Honoring those who served — Veterans Day, Remembrance Day, and the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
A federal holiday honoring all American veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Originally established as Armistice Day in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson to commemorate the end of World War I, it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all veterans of all wars. Unlike Memorial Day, which honors those who died in service, Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, living and deceased.
On November 11, 1918, at 5:45 AM in a railroad car in the Compiegne Forest of France, the Armistice ending World War I was signed between the Allies and Germany. The ceasefire took effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, marking the end of "The Great War" that claimed over 17 million lives. This moment symbolizes peace after one of history's deadliest conflicts.
Observed throughout the British Commonwealth including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, Remembrance Day honors members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty. The tradition includes a two-minute silence at 11 AM and the wearing of red poppies, inspired by John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields," to remember the fallen.
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 ended fighting on land, at sea, and in the air in World War I between the Entente and Germany. Signed at 5:45 AM in Marshal Foch's railroad car in Compiegne Forest, the ceasefire took effect at 11:00 AM Paris time. After four years of devastating conflict that killed over 17 million people and wounded 23 million more, the guns finally fell silent on the Western Front.
Forty-one male passengers aboard the Mayflower signed the Mayflower Compact in Provincetown Harbor, establishing the first framework of government in what would become the United States. This document was America's first written framework for self-governance, creating "a civil Body Politick" and establishing the principle of majority rule. It remained in effect until Plymouth Colony merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691.
Washington was admitted as the 42nd state of the United States. President Benjamin Harrison signed the proclamation, officially granting statehood to the territory that had been home to indigenous peoples for thousands of years and to American settlers since the Oregon Trail migrations of the 1840s. Olympia was designated as the state capital, and the state constitution included progressive provisions including women's property rights.