History of the Holiday: Veterans Day

Veterans Day is a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states with the exception of Wisconsin.
In most states, it is observed on the weekday nearest to November 11th.
Veterans Day honours all veterans of the United States armed forces whereas... Memorial Day commemorates those who have laid down their lives for their country.
Veterans Day was first celebrated as Armistice Day on 11 November 1919, one year after the end of World War I.
Congress passed legislation in 1926 for the day to become an annual observance. It became a national holiday in 1938
In 1954 President Dwight Eisenhower changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
A traditional observation is a moment of silence at 11 AM remembering those who fought for peace. (Commemorates the cease-fire in the 1918 armistice which was scheduled for "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.")
Since 1776, 48 million Americans have served in the armed forces.
In the USA, there are an estimated 20 million veterans. Of these, Veterans from the Vietnam War are the largest group numbering over 7 million. There are 5.2 million veterans who served during the Gulf War Era.
1.6 million veterans are female.
California is home to most veterans in the US, with 1.7 million. Texas and Florida are next, with 1.5 million veterans.
The war which claimed the most American lives was the Civil war, with over 618,000 deaths, compared to 416,000 in World War II.
An annual Veterans Day parade takes place on 5th Avenue in Manhattan with over 500,000 attendees.
While the holiday is often written or printed as Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day in calendars and advertisements, the United States government has declared that the attributive case is the official spelling.
The official definition of a veteran is someone who served on active duty for more than six months while assigned to a regular U.S. armed services unit.
The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq remain open on this federal holiday.
Between the years of 1971 and 1977, Veterans Day was celebrated on every fourth Monday during October.
The holiday was changed back to its original date on Nov. 11, 1978, by President Ford.
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