This year, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day falls on April 24th. The Observance commemorates the events from the spring of 1915 to 1923, when the Ottoman Empire carried out the systematic killing of its Armenian population. Approximately 1.5 million Armenians were massacred, and others were forcibly displaced, resulting in scattered Armenian diasporas across the globe. Women, children, and the elderly were subjected to death marches across the Syrian desert, facing starvation, dehydration, rape, violence, and mass death. To this day, some countries do not formally recognize the Armenian genocide, while Turkey and Azerbaijan deny its existence entirely.
The month of April has been designated Armenian History and Heritage Month in the United States. The month highlights the contributions of the Armenian community, their culture, and their resilience, while also honoring the victims and survivors of the genocide. On Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, Armenia and the Armenian diaspora around the world hold marches, rallies, and ceremonies in honor of those who passed.
The fight to preserve Armenian history and culture continues, as the ethnic cleansing of Armenians has persisted in more recent conflicts. The First and Second Nagorno-Karabakh Wars resulted in the significant loss of life and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Armenians from what is recognized as territory of Azerbaijan. April 24th serves not only as a remembrance of the suffering endured by Armenian people, but also ensures that the legacy of those who lost their homes and their lives is never forgotten
