History of Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.


Exerts taken from The United States Department of Veterans Affairs

For more Veterans Day Pics visit Oldman's Inspirational Thoughts.

The History of Columbus Day

To most in the United States, Columbus Day is a day when the banks and the post office are closed. However, it is also a day celebrated by many nations and is considered a symbol of patriotism in the United States. The first Columbus Day was celebrated on October 12, 1792 in New York City. This was organized by The Society of St. Tammany in a celebration of the 300th anniversary of Columbus discovering the New World.

Many developments occurred in the Nineteenth Century. Italian-Americans began observing the holiday as a celebration of their heritage in New York City in 1866 and in San Francisco in 1869. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison called upon the citizens to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the event. During this celebration, politicians, preachers, teachers and other citizens used the holiday to promote and teach patriotism. It was the first time the Pledge of Allegiance was recited in public.

In 1905, Colorado was the first state to officially observe the holiday largely due to Italian-Americans successfully lobbying in Denver to establish it as an official holiday. It wasn’t until 1934 that President Franklin Roosevelt officially proclaimed it Columbus Day. This occurred as a result of lobbying before Congress by the Knights of Columbus. The Knights of Columbus is an organization originally started by Catholic immigrants who took on the name to fight discrimination and support their right to citizenship using Columbus as a fitting symbol since he was a fellow Catholic who had discovered America.

It is only a coincidence that today is 12th day of October because the holiday was officially declared the second Monday of October in 1971 by President Richard Nixon as most holidays have been moved to fall on a Monday. Coincidently this is also the day Canada celebrates Thanksgiving.

So have a Happy Columbus Day! Or if in Canada, Happy Thanksgiving!

Image taken from Wikimedia Commons.

The History of All Hallow's Eve

October brings in a season of harvest and with it comes the beautiful landscapes of Autumn leaves, the celebrations of Oktoberfest, pumpkins, hayrides, crisp morning air, and of course All Hallow's Eve or Halloween as it has come to be known. Today I offer a few videos. The first is a video from National Geographic on the history of Halloween. The remaining videos are from the History Channel offering a series on the Haunted History of Halloween. I hope you enjoy.

100 Years Ago

What a difference a century can make.

The average life expectancy 100 years ago in the United States was 47!

Only 14 percent of homes had a bathtub.

Only 8% of homes had a telephone.

We had only 144 miles of paved roads.

The tallest structure in the entire world was the Eiffel Tower.

The maximum speed limit in U.S. cities was 10 mph.

The average wage was 22 cents per hour.

The average worker earned between $200 and $400 PER YEAR!

More than 95% of all births took place at home.

Ninety percent of all doctors had no formal college education. Instead they attended medical schools that were dubbed substandard by the government and press.

Sugar cost four cents a pound, eggs fourteen cents per dozen, coffee fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

The four leading causes of death: Pneumonia and influenza; tuberculosis; heart disease and stroke.

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was thirty. The remote desert community was inhabited by only a handful of ranchers and their families.

Crossword puzzles, canned beer and iced tea had not yet been invented.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

One in ten U.S. adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at corner drugstores. According to one pharmacist, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and the bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.

Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of caffeine.

Eighteen percent of households in the United States had at least one full-time servant or domestic.

Now, imagine what the world will be like in another 100 years.

Author Unknown