World Radiography Day (November 8): History, Facts & Ways to Celebrate

World Radiography Day is celebrated every year on November 8. It marks the anniversary of the discovery of X-rays by the German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen in 1895, and it honours the radiographers and radiological technologists whose imaging and radiation therapy help doctors diagnose and treat millions of patients every day.

The Evening That Changed Medicine

In the late afternoon of November 8, 1895, in his laboratory at the University of Würzburg, Röntgen was testing cathode-ray tubes when he noticed a nearby screen glowing — even though the tube was covered in black cardboard. Some invisible ray was passing straight through. Because the rays were unknown, he called them “X” rays.

About six weeks later he made one of the most famous images in science: a radiograph of his wife Anna Bertha’s hand, clearly showing her bones and wedding ring. In 1901 Röntgen became the very first winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, and the element roentgenium is named after him.

How World Radiography Day Began

The International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists (ISRRT), founded in 1959 and working with the World Health Organization, has promoted November 8 as World Radiography Day since 2007. National societies — from the UK’s Society of Radiographers to the Association of Radiographers of Nigeria — use the day to explain what radiographers do and to remind the public that radiation should always be kept to the lowest dose needed. Since 2012, radiologists also mark the same date as the International Day of Radiology.

Fact	Detail
Date	November 8, every year
Marks	Discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen, November 8, 1895
Promoted by	ISRRT and national radiography societies (since 2007)
Related day	International Day of Radiology (same date, since 2012)
First Nobel Prize in Physics	Wilhelm Röntgen, 1901

From Röntgen to MRI: A Short Timeline

Year	Milestone
1895	Röntgen discovers X-rays in Würzburg (November 8)
1896	Glasgow Royal Infirmary opens one of the world’s first hospital radiology departments, led by John Macintyre
1901	Röntgen receives the first Nobel Prize in Physics
1913	William Coolidge invents the hot-cathode X-ray tube, making imaging far more reliable
1971	The first CT scan of a patient is performed in London using Godfrey Hounsfield’s scanner
1977	The first MRI scan of a human body is carried out in the United States
1979	Hounsfield and Allan Cormack win the Nobel Prize for developing CT
2003	Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield win the Nobel Prize for their work on MRI

Today, X-ray machines are digital, CT scanners can image the whole body in seconds, and radiographers work alongside ultrasound, nuclear medicine and AI-assisted tools — but every one of these technologies traces back to that evening in 1895.

What Radiographers Actually Do

• Diagnostic radiographers take X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, mammograms and fluoroscopy images that help find fractures, infections, tumours and much more.
• Therapeutic radiographers plan and deliver radiotherapy treatments for cancer patients.
• They protect patients and staff by following strict radiation-safety rules and choosing the lowest dose that still gives a clear image.
• They are often the friendly face that calms nervous patients — from newborn babies to elderly people after a fall.

Radiation Dose in Perspective

One of the main messages of World Radiography Day is that scans are safe when they are justified and done well. Health organisations often compare medical doses with the natural background radiation we all receive from the ground, air and space. The figures below are typical approximate values used in patient information:

Examination	Typical effective dose	About the same as natural background for
Dental X-ray	about 0.005 mSv	1 day
Chest X-ray	about 0.1 mSv	10 days
CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis	about 10 mSv	3 years

Radiographers follow the principle known as ALARA — “as low as reasonably achievable” — choosing the smallest dose that still gives a clear, useful image. If you are pregnant or think you might be, always tell the radiographer before an examination.

Surprising Facts About X-rays

• Röntgen refused to patent his discovery so that the whole world could benefit from it.
• In the 1920s to 1950s, many shoe shops used X-ray “fluoroscopes” to check how shoes fitted — a practice later banned for safety reasons.
• X-rays are also used at airports, in art galleries to reveal hidden paintings, and by astronomers to study black holes.

A Career Worth Celebrating

Radiography is a degree-level profession in many countries, combining physics, anatomy, technology and patient care. Demand for radiographers keeps growing as populations age and more diseases are caught early with imaging, which makes World Radiography Day a popular time for hospitals and universities to run career events.

Ways to Celebrate World Radiography Day

• Say thank you to the radiography team at your local hospital or clinic.
• Share a fun fact about X-rays — like the story of Bertha Röntgen’s hand — on social media.
• Students can visit a radiology department open day or read about careers in medical imaging.
• Hospitals can host talks on radiation safety and how modern scans work.
• Look up the year’s theme from the ISRRT and join the online conversation.

World Radiography Day Dates

Year	Date	Day
2026	November 8	Sunday
2027	November 8	Monday
2028	November 8	Wednesday
2029	November 8	Thursday
2030	November 8	Friday

👉 Also on November 8: See every national day and holiday on November 8

👉 Plan the month: All November holidays and observances

Frequently Asked Questions