On this day in vegan history · October 4, 1929
World Animal Day Settles on October 4
A Berlin dog trainer's animal-welfare rally kept missing its intended date until, in 1929, it finally landed on the feast day it was named for.
The facts
- Founder
- Heinrich Zimmermann, a German cynologist
- First event
- March 24, 1925, Sportpalast, Berlin, over 5,000 attendees
- Moved to October 4
- 1929
- Made universal
- May 1931, International Animal Protection Congress, Florence
Heinrich Zimmermann, a German cynologist, organized the first World Animal Day on March 24, 1925, at the Sportpalast in Berlin, drawing more than 5,000 people. Zimmermann had wanted the event on October 4, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, but the venue was not free that day. The event finally moved to October 4 for the first time in 1929. Two years later, at the International Animal Protection Congress in Florence, delegates made it official, voting unanimously to adopt October 4 as World Animal Day everywhere.
In their words
The day in the words of the people who were there. Every quote is verbatim, and every source links out so you can check it.
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He organized the first World Animal Day on March 24, 1925, at the Sport Palace in Berlin, Germany. Over 5,000 people attended this first event.
Wikipedia, World Animal Day
Source: Wikipedia -
Finally, in May 1931 at a congress of the International Animal Protection Congress in Florence, Italy, his proposal to make October 4 as World Animal Day universal was unanimously accepted and adopted as a resolution.
Wikipedia, World Animal Day
Source: Wikipedia
Why it still matters
Long before veganism had a name, this was one of the first times animal welfare drew a crowd of thousands and got a date on the calendar, proof that organized concern for animals could outgrow one country and one founder.
Sources
This history is still being written.
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