International Day Against Nuclear Testing is a holiday that’s observed on the 29th of August and recognizes the dangers present with nuclear testing. Since WWII, thousands of nuclear tests have been performed and these tests have resulted in nuclear fallout, damage to whole ecologies, and other unintended consequences.

It’s absolutely imperative that all countries of the world stop the practice of nuclear testing, and that’s why this holiday was created by the UN in 2009. Ending nuclear testing not only prevents damage to the environment from nuclear byproducts but also prevents countries from developing stronger and stronger weapons of mass destruction.

The History Of International Day Against Nuclear Testing

This holiday was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 2, 2009, during their 64th session. On this day, they adopted Resolution 64/35, a resolution that calls for all member nations to increase awareness and education about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions and the need for eliminating them. The eventual goal of this resolution is to achieve the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.

Facts About Nuclear Disasters

We’ve decided to include some facts about nuclear disasters with this holiday article to do our part to raise awareness about how dangerous nuclear weapons are and why they should be completely removed from the planet.

• Nuclear radiation can damage DNA and cause mutations in animals and plants.
• The first use of nuclear weapons against a nation was in August of 1945 when the U.S dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• In 1979, Three Mile Island nuclear power plant had an accident that exposed 2-million nearby residents to radiation.
• Japan has had three nuclear power plant accidents since 1999.

Observing International Day Against Nuclear Testing

Anyone wishing to observe this holiday can do so by educating themselves on the effects of the making and testing of nuclear weapons on the environment.

It’s also a good day for people to spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #InternationDayAgainstNuclearTesting on their social media accounts.