International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed on 27 January, to commemorate the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War. The day commemorates the genocide that resulted in the death of an estimated 6 million Jewish people, 5 million Slavs, 3 million ethnic Poles, 200,000 Romani people, 250,000 mentally and physically disabled people, and 9,000 homosexual men by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.

The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 60/7 on 1 November 2005 during the 42nd plenary session. The Holocaust Remembrance Day is also a national event in the United Kingdom and in Italy.

The theme for International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2019 is “Holocaust Remembrance: Demand and Defend Your Human Rights”.

Tidbits:

• World War 2 was a battle between two groups of countries. – the “Allies” and the “Axis“. The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States. The major Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.
• Hitler wanted to create what he thought was the “best” and strongest race – and to the Nazi Party, this excluded certain groups, such as Jews, Gypsies and those with physical and mental disabilities. In an attempt to eliminate a “racial enemy” outside of Germany, such groups were also persecuted in the countries invaded by German forces.
• Around six million Jewish people were killed during World War 2 in one of history’s most terrible events – the Holocaust. Hitler blamed Jewish people for Germany losing World War I and claimed they were dangerous to German people and society.