109th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide to take place in Times Square on April 21

NEW YORK—The 109th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide will take place in Times Square, New York, on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in an event sponsored by the Knights and Daughters of Vartan and co-sponsored by a number of leading Armenian-American organizations.

The program, which will take place from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m., will consist of remarks from elected officials who are supporters of Armenian-American issues and have continuously advocated for Armenian Genocide affirmation in the U.S., as well as scholars and cultural musical performances.

The commemoration will remember the 1.5 million Armenian lives lost during the first genocide of the 20th century between 1915 and 1923 and will call for recognition from the Turkish government, which denies this crucial piece of history to this day.

“For almost four decades, our community has had an impactful platform to meaningfully commemorate the Armenian Genocide,” said committee co-Chairs Haig Gulian and Christopher Artun. “Once again, we gather this year in Times Square to raise our voices and show the world that we will not forget the 1.5 million Armenians who were massacred, while continuing our fight for global recognition.”

This year’s high school essay contest, sponsored by the Knights of Vartan and held in conjunction with the Armenian Genocide commemoration in Times Square, focuses on the prompt:

As descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors, why do you feel the responsibility to share your family’s historical accounts and stories, and how will you carry your family’s story into the future? If you are not a descendant, why do you believe it’s important to recount the history of the Armenian Genocide to the public? Overall, how does transmitting stories from one generation to the next help preserve and retain historical facts?

Essays may be submitted until April 8, 2024 to april24nyc@gmail.com.

To participate in the commemoration as a volunteer, please click here. Donations to help defray costs of the Armenian Genocide commemoration in Times Square may be made here.

The annual Armenian Genocide commemoration in Times Square is sponsored by the Knights of Vartan and Daughters of Vartan, a national fraternal organization, and co-sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), Armenian Assembly of America, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, Tekeyan Cultural Association, Armenian National Council of America, Armenian Bar Association and the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA); participating organizations include the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Presbyterian Church, Armenian Evangelical Union, Armenian Catholic Eparchy, Armenian Network of Greater New York, Armenian International Women’s Association, Homenetmen Scouts of New York and New Jersey, Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) and national Armenian youth organizations.