World Book Day is observed in the United Kingdom and Ireland on the first Thursday in March. This local celebration is a response to the global World Book and Copyright Day, which occurs every April 23, established by UNESCO in 1995 to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. The date of April 23 was chosen to honor the death anniversaries of notable authors like William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes; however, it coincides with Easter holidays in UK schools. To address this, Prime Minister Tony Blair initiated the UK’s own World Book Day in 1998, with Ireland following suit. On this day, every child in full-time education receives a voucher for books, which can be exchanged for specially-published £1 World Book Day books. The event is supported by National Book Tokens, various organizations, and UK publishers and booksellers, and schools are encouraged to organize fundraisers to help children from low-income families access books. The number of events associated with World Book Day continues to grow each year.