Veterans Day was established as a federal holiday on June 1, 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an act of Congress to amend a previous law. This legislation officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, expanding its purpose to honor American veterans of all wars, not just those who served in World War I.
The holiday's legislative origins trace back to an Act approved on May 13, 1938, which made November 11 a legal federal holiday known as "Armistice Day." This date was chosen to commemorate the end of World War I, which formally ceased on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. Following World War II and the Korean War, veterans service organizations advocated for a change to recognize the service of millions of new veterans. The 1954 legislation was the direct result of this advocacy, transforming the holiday's focus from honoring the peace treaty of a single conflict to celebrating all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Further legislative adjustments affected its observance. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved the holiday to the fourth Monday in October, effective 1971, to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. However, due to the profound historical significance of the November 11 date, this change proved unpopular. In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97, which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, a change that took effect in 1978. This final move solidified the date and reinforced the holiday's historical connection to the end of World War I.
