World First Aid Day
Next: September 11, 2027
Know what to do in the first three minutes.
The story
Where it comes from
World First Aid Day was introduced in 2000 by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and is held on the second Saturday of September. Its point is simple: most people who witness an accident or a collapse do not know what to do, and a few hours of training changes that.
How it's celebrated
Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in more than a hundred countries run free first-aid demonstrations in public squares, schools and workplaces, with CPR practice on manikins and lessons on bleeding, choking and burns. Many people book a course that day.
Did you know
- Immediate CPR from a bystander can double or triple a person's chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.
- The Red Cross was founded in 1863 after Henry Dunant saw wounded soldiers left untreated at the Battle of Solferino; first-aid training for the public followed in the 1870s.
- In Norway and Germany, first-aid training is compulsory for a driving licence.
Coming up next
- Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) · September 12, 2027
- Onam · September 12, 2027
- United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation · September 12, 2027
- International Chocolate Day · September 13, 2027
- Hindi Diwas · September 14, 2027
- World Atopic Eczema Day · September 14, 2027