World Amateur Radio Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
The International Amateur Radio Union states that World Amateur Radio Day is celebrated every April 18, the anniversary of IARU’s formation in Paris in 1925. IARU Resolution 94-3 establishes annual April 18 observance, and current IARU material continues the event.
About World Amateur Radio Day
World Amateur Radio Day is observed every April 18 by radio amateurs and International Amateur Radio Union member societies around the world.
The date marks the anniversary of the IARU’s formation in Paris on April 18, 1925.
Why World Amateur Radio Day matters
The day highlights amateur radio as a technical, educational and international service and gives IARU member societies an annual opportunity to demonstrate amateur-radio activity to the public.
Participation does not override national licensing, spectrum, call-sign, power, emergency-communications or station-operating rules.
History of World Amateur Radio Day
The International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris on April 18, 1925.
IARU Resolution 94-3, adopted by the Administrative Council in 1994 and later revised, provides that World Amateur Radio Day is celebrated annually on April 18.
IARU current material continues to organize the observance and publishes annual themes and activity guidance.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
International Amateur Radio Union Administrative Council
IARU Resolution 94-3 is the formal organizational decision establishing annual World Amateur Radio Day.
International Amateur Radio Union Administrative Council
IARU Resolution 94-3 concerning World Amateur Radio Day
Set 19 September for the 1998 edition and decided that World Amateur Radio Day would return to April 18 beginning in 2000.
International Amateur Radio Union Administrative Council · 1997 Administrative Council record
International Amateur Radio Union and its member societies
IARU continues to publish World Amateur Radio Day information, annual themes and member-society guidance.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
2 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
How to Observe World Amateur Radio Day
Visit a licensed amateur-radio club or public demonstration where visitors are welcome.
Learn how amateur radio uses allocated spectrum and how licensing works in your jurisdiction.
Take part in an on-air event only within the privileges of the relevant licence and station authorization.
Learn about public-service and emergency-communications work without assuming that amateur operators have official emergency authority beyond local law and agency arrangements.
World Amateur Radio Day Facts
World Amateur Radio Day is April 18.
The date marks the IARU’s founding in Paris on April 18, 1925.
IARU Resolution 94-3 establishes annual April 18 observance.
IARU member societies use the day for public education, demonstrations and international amateur-radio activity.
Operating privileges and emergency-communications roles are controlled by national law, licence conditions and applicable agency arrangements.
World Amateur Radio Day Messages
Happy World Amateur Radio Day to operators, clubs and learners connecting through technical skill and international friendship.
May April 18 inspire curiosity about radio, responsible experimentation and respect for the rules that keep the spectrum useful.
Celebrating the amateur-radio community and a century of technical learning, service and global connection.
Wishing radio amateurs a safe and rewarding World Amateur Radio Day on the air and in their communities.
May World Amateur Radio Day encourage new learners to explore radio through licensed, responsible and welcoming local clubs.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
ITU — World Amateur Radio Day: IARU celebrates a century of connections (opens in a new tab)
Intergovernmental Corroboration
IARU Administrative Council 1997 record (opens in a new tab)
IARU — Resolutions and Policies, Resolution 94-3 (opens in a new tab)
Organizer Governance Resolution
IARU — World Amateur Radio Day (opens in a new tab)
Organizer Authoritative Page
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Amateur Radio Day?
18 April The documented recurrence rule is: 18 April.
Does World Amateur Radio Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is World Amateur Radio Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: International / IARU amateur-radio observance; participation remains subject to applicable licensing and operating rules. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Amateur Radio Day?
The reviewed sources identify International Amateur Radio Union Administrative Council as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as International Amateur Radio Union and its member societies.
Is World Amateur Radio Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: International / IARU amateur-radio observance; participation remains subject to applicable licensing and operating rules. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-04.
When is World Amateur Radio Day?
It is observed on April 18 each year.
Why is World Amateur Radio Day on April 18?
April 18 is the anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union’s formation in Paris in 1925.
Who organizes World Amateur Radio Day?
The International Amateur Radio Union coordinates the observance with its member societies.
When was the annual observance formally established by IARU?
IARU Resolution 94-3 was adopted by the Administrative Council in 1994 and provides for annual World Amateur Radio Day on April 18.
Can anyone transmit on amateur-radio frequencies for the day?
No. Transmitting remains subject to the licensing and operating rules that apply in the relevant jurisdiction.
Other observances on April 18
These observances are also listed on April 18, 2027.
International Day for Monuments and Sites
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
National Animal Crackers Day
National Day Archives lists the canonical plural National Animal Crackers Day on April 18; the public singular title is retained as an alias.
National Exercise Day
National Day Archives lists National Exercise Day on April 18 and identifies Jeuse Saint-Fleur, DNP as its creator in 2020.
National Newspaper Columnists Day
National Society of Newspaper Columnists first-party history says the society passed a resolution establishing April 18 as National Columnists Day, first marked it in 1995, and chose the an…