International Greek Language Day is observed worldwide every February 9 to recognize the significance of the Greek language, both ancient and modern, in shaping Western civilization. The date commemorates the death anniversary of Dionysios Solomos, Greece's national poet, known for his work "Hymn to Liberty," which became the national anthem of Greece. The day was officially established by the Greek Parliament in 2017, following a proposal by Italian Greeks, to celebrate the rich history of the Greek language and its contributions to Western culture. Greek, an independent branch of the Indo-European language family, has a documented history spanning at least 3,400 years and is the official language of Greece and Cyprus, with over 13.5 million native speakers. The Greek alphabet, in use for about 2,800 years, has influenced various scripts, including Latin and Cyrillic, and Greek words form a significant part of the international scientific vocabulary.