National Mario Day on March 10 recognizes an iconic character from a popular video game. The character, known today as Mario, first appeared in 1981 in a game called Donkey Kong made by Nintendo.

#NationalMarioDay

Dedicated fans knew Mario before his time as a plumber. At his creation, Donkey Kong portrays Mario as a carpenter named Jumpman. Then in 1983, Nintendo launched a new game in which bad guy Jumpman reinvents himself into an Italian plumber who rescues princesses.

Italian plumbers, Mario and his brother Luigi face numerous obstacles in the games produced by Nintendo. Over the years, gammers help Mario cross several different landscapes all to rescue Princess Toadstool or Princess Peach, depending on which game they play. No matter the kingdom or galaxy, video game fans find the games entertaining and challenging. Many will admit, they find the characters endearing. The storylines provide hours of fun and continue to be a part of the pop culture landscape.

Mario Fun Facts

• Similar to Michael Michaels or Adam Adams, Mario’s last name is his first name. Luigi and Mario are known as the Mario Brothers making Mario’s last name Mario.

• Maybe there’s a reason National Blueberry Popover Day shares the same date. Mario pops up in all sorts of other video games.

• With over 210 million copies of the Mario game series sold, Mario ranks as one of the most popular video games of all time.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL MARIO DAY

• Celebrate by inviting friends and family to play.
• Host a video game tournament.
• Invite everyone to a video game character murder mystery night.
• Play video game trivia.
• Have a retro night and play everyone’s old favorites.
• Make snacks representing favorite power-ups.
• Try these ideas and share more by using #NationalMarioDay on social media.