Transfer Day in 2020
Commemorates the transfer of the islands from Denmark to the United States in 1917
When is Transfer Day?
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2022 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2020 |
When is Transfer Day?
Transfer Day is a public holiday in the U.S. Virgin Islands observed on March 31st.
The holiday commemorates this day in 1917 when Denmark ceded the islands to the United States.
History of Transfer Day
On March 31st 1917, the 133-square-mile island chain comprising the Danish West Indies was ceded to the United States by Denmark, becoming the U.S. Virgin Islands in exchange for $25 million in gold.
The U.S. interest in the islands primarily was their strategic location to improve military positioning during World War I. Later, the islands were a foothold in the Caribbean for the U.S. Navy in World War II.