National Punctuation Day is celebrated every year on September 24th, giving grammar lovers and casual writers alike a reason to appreciate the small marks that shape how we read and understand written language.
History of National Punctuation Day
National Punctuation Day was founded in 2004 by Jeff Rubin, a former journalist and publisher based in California, who grew concerned about declining language skills and the rise of punctuation errors he noticed in newspapers and everyday writing. Interestingly, the observance was originally held on August 22nd, coinciding with Rubin’s own birthday, before he moved it to September in 2006 to align with the start of the school year and, fittingly, to honor the uniform number of his favorite baseball player, Willie Mays.
Since its founding, National Punctuation Day has been embraced by schools, writing organizations, and grammar enthusiasts nationwide, with Rubin encouraging participants to send in photos of punctuation errors spotted out in the world as a lighthearted way to raise awareness.
10 Fun Facts About Punctuation
- The Mesha Stele, a stone inscription dating back to 840 BCE, contains some of the oldest known examples of punctuation marks discovered by researchers.
- Ancient Roman texts originally had no punctuation or even spaces between words, making reading a far more difficult task than it is today.
- Marcus Tullius Tiro, a scribe who served under Cicero in the 1st century BCE, developed an early system of punctuation called “punctuatio,” Latin for “a pointing.”
- The exclamation point is believed to have originated from monk scribes writing “io,” the Latin word for joy, in text margins, which eventually evolved into the “I” stacking above the “o.”
- The ampersand (&) was once considered the 27th letter of the English alphabet, commonly taught alongside A through Z in early American schoolrooms.
- A simple comma can completely change the meaning of a sentence, as in the classic example: “Let’s eat Grandma” versus “Let’s eat, Grandma.”
- English punctuation actually has two major style traditions, American and British, which differ primarily in how they handle quotation marks.
- Semicolons have taken on a powerful secondary meaning in recent years through Project Semicolon, a mental health movement symbolizing resilience and continuing on.
- Several full-length books have been written about individual punctuation marks, including dedicated works on the semicolon, the hyphen, and even the hashtag.
- National Punctuation Day was originally celebrated on Jeff Rubin’s birthday, August 22nd, before moving to its current September date in 2006.
How to Celebrate National Punctuation Day
- Brush up on tricky punctuation rules, like comma placement or semicolon use
- Take a photo of a punctuation error spotted out in the world
- Write a short piece of creative writing showcasing careful punctuation
- Share your favorite punctuation-related fact or pet peeve on social media
- Read up on the surprisingly long history of a specific punctuation mark
Frequently Asked Questions
When is National Punctuation Day?
National Punctuation Day is celebrated annually on September 24th.
Who founded National Punctuation Day?
Jeff Rubin, a former journalist, founded National Punctuation Day in 2004.
Why did National Punctuation Day move from August to September?
Rubin moved the observance in 2006 to align with the start of the school year, and to honor the uniform number of his favorite baseball player, Willie Mays.