January 27 marks Holocaust Memorial Day (HRD), an international day of Remembrance paying tribute to people who have perished in the name of evil and hatred across the world.
The annual memorial marks the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi death camps where millions of Jewish people, political prisoners and those of ethnic minorities were killed or enslaved.
Six million Jewish people were murdered during the Holocaust at the hands of the Nazis during the Second World War, but HRD is not just about remembering them - it seeks to ensure those killed in subsequent genocides such as Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur are never forgotten.
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Today, venues and individuals across the North East paid their own tributes. In keeping with the colours of the HRD emblem, buildings of significance were bathed in purple. Elsewhere people humbly lit candles and placed them in their windows, the flame burning for the souls who have lost their lives by virtue of their religion, creed, race or way of life.
Glowing like a beacon over the River Tyne in a purple hue was the Millennium Bridge in Gateshead.
Just as striking was Durham Castle, which overlooked the city in a blanket of purple. Meanwhile candles were lit in Durham Cathedral.
A memorial tree was planted at Minster Park in Sunderland in a ceremony attended by the mayor and mayoress along with representatives from Sunderland Interfaith Forum.
Sunderland's tree was sponsored by Dr Ron Burnett in memory of his parents Sophie and Walter Burnett, who fled Austria in the 1930s.
Newcastle Cathedral has also marked the occasion with a commemorative Star of David lit up with candles in memory of all those killed.
Durham County Council headquarters in the city centre were also lit up to mark the date.
There Holocaust survivor Uri Winterstein delivered a talk about his family's experiences during World War II.
HMD has taken place in the UK since 2001, with a UK Commemorative Ceremony and thousands of local activities taking place all across the UK on or around January 27 each year.
The UK played a leading role in establishing HMD as an international day of commemoration in 2000, when 46 governments signed the Stockholm Declaration.
In May 2005, Holocaust Memorial Day trust was registered as a charity and to date it has overseen massive growth of local HMD activities.
Its slogan is Learning Lessons from the Past to Create a Safer, Better Future.
Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, just west of Krakow in Poland was liberated by the Soviets in 1945.
The real number of those who perished in the Holocaust will likely never be known as it is only possible to count the recorded deaths that occurred but many more will have taken place.
You can join in remembering the six million Jews who were murdered in WWII - as well as other victims of persecution from throughout history and around the world - by lighting a candle in their honour at the Remembering the Six Million website.
