Assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk would have been 32 today, Oct. 14.
Instead, he was fatally shot in the neck by a single bullet in Urem, Utah, as he spoke at Utah Valley University.
Americans are wishing Kirk a happy birthday by wearing red T-shirts and red “FREEDOM” shirts in what has become “wear red day,” a social-media movement.
Tuesday, Oct. 14, is also a National Day of Remembrance for Kirk, and numerous conservative Turning Point USA chapters are hosting events to mark the occasion.
Later today, Kirk’s wife, Erika, will be at the White House as President Trump posthumously awards Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Why wear red today, Oct. 14?
Turning Point USA and Charlie Kirk’s supporters are wishing Kirk a happy birthday by wearing red.
Many are wearing a red freedom shirt sold on Turning Point’s website, which warned earlier that, due to “overwhelming support” for Kirk and his mission, shipping could take 12 weeks.
What is #WeAreCharlie and #IamCharlie?
Charlie Kirk supporters have flooded social media with posts marked #IamCharlie and #WeAreCharlie, along with photos of themselves and others wearing red shirts.
The hashtag and “wear red” movement appear to have origins in the largest support group, Turning Point USA, where many people have shared photos of themselves wearing red.
When is Charlie Kirk’s birthday?
Charlie Kirk was born on Oct. 14, 1993.
He would have been 32 today.
Today designated as National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk
Today, Oct. 14, has been designated as a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida submitted a resolution in September calling for the designation, and the Senate passed it.
➤ Today designated as National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk
A similar bill in the House was referred to a committee, where it remains.
“Charlie was taken from us in a disgusting act of political violence on Sept. 10, 2025, but his legacy lives on,” said U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who submitted a resolution in September calling for the designation.
“As we mourn this massive loss, let us gather together in our communities and pray for his family and our nation. And let us honor Charlie by believing in the power of our ideas to win the day and leave the nation a better place.”
Bill filed to make Oct. 14 Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance every year in Florida
House Bill 125 was filed Oct. 8 in the Florida House of Representatives to designate Oct. 14 of each year as Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance.
If passed by the Legislature during the 2026 session, the effective date proposed in the bill is July 1, 2026.
“Charlie Kirk reached millions of Americans, including Floridians of all ages, encouraging them to take part in civic life and defend constitutional freedoms,” the bill said.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, 31, was killed Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking in Orem, Utah, at Utah Valley University.
He didn’t have a college degree. But the conservative built what he called “the largest pro-American student organization in the country,” Turning Point USA, over the last decade.
At a Turning Point political rally in December 2024, a month after winning the presidential election, Donald Trump credited Kirk and Turning Point with his victory.
Kirk gained fame as a vocal critic of liberalism in education.
Kirk has been credited for inspiring and rallying young conservatives to fight (and vote) for personal freedom against what he called dangerous liberal ideas and seeking to open communications with his public debates, but he also outraged millions with his hard-line views on abortion, civil rights, gender issues, gay marriage and gun rights.
Contributor: Lori Comstock, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Wear red day celebrates Charlie Kirk’s birthday Oct. 14
