At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent as the armistice ending major hostilities of World War I went into effect between the Allied Powers and Germany. The moment symbolized the end of “the war to end all wars,” a phrase that soon proved optimistic but that gave the date enduring symbolic weight. That hour – 11 a.m. on November 11 – became forever tied to remembrance.
The following year, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation declaring November 11, 1919, as the first Armistice Day, calling for parades, public meetings, and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m. He described it as “a day filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service” and with gratitude for the victory that restored peace.
From Armistice Day to a National Holiday
Congress formally recognized Armistice Day in a concurrent resolution passed in 1926, urging Americans to observe the date annually “with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.” The resolution marked an early attempt to institutionalize remembrance as part of national civic life.
Twelve years later, in 1938, Congress enacted Public Law 510, designating November 11 a legal federal holiday “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’.” At the time, the holiday honored primarily the veterans of World War I, but that would soon change as the nation endured yet another global conflict.
Broadening the Holiday to Honor All Veterans
Following World War II and the Korean War, veterans’ groups began urging Congress to expand Armistice Day to honor all those who had served in the U.S. armed forces. The movement gained traction thanks in part to a campaign led by Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, who organized a “National Veterans Day” celebration in 1947 to recognize service members of all wars.
In 1954, Congress amended the 1938 Act, replacing the word “Armistice” with “Veterans,” and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the change into law. His accompanying proclamation called on all Americans to “solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly...and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.” The holiday was now intended to recognize service members from every era, not only those of the Great War.
A Brief Shift to October – and the Return to November
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, designed to provide more three-day weekends for federal employees. The legislation moved several holidays – including Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day – to specific Mondays. Under this law, Veterans Day was to be observed on the fourth Monday of October.
The first observance under the new date occurred on October 25, 1971, but the change quickly proved unpopular. Veterans’ organizations and the general public resisted, arguing that the date of November 11 carried deep historical and emotional significance. Responding to that sentiment, Congress enacted Public Law 94-97 in 1975, which President Gerald R. Ford signed to return Veterans Day to November 11 beginning in 1978. Since then, the federal holiday has remained anchored to that date and observed on the nearest weekday when it falls on a weekend.
How Veterans Day Differs from Memorial Day
Veterans Day is often confused with Memorial Day, but the two commemorate different forms of sacrifice. Memorial Day honors those who died while serving in the U.S. military. Veterans Day, by contrast, honors all who served – living or deceased – whether in wartime or peacetime. The distinction is deliberate: Veterans Day celebrates service itself, while Memorial Day memorializes ultimate sacrifice.
Why November 11 Still Matters
The symbolic power of November 11 lies in its origin. The “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” remains a poetic shorthand for the human yearning to end war and the responsibility to remember its costs. This connection is emphasized each year through ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and across the nation.
Today, Veterans Day serves not only as a day of reflection but also as a reaffirmation of the nation’s obligation to those who served. The Veterans Day National Committee coordinates annual observances across federal, state, and local levels to ensure the sacrifices of veterans remain part of the civic conscience.
Honoring Service, Preserving Memory
More than a century after the armistice of 1918, Veterans Day endures as both a remembrance and a promise. It marks a moment of peace that once seemed to herald a new world and reminds Americans that freedom’s preservation depends on those willing to serve. The holiday has evolved from its narrow origins into an inclusive expression of national gratitude, which is a tradition that continues to define the United States’ relationship with its veterans and with the ideals they swore to defend.
