Veterans Day 2024 Overview
Veterans Day is a U.S. holiday honoring all American veterans, celebrated this year on Monday, November 11, 2024. This day traces back to World War I, when on the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” in 1918, a temporary ceasefire, known as an armistice, was agreed upon between the Allied nations and Germany. Originally called Armistice Day, the holiday was established in 1938 as a federal holiday in the United States. Following World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day evolved into what we now know as Veterans Day, honoring all who served.
History of Armistice Day
World War I formally ended with the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, yet November 11, 1918, remained symbolic as the day the war’s hostilities ceased. A year later, in November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson marked the first Armistice Day in the U.S. with parades, public gatherings, and a pause in business and school at 11 a.m. to remember those who served.
On November 11, 1921, the U.S. honored an unidentified American soldier from the war with burial at Arlington National Cemetery, mirroring tributes in the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey and in France at the Arc de Triomphe. To this day, red poppies—symbols popularized by the World War I poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae—are worn in Canada and the U.K. on Remembrance Day as a tribute to veterans.
In 1926, Congress passed a resolution calling for annual Armistice Day observances that encouraged peace and goodwill. By 1938, Congress officially made November 11 a federal holiday, “dedicated to the cause of world peace” and designated as Armistice Day.
Transition to Veterans Day
During World War II, the United States saw its largest mobilization of military forces, with over 16 million people serving. In 1954, veterans’ organizations campaigned to honor all who served, not just those in World War I. This led Congress to amend the 1938 act, renaming “Armistice Day” as “Veterans Day.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the change into law, officially making November 11 a day to honor all American veterans.
In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act aimed to create three-day weekends by shifting federal holiday observances to Mondays. Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October, but this change was met with resistance from many states. By 1978, public sentiment led President Gerald Ford to restore November 11 as the fixed date for Veterans Day observance. If November 11 falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the closest weekday.
Veterans Day Observances in Other Countries
November 11 is also observed in Canada, Australia, France, and Great Britain. Canada commemorates Remembrance Day, while Great Britain holds Remembrance Sunday on the second Sunday of November. In Commonwealth countries, it is customary to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. on November 11 to honor the fallen.
Veterans Day Traditions in the U.S.
In the United States, a traditional wreath-laying ceremony takes place each Veterans Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Across the country, parades and ceremonies honor veterans’ service.
Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day, which honors those who died in military service or from battle-related injuries. Veterans Day is dedicated to recognizing all veterans—living and deceased—while especially giving thanks to those still with us today for their honorable service during times of war and peace.
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