Two holidays on 30th July

International Friendship Day

This celebration occurs on different dates in different countries, but the first date proposed was 30th July 1958 by the World Friendship Crusade. On 27th April 2011 the General Assembly of the United Nations declared 30th July as official International Friendship Day after may years of lobbying by the World Friendship Crusade.

Vanuatu Independence Day

Today celebrates the independence of Vanuatu which was declared on 30th July 1980. It was previously called New Hebrides, and was controlled by the French and British. In the 1970s an independence movement rose, with political policies forming to advocate for the Indigenous land rights of the people. It gained its independence under the leadership of Father Walter Lini and the Vanua’aku Pati and was named Vanuatu, the name coming from two local words meaning ‘home’ and ‘stand’.