Veterans Day 168341 224819563 2008-07-10T15:42:27Z Adam McMaster 50629 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 224818987 by [[Special:Contributions/152.35.37.65|152.35.37.65]] ([[User talk:152.35.37.65|talk]]) {{For|Veterans' Day in the United Kingdom|Veterans' Day UK}} {{Infobox Holiday | |holiday_name=Veterans Day |image=Veterans day.jpg |caption=Joseph Ambrose, an 86-year-old [[World War I]] veteran, attends the dedication day parade for the [[Vietnam Veterans Memorial]] in 1982, holding the flag that covered the casket of his son, who had been killed in the [[Korean War]]. |official_name=Veterans Day |observedby=[[United States]] |date=[[November 11]] (or nearest weekday) |observances=Parades, school history projects |longtype=Federal (and most U.S. states) |type=national |significance=Honors the 24.9 million military veterans in the United States |First observed as armistice day=[[Armistice Day]] }} [[Image:72-901-1 HR7786 Veterans Day June 1 1954.jpg|thumb|260px|President Eisenhower signs HR7786, officially changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day.]] [[Image:Veterans Day 2007 poster.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Veterans Day 2007 poster]] '''Veterans Day''' is an [[United States|American]] holiday honoring military [[veterans]]. Both a [[federal holiday]] and a [[state holiday]] in all states, it is on the weekday closest to November 11th each year. It is also celebrated as [[Armistice Day]] or [[Remembrance Day]] in other parts of the world, falling on [[November 11]], the anniversary of the signing of the [[Armistice]] that ended [[World War I]]. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of [[Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)|the Armistice]].) The holiday is commonly printed as ''Veteran's Day'' or ''Veterans' Day'' in calendars and advertisements. While these spellings are grammatically acceptable, the United States government has declared that the [[attributive]] (no apostrophe) rather than the [[possessive case]] is the official spelling.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2007/11/09/apostrophe-sparks-veterans-day-conundrum/|publisher=''[[Columbia Missourian]]''|author=Kristina Sherry|date=2007-Nov-9|title=Apostrophe sparks Veterans Day conundrum}}</ref> == History == President Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for [[November 11]], [[1919]]. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on [[June 4]], [[1926]], requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved [[May 13]], [[1938]], made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday &mdash; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'." Congress amended this act on [[November 8]], [[1954]], by replacing "Armistice" with Veterans and it has been known as Veterans Day since.<ref name=VAhistory>"History of Veterans Day", VA, 2007"</ref> ==Notes== {{reflist}} == References == *{{cite web|accessdate=2007-11-03 |url=http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp |title=History of Veterans Day |publisher=United States Department of Veterans Affairs |date=[[March 7]], [[2007]]}} *{{cite web|accessdate=2007-11-01 |url=http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/faq/vetsday/vetshist.htm |title=The History of Veterans Day |publisher=U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH) |date=[[3 October]] [[2003]]}} *{{cite web|accessdate=2007-11-07 |url=http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp |title=History of Veterans Day |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs}} ==See also== *[[Anzac Day]] *[[Armistice Day]] *[[Remembrance Day]] *[[Volkstrauertag]] ==External links== {{portal|Holidays|Calendar icon.svg}} * [http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/ Official Website] United States Department of Veterans Affairs *[http://www.kansascitymarines.net/ Marine Corps Veteran Resources] * [http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode05/usc_sec_05_00006103----000-.html 5 USC 6103 (Federal Holidays)] at Cornell University's on-line United States Code * [http://www.veteransday.org.uk/ Veterans Day UK website] - Official website for Veterans Day UK 2008. * [http://www.attractionsblackpool.co.uk/Blackpool_Veterans_Week.htm Veterans Week UK] - Veterans Week Blackpool * [http://www.netglimse.com/holidays/veterans_day/veterans_of_us_wars.shtml/ Veterans of U.S. War] {{US Federal Holidays}} [[Category:Recurring events established in 1954]] [[Category:Holidays in the United States]] [[Category:November observances]] [[Category:American military personnel]] [[Category:Military veterans' affairs]] [[Category:Remembrance days]] [[de:Veterans Day]] [[fa:روز یادبود سربازان بازنشسته]] [[id:Hari Veteran]] [[nl:Veterans Day (Amerikaans)]] [[ja:復員軍人の日]] [[ru:День ветеранов (США)]] [[simple:Veterans Day]]