Towel Day

Towel Day History

Towel Day is an annual tribute and celebration in honor of the late British author Douglas Adams, best known for his science fiction series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The purpose of Towel Day is to remember and appreciate Adams' wit, storytelling, and the impact his work has had on readers around the globe. Participants in Towel Day festivities carry a towel with them throughout the day to commemorate a key piece of advice found in Adams' series, where the towel was described as the most essential item a hitchhiker could possess.

The roots of Towel Day trace back to 2001, when Douglas Adams passed away at the age of 49 due to a heart attack. To honor his memory, a group of fans organized the first-ever Towel Day on May 25, 2001 two weeks after his death. The idea quickly gained momentum online through message boards, chat rooms, and websites, sparking a tradition that has since grown and been celebrated across the globe. On Towel Day, Canadian fans and enthusiasts join to honor Douglas Adams' legacy. Fans may attend gatherings, share their favorite moments from Adams' works on social media, or carry their towels in public places as a reference to the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Towel Day takes place annually on May 25th across the globe.

Towel Day facts & quotes

• Douglas Adams launched an online version of the Hitchhiker’s Guide in 1999. It was taken over by the BBC and continues to run.
• Douglas Adams received a £1,500 advance for the first Hitchhiker’s book. His advance for the fourth book in the series, So Long and Thanks for all the Fish, was over £600,000.
• Douglas Adams owned one of the first Macintosh computers in the UK and used it extensively for his writing.
• Towel Day is celebrated on May 25th every year, to honor the life and work of Douglas Adams, who was a British author, screenwriter, and humorist. Adams was famous for his book series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which the towel plays a fundamental role.
• Fans can participate in the annual online event called 22:58 EST Virtual Vogon Poetry Slam, which is organized by the Towel Day community. Participants from around the world share their creative talents in writing and performing Vogon poetry, a fictional style of poetry mentioned in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

In the News and Trending in Canada for Towel Day

Top things to do in Canada for Towel Day

• Remember to bring your towel with you, it's the most important item a hitchhiker can carry.
• Appreciate Douglas Adams contributions by watching one of his films. Our suggestions to view include:
  1. Doctor Who: Shada (1992, 2017) - This unfinished story was written by Douglas Adams for the television series Doctor Who. The story features the Doctor working with a Time Lord named Professor Chronotis to defeat an evil alien.
  2. The Martin Chronicles: Life, the Universe and Douglas Adams (2005) - This short documentary focuses on the life and career of Douglas Adams, particularly his work on "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series.
  3. Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic (1998) - This movie is based on the multimedia project by Adams, which includes a website, game, and novel. The film explores the story of the Starship Titanic, which is designed to be the most luxurious ship in the universe, but suffers from critical malfunctions.
• Watch The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie or BBC TV series today. Enjoy Towel Day by (re)watching the 2005 movie adaptation or the 1981 BBC TV series based on Adams' work.