The date of November 11th was first established as a legal national holiday on May 13, 1938. At that time, the holiday was known as "Armistice Day" and was created primarily to honor the veterans of World War I. The holiday was officially renamed "Veterans Day" to honor American veterans of all wars through legislation signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 1, 1954.
The holiday's origin is tied to the armistice that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919, and Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance. Following the advocacy of major U.S. veterans' organizations after World War II and the Korean War, Congress amended the 1938 act to replace the word "Armistice" with "Veterans." For a brief period, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved the official observance to the fourth Monday of October, starting in 1971, to create a three-day weekend for federal employees.
The move to October was met with widespread confusion and resistance from many states and citizens who felt the historical significance of the November 11th date was paramount. In response, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 in 1975, which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date. This change took effect in 1978, permanently re-establishing the holiday on November 11th to preserve its historical connection to the end of World War I.
