Origins of Veterans Day

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary marking the end of World War I. 

Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. 

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. 

The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation and a remembrance ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. 

The ceremony honors and thanks all who served in the U.S. armed forces.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports there were 18.2 million veterans in the nation in 2017.

Fifty percent of the nation’s veterans were age 65 and older. At the other end of the age spectrum, 8.9 percent were younger than age 35.