There’s a day/week/month for everything nowadays. And it’s getting harder to track all of these microbiology related events and historical dates.
That’s why I made a calendar of events to better keep these dates all in one place. This microbiology calendar includes both historical dates (like birthdays of historical figures in microbiology) as well as awareness days throughout the year.
Each entry below includes the date, a brief description about the day, and any associated hashtags or resources (ex: infographics, logos, social media templates, etc.) that you can use to help promote the event.
I hope it helps you discover new ways to celebrate microbiology.
PS – You can also add the calendar to Google Calendar or iCal using the links at the bottom of this post. These calendar events will include links to resources and hashtags and will be updated from time to time.
January 30: World Neglected Tropical Disease Day
Initiated in 2021, World Neglected Tropical Disease Day is held on the anniversary of the 2012 London Declaration on NTDs. These diseases are treatable but have been neglected because they are often overlooked and receive limited resources/funding, impacting low-income populations in the tropics.
- Resources
- #UniteActEliminate #WorldNTDDay #BeatNTDs
Last Sunday of January: World Leprosy Day
As one of the oldest recorded diseases, leprosy is often viewed as a disease of the past. Still, 200,000 people are diagnosed each year. World Leprosy Day brings awareness of a curable disease and calls for the end to the stigma experienced by people affected by it.
- Resources (from 2026)
- #WorldLeprosyDay
March 24: World Tuberculosis Day
World Tuberculosis day is held on the Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
- Resources
- #WorldTuberculosisDay #EndTB #WorldTBDay
April 1: National Sourdough Bread Day
Celebrating sourdough, the best kind of bread (yes, I’m biased). There is also a National Homemade Bread Day on November 17.
- #NationalSourdoughBreadDay #SourdoughBreadDay
Last week of April: World Immunization Week
Taking place during the last week of April, World Immunization Week aims to raise awareness about vaccinations and to increase vaccination rates. The theme this year was “For every generation, vaccines work.”
- Resources (from 2026)
- #VaccinesWork #HumanlyPossible #WorldImmunizationWeek
April 25: World Malaria Day
Established in 2007, World Malaria Day highlights the ongoing efforts to prevent, treat, and ultimately eliminate malaria. While 47 countries have been “certified malaria-free” there has been an increase in malaria deaths in 2024 compared to the previous year (stats here).
- Resources (2026)
- @ZeroMalaria #ZeroMalaria #WMD2026 #NowWeCanNowWeMust
May: Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Geared towards preventing tick-borne diseases, Lyme Disease Awareness Month raises awareness about the disease and the need to identify it early.
- Resources
- #LymeFacts #LymeDiseaseAwareness #LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth
June 22: Fanny (Angelina) Hesse’s birthday
Fanny Hesse introduced agar as a solidifying agent for bacterial grown medium. This technique, which is still common today, has been the foundation for the field of microbiology.
June 27: World Microbiome Day
World Microbiome Day showcases the importance of microbiomes of various environments: the soil, our bodies, foods, animals, plants, and more.
- Resources
- #MicrobiomeMatters #WorldMicrobiomeDay
July 28: World Hepatitis Day
Testing, treatments, and vaccinations (for hepatitis A and B) are all available but 287 million people live with viral hepatitis, many without knowing it. World Hepatitis Day’s goal is to equip people with information about preventing and treating hepatitis.
- Resources
- #WorldHepatitisDay
August 6: Alexander Fleming’s birthday
Alexander Fleming was a physician and microbiologist who is widely recognized for the discovery of penicillin. He shares the Nobel Prize of Physiology or Medicine with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain for this work.
September 13: World Sepsis Day
Sepsis (aka blood poisoning) occurs when the body’s response to an infection becomes dysregulated, causing tissue damage and organ failure. World Sepsis Day focuses on “turning awareness into action” so that it can be prevented and recognized early.
- Resources
- #WorldSepsisDay #SepsisAwareness
September 14-18: Fungal Disease Awareness Week
This year is the 10th year of Fungal Disease Awareness Week. Each day of the week has a different theme with webinars each day.
- Resources
- #ThinkFungus26
September 17: International Microorganism Day
International Microorganism Day has been celebrated on September 17 each year since 2017. September 17 was the date of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek’s letter to the Royal Society of London describing single-celled organisms in 1683.
- Resources
- #InternationalMicroorganismDay
September 28: World Rabies Day
World Rabies Day brings awareness to rabies prevention and research. It’s held annually on the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death. Pasteur developed the first rabies vaccine in 1885.
- Resources
- #WorldRabiesDay #WorldRabiesDay2026 #WRD2026 #StrongerTogetherWRD
October 24: World Polio Day
World Polio Day occurs near Jonas Salk’s birthday, the person who developed the inactive polio vaccine. (I couldn’t find the reason it’s on October 24, when Salk’s birthday is October 28.)
- Resources (search “polio”)
- #EndPolio #WorldPolioDay
October 24: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek’s birthday
Born on October 24, 1632, van Leeuwenhoek was a microbiologist and microscopist who became known as the “father of microbiology” for his work in establishing microbiology as a scientific field.
November 3: One Health Day
One Health is the concept that the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment are all connected. One Health Day occurs on November 3 each year to bring attention to the One Health approach.
- Resources
- #OneHealthDay
November 18-24: World AMR Awareness Week
With increasing drug resistance developing in microbes, antimicrobials are becoming ineffective. World AMR Awareness Week recognizes the need to bring awareness to AMR and the best practices for antimicrobial stewardship. Each year has a different theme.
- Resources
- #WAAW #AntimicrobialResistance #AMR
December 1: World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day began in 1988 to stand against HIV stigma. While there are now treatments that allow people with HIV to live longer and to prevent spread, AIDS is still stigmatized. The red ribbon has become an awareness symbol for AIDS.
- Resources
- @nationalaidstrust #WorldAIDSDay
December 11: Robert Koch’s birthday
Born on December 11, 1843, Koch became famous for his work in the discovery of tuberculosis and for Koch’s postulates. He received the 1905 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on tuberculosis.
Get the microbiology calendar!
Want these dates to show up right in your calendar? Subscribe to the calendar on:
Google Calendar
Step 1: Open the Google Calendar link.
Step 2: It will open up the Microbiology Calendar in Google Calendar. On the bottom left, select the “Add to Google Calendar” link.
Step 3: On the pop up, select “Add.”
iCal
Step 1: Copy the webcal link.
Step 2: Open Calendar app.
Step 3: Click File, then select New Calendar Subscription.
Step 4: Paste the link into the box.
Step 5: Hit Subscribe.