Why Is Veterans Day On November 11th?

Till 1954, Veterans Day was known as Armistice Day. The first ever Armistice Day was observed on the 11th of November 1919, after a year of World War 1.

The 11th of November, 1918 was the year when Germany surrendered World War 1 to the allies primarily Great Britain, France, and the United States.

Therefore, when a year after, allied nations decided to observe Armistice Day, they choose the date 11th November.

In 1954, via a constitutional amendment, the United States Congress decided to change the name Armistice Day to Veterans Day; by the way, the date remained unchanged.

Earlier, when they observed Armistice Day, it was dedicated to only the veterans of World War 1, not others.

However, once the name changed in 1954, it started covering all the veterans of the United States armed forces; even those, who fought and sacrificed their lives in the Korean War, World War II, and the Vietnam War, etc.

Why Did The United States Congress Decide To Change The Name Armistice Day To Veterans Day?

After World War II, a veteran named Raymond Weeks requested the United States authority to dedicate Armistice Day to all the veterans who served in the United States armed forces.

At that time, Dwight D Eisenhower took his request seriously because he also served as a military man (military leader) in World War I and World War II.

Execution of Raymond Week’s proposal took a few years. Finally, in 1954, under Eisenhower’s presidency, Congress decided to change the name along with its definition.

Since then, the United States of America has been observing Veterans Day by dedicating it to all the veterans of its armed forces.

Is The 11th of November A Holiday In The USA?

Yes, the 11th of November is a federal holiday in the United States. On this day, all the government banks, schools, colleges, post offices, and most offices under the federal government remain closed.