Today is Veteran’s Day, the one day a year during which we honor those who have served in the U.S. military. The date marks the day major combat during World War I ended in 1918. One year later, President Woodrow Wilson commemorated the day with “Armistice Day,” which would later become known as Veteran’s Day.
We always try to recognize those our veterans for serving our country, so here are some fun facts about Veteran’s Day:
- Armistice Day was originally intended to honor those who died during WWI but was amended in the early 1940s to honor all veterans
- Veteran’s Day is sometimes confused with Memorial Day, which honors those who died while serving in the military
- President Eisenhower changed the name from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day in 1954
- In 1968, Congressed passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved Veteran’s Day to the fourth Monday in October, but President Ford returned the holiday to Nov. 11 due to the date’s historical significance
- Other nations, such as Britain, France and Canada also celebrate a form of Veteran’s Day. Remembrance Day in Canada falls on Nov 11, while Remembrance Sunday in Britain falls on the second Sunday in November
- There are approximately 23.2 million veterans in the United States
Millions of Americans have served in our military and deserve our support. We hope you enjoy these fun facts. Please take a moment to thank a veteran for their service on Nov. 11.
Sources:
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/veterans-day-facts
http://www.softschools.com/facts/holidays/veterans_day_facts/159/
