Key dates and observances

Dates of the year

In date order, from January to December; “National” means Argentina. The next one is highlighted.

Key dates of the year in date order

Date	Observance	Year / origin	Type
January 26	World Environmental Education Day	Background: the Stockholm Declaration (1972), which first made it a global priority, and the Belgrade Charter (1975), which set its goals and principles	Worldwide
February 2	World Wetlands Day	Signing of the Ramsar Convention (February 2, 1971); a UN international day since 2021	Worldwide
February 21	International Tourist Guide Day	Established by the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations in 1990	International
March 3	World Wildlife Day	Proclaimed by the UN in 2013; anniversary of CITES (March 3, 1973)	Worldwide
March 21	International Day of Forests	Proclaimed by the UN in 2012 (observed since 2013)	Worldwide
March 21	World Day for Glaciers	Proclaimed by the UN in 2022 (observed since 2025)	Worldwide
March 22	World Water Day	Established by the UN in 1992 (observed since 1993)	Worldwide
March 23	World Meteorological Day	Entry into force of the World Meteorological Organization Convention (March 23, 1950)	Worldwide
April 20	Mycologists’ Day	Birth of Carlos Luis Spegazzini (April 20, 1858)	National / commemorative
April 22	Earth Day	Observed since 1970; the UN proclaimed it International Mother Earth Day in 2009	Worldwide
April 29	Animal Day	Established in 1926 in memory of Ignacio Lucas Albarracín, president of the Animal Protection Society, who died on April 29 that year	National
May 4	International Wildland Firefighters’ Day	Established in 1999, after five firefighters died in a bushfire in Linton, Australia (1998); feast of Saint Florian	International
May 9	World Migratory Bird Day	Created in 2006; since 2018 it is observed on the second Saturday of May and of October (variable date)	Worldwide
May 11	Creation of Los Glaciares National Park	Decree 105,433 of May 11, 1937	Park anniversary
May 22	International Day for Biological Diversity	Proclaimed by the UN (current date since 2002)	Worldwide
May 31	National Tour Guide Day	Birth of Perito Moreno, regarded as the first tour guide; set in 1992 at a National Meeting of Tour Guides (Resistencia, Chaco)	National
May 31	Birth of Perito Francisco Moreno	Born in Buenos Aires on May 31, 1852	Commemoration
June 2	Volunteer Firefighters’ Day	Founding of the country’s first volunteer fire brigade, in La Boca (June 2, 1884)	National
June 5	World Environment Day	Established by the UN in 1972 (observed since 1973)	Worldwide
June 9	Geologists’ Day	First meeting of Argentine geologists (June 9, 1947); established on June 9, 1948	National
June 27	Biologists’ Day	Commemorates June 27, 1812 (Bernardino Rivadavia’s push for a Natural History Museum)	National
July 7	Soil Conservation Day	Established by decree in 1963 (in memory of Hugh Hammond Bennett, who died on July 7, 1960)	National
July 31	World Ranger Day	Declared by the International Ranger Federation in 1992	Worldwide
August 5	International Huemul Day	Established by the IUCN in 2010 (National Natural Monument since 1996)	International
August 5	Mountaineers’ Day	Argentine tradition linked to Our Lady of the Snows, patron of the mountains	National / commemorative
August 6	Veterinarians’ Day	Opening of the Santa Catalina Agronomy and Veterinary Institute (August 6, 1883)	National
August 8	International Mountaineering Day	First ascent of Mont Blanc (August 8, 1786)	International
August 9	International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples	Proclaimed by the UN in 1994; recalls the first meeting of its working group (1982)	Worldwide
August 19	World Photography Day	On August 19, 1839, the daguerreotype was made public	Worldwide
August 29	Tree Day	Established by the National Education Council in 1900 (first celebrated in 1901)	National
August 30	International Puma Day	Linked to the fire at Pumakawa (August 30, 2009); promoted since around 2017	International
September 7	National Botany Day	Opening of the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden (September 7, 1898)	National
September 27	World Tourism Day	World Tourism Organization, since 1980 (anniversary of its statutes, 1970)	Worldwide
September 27	National Environmental Awareness Day	Law 24,605 (1995); remembers the victims of the gas leak in Avellaneda (September 27, 1993)	National
October 4	World Animal Day	Proclaimed in 1925 in Berlin; October 4 is the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron of animals and ecology	Worldwide
October 4	Meteorology Day	Creation of the Argentine Meteorological Office (October 4, 1872)	National
October 5	National Bird Day	Established by Aves Argentinas in August 1982	National
October 9	National Park Ranger Day	Linked to Law 12,103 of October 9, 1934	National
October 10	World Migratory Bird Day	Created in 2006; since 2018 it is observed on the second Saturday of May and of October (variable date)	Worldwide
October 11	National Patagonia Day	Law 25,394 (2000/2001). Recalls Law 954 of October 11, 1878	National
October 12	El Chaltén anniversary	Founded on October 12, 1985	Local
October 13	International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction	Proclaimed by the UN in 1989; fixed date since 2009	Worldwide
November 6 Next	National Parks Day	Commemorates Perito Moreno’s land donation of November 6, 1903	National
November 22	National Flower Day (ceibo)	The ceibo was declared the National Flower by Decree 13,847/1942; November 22 was set as its day	National
November 22	Death of Perito Francisco Moreno	November 22, 1919	Commemoration
December 5	World Soil Day	Proclaimed by the UN in 2013 (observed since 2014), at the proposal of the FAO	Worldwide
December 7	El Calafate anniversary	Officially founded on December 7, 1927	Local
December 11	International Mountain Day	Proclaimed by the UN after the International Year of Mountains (2002); observed since 2003	Worldwide

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First ascents around El Chaltén

1. 1952

   February 2, 1952

   First ascent of Fitz Roy (Cerro Chaltén)

   Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone (French expedition), by the southeast route, known today as the Franco-Argentine route.

2. 1962

   January 31, 1962

   First ascent of Aguja Poincenot

   Don Whillans (United Kingdom) and Frank Cochrane (Ireland).

3. 1965

   January 16, 1965

   Second ascent of Fitz Roy, the first by Argentines

   Carlos Comesaña and José Luis Fonrouge, by the Supercanaleta, in alpine style.

4. 1968

   February 1968

   First ascent of Aguja Saint-Exupéry

   Italian team (Silvia Metzeltin, Gino Buscaini and others).

5. 1974

   January 13, 1974

   First undisputed ascent of Cerro Torre

   Casimiro Ferrari, Daniele Chiappa, Mario Conti and Pino Negri (Ragni di Lecco, Italy), by the west face (Ragni route).

Other milestones

• 1981: Los Glaciares National Park is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Mountaineering in the area gathers momentum with the expeditions of the 1930s and 1940s, inspired in part by the photographs of Alberto María de Agostini.