Global James Bond Day Date in the current year: October 5, 2024

James Bond is a fictional character created by the British writer and retired naval intelligence officer Ian Fleming. The first novel about the British Secret Service agent with the code name 007, Casino Royale, was published in 1953. It paved the way for eleven more novels and two short story collections penned by Fleming, as well as many more novels written by John Gardner, Raymond Benson, and other authors after Fleming’s death.

Casino Royale was first adapted for the screen as part of the anthology television series Climax Mystery Theater in 1954. However, the James Bond film franchise wasn’t born until later. In 1961, film producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman founded Eon Productions to adapt the James Bond novels.

The first Bond novel adapted by Eon Productions was Dr. No. The eponymous film directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery as James Bond was released on October 5, 1962. Despite mixed critical reviews, the film ended up grossing $6 million, against its $1 million budget. And so one of the world’s greatest film franchises was born.

All but two James Bond films have been produced by Eon Productions. The exceptions are the 1967 film Casino Royale starring Peter Sellers and the 1983 film Never Say Never Again starring Sean Connery because Eon Productions didn’t own the rights to the novels they were based on. As of 2023, the Eon series consisted of 25 films, with the most recent being No Time to Die starring Daniel Craig released in 2021.

Actors who have portrayed the titular character in the James Bond films include Sean Connery (six films, not counting the non-Eon film Never Say Never Again), George Lazenby (one film), Roger Moore (seven films), Timothy Dalton (two films), Pierce Brosnan (four films), and Daniel Craig (five films).

In their long history, the Eon Bond films have been nominated for and won multiple awards, including six Academy Awards: one for Visual Effects, two for Sound Effects/Sound Editing, and three for Original Song (“Skyfall” by Adele, “Writing’s on the Wall” by Sam Smith, and “No Time to Die” by Billie Eilish).

Global James Bond Day is observed annually on October 5 to commemorate the release of Dr. No in 1962. It first began in 2012, when Eon Productions celebrated the golden anniversary of the film franchise. Special events were held around the globe; they included the official release of the new theme song, “Skyfall” by Adele. Since then, James Bond enthusiasts all over the world have celebrated Global James Bond Day every year.

There are many ways to celebrate Global James Bond Day. You can binge your favorite films in the franchise, read a James Bond novel, make a playlist of James Bond theme songs, or even host a James Bond-themed party for your family and friends. And don’t forget to post about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #GlobalJamesBondDay to spread the word!