The 98th Anniversary of Veteran’s Day

Veteran’s day, formerly known as “Armistice Day”, will have its 98th anniversary on saturday November 11. This day is on the 11th day of the 11th month and marks the historic end of World War I by the signing of an armistice. However, this day isn’t just to remember these heroic veterans it also commemorates all veterans from every U.S. war as well as those still serving in the armed forces today.

The original holiday’s name was “Armistice Day”, due to the fact that on that day the treaty was signed to end the war. Under that name it only gave respect to those who died in or fought and survived through the first world war. One year after the signing on November 11, 1919 President Woodrow Wilson gave a speech that officially made this  day “Armistice Day.” From that day for the next eight years this holiday was celebrated on the eleventh day of the eleventh month until June 4, 1926. When congress passed a legislation that this holiday should just be celebrated with Thanksgiving and that the president would announce the observation every year and call for a moment of silence. By the time that congress had done this more than half of the states had already made November 11 a holiday. So in May of 1938, an act was passed to make “Armistice Day,” a federal holiday as well as put its original date.

After World War II and the greatest military movement the U.S. has ever seen several veteran service groups started to push for a name change of “Armistice Day”. On  June 1, 1954, Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation that gave them exactly what they wanted. From that day forward “Armistice Day”, became “Veteran’s Day,” and instead of honoring just the World War I veterans this federal holiday honors all U.S. veterans that served in a previous war or is currently serving.