Spanish Language Day observed on April 23

Key facts

• Spanish Language Day (Día del Idioma Español) is observed annually on April 23.
• The day was established by the United Nations (UN) to celebrate the history, culture, and use of Spanish.
• The date coincides with the anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes in 1616, the author of Don Quixote.
• The holiday was originally created in 1926 by Spanish writer Vicente Clavel Andrés and was later adopted by the UN in 2010.
• Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and is the second most spoken language in the world by native population, with over 500 million native speakers.
• The Real Academia Española (RAE) is the institution that regulates the Spanish language.
• Don Quixote is cited as the first modern novel and is the most translated book after the Bible.
• Spanish is the most studied second language in the United States.