SSC
World Alzheimer's Day is observed on:
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Answer: Option A — 21 September
Detailed Solution
World Alzheimer's Day is observed every year on 21 September to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and to challenge the stigma attached to them.
About World Alzheimer's Day:
It was launched in 1994 by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. ADI is a worldwide federation of Alzheimer's associations, founded in 1984.
Since 2012, the whole month of September has been observed as "World Alzheimer's Month".
About Alzheimer's disease:
- It is a progressive brain disorder and the most common cause of dementia, accounting for about 60-70 per cent of cases.
- It slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually the ability to carry out simple daily tasks.
- Early symptoms include forgetting recent events or conversations, repeating questions and having difficulty finding words.
- As the disease progresses, people may become confused about time and place, show mood and personality changes and need help with basic care.
- In the brain, it is associated with the build-up of abnormal proteins: "amyloid plaques" outside nerve cells and "tau tangles" inside them, leading to the death of brain cells.
- It mainly affects people over the age of 65, and the risk increases with age.
- There is no complete cure yet, but some medicines can help with symptoms or slow decline in some patients.
History:
It is named after the German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer, who in 1906 described the case of a woman named Auguste Deter, whose brain showed the characteristic plaques and tangles after her death.
Other health days:
- World Mental Health Day: 10 October.
- World Diabetes Day: 14 November (Frederick Banting's birthday).
- World Red Cross Day: 8 May (birthday of Henry Dunant).
- World Parkinson's Day: 11 April.
- World Brain Day: 22 July.
- Also on 21 September: the International Day of Peace (UN).
Why not the other options?
- ✗10 October is World Mental Health Day.
- ✗14 November is World Diabetes Day.
- ✗8 May is World Red Cross Day.
Quick tip
Remember: World Alzheimer's Day = 21 September (since 1994, Alzheimer's Disease International; September = World Alzheimer's Month); also International Day of Peace; Alois Alzheimer described it in 1906.
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Important Days & Dates — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Important Days & Dates, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers national and international days observed through the year, such as National Youth Day, World Environment Day and International Yoga Day, along with the themes announced for them and the events or people they commemorate. Questions ask for the date of a day, the day observed on a given date, or the person it honours (for example, National Sports Day on 29 August marks the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand). Revise days month by month in a calendar format. Themes change every year, so learn the current year's themes from current affairs. Practise the important days questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.