On March 10th, gamers and fans of having fun around the world celebrate National Mario Day – also known as MAR10 Day – which recognizes the iconic video game character. Known today as Mario, the character first appeared in 1981 in a game developed by Nintendo called Donkey Kong. At his creation, the Donkey Kong game portrays Mario as a carpenter named Jumpman, though the protagonist was unnamed in the Japanese release of Donkey Kong. Then in 1983, Nintendo launched a new game in which bad guy Jumpman reinvents himself as an Italian plumber who rescues princesses.

Italian plumbers, Mario and his brother Luigi face numerous obstacles in Nintendo’s games. Over the years, gamers have guided Mario across several different landscapes in order 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. The storylines continue to be a large part of the pop culture landscape.

The game’s characters – Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toad, Bowser, Wario and Donkey Kong, along with Donkey Kong’s sidekick Diddy Kong – all live, battle and play in a world called the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario wears a red shirt, with a matching red cap that has the letter M on it. Mario’s brother Luigi wears a green shirt. His matching green cap has the letter L on it. Mario’s distinctive characteristics include his large nose and mustache, overalls, red cap, and high-pitched, exaggerated Italian accent.

According to widely circulated stories, Mario was named after Nintendo of America’s warehouse landlord at the time, Mario Segale, a Seattle-based businessman and real estate developer. The character was created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.

After Donkey Kong, Mario starred in the 1983 game Mario Bros. That game’s 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System sequel, Super Mario Bros., began the successful Super Mario platform series. The character has since appeared in over 200 video games. Charles Martinet voiced Mario from 1991 to 2023, when he was succeeded by Kevin Afghani.

Some of the games that have featured Mario over the years include Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros., Dr. Mario, Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi, Mario Kart, Mario Tennis and Super Smash Bros. Mario has also appeared in other Nintendo properties, such as the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games.

Mario is an established pop culture icon and is widely considered the most famous video game character in history. His likeness has been featured in merchandise, and people and places have been nicknamed after him. He inspired many video game characters, including Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. The franchise is the bestselling video game franchise of all time, with more than 800 million units sold worldwide. Mario has also been portrayed in films, with Bob Hoskins in the 1993 live-action film Super Mario Bros., and voiced by Chris Pratt in the 2023 animated film The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

With so much to do on MAR10 Day, you can keep the celebration going whether you’re at home or on the move! Let’s-a go!