In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first Armistice Day, honoring the end of World War I and those who served with “solemn pride.” The day was marked with parades, public gatherings, and a moment of silence at 11 a.m.—the hour the guns fell silent in 1918.
In 1938, Congress made Armistice Day a national holiday dedicated to world peace and honoring World War I veterans. But after World War II and the Korean War, millions more Americans had served, and in 1954, Congress replaced the word “Armistice” with “Veterans,” creating Veterans Day—a day to honor all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day proclamation that same year, calling on citizens and veterans’ groups to join in nationwide observances.
Though a 1968 law briefly moved Veterans Day to a Monday, public outcry led President Gerald Ford to restore its original date—November 11—in 1978, where it remains today, a time to remember sacrifice, service, and the price of freedom.
