World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is observed annually on May 17th to raise the public’s attention to the vision of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to build a human-centric and inclusive development-oriented information society that is based on human rights. Also known as World Telecommunication Day, this holiday also focuses on how information is transmitted all over the world.

The Internet and other communication technologies can bring benefits to societies that could only have been dreamed out even a few short years ago, and this event wants us all to realize how to bring people together.

The History of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day marks the anniversary of the signing of the International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union. In 2006, World Telecommunication Day and World Information Society Day were squeezed together into World Information Society Day by the United Nations.

Fun Facts About World Communication

Below are some fun facts about world communication that we’d like to share with everyone on this day.

• The first text message was sent via SMS in 1992 by Neil Papworth. It said “Merry Christmas.”
• International calls used to be sent by satellite. Most of them are sent through VoIP or fiber optics nowadays.
• Telephone wires used to be chosen by how unappealing they were to mice.

Observing World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

This holiday can be observed by learning about how technology can bring the world together. Yes, at this time in history, it seems that the Internet provides many of the things that are pulling us apart, but the Internet also affords the world many opportunities to come together. To spread the word about this holiday, be sure to use the hashtag #WorldInformationSocietyDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about it.