ANNE & SAMANTHA DAY

ANNE AND SAMANTHA DAY

Celebrated bi-annually on the summer solstice and the winter solstice, Anne and Samantha Day honors two young women, Anne Frank and Samantha Smith, and the impact they had on the world.

#AnneSamanthaDay

Anne Frank and Samantha Smith left their mark on the world during two different times periods--WWII and the Cold War. Despite the fact that their lives were different, both Anne and Samantha wanted to live in a world filled with peace and hope.

Anne Frank

Anne Frank moved generations with the words she recorded in her diary - the Diary of a Young Jewish Girl. Born June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany, on the cusp of one of the most significant upheavals in world history, she was the second daughter of Otto and Ruth Frank.

The Frank family fled Nazi Germany for the relative safety of Amsterdam, Netherlands, after Germany began its campaign in 1939 by attacking Poland. However, by 1942, the Netherlands would also be occupied by the Nazis as well.

Weeks after receiving a red checkered diary for her 13th birthday, Anne's family, along with a few families who were employed by her father,were forced into hiding to avoid deportation to a concentration camp. It was while in hiding Anne wrote in her diary daily. The diary became a place of solace when despair was overwhelming.

I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support. ~ Anne Frank

Anne and her family survived in hiding in the empty space at the back of her father's company building until 1944. Sadly, betrayal by someone gave their hiding place away and the Gestapo raided the annex, splitting her family apart. The Germans forced the Franks and others into hard labor under brutal conditions in concentration camps. Her father would be the only family member to survive. He would later discover Anne's diary left behind.

Samantha Smith

The daughter of an instructor of college literature and a social worker, Samantha Smith, was born June 29, 1972. When she was ten years old, she sought to understand the Cold War between the United States and Russia by writing a letter to the Soviet leader, Yuri Andropov.

Dear Mr. Andropov,

My name is Samantha Smith. I am ten years old. Congratulations on your new job. I have been worrying about Russia and the United States getting into a nuclear war. Are you going to vote to have a war or not? If you aren't please tell me how you are going to help to not have a war. This question you do not have to answer, but I would like to know why you want to conquer the world or at least our country. God made the world for us to live together in peace and not to fight.

Sincerely,
Samantha Smith

While her letter was published in the Soviet newspaper, Pravda, she did not receive a response from Andropov. Not to be discouraged, she sent a letter to the Soviet Union's Ambassador to the United States asking if there would be a response from Andropov. On April 26, 1983, Samantha received a reply. Andropov addressed each of the young girl's questions in a lengthy letter which included an invitation to visit the Soviet Union.

"In America and in our country there are nuclear weapons — terrible weapons that can kill millions of people in an instant. But we do not want them to be ever used. That's precisely why the Soviet Union solemnly declared throughout the entire world that never — never — will it use nuclear weapons first against any country. In general we propose to discontinue further production of them and to proceed to the abolition of all the stockpiles on Earth."

~Yuri Andropov

Samantha soon became known as "America's Youngest Ambassador." She traveled to the Soviet Union and wrote a book about her visit. She traveled the world participating in peacemaking activities and became an actress in the television series Lime Street.

Sadly, Samantha's young life was cut short at the age of 13 when the plane she was traveling in crashed on August 25, 1985.

HOW TO OBSERVE ANNE AND SAMANTHA DAY

Learn more about these two young women by reading The Diary of a Young Girl or attend a theatre production. Continue your reading about Samantha Smith's Journey to the Soviet Union.

Send a letter supporting stamps honoring Anne Frank and Samantha Smith:

Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
c/o Stamp Development
U.S. Postal Service
1735 North Lynn St., Suite 5013
Arlington, VA 22209-6432

Use #AnneSamanthaDay to post on social media.

ANNE AND SAMANTHA DAY HISTORY

While not the official creators, the U.S. Postal Service and supporters for postage stamps honoring Anne Frank and Samantha Smith, played significant roles in bringing awareness to the lives of Anne and Samantha. National Anne and Samantha Day symbolizes new beginnings and renewal, and most of all, peace.