Every year, Nov. 11 rolls around and we remember the brave men and women who have given their lives for our country. From the young men who bravely fought the Nazis in World War II, to our brothers and sisters still fighting overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have dedicated Nov. 11 to remember them. While we all know and celebrate this momentous holiday, few know of how it came to be.
On June 28, 1919, The Treaty of Versailles was signed and marked the end of the Great War, or what is now known as World War I. Seven months prior to the signing of the treaty however, fighting had already stopped. Later that year, President Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as Armistice Day, in honor of the armistice that occurred on Nov. 11 the previous year.
Armistice Day become an annual holiday on May 13, 1938, primarily to celebrate the efforts of the soldiers who fought in WWI. This changed, however, on June 1, 1954, following both WWII and the Korean War when the holiday was changed from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day, in order to honor all veterans who had served and fought for America.
On Oct. 8, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower gave the first Veterans Day Proclamation, a tradition that has occurred since. He also assigned members to the Veterans Day National Committee to ensure that the holiday would receive the amount of exposure needed in order for it to maintain recognition.
On June 28, 1968, The Uniform Holiday Bill was signed, attempting to have several federal holidays celebrated on Mondays and ensure three day weekends to include travel and public events. These holidays include Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day.
The first Veterans Day following the bill’s signing was problematic due to the date change. This caused President Gerald Ford to sign a Public Law moving Veterans Day back to Nov. 11 due to the strong cultural ties associated with the holiday, as well as many states not acknowledging the holiday’s date change in the first place.
Today, we still celebrate Veterans Day on Nov. 11, but instead of only celebrating those who fought in WWI, we now celebrate the more than 24.9 million men and women that have fought in over half a dozen wars to protect our fundamental rights.