It hasn’t always been called Veterans Day, but we’ve celebrated it as a nation for nearly 100 years. The Nov. 11 celebration originated in 1919 as Armistice Day, which marked the first anniversary of the end of World War I. The truce between Germany and the World War I Allies to end the war was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.
Congress in 1926 passed a resolution for an annual day of remembrance, and in 1938 Nov. 11 became a national holiday. It pays tribute to all American veterans – living or dead – but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
The holiday’s name was officially changed to Veterans Day in 1954 by President Eisenhower. For a few years in the early 1970s Veterans Day was celebrated on the fourth Monday in October as part of the Uniform Holidays Bill passed by Congress in 1968. In 1975 President Ford returned Veterans Day to Nov. 11 due to the date’s important historical significance.
