Multiple governors declared legal holidays. Those losses were bitterly felt, especially among those whose loved ones had been buried in over 2,300 temporary cemeteries on European soil.Ī year after the armistice, Americans made plans to observe the anniversary nationwide. had only joined the conflict in 1917, but it alone had lost over 116,000 lives and seen about 320,000 other casualties. A total of about 10 million men were killed in action, and another 20 million were wounded worldwide. World War I was over, but the world reeled from its losses. Paris time, an armistice came into effect. The Allies’ terms were tough, but Germany was in no position to argue. Revolutions had upended the governments of many of the combatant countries, and an influenza pandemic was sweeping the world.Īfter a long stalemate, the United States entered the war, and the Allied forces launched an offensive that would prove decisive. The holiday’s beginnings can be traced to the late days of 1918, when a weary world began to look toward the end of what was commonly called the “Great War.” Over four long years, World War I had obliterated European landscapes, ushered in the use of deadly new technologies such as poison gas, and entangled more than 30 nations. ( These were history’s deadliest conflicts.) The first Armistice Day Here’s how the holiday evolved from a day of postwar mourning to a celebration of all those who have served in the U.S. Once known as Armistice Day, it has roots in one of the most destructive conflicts in history. While Memorial Day honors those who died in military service, Veterans Day celebrates the living and the dead.īut Veterans Day didn’t always celebrate all military veterans. The holiday is distinct from Memorial Day, which grew out of the Civil War-era tradition of decorating the graves of deceased soldiers. Parades, ceremonies, and a much-needed day off-Veterans Day, observed on November 11 each year, is one of the nation’s 12 Congressionally designated federal holidays.
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