On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 “The Great War” was halted as an armistice was signed between the Allied nations and the Central Powers. One year later President Wilson proclaimed November 11, 1919, Armistice Day to commemorate the victory earned just one year earlier and to honor those who made it possible.
Seven years later The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I and declared November 11 of that year a legal federal holiday (although 27 states had already done so.) It wasn’t until 1938 that Armistice Day was made an annual legal holiday.
In 1954, nearly a decade after the close of World War II, President Eisenhower and Congress amended the original act renaming Armistice Day to Veterans Day in an effort to celebrate the service of all Veterans.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first “Veterans Day Proclamation” on October 8, 1954 stated: “In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.”