John Calefato
Here are a few facts about Veteran"s Day you might not know.
President Woodrow Wilson called for the creation of Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I.
Armistice Day was a hallowed anniversary because it was supposed to protect future life from future wars.
This is because a veteran named Raymond Weeks petitioned General Dwight D. Eisenhower to change the holiday to honor all veterans. The idea made sense. World War II involved much more of the country's resources than World War I, and sadly four times as many Americans lost their lives. Nine years and the Korean War later Eisenhower, then signed Veterans Day into law.
In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed by Congress, which moved the celebration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. The law went into effect in 1971, but in 1975 President Gerald Ford returned Veterans Day on November 11, due to the significant historical importance of the date.
Great Britain, France, Australia and Canada also commemorate the veterans of World War I and World War II on or near November 11th. Canada has Remembrance Day. Britain has Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November). Europe, Great Britain, and the Commonwealth countries usually observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11.
