World Blood Donor Day History

World Blood Donor Day was established in 2004 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to bring awareness to the ongoing need for blood donations to save lives. Blood donations are critical to international health systems and can only come from volunteer blood donors.

Happy Birthday Dr. Landsteiner

World Blood Donor Day happens on June 14th each year. The date is the birthday of Karl Landsteiner who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1930 for his work in classifying blood types.

Landsteiner was the first to classify human blood into A, B, AB, and O groups. His work revolutionized blood transfusions and led to the practice of transfusing blood between people with compatible blood types. This modernized and increased the safety of blood transfusions.

Theme for 2024

This year's World Blood Donor Day theme is "Celebrating 20 years of giving: thank you blood donors!"

The World Health Organization states, "The 20th anniversary of World Blood Donor Day is an excellent and timely opportunity to thank blood donors across the world for their life-saving donations over the years and honour the profound impact on both patients and donors. It is also a timely moment to address continued challenges, and accelerate progress towards a future where safe blood transfusion is universally accessible."

One of the main objectives this year is to "promote a culture of regular blood donation among young people and the general public and increase the diversity and sustainability of the blood donor pool."

How You Can Participate

Get social and help spread the word! Share on your social channels about how the need for blood is constant and only comes from volunteer donors. You can easily share posts from OneBlood's social channels for inspiration. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Come in and donate! Make an appointment or visit your local Donor Center or Big Red Bus location and share your power by giving blood or platelets.