Just over a century ago, on November 11, 1918, formal hostilities ended in the First World War when an armistice with Germany went into effect.
Known originally as Armistice Day, this holiday was meant to honor those who had served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I and had been discharged in any manner other than dishonorably.
Although November 11th was celebrated by much of the American public from its first anniversary in 1919, it was not until 1938 that the day became a legal holiday by an Act of Congress and signed by President Woodrow Wilson. In 1945, following the end of World War II, army veteran Raymond Weeks had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Weeks led a delegation to General Dwight Eisenhower, who supported the idea of National Veterans Day. The day took on this broader significance over the next decade and, in 1954, it was formally renamed Veterans Day.
For more information about Veterans Day, please click the link below.
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