International Men's Day 2026 is on Thursday

About International Men's Day

International Men's Day focuses on issues that affect men and boys, especially physical and mental health, along with fatherhood, gender relations and positive role models. Its organizers describe it as a chance to celebrate men's contributions while drawing attention to problems men face, and they stress that it is meant to sit alongside International Women's Day, not compete with it.

The November 19 observance was founded in 1999 by Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, a history lecturer at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. He chose the date to honor his father's birthday and to recall November 19, 1989, when Trinidad and Tobago's national soccer team brought the country together during its campaign to qualify for the 1990 World Cup. There had been earlier attempts at a men's day: in the early 1990s, Professor Thomas Oaster of the University of Missouri-Kansas City promoted February events, but they did not last beyond the mid-1990s.

The November date spread through the Caribbean and later to countries including Australia, India, the United Kingdom, Malta, South Africa and Canada. Malta, which had kept up a February observance, moved to November 19 in 2009. The day has no UN resolution behind it, and organizers in each country decide how to mark it, often with health events, seminars and school activities.

Sources: International Men's Day: History and background, Trinidad Express: Celebrating International Men's Day. How we check dates.

How to mark International Men's Day

• Book a routine checkup and ask your doctor which screenings are recommended for your age, such as blood pressure, cholesterol or cancer screening.
• Call a father, brother, son or friend and ask how he is really doing.
• Thank a man who has been a positive role model, mentor or coach for you.
• Organize a walk, game or shared meal that gives men in your community a reason to get together.
• Learn the signs that someone may be struggling with their mental health and how to point them toward help, such as a doctor or, in the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

International Men's Day dates