History of National Stitch Day The 2002 release of the Walt Disney animated film Lilo & Stitch obviously acted as the catalyst for this day of celebration. With an Academy Award nomination and winning many other awards, this movie made its way into the hearts of children and adults alike. This event is celebrated on June 26 as a nod to the origins of the Stitch character. The extraterrestrial creature is originally referred to as “Experiment 626”, but six-year-old Lilo renames him “Stitch”. The date of this event was placed on the calendar as 6/26 in honor of Stitch’s original name