The History of World Blood Donor Day
Heather Georgoudiou
June 08, 2021
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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. Modernizing and increasing the safety of blood transfusions.
Theme for 2021
This year's World Blood Donor Day theme is “Give blood and keep the world-beating.” The World Health Organization states, “The message highlights the essential contribution blood donors make to keep the world pulsating by saving lives and improving others’ health.” WHO is also placing emphasizing young people and the important role they play in becoming lifelong blood donors.
How You Can Participate in World Blood Donor Day
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.
Come in and donate! Make an appointment or just visit your local donor center or Big Red Bus location and share your power by giving blood or platelets.
Heather Georgoudiou
Heather Georgoudiou is OneBlood’s Digital Marketing Manager. She is a social media strategist and content creator with a passion for saving lives through the power of digital communications.