The Isle of Man is situated in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom, but a Crown Dependency. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. 

Norsemen first came to the island in about 800AD and ruled for over 400 years. During that time they established different administrative systems including Tynwald, a parliament for passing legislation. Historians have traced the origin of Tynwald back to 979AD, making it the world’s longest continuous parliament. 

From at least from the start of the fifteenth century, Tynwald Day had been celebrated on June 24th, coinciding with the Feast of St. John the Baptist. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1753, the date didn’t shift to remain on June 24th and instead was observed on July 5th under the new calendar. 

There is no representation from the Isle of Man in the United Kingdom parliament and UK laws do not automatically apply in the Isle of Man. Tynwald makes the laws which are given final approval by the Queen.