Important Days in September 2026
September 2026 has 42 days that exams ask about: 34 international and 8 national. Each date comes with a one-line fact and the official source it was checked against. Days fixed by a weekday, such as World First Aid Day, are shown on their 2026 date.
| Date | Day | Important day |
|---|---|---|
| 2 September | Wednesday | World Coconut Day |
| 5 September | Saturday | International Day of Charity · International Day of the World's Indigenous Women and Girls · Teachers' Day |
| 7 September | Monday | International Day of Clean Air for blue skies · International Day of Police Cooperation · World Duchenne Awareness Day |
| 8 September | Tuesday | International Literacy Day · World Physiotherapy Day |
| 9 September | Wednesday | International Day to Protect Education from Attack |
| 10 September | Thursday | World Suicide Prevention Day |
| 11 September | Friday | National Forest Martyrs Day |
| 12 September | Saturday | World First Aid Day · United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation |
| 14 September | Monday | Hindi Diwas |
| 15 September | Tuesday | International Day of Democracy · Engineers' Day |
| 16 September | Wednesday | International Day for Interventional Cardiology · International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer · International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South |
| 17 September | Thursday | World Patient Safety Day · Hyderabad Liberation Day |
| 18 September | Friday | International Equal Pay Day · World Bamboo Day |
| 20 September | Sunday | World Cleanup Day |
| 21 September | Monday | International Day of Peace · World Alzheimer's Day |
| 23 September | Wednesday | International Day of Sign Languages · Ayurveda Day |
| 24 September | Thursday | World Maritime Day · NSS Day |
| 25 September | Friday | World Pharmacists Day · Antyodaya Diwas |
| 26 September | Saturday | International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons · World Environmental Health Day |
| 27 September | Sunday | World Rivers Day · World Tourism Day |
| 28 September | Monday | International Day for Universal Access to Information · World Rabies Day |
| 29 September | Tuesday | International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste · World Heart Day |
| 30 September | Wednesday | International Translation Day |
(Wednesday)
World Coconut Day
Marks the foundation day of the International Coconut Community, set up in 1969 under UNESCAP; India is a founder member.
International Coconut Community (ICC) · Source: pib.gov.in
(Saturday)
International Day of Charity
Marks the death anniversary of Mother Teresa, the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize laureate; designated by UN General Assembly resolution 67/105.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
International Day of the World's Indigenous Women and Girls
Decided by the UN General Assembly in resolution 80/10 on 26 November 2025, to be observed on 5 September every year.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
Teachers' DayNational
Marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India's second President, born on 5 September 1888.
Government of India (Ministry of Education) · Source: pib.gov.in
(Monday)
International Day of Clean Air for blue skies
Designated by UN General Assembly resolution 74/212 and observed with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to urge action on air pollution.
United Nations General Assembly (UNEP) · Source: un.org
International Day of Police Cooperation
Established by UN General Assembly resolution 77/241 in 2022 to underline international cooperation among police and law enforcement agencies.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
World Duchenne Awareness Day
Awareness day for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic disease of children; made a UN day observed every year from 2024.
United Nations General Assembly (resolution 78/12) · Source: un.org
(Tuesday)
International Literacy Day
Proclaimed by UNESCO at the 14th session of its General Conference in 1966; celebrated every year since 1967.
UNESCO · Source: unesco.org
World Physiotherapy Day
Marks the founding of World Physiotherapy, the global body for physiotherapy, in 1951; 8 September became World PT Day in 1996.
World Physiotherapy · Source: world.physio
(Wednesday)
International Day to Protect Education from Attack
Established unanimously by UN General Assembly resolution 74/275, presented by Qatar, calling on UNESCO and UNICEF to raise awareness.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
(Thursday)
World Suicide Prevention Day
Organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), with WHO as co-sponsor, to spread the message that suicide can be prevented.
International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP); WHO · Source: who.int
(Friday)
National Forest Martyrs DayNational
Recalls 11 September 1730, when over 360 Bishnoi people led by Amrita Devi were killed at Khejarli, Rajasthan, while protecting trees.
Government of India (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) · Source: pib.gov.in
(Saturday)
World First Aid Day
Held on the second Saturday of September by the IFRC and Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to show that first aid is a life-saving skill for all.
Date: every year on the second Saturday of the month
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) · Source: globalfirstaidcentre.org
United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
A UN day for cooperation among developing countries, whose objectives come from the Buenos Aires Plan of Action endorsed by the UN in 1978.
United Nations General Assembly (resolution 58/220) · Source: un.org
(Monday)
Hindi DiwasNational
On 14 September 1949 the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi as the official language of the Union; celebrated in all central government offices.
Government of India (Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs) · Source: pib.gov.in
(Tuesday)
International Day of Democracy
Proclaimed by UN General Assembly resolution 62/7 to promote and uphold the principles of democracy around the world.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
Engineers' DayNational
Marks the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, who built the Krishna Raja Sagara dam and received the Bharat Ratna in 1955.
