November 8 is observed annually as World Radiography Day to commemorate the discovery of X-radiation, or X-rays, on November 8, 1895, by German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen, who, in 1901, became the inaugural winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics for this achievement. 

The objective behind observing such a day is to raise public awareness of radiographic imaging and therapy, which plays a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The occasion also sees radiographers from across the globe promote radiography as a career, as well as a vital contributor to modern healthcare. 

The first World Radiography Day was celebrated in 2012, with the European Society of Radiology (ESR), Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), and American College of Radiology (ACR) coming together for the initiative. A predecessor for this event was the European Day of Radiology, which was organised by the ESR on February 10, 2011 to coincide with the death anniversary of Wilhem Rontgen, who passed away on February 10, 1923.

However, the World Radiography Day celebrations replaced the European Day of Radiology, with November 8, the anniversary of X-ray discovery by Rontgen, being chosen for annual celebrations.

Globally, various organisations celebrate this day, including the UK’s Society of Radiographers (SoR) and the Association of Radiographers in Nigeria, among others. In India, the Radiographers Association of Madhya Pradesh has been observing this day since 1996, when it was proposed by Shivakant Vajpai, the secretary of the organisation.