Nuclear weapons are explosive devices with a destructive power that comes from nuclear energy being released. More than half the world's population live in countries that have nuclear weapons or are members of nuclear alliances. There are at least 17,000 nuclear weapons in the world today.
One single nuclear device can destroy a whole city and eliminate the natural environment and lives of future generations. They have already destroyed entire cities, like Hiroshima in Japan, where at least 150,000 people were killed or wounded after the city was bombed during World War II.
A World Without Nuclear Weapons
One of the UN's oldest goals is to achieve worldwide nuclear disarmament - in other words, to see the world free of nuclear weapons. In December 2013, the UN decided to create a day to inform people and push governments to see the social and economic benefits of not having nuclear weapons. The Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is one of the UN's efforts to seek more action on nuclear disarmament.
What's Open or Closed?
The day is a global observance and not a public holiday so it's business as usual.
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons Observances
Year
Weekday
Date
Name
Holiday Type
2018
Wed
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2019
Thu
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2020
Sat
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2021
Sun
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2022
Mon
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2023
Tue
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2024
Thu
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2025
Fri
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2026
Sat
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2027
Sun
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
2028
Tue
Sep 26
World Day to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
United Nations observance
While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.