Anniversary Day is observed in Tristan da Cunha on August 14 every year. This public holiday commemorates the day in 1816 when the United Kingdom formally annexed the archipelago, which is part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha. The annexation was primarily aimed at preventing the French from using the islands to rescue Napoleon from his imprisonment on Saint Helena. The islands were first discovered by Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha in 1506, and the first permanent settlement was established by Jonathan Lambert in 1811. Celebrations of Anniversary Day are typically low-key, reflecting the island’s small population and remote location. The day serves as a reminder of the islands’ colonial history and their continued status as a British possession.