World Logic Day Date in the current year: January 14, 2024

World Logic Day is celebrated on January 14 to commemorate the death anniversary of Kurt Gödel and the birthday of Alfred Tarski, two prominent mathematicians and logicians who had an immense effect upon the development of logic in the 20th century. Gödel is most remembered for his two incompleteness theorems published in 1931, and Tarski is best known for his work on algebraic logic.

The inaugural celebration of World Logic Day was organized in 2018 by the Logica Universalis Association, a meta-association promoting logic on Earth. Approximately 60 independent events hosted by various organizations were held in 33 countries. Inspired by the success of the first World Logic Day, its organizers suggested that the UNESCO Executive Board make the celebration official, which led to the formal proclamation of World Logic Day on November 26, 2019.

Logic is one of the most ancient intellectual disciplines, and its exact definition and boundaries are debated to this day. One of the most widely used definitions of logic is “the analysis and appraisal of arguments”. Historically, it has been studied in philosophy. Since the mid-19th century, certain areas of logic have been studied in mathematics. Finally, since the late 20th century, logic has been studied in cognitive science, which borrows from various disciplines, from psychology and linguistics to neuroscience and artificial intelligence.

In the 21th century, logic has become even more relevant, since computer science, information and communication technology, and artificial intelligence are all rooted in logical and algorithmic reasoning. Logic is ever-present in our everyday life: when we turn on our computers to perform daily tasks, when we use gadgets with AI software we can’t imagine our lives without anymore, even when we develop an argument and unconsciously use the fundamental principles of logic to substantiate our point of view.

Logic is a universal tool, without which it is impossible to imagine the life of a modern person. Despite this, we rarely think about its importance in everyday life and its role in the development of modern science and technology, taking logic for granted.

World Logic Day was created precisely in order to draw the attention of both the scientific community and the general public to the importance of logic, to encourage the application and development of logic in the fields of science, technology and education, as well as to support universities, associations and other organizations involved in the study and development of logic.

In addition, UNESCO believes that the celebration of World Logic Day will contribute to the promotion of a culture of peace, dialogue and mutual understanding, based on the advancement of science and education.