The subject of the inquiry is the noun phrase "Veterans Day," and its recognition as a national holiday occurred in two key legislative stages. An Act of Congress, approved on May 13, 1938, made November 11th a legal federal holiday, at that time known as "Armistice Day." This day was originally dedicated to the cause of world peace and marked the anniversary of the end of World War I. However, the holiday was officially recognized under the name "Veterans Day" on June 1, 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation that amended the 1938 act by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans."
The historical progression began after World War I, with President Woodrow Wilson proclaiming the first Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. For years, the day was observed with unofficial state-level proclamations. In 1926, a Congressional resolution called for its annual observance, but it was the 1938 Act that formally established it as a national holiday. The impetus to rename the holiday came after World War II and the Korean War, as veterans' service organizations urged Congress to create a day that honored the veterans of all American wars, not just the end of one. Another significant legislative change occurred with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, which moved Veterans Day to the fourth Monday of October, effective in 1971. This change proved unpopular due to the historical significance of the November 11th date.
In response to widespread public sentiment, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law in 1975 returning the observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11th, with the change taking effect in 1978. This legislative reversal underscored the profound symbolic importance of the specific date, which marks the armistice that ended World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The evolution from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, and its eventual return to the original date, reflects a shift from commemorating a peace treaty to a broader and more solemn acknowledgment of the service and sacrifice of all U.S. military veterans.
