The History of Veterans Day

Veterans Day has its origins in World War I. On November 11, 1918, an armistice went into effect, ending the hostilities of World War I. (Notably, it went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.) In remembrance of this, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day on November 11, 1919. In 1938, Congress passed a law that made Armistice Day a federal holiday. It was primarily focused on honoring World War I veterans and celebrating peace. On November 11, 1947, the first Veterans Day was held after Raymond Weeks, a World War II Navy veteran, organized a movement to hold a national day to honor all Americans who served in the armed forces. After being urged by many veterans and veteran groups, President Eisenhower signed legislation that officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day and the scope of the holiday was broadened to recognize veterans of all wars, not just those who served in World War I. The holiday was celebrated on November 11th of each year until 1968’s Uniform Holiday Monday Act went into effect. The Act ensured three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays and moved observance of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday of October. The first Veterans Day celebrated under the new law took place on October 25, 1971. The date change was extremely unpopular and on Sept. 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law that returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to November 11, restoring the historic significance of the holiday. Observance of Veterans Day reverted to November 11th in 1978 and has continued that way ever since. Various ceremonies and memorials take place all over the country each year on Veterans Day, including, but not limited to, those held at Arlington National Cemetery and the National World War II Memorial. Veterans Day has evolved as a day to honor those who served in wartime as well as during peacetime. Today, the holiday also provides a platform for efforts to increase awareness and advocacy for the needs of veterans.