Lucena City Charter Day is observed in Lucena, a highly urbanized city in Quezon Province, Philippines, every August 20. This special non-working holiday commemorates the formal inauguration of Lucena as a chartered city, which took place on June 17, 1961, with the ceremony held two months later. The city's rich history dates back to the 1570s when Spanish conquistadors first arrived, and it was originally part of the town of Tayabas. Lucena, which was named after a municipality in Andalusia, Spain, became an independent municipality in 1882 and was designated the provincial capital in 1901. The city played a significant role during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War, and it was liberated from Japanese occupation in 1945. Today, Lucena is known for its thriving economy, including coconut plantations and major manufacturing companies, and has a population of over 278,000.