Plimsoll Day is a holiday that’s observed every February 10th and is dedicated to Samuel Plimsoll. Who was he? He was a British politician and social reformer who is probably best known for creating the Plimsoll Line — a line that was placed on a ship’s hull that indicated the maximum safe draught for operating conditions.

This simple thing saves countless lives and saved seafarers all over the world from having to worry about if they were overloaded. We suppose that this holiday is suitable for anyone in the nautical industry, although there’s no reason we can think of why this holiday can’t be observed by just about anyone.

The History Of Plimsoll Day

Samuel Plimsoll was born on February 10th, 1824 in Bristol, England, and spent parts of his childhood in Whiteley Wood Hall, Sheffield, and Penrith, Cumberland. He attempted to be a coal merchant in 1853, but failed and ended up penniless.

This experience allowed him more easily empathize with the poor more than his contemporaries could. So when he was able to improve his own situation he attempted to improve the situation of the poor as well.

One of the ways he did this was by fighting against the unscrupulous ship owners who ran unseaworthy and overloaded vessels. These ships were often overinsured, so if they sunk, the owner still made a profit. These ships resulted in a lot of seafarers losing their lives.

This holiday was created to remember the achievements of Samuel Plimsoll. Not only for the so-called Plimsoll Line but also for the legislation he helped pass that improved conditions for the sailors who had to work on dangerous “coffin ships.”

Observing Plimsoll Day

This holiday can be observed by learning more about Samuel Plimsoll and his work towards improving the dangerous conditions on ships during the 19th century, by learning more about sailors and the work they do, or simply by spreading the word about this holiday online using the hashtag #PlimsollDay.