Veterans Day is a United States federal holiday observed annually on November 11. The day honors all military veterans, defined as individuals who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The observance is fixed on this specific date to commemorate the end of major hostilities in World War I.
The historical significance of November 11 dates back to the armistice that ended World War I, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed this date as Armistice Day to honor the veterans of that war. Congress officially recognized it as a legal holiday in 1938. Following World War II and the Korean War, veterans' service organizations urged Congress to amend the holiday to honor American veterans of all wars. Consequently, in 1954, the name was changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. While the Uniform Holiday Bill of 1968 briefly moved the observance to the fourth Monday in October, public sentiment and the date's historical importance led to its return to November 11 in 1978.
Unlike holidays that are observed on a nearby Monday to create a three-day weekend, this observance remains on November 11 regardless of the day of the week it falls on, preserving its direct link to the 1918 armistice. It is important to distinguish this holiday from Memorial Day, which is observed in May to honor military personnel who died while in service. Veterans Day, in contrast, celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, both living and deceased, with a particular focus on thanking living veterans for their contributions.
