Mario is one of the most, if not the most, recognisable character in video games. He's transcended the medium for almost 40 years now, starring in his own games for 35 years of that, and deserves all the plaudits he can get.

Nintendo's mascot first appeared as Jumpman, back in arcades in 1981. His role, take down the evil Donkey Kong and rescue Lady (or Pauline) from his grasp.

Since then, the red-hatted, moustachioed plumber has gone on to become Nintendo's mascot and has starred in literally 100's of different games.

Today, March 10, is known all over the world as "Mario Day", a day when fans and gamers alike can celebrate one of the medium's biggest heroes. But why today? Why is March 10th known as Mario Day?

Mario Games

Since starring in Donkey Kong in 1981, Mario has played host to many of his own fantastic titles.

Super Mario Bros. was the first major "Mario" titled game, releasing in 1986. This paved the way for a lifetime of excellence. Following that, he then moved into the highly critically acclaimed sequels - Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3, before slowly edging into 3D territory.

From there, Mario moved into (my favourite Mario game) Super Mario 64, then Sunshine, Galaxy, Galaxy 2 and the wonderful Super Mario Odyssey. Along the way, he competed in plenty of different sporting events, dipped back into 2D, turned to paper and so, so much more.

So, Why is March 10th known as Mario Day?

The simple answer is because of the date. Although Mario deserves to be celebrated until the end of time, the reason today's date was chosen was simply because it abbreviates to Mar10, which looks an awful lot like

Happy #MAR10Day! March 10th is a special time of the year, full of heroic moustaches and mighty jumps. Which Mario game are you playing today? pic.twitter.com/uOG6Ecd0zG

— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) March 10, 2021

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Twitter reacts to Mario Day

Fans all over the globe are (virtually) coming together to celebrate today. Here are some of the best Twitter reactions: