Veterans Day was officially established on June 1, 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to change the name of the holiday from Armistice Day. This amendment was enacted to honor American veterans of all wars, expanding the scope of the original observance which was limited to those who served in World War I.
The holiday's origins trace back to November 11, 1919, when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day to mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress later passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and on May 13, 1938, an Act of Congress made November 11th a legal federal holiday. Following the major conflicts of World War II and the Korean War, veterans' service organizations urged Congress to amend the 1938 act to honor veterans of all conflicts, culminating in the 1954 name change.
It is also significant to note that the date of observance was briefly altered. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved the celebration to the fourth Monday in October, effective in 1971. However, the historical importance of the November 11th date led to widespread public support for its restoration. In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law that returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date, a change that took effect in 1978.
