World Radiography Day
World Radiography Day is celebrated on 8 November each year. The date marks the anniversary of the discovery of x-radiation by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895.
World Radiography Day has been proudly embraced internationally for over 100 years by those involved in radiographic imaging and therapy. Radiography came into being in 1895 when Röntgen first produced and discovered the electromagnetic radiation wavelength commonly known as an x-ray. Röntgen inadvertently witnessed a radiograph of the bones of his own hand during testing the penetration of various materials. It took a further 2 weeks of diligent and meticulous exploration of this discovery for Röntgen to produce the famous first recorded x-ray / radiograph of his wife’s hand. Röntgen, as a result of this discovery, published his first original paper, “Über eine neue Art von Strahlen” (On A New Kind Of Rays) on 28 December 1895. He subsequently won the first Nobel Prize in physics in 1901.
Radiographers worldwide use the day to promote radiography as a career, as a vital contribution to modern healthcare and as a chance to increase public awareness of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy.
Watch SIPTU Radiographers and Radiation Therapists talk about their role in our health services here
