Held every year on June 8, World Oceans Day is a UN-recognized celebration dedicated to honoring, protecting and conserving the Earth’s oceans, as well as raising global awareness of the current challenges they are facing. The campaign features a different theme every year, and the day is marked in a variety of ways, from launching new initiatives and developments to educational programs, conservation projects, beach and water cleanups, film festivals, and more.
The World Oceans Day theme for 2017 is “Our Oceans, Our Future,” with a focus on preventing marine litter and managing plastic pollution. Hundreds of events are planned worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend the festivities and programs in their area or even organize their own. To celebrate World Oceans Day, let’s take a brief look at the history of the campaign.
The World Oceans Day Timeline marks major achievements in the history of the event and illustrates all themes explored from 2009 to present day. While the celebration was first proposed and observed unofficially in 1992, the UN recognized it formally only in late 2008. The first official World Oceans Day took place on June 8, 2009, and has since seen impressive growth in terms of awareness and participation. While the first official observance saw approximately 200 events worldwide, by 2015, the number increased to nearly 1,000. Although it didn’t fare as well in terms of on-site involvement compared to 2015, the 2016 edition enjoyed unprecedented online popularity, trending second on Twitter and reaching over 65 million people through the social network.
The World Oceans Day chronology was built in Microsoft PowerPoint with the help of Office Timeline, an add-in that allows users to easily build eye-catching timelines, Gantt charts and other visuals for personal, academic or business purposes. The visual is free to copy, modify and reproduce and can be edited or updated quickly using the free edition of Office Timeline. To create similar graphics fast, we recommend using the Plus version of the app, which comes with more advanced features and customization options.
Download the World Oceans Day Timeline for PowerPoint here.
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