Today in History

August 22, 1864

The Founding of the Red Cross

In 1864, the Swiss government invited the governments of Europe and the United States to a diplomatic conference in Geneva.

On August 22, 1864, that group of nations adopted the first Geneva Convention "for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field". Among the adopted articles was a binding resolution to guarantee the neutrality and protection of injured soldiers and field medical personnel.

The resolution marks the official establishment of the national societies that now work under the banner of the Red Cross and Crescent, providing aid to battlefield casualties.

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