Government of India · Source: pib.gov.in
(Wednesday)
International Day for Interventional Cardiology
Marks the first coronary angioplasty, performed by Dr Andreas Grüntzig on 16 September 1977; proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2022.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1994 to mark the signing of the Montreal Protocol on 16 September 1987.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South
Agreed by the G77 and China at their 2023 Havana summit and proclaimed by UN General Assembly resolution 78/259 on 9 January 2024.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
(Thursday)
World Patient Safety Day
Established by World Health Assembly resolution WHA72.6, which recognises patient safety as a global health priority.
World Health Organization (World Health Assembly) · Source: who.int
Hyderabad Liberation DayNational
Marks the liberation of Hyderabad from the Nizam's rule on 17 September 1948 after Operation Polo; notified by the Home Ministry in 2024.
Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs) · Source: newsonair.gov.in
(Friday)
International Equal Pay Day
Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2019 (resolution 74/142) to promote equal pay for work of equal value.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
World Bamboo Day
First celebrated on 18 September 2009 at the 8th World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok, organised by the World Bamboo Organization.
World Bamboo Organization (WBO) · Source: worldbamboo.net
(Sunday)
World Cleanup Day
Proclaimed by UN General Assembly resolution 78/122 on 8 December 2023; UN-Habitat facilitates the observance of the day.
United Nations General Assembly (UN-Habitat) · Source: un.org
(Monday)
International Day of Peace
Established by the UN General Assembly in 1981; in 2001 it was designated a day of non-violence and ceasefire.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
World Alzheimer's Day
Marked by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) during World Alzheimer's Month; ADI releases its World Alzheimer Report on the day.
Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) · Source: alzint.org
(Wednesday)
International Day of Sign Languages
The date marks the founding of the World Federation of the Deaf in 1951; UN resolution 72/161 proclaiming it was adopted on 19 December 2017.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
Ayurveda DayNational
Earlier observed on Dhanteras; a Gazette notification of 23 March 2025 fixed it on 23 September, close to the autumnal equinox.
Government of India (Ministry of Ayush) · Source: pib.gov.in
(Thursday)
World Maritime Day
Held on the last Thursday of September by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN agency for international shipping.
Date: every year on the last Thursday of the month
International Maritime Organization (IMO) · Source: imo.org
NSS DayNational
The National Service Scheme was launched on 24 September 1969 by Education Minister Dr V.K.R.V. Rao in 37 universities.
Government of India (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports) · Source: nss.gov.in
(Friday)
World Pharmacists Day
Marks the founding of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in 1912; the day was adopted by the FIP Council in 2009.
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) · Source: fip.org
Antyodaya DiwasNational
Declared in 2014 on the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya; Antyodaya means reaching out to the last person.
Government of India (Ministry of Rural Development) · Source: pib.gov.in
(Saturday)
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
Declared by UN General Assembly resolution 68/32 in December 2013 after a high-level meeting on nuclear disarmament; observed since 2014.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
World Environmental Health Day
Launched by the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) on 26 September 2011 to raise awareness of environmental health.
International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) · Source: ifeh.org
(Sunday)
World Rivers Day
Held on the fourth Sunday of September; founded by river advocate Mark Angelo and backed by UN agencies under the Water for Life Decade.
Date: every year on the fourth Sunday of the month
World Rivers Day (founder Mark Angelo) · Source: worldriversday.com
World Tourism Day
Marks the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes in 1970; first celebrated in 1980 and led by UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO).
UN Tourism · Source: pib.gov.in
(Monday)
International Day for Universal Access to Information
Declared by UNESCO on 17 November 2015 and later adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2019 (resolution 74/5).
UNESCO; United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
World Rabies Day
Marks the death anniversary of French scientist Louis Pasteur, who developed the first rabies vaccine.
Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), with WHO · Source: who.int
(Tuesday)
International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
Proclaimed by UN General Assembly resolution 74/209 on 19 December 2019 to promote action to reduce food loss and waste.
United Nations General Assembly (FAO) · Source: fao.org
World Heart Day
Established in 2000 by the World Heart Federation in partnership with WHO to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease.
World Heart Federation · Source: world-heart-federation.org
(Wednesday)
International Translation Day
Marks the feast of St Jerome, Bible translator and patron saint of translators; declared by UN resolution 71/288 on 24 May 2017.
United Nations General Assembly · Source: un.org
Frequently Asked Questions
How many important days are there in September 2026?
This list has 42 days in September 2026: 34 international and 8 national. Each was checked against an official page of the UN, a UN agency, the Government of India or the body that runs the day.
Which national days of India fall in September 2026?
Teachers' Day (5 September); National Forest Martyrs Day (11 September); Hindi Diwas (14 September); Engineers' Day (15 September); Hyderabad Liberation Day (17 September); Ayurveda Day (23 September); NSS Day (24 September); Antyodaya Diwas (25 September).
Which days in September change their date every year?
These are held on a fixed weekday, so the date moves: World First Aid Day (every year on the second Saturday of the month; 12 September in 2026); World Maritime Day (every year on the last Thursday of the month; 24 September in 2026); World Rivers Day (every year on the fourth Sunday of the month; 27 September in 2026).
Are the themes of these days given?
No. Themes change every year, so this list keeps to the lasting facts: who declared the day, whose memory or which event it marks, and since when. A given year’s theme is in that day’s current affairs story.