Greek Genocide Remembrance Day is observed worldwide every May 19 to commemorate the genocide of Greeks in Asia Minor, which occurred from 1915 to 1923 under a systematic program initiated by the Ottoman Empire's Young Turks and continued by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's followers. This memorial day was established by the Greek parliament in 1994, marking the beginning of the second wave of massacres when Atatürk landed in Samsun in 1919. The first massacres began in March 1915, targeting recently drafted Greeks in the Turkish army. During the genocide, it is estimated that between 350,000 and 1.2 million Greeks were killed. In memory of the victims, Greece and several other countries, including Germany, Canada, the USA, and Australia, have erected monuments. The observance serves to honor those who suffered during this tragic period in history.