Diamond jubilee

This article is about the anniversary celebration. For the race horse, see Diamond Jubilee (horse). For the Cindy Lee album, see Diamond Jubilee (album).
"Diamond anniversary" redirects here. For the symbology, see Anniversary § Anniversary symbols.
Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee service, 22 June 1897
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee
Monument in Krumau am Kamp remembering the 60th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I's enthronement in 1908.

A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others)[1] or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th anniversaries,[2][3][4] although the human lifespan makes this usage more common for institutions.[5]

Western monarchies

The Tolsey clock commemorates the diamond jubilee (60 years) of Queen Victoria's reign. The clock says "1837 – 1897". It lies between Market Street and High Street in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, England.

George III of the United Kingdom died nine months before his diamond jubilee was due in 1820. The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria celebrated her 60-year reign on 22 June 1897. The Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, was celebrated across the Commonwealth of Nations throughout 2012.[6]

Asian monarchies

Diamond jubilee window at the College of Engineering, Pune, India

In East Asia, the diamond jubilee coincides with the traditional 60-year sexagenary cycle, which is held in special importance despite not generally being called a "diamond jubilee." Monarchs such as the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors of China and Emperor Hirohito of Japan held celebrations for their 60th year of reign, as did King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand on 10 June 2006.

National governments also mark their 60th anniversary as diamond jubilees, as did the Republic of Korea in 2005 and the People's Republic of China in 2009. In South Asia, the term is also used for certain 100-day anniversaries. In the Indian and Pakistani film industries, a "diamond jubilee" film is a title that has been featured in cinemas for 100 days, and beyond.

African monarchies

The longest reigning monarch in history, Sobhuza II of Swaziland, celebrated his (60 year) diamond jubilee in 1981, dating from when he gained direct rule. There does not appear to have been any (75 year) diamond jubilee celebration.

List of diamond jubilees

Monarch Realm Accession day Commemoration More information
Queen Victoria United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the rest of the British Empire 20 June 1837 22 June 1897[7][8] Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
Emperor Franz Joseph I Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary 2 December 1848 12 June 1908
Prince Johann II Liechtenstein 12 November 1858 1918
Sultan Ibrahim of Johor Johor 7 September 1895 17 September 1955
King Sobhuza II Swaziland 10 December 1899 1959
Emperor Hirohito Japan 25 December 1926 29 April 1986
King Bhumibol Adulyadej Thailand 9 June 1946 10 June 2006 60th Anniversary Celebrations of Bhumibol Adulyadej's Accession
Queen Elizabeth II United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand 6 February 1952 2–5 June 2012 Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II
His Highness Prince Aga Khan IV Nizari Isma'ilism 11 July 1957 11 July 2017 - 11 July 2018
Emperor Franz Joseph on the balcony of Schönbrunn Palace on the occasion of his 60th jubilee

In 1984, the phrase "Diamond Jubilee" was used by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its logo for the sixtieth anniversary of the studio. In 2015 it marked Disneyland Park's Diamond Jubilee to celebrate 60 years. In 2025, Singapore will celebrate the diamond jubilee year from independence from Malaysia with the inaugural event on 31st December 2024.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diamond jubilees.

References

  1. ^ "Anniversary Celebration History". Hallmark Cards. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  2. ^ "75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee". Augusta University. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  3. ^ "ASMP's 75th Anniversary". American Society of Media Photographers. May 2019. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  4. ^ "NDTA 75th Anniversary Funds Campaign". National Defense Transportation Association. October 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  5. ^ Rutka, James T. (January 2019). "Impactful publishing: the Journal of Neurosurgery and its diamond anniversary (1944–2019)". Journal of Neurosurgery. 130 (1): 1–8. doi:10.3171/2018.9.JNS182570.
  6. ^ "Extra bank holiday to mark Jubilee". Press Association. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  7. ^ "Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee". The Royal Family. Archived from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  8. ^ "'Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Scrapbook' website is launched". The Royal Family. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2022.