Here are some facts you probably didn't know about Women's Day

International Women's Day is celebrated around the world on March 8.

A day to celebrate women - their struggles, their achievements, basically everything about being a woman.

But how did this day come about? Let's take a trip down memory lane.

First celebrated on February 28, 1909, in New York, it was initially "International Working Women's Day" - a tribute to the 1908 strike where 15, 000 women marched in the city demanding social and political rights under the  International Ladies Garment Workers' Union.



It wasn't until 1914 that the day was renamed and got a new date: International Women's Day on March 8.
Now we may think there was some deep meaning behind the day but it was actually chosen because March 8 in 1914 was a Sunday - when most working women would have the day off and would find it easier to set aside time to participate in events marking the day.

Three years later, in 1917 the Soviet Union declared March 8 as a national holiday. The day was adopted by the socialist and communist movements and celebrated with furore.

The United Nations embraced International Women's Day in 1996, defining it as "a day when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.”



The UN recelebrates the day with a new theme every year. This year's theme is "Be bold for change" - in case you're wondering.

International Women's Day is now celebrated all over the world, some countries, namely Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mongolia, Vietnam and Zambia have declared it an official holiday. While China, Madagascar, and Nepal give women the day off.

This article originally appeared on the Independent.co.uk.