International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Date: 21 Mar 1966
Updated: 21 Jul 2026

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was first proclaimed a United Nations’ Day of observance in 1966. The day was inspired by events that took place six years earlier, when police shot and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa. The Sharpeville Massacre is also observed as Human Rights’ Day locally. The theme for The International Day for The Elimination of Racial Discrimination is “Racism and Sport”

Search events by date

What happened on your birthday?

How we know this

01United Nations, 'International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discriminatio', [online] Available at: www.un.org [Accessed: 18 March 2014]
02Time and Date, 'International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination', [online] Available at: www.timeanddate.com [Accessed: 18 March 2014]

Last updated · 21 Jul 2026

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012058

South African History Online (2011) 'International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012058 (Accessed: 7 August 2026).

South African History Online, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012058, (accessed 7 August 2026).

"International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012058. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012058.