30 Amazing Facts about Veterans Day

Google Doodle celebrates Veterans Day, once known as Armistice Day, in the United States on November 11, 2020. One of the nation’s 10 government holidays, Veterans Day explicitly honors individuals from the country’s armed forces. Google Doodle on Veterans Day 2020 was designed by Texas-based, Air Force veteran, and guest artist Jenn Hassin.

30 Facts about Veterans Day

1. Veterans are men and women who have served in any part of the United States military, for example, the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy. Over 21 million veterans are living in the United States, all of who served during times of war or peace. US veterans have served their nation through 12 significant wars since the Revolutionary War. Of the 45 United States presidents, 26 of them have been veterans.

2. Veterans Day started as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the finish of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday starting in 1938. Not at all like Memorial Day, Veterans Day honors every American veteran—living or dead—yet particularly expresses appreciation to living veterans who served their nation respectably during war or peacetime.

3. Veterans Day praises those who have served the country in war or peace — dead or alive — even though it’s generally expected to thank living veterans for their sacrifices. Memorial Day is a memorable opportunity for the individuals who gave their lives for our country, especially in fight or from wounds they suffered in war.

4. Hence, Nov. 11, 1918, was generally viewed as the finish of “the war to end all wars” and named Armistice Day. In 1926, Congress officially remembered it as the finish of the war, and in 1938, it became an official holiday, basically, a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I.

5. Yet, at that point World War II and the Korean War occurred, so on June 1, 1954, at the asking of veterans service associations, Congress amended the commemoration once more by changing the word “armistice” to “veterans” so the day would honor American veterans of all wars.

6. Contrasting from Memorial Day in May, Armistice Day, which would be renamed Veterans Day in 1954 under President Dwight Eisenhower, honors veterans who survived different wars. Memorial Day remembers those veterans who lost their lives.

7. Even though the date changed a few times all through the 20th century, today Veterans Day falls on November 11 of every year. The date was picked to coincide with the anniversary of the finish of World War I, which happened “at the 11th hour of 11th day of the 11th month.”

8. Americans observe Veterans Day, while citizens of Great Britain, Canada, and Australia celebrate Remembrance Day. The individuals who want to become familiar with Veterans Day can think about the following facts.

9. Canada and Australia both call Nov. 11 “Remembrance Day.” Canada’s observance is pretty like our own, aside from a significant number of its residents wear red poppy flowers to honor their war dead. In Australia, the day is more likened to our Memorial Day.

10. Great Britain calls it “Remembrance Day,” as well, yet notices it on the Sunday nearest to Nov. 11 with parades, services, and two minutes of silence in London to honor the individuals who lost their lives in war.

11. Veterans Day happens every year on November 11 in the United States out of appreciation for the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918 that signaled the finish of World War I, known as Armistice Day.

12. On November 11, 1921, an unidentified American soldier killed in the war was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. It is known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. An official wreath-laying ceremony is held every Veterans’ Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Typically the president, or another high-ranking government official, lays the wreath on the grave.

13. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

14. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed by Congress, which moved the celebration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. The law became effective in 1971, yet in 1975 President Gerald Ford returned Veterans Day to November 11, because of the vital historical significance of the date.

15. From 1971-1977, the “Uniform Holiday Bill” became effective, which moved Veterans Day from a set-date on November 11th, to being celebrated on a Monday, which would permit Federal workers to have a three-day weekend.

16. Since certain Americans kept on noticing Veterans Day on the original date, and others on the new day all through those six years, the switch was viewed as confusing and unnecessary. In 1978, Veterans Day was changed once again to November 11th, by President Gerald R. Passage.

17. Great Britain, France, Australia, and Canada likewise remember the veterans of World War I and World War II on or close to November 11th: Canada has Remembrance Day, while Britain has Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November).

18. In Europe, Great Britain, and the Commonwealth countries it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11.

19. Each veteran Day and Memorial Day, Arlington National Cemetery holds an annual memorial service. The cemetery is home to the graves of more than 400,000 individuals, most of whom served in the military.

20. A few nations have their own holidays perceiving veterans and the individuals who have died in wars that fall nearby November 11. Be that as it may, the significant day passes by an alternate name outside the U.S.: In Canada, it’s Remembrance Day, and numerous in the UK observe both Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day.

21. Since numerous laborers appreciate a vacation day for Veterans Day, the date of the recognition can be changed if it falls on the weekend. In particular, if November 11 is a Sunday, the government holiday will commonly be moved to the next day, Monday. If it’s on a Saturday, the holiday may become Friday or simply stay on Saturday. On the other hand, if it’s on a weekend, numerous organizations will give their representatives a “floating holiday” with the goal that they can pick when to take the day off.

22. There are three U.S. states whose veteran populaces surpass 1 million: California with 1.56 million, Texas with 1.46 million, and Florida with 1.44 million. Also, the states with the highest percentage of veterans are Alaska, Virginia, Montana, Wyoming, Hawaii, and Maine, all with around 10% of the adult population being veterans. These numbers actually make up only a small amount of the nation’s 18.2 million veterans, who can be found in all parts of the U.S.

23. In 2011 it was estimated that roughly 8.1% of veterans in the United States are women.

24. Around 35% of the veterans living today served in the United States military in the Vietnam War.

25. On average, the individuals who have served in the military in the United States, including men and women, procure more than the individuals who have not served.

26. There is not supposed to be an apostrophe on Veterans Day. All things considered, some spell it Veteran’s Day or Veterans’ Day.

27. Poppies are a symbol of remembrance during Veterans Day. Canadian surgeon and warrior John McCrae composed a poem named “In Flanders Field” which became a poem of war and remembrance. The poppy, a flower that may not grow in fields for quite a long time yet then will return and grow in incredible numbers, motivated McCrae. The American Legion sells small paper reproductions of the flowers on the holiday, to fund-raise for veterans in need.

28. Veterans can be all over – it very well may be your grandfather, mother, brother, or your cousin, or even your neighbor. They don’t generally discuss their service or wear their uniforms, making it important to recognize them and the sacrifices they made for the nation, not simply on Veterans Day.

29. The Veterans Day National Committee selects a national Veterans Day poster every year. The Paralyzed Veterans of America additionally runs an annual National Veterans Day Poster and Essay Contest for elementary and middle school students.

30. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs includes an interactive map that permits guests to look for Veterans Day activities in their local areas.