World Day of Destruction of a Military Toy

Toy soldiers, tin soldiers, or model soldiers are miniature figures representing soldiers from ancient times to the present day. Toy soldiers became widespread during the 18th century, inspired by the military exploits of Frederick the Great. Tin soldiers were the first toy soldiers to be mass produced: Johann Gottfried Hilpert (1748–1832) and his brother Johann Georg Hilpert (1733–1811) established an early assembly line in 1775 in Nuremberg for soldiers and other figures.

Perhaps many have never heard of the fact that on September 7, in some countries, is the World Day for the Destruction of Military Toys. Nevertheless, every year, since 1988, on this day, children are offered to exchange toy machines, pistols, swords, etc. for board games, cars, dolls and teddy bears.

For the first time, in 1987, the World Association for Aid to Orphans came up with an initiative to get rid of the military toy and replace it with a "peaceful" one. This action then attracted a lot of attention, finding numerous supporters in different countries of the world, which ultimately led to the emergence of an annual tradition.