History of Friendship Day in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 22, 2024

Friendship Day is a day celebrated in many countries to honor friendships. While initially promoted by the greeting card industry, it has seen a resurgence in popularity, particularly in South Asia, thanks to the internet, mobile phones, and social media. Although often attributed to the United States in 1935, the origins of dedicating a day to friends remain unclear.

1935: Friendship Day First Promoted

In 1935, the greeting card industry began promoting the concept of Friendship Day in the United States.

July 1958: Global Friendship Day Idea Proposed

The concept of a Global Friendship Day was initially put forth by Dr. Ramon Artemio Bracho in July 1958 in Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay.

1958: Friendship Day Proposed as a Global Holiday

Joyce Hall proposed the idea of Friendship Day as a global holiday in 1958. It was initially set for August 2nd.

1998: Winnie the Pooh as Ambassador of Friendship

In 1998, Winnie the Pooh was designated as the world's Ambassador of Friendship by Nane Annan at a United Nations event.

2004: High Call Volume on Christmas and New Year's Day in Argentina

In Argentina, the volume of well-wishing calls during Christmas and New Year's Day in 2004 caused disruptions in mobile phone networks.

2005: Overwhelmed Networks on Friend's Day in Argentina

The popularity of Friend's Day in 2005 led to mobile phone network crashes in several Argentinian cities due to well-wishing messages, similar to issues faced on Christmas and New Year's Day in 2004.