History of Veterans Day
When World War One ended in 1918, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Armistice Day, as Veterans Day was originally known, was first celebrated on the first anniversary of the conclusion of “the war to end all wars.”
While Memorial Day celebrates American servicemen who sacrificed everything for their country, Veterans Day, or Remembrance Day as it is known in many other countries, pays tribute to all veterans, both living and deceased, who served their country honorably during times of war and peace.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
In America, the nation’s first unknown soldier was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Armistice Day, 1921. Since that first memorial, other unknown soldiers from America’s wars have been interred in the memorial, and it’s become tradition for the President or one of his representatives to lay a wreath on the tomb every November 11th.
In 1926, eight years after the end of the First World War, Congress passed a resolution calling for an annual observance of Armistice Day, to honor the veterans who fought so hard for the nation’s freedom and peace. The idea caught on, and by 1938, the day was marked by so many ceremonies and parades that Congress made Armistice Day a legal holiday.
Eisenhower Proclaims Veterans Day
After World War Two and the Korean War, Americans wanted to open up the holiday, not just for World War One veterans, but all veterans who served their country with courage and honor. In 1954, President Dwight D.Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, while in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved the celebration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October.
The law went into effect in 1971, until President Gerald Ford returned Veterans Day to November 11th, due to the historical significance of the date. As of 2018, the United States was home to 18.2 million living veterans who served during at least one war.
During America’s involvement in her last four wars, 16 million Americans served during World War Two, with just under 500,000 still alive as of 2018. Just under six million veterans served during the Korean War, with some two million still alive, while approximately 2.7 million served during the Vietnam War, with 610,000 still alive as of 2019.
Most recently, 3 million veterans have served in support of the War on Terrorism, making American veterans an ongoing vital asset to the nation’s safety and security, both at home and abroad.