World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

Interesting Facts: During President Lyndon Johnson’s term, many people misdialed the White House number and instead reached the home of a New York housewife. Rose Brown had a near identical phone number. He wrote and thanked her for her diplomacy in receiving his highly sensitive calls and promised to return the favor when her friends and family accidentally dialed the White House. The telephone is the most profitable invention in US history.

"The General Assembly Decides to proclaim 17 May annual World Information Society Day to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide", - Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 27 March 2006 (A/RES/60/252)

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day marks a significant opportunity for the United Nations family to focus global attention on bringing the enormous benefits of the digital revolution in information and communication technologies to the world’s inhabitants. The commemorations on this day aim to raise awareness of the vast potential of information and communication technologies (ICT) and broadband Internet connectivity to bridge the digital divide and achieve the broader goals of sustainable development – economic growth, social inclusion and environmental balance.

Modern communication tools make it possible to connect the remotest communities and endow people with information and knowledge so they can realize their social, cultural and economic aspirations. ICTs are the powerhouses of the global economy, offering real answers to today’s problems and creating genuine improvements in the lives of citizens everywhere.

Source: un.org