservation professionals is encouraged, in order to manage the range of technical, political, social, financial and other factors that threaten the safeguarding of our audiovisual heritage.

You may also like to read:

• Important Days to Remember – September
• Important Days to Remember – August
• Important Days to Remember – July
• Important Days to Remember – June