The History of Veterans Day!
Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice
Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War
I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislation that was
passed in 1938, November 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and
to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day." As such, this new
legal holiday honored World War I veterans.
In 1954, after having been through
both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress - at the urging of
veterans service organizations - amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the
word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With
the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to
honor American veterans of all wars.
In 1968, the Uniform Holiday Bill
ensured three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national
holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and
Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the last Monday of
October. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to
celebrate the holiday on its original date. The first Veterans Day under the
new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971.
Finally, on September 20, 1975, President Gerald R.
Ford signed a law that returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its
original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. Since then, the Veterans Day
holiday has been observed on November 11.
