History of Veterans Day

Veterans Day is celebrated on the eleventh day of the eleventh month all over the US to pay tribute to the veterans who fought not only for themselves but for the goodwill of the entire humanity.

It is a legal holiday and is celebrated with great enthusiasm by conducting parades, rallies, and hoisting of flags. Being a veteran is not a small thing as you sacrifice a lot for the sake of the entire nation. You fight the enemies of humanity without the fear of losing your own lives. Thus, the state pays back your services in the form of special days. One such day is the veteran day which is especially celebrated to commemorate the sacrifices made by the veterans who fought to put an end to the deadliest war in human history known as First World War. However, there are a number of things you need to know about the history of Veterans Day in order to have a clearer idea about the importance of this significant day and why it is so important.  Here is a list of several facts regarding the history of this big day and its significance for the entire US:

Earlier, it used to be known as Armistice Day.

The First World War officially came to an end with the treaty of Versailles which was signed in France between Germany and the Allied Powers in June 1919. However, it practically ended when the treaty of the armistice was signed on 11th November 1918. Thus, it was decided that US will celebrate Armistice on every 11th November making it a legal holiday to honor the fact that the US had good relations with other nations around the globe. Thus, this day was an important day not only in the war history of US but also in the history of foreign relations of the country.

In 1954, it was named as the Veterans Day.

After the Second World War, the Act of 1938, that announced the celebration of Armistice Day, was amended and instead of Armistice the word Veteran was included in 1954. This was done to honor the services of US veterans who fought really courageously and selflessly against the aggression in Korea to ensure peace and harmony. The services of these brave and exemplary soldiers are paid tribute and gratitude each year on the 11th of November which is also a legal holiday irrespective of the fact which day of the week it is. Even in October 1954 the Veterans Day Proclamation was also issued.

The Uniform Holiday Bill changed the date of Veterans Day

In 1968, the government tried to increase traveling and recreation by giving three days long weekends by celebrating veteran federal holidays on Mondays. This also included Veterans Day so it created a lot of confusion about its celebration after the first year of this bill.  However, many states did not approve this law and continued to celebrate holidays on their original dates. Thus, this decision was later annulled and Veterans Day continued to be celebrated on 11th of November like always.

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