World Humanist Day originated in the 1980s, when several local state chapters of the American Humanist Association (AHA) began celebrating World Humanist Day.

But different chapters had different ideas as to when that day should be. Some chapters, for example, preferred the anniversary of the founding of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), while other chapters celebrated a Humanist Day on different dates of significance. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, first the AHA and then the IHEU passed resolutions declaring June 21 to be World Humanist Day. In both cases it was done as twin resolutions: the first to decide that there should actually be a World Humanist Day, the second to decide when that day should be.

Every year since then, World Humanist Day has been celebrated around the world on June 21.

For more information on World Humanist Day visit www.iheu.org/world-humanist-day-overview