The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, also known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, is observed worldwide every January 27. This memorial day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2005 to honor the approximately six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, as well as other targeted groups including Slavs, Romani people, and homosexuals. The date marks the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp by Soviet troops in 1945. Observances typically include ceremonies and educational events aimed at teaching future generations about the Holocaust to prevent future acts of genocide. In the United Kingdom and Italy, national observances have been held since 2001, with the UK designating it as Holocaust Memorial Day and Italy observing it as Memorial Day (Giorno della Memoria). In Israel, Yom HaShoah serves a similar purpose, commemorating the victims on the 27th of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar.