Every September 30th is celebrated around the world as International Thunderbirds Day. Since many different things are named Thunderbirds, this day might confuse some people. However, we’re here to clear things up for everyone.

This is not a holiday that celebrates the mythical Native American bird, the Thunderbird roller coaster in Santa Claus, Indiana, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, or the American blues band known as The Fabulous Thunderbirds. No, it’s a holiday dedicated to the British sci-fi television series that ran between 1964 and 1966.

This series used a form of marionette puppetry combined with scale model effect sequences to create a compelling and interesting show.

The History of International Thunderbirds Day

Thunderbirds was a show first released on September 30th, 1965, on ITV and aired until December 25th, 1966. It consisted of two series and had 32 episodes, each approximately 50 minutes in length. The show was created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and produced by AP Films.

The show is set in the 2060s and was a follow-up to the previous marionette productions Four Feather Falls, Fireball XL5, Supercar, and Stingray. Thunderbirds followed the adventures of International Rescue—an organization equipped with advanced sea, air, land, and space equipment to perform various rescue missions. The holiday celebrating this show has existed for about as long as the show has and commemorates this remarkable television series.

Observing International Thunderbirds Day

This holiday can be observed by watching the original TV series or the 2015 remake. There are also Thunderbirds movies that have been made, such as Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6. These are a lot of fun to watch and a great way to celebrate this holiday. Finally, people can spread the word about this holiday online using the hashtag #InternationalThunderbirdsDay.