A diamond jubilee marks the 60th anniversary of an important event connected to a person, such as becoming a monarch or getting married, or the 60th anniversary of when an organization was started. The term is also used for 75th anniversaries, though this is more often applied to institutions because people rarely live to 75 years old.
Western monarchies
King George III of the United Kingdom died nine months before his diamond jubilee was scheduled in 1820. Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee marked her 60 years on the throne on 22 June 1897. Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee was celebrated across the Commonwealth of Nations during 2012.
Asian monarchies
In East Asia, the diamond jubilee happens at the same time as the traditional 60-year cycle, which is considered important even though it is not usually called a "diamond jubilee." Emperors such as Kangxi and Qianlong of China and Emperor Hirohito of Japan celebrated their 60th year of rule. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand celebrated his 60th year of reign on June 10, 2006.
National governments also celebrate their 60th anniversary as diamond jubilees. For example, the Republic of Korea marked its 60th anniversary in 2005, and the People's Republic of China did so in 2009. In South Asia, the term "diamond jubilee" is sometimes used to describe certain 100-day anniversaries. In India and Pakistan, a "diamond jubilee" film is one that has been shown in theaters for 100 days or more.
African monarchies
Sobhuza II of Swaziland, the longest ruling monarch in history, celebrated his 60th diamond jubilee in 1981. This celebration marked the 60 years since he began ruling directly. There was no 75th diamond jubilee celebration recorded.
List of diamond jubilees
In 1984, the phrase "Diamond Jubilee" was used by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its logo to mark the 60th anniversary of the studio. In 2015, Disneyland Park celebrated its Diamond Jubilee to honor 60 years of operation. In 2025, Singapore celebrated the diamond jubilee year since becoming independent from Malaysia, with the first event taking place on December 31, 2024.