Iraq's National Day celebrates the independence as the Kingdom of Iraq was granted its independence by Britain and was admitted to the League of Nations.
Until the end of World War I, Iraq was part of the Ottoman Empire. Following the fall of Ottoman power, Britain seized control of Iraq, renaming it the 'State of Iraq' and appointing Hashemite King Faisal I as their client monarch.
On October 3, 1932, Britain awarded the Kingdom of Iraq independence and admitted it to the League of Nations, with King Faisal as its king. King Faisal died a year later, in 1933, and his son, King Ghazi, took control. The monarchy lasted until 1958, when the 14 July Revolution resulted in Iraq becoming a republic.
Following the Ba'ath party's rise to power on July 17, 1968, that day became Iraq's official national day until 2006.
In 2020, the Iraqi Cabinet authorised the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to develop an Iraq National Day Law, independent from the laws governing Iraq's public holidays, and to submit it to the Council of Representatives.
In August 2020, Iraq's Cabinet approved a draft law designating October 3rd as Iraq's National Day. Iraq's Culture Minister Hassan Nazim announced the decision, explaining that "the importance of this day is that it is an official and international recognition of the establishment of the Iraqi state, to be among the first Arab (countries) to gain independence".